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Art for Passion Sunday

The Resurrection of Lazarus, Jan Matejko, 1867

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; and he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”

Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Laz’arus, come out.” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him — John 11:33-45

Christian Witness, PNCC,

A prayer for the Fourth Sunday of Lent from Luciano Bruno

Il Signore Gesù ci ha rivelato il Padre come amore senza misura. Per questo osiamo elevare a lui le nostre preghiere, che egli ascolterà con benevolenza, chiedendogli di concederci ciò che è conforme al suo disegno provvidenziale.

Preghiamo dicendo: Ascoltaci Signore.

  • Perché la Chiesa, sull’esempio del Signore Gesù, sappia essere “luce del mondo”, annunciando a tutti gli uomini la verità del Vangelo e orientamenti di vita conformi al cuore di Dio, preghiamo.
  • Perché coloro che governano le nazioni sappiano discernere le vie migliori per promuovere la dignità di ogni uomo, specialmente dei più poveri e bisognosi, preghiamo.
  • Per tutti coloro che sono colpiti da invalidità o malattia, perché trovino consolazione nella Parola del Vangelo e, nella nostra vicinanza fraterna e cordiale, un segno dell’amore di Dio, preghiamo.
  • Per coloro che sono smarriti o stanchi di cercare la verità nella loro vita, perché il Signore Gesù irrompa nel loro cuore e illumini la loro mente, affinchè possano fare esperienza della bellezza dell’essere cristiani, preghiamo.
  • Per noi, perché ristorati dalla santa Eucaristia domenicale, possiamo camminare sulle strade della vita disseminando sul nostro cammino opere di giustizia, di pace, di carità fraterna, preghiamo.

From Rev. Luciano Bruno to the PNCC in Italia Facebook page.

Art,

Art for the 4th Sunday of Lent

The Miracle of Christ Healing the Blind, El Greco, ca. 1570

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner.”
He answered, “Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become his disciples?”
And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”
The man answered, “Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of man?”
He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you.”
He said, “Lord, I believe”; and he worshiped him. — John 9:24-38

Christian Witness, PNCC, , , , ,

Update on the Streator dispute

From Pantagraph: LaSalle Co. prosecutor: Church dispute is civil matter (also see here)

STREATOR — No criminal prosecution is expected in a case involving a monsignor’s allegation that an 86-year-old woman took money that did not belong to her group.

The matter instead is civil, said LaSalle County State’s Attorney Brian Towne. Dorothy Swital of Streator has hired a lawyer and a benefit will be held Sunday to pay her expenses.

Monsignor John Prendergast, head of the now-combined Streator parishes, earlier said Swital transferred two certificates of deposit from the now-defunct St. Casimir Altar and Rosary Society to the new Polish Rosary Society.

The $35,622 belongs to the new St. Michael the Archangel parish and not her group, said Prendergast.

“We have been in consultation with the lawyers involved,” said Towne. “The money is not missing. We know exactly where it is and when you get into that kind of situation, it’s a civil matter.”

Swital said she has had no contact with Prendergast but continues to believe it is the new group’s money. “I’ve gotten a lot of support,” she said. “I would say it’s three to one.

“We gave it (the money) to the church when they needed it,” said Swital. “We’ve done nothing wrong.”

Prendergast and diocesan officials continue to maintain it is church money, citing both canon (church) and civil law.

A chicken and spaghetti meal for Swital’s defense fund will run from noon until 3 p.m. Sunday at Polish National Alliance Hall, 906 Livingston St.

Four Streator Roman Catholic parishes, including St. Casimir, were combined into one parish. A new church building on the north side is planned.

Seems an issue of money over souls; the letter of the law over the spirit of the law. Why is recourse always to the law? Can’t Christians resolve such things among themselves? St. Paul warned us about this — see 1 Corinthians 6:1-7. How will the Monsignor be a judge of the world when he must run to authorities over such a simple matter?

The Monsignor may have his laws books straight, but then, so did the Pharisees. If he were to relent, what harm would come – these ladies would support their church wholeheartedly, with their prayer, hard work, and money. Instead, he will win, and in the process their hearts and faith will be broken. Rather than hallowed victory, he and the Church he is supposed to represent will have hollow victory.

The voice of the LORD cries to the city —
and it is sound wisdom to fear thy name:
“Hear, O tribe and assembly of the city!
Therefore I have begun to smite you,
making you desolate because of your sins.
You shall eat, but not be satisfied,
and there shall be hunger in your inward parts;
you shall put away, but not save,
and what you save I will give to the sword.
You shall sow, but not reap;
you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.” — Micah 6:9,13-15

My suggestion, leave the Monsignor his money, let him wallow in it and eat its fruit. Come to your nearest PNCC Parish, or start one in Streator, where your hard work and contribution will always be within your control. As you say: the things you have worked for, for the benefit of the Church. No one will grasp at your purse while you dine at the table of the Lord.

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