Also the blessed David shall advise you the meaning of this, saying, You have prepared a table before me in the presence of them that afflict me. What he says, is to this effect: Before Your coming, the evil spirits prepared a table for men, polluted and defiled and full of devilish influence; but since Your coming. O Lord, You have prepared a table before me. When the man says to God, You have prepared before me a table, what other does he indicate but that mystical and spiritual Table, which God has prepared for us over against, that is, contrary and in opposition to the evil spirits? And very truly; for that had communion with devils, but this, with God. You have anointed my head with oil. With oil He anointed thine head upon your forehead, for the seal which you have of God; that you may be made the engraving of the signet, Holiness unto God. And your cup intoxicates me, as very strong. You see that cup here spoken of, which Jesus took in His hands, and gave thanks, and said, This is My blood, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. — Catechetical Lecture 22.
Consider therefore the Bread and the Wine not as bare elements, for they are, according to the Lord’s declaration, the Body and Blood of Christ; for even though sense suggests this to you, yet let faith establish you. Judge not the matter from the taste, but from faith be fully assured without misgiving, that the Body and Blood of Christ have been vouchsafed to you. — Catechetical Lecture 22.
St. Michael’s R.C. Church Parish Festival
20 Page Avenue
Cohoes, N. Y. 12047
Telephone: 518-237-5151
St. Michael’s R.C. Church in Cohoes, is having a Parish Festival on May 30th, 31st and June 1st, 2008. Hours are Fri. 5-10pm, Sat. 2-11pm, and Sun. 12-5pm.
A family oriented event with Polish-American food, amusement rides, dance group, Freckles the Clown, games of chance, raffle, and music/bands (Music Express, Echo & Donny P & Celebration). For mor information please visit the parish website or call Kazia at 518-588-0977.
Polish Community Center Polish-American Buffet
Join us on Friday June 13th, 2008 between 4-8 pm for a Polish-American buffet at the Polish Community Center located at 225 Washington Ave Ext in Albany NY. for more information please call our center at 518-456-3995 or visit our website.
From the AP: NY Gov: Clinton should stop Mich, Fla effort
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) —” New York Gov. David Paterson, a superdelegate who supports Hillary Rodham Clinton, said she’s showing “a little desperation” and should give up her effort to count votes from renegade primaries in Michigan and Florida.
Paterson said Thursday that Clinton shouldn’t derail the process by which the national Democratic Party stripped Michigan and Florida of their national convention delegates because they moved their primaries up to January in violation of party rules. The rules were agreed to by all the candidates, including Clinton, before she won the two January contests. Because of the violations, no candidates campaigned in either state and her rival Barack Obama took him name off the Michigan ballot.
“I would say at this point we’re starting to see a little desperation on the part of a woman I still support and will support until she makes a different determination,” Paterson told WAMC-FM. “Candidates have to be cautious in their zeal to win that they don’t trample on the process…”
Gov. Paterson understands the reality of the situation. Ms. Clinton is turning this into an argument over democracy: From the Globe and Mail
Ms. Clinton made the point herself this week at a rally in Florida.
—We believe that casting your vote is the truest expression of your will. Here in Florida, you learned the hard way what happens when your votes aren’t counted. If any votes aren’t counted, the will of the people isn’t realized and our democracy is diminished.—
…which simply is not true. As the Governor states, its about the process, a process that follows organizational rules members are bound to observe. Party nominating fights are not about democracy in the proper sense. They are about membership in the party and following its rules in regard to nominating contests. If Ms. Clinton purports that its about democracy she has no real grasp of the meaning of the term.
To make it simple for the overwrought: You belong to the Elks? You can vote in your Lodge’s elections. To do so you must follow the Elks rules for such things (and I have no idea what they are).
The leaders of Florida’s and Michigan’s Democratic Parties are at fault. They should be held to account by the members of their states’ organizations. They are the ones who blew it for their states. Problem is – they will never own up or be accountable to anyone.
Simple rule of life – if you belong to an organization and cannot follow its rules, quit and join another one whose rules you like better. People do it all the time – because they don’t like the stinkin’ rules. Rules! We don’t need no stinkin’ rules…
Christ on a certain occasion discoursing with the Jews said, Except ye eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no life in you. They not having heard His saying in a spiritual sense were offended, and went back, supposing that He was inviting them to eat flesh.
In the Old Testament also there was show-bread; but this, as it belonged to the Old Testament, has come to an end; but in the New Testament there is Bread of heaven, and a Cup of salvation, sanctifying soul and body; for as the Bread corresponds to our body, so is the Word appropriate to our soul. — Catechetical Lecture 22.
From the Minneapolis – St. Paul Star Tribune: After warning, family of autistic teen attends different church
The mother of a 13-year-old autistic boy who was banned by a court order from attending services at a Roman Catholic church in Bertha, Minn., woke up Sunday determined to take her son to mass.
But Carol Race changed her mind when Todd County Sheriff Pete Mikkelson met her at the end of her driveway Sunday and told her she would be arrested if she brought her son, Adam, into the Church of St. Joseph.
Instead, Race took Adam and her four other children to mass at Christ the King Church in nearby Browerville, Minn. “It occurred to me that if I step foot in [St. Joseph], they will arrest me and I won’t end up going to mass anyway,” she said.
A court hearing on the matter has been continued until June 2 so that Race can hire an attorney.
The dispute has drawn attention to what Race and advocates for the disabled say is a lack of education and understanding about autism. Race said that even though her son, who is home-schooled, sometimes acts up in church, the experience benefits him.
…
The Rev. Daniel Walz, who did not return calls left at the Church of St. Joseph parish office, wrote in court documents that Adam’s behavior was “extremely disruptive and dangerous.” He alleged that Adam, who is more than 6 feet tall and weighs over 225 pounds, spits and urinates in church and has nearly injured children and elderly people.
In an affidavit, Walz wrote: “The parish members and I have been very patient and understanding. I have made repeated efforts through Catholic Education Ministries, Caritas Family Services, and most recently, sought to try and mediate the matter with the family to ask them to voluntarily not bring Adam to church, but it has been to no avail.” The Diocese of St. Cloud said in a statement that the restraining order, issued May 9, was “a last resort…”
I’ve been following this for a few days, since it showed up on ABC. In reflecting on this my gut instinct, and the reason this gives scandal, is that the parties involved have lost sight of their Christian witness as outlined by St. Paul:
And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity. — 1 Corinthians 13:13 (Douay-Rheims)
The priest is relying on a legal approach – one of the great problems among some R.C. clergy. The family is relying on its needs, and knowing the struggle of families dealing with autism I know it is hard to see beyond the immediacy of the struggle. Both need to to step back and pray for the gift of charity. Both need to act in charity toward the other. Both need to look to what builds up the Christian community, not just the parish or family, but the whole of the community. I begrudge neither. I just pray that they witness together – in mutual charity.
He once in Cana of Galilee, turned the water into wine, akin to blood, and is it incredible that He should have turned wine into blood? When called to a bodily marriage, He miraculously wrought that wonderful work; and on the children of the bride-chamber, shall He not much rather be acknowledged to have bestowed the fruition of His Body and Blood?
Wherefore with full assurance let us partake as of the Body and Blood of Christ: for in the figure of Bread is given to you His Body, and in the figure of Wine His Blood; that you by partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, may be made of the same body and the same blood with Him. For thus we come to bear Christ in us, because His Body and Blood are distributed through our members; thus it is that, according to the blessed Peter, we become partakers of the divine nature. — Catechetical Lecture 22.
Our President and those with him, along with at least some section of our military
U.S. military personnel at Guantanamo Bay allegedly softened up detainees at the request of Chinese intelligence officials who had come to the island facility to interrogate the men — or they allowed the Chinese to dole out the treatment themselves, according to claims in a new government report.
Buried in a Department of Justice report released Tuesday are new allegations about a 2002 arrangement between the United States and China, which allowed Chinese intelligence to visit Guantanamo and interrogate Chinese Uighurs held there…
Didn’t we stand in opposition to communism not too long ago (at least outwardly)? Didn’t we call small countries and some people communist stooges? Now it’s just a business deal I guess. We have become communist stooges.
And on the Uighurs (from Wikipedia):
Following 9/11, China voiced its support for the United States of America in the war on terror. The Chinese government has often referred to Uyghur nationalists as “terrorists” and received more global support for their own “war on terror” since 9/11. Human rights organizations have become concerned that this “war on terror” is being used by the Chinese government as a pretext to repress ethnic Uyghurs. Uyghur exile groups also claim that the Chinese government is suppressing Uyghur culture and religion, and responding to demands for independence with human rights violations. These include mass abortions of Uyghur children and forced termination of marriages between Uyghur people. Uyghur children who are born unauthorized are denied food and shelter by the government.
The war on terror being used as a pretext? Who’d have thought…
I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, how that the Lord Jesus, in the night in which He was betrayed, took bread, &c.
Even of itself the teaching of the Blessed Paul is sufficient to give you a full assurance concerning those Divine Mysteries, of which having been deemed worthy, you are become of the same body and blood with Christ. For you have just heard him say distinctly, That our Lord Jesus Christ in the night in which He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it, and gave to His disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is My Body: and having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, Take, drink, this is My Blood . Since then He Himself declared and said of the Bread, This is My Body, who shall dare to doubt any longer? And since He has Himself affirmed and said, This is My Blood, who shall ever hesitate, saying, that it is not His blood? — Catechetical Lecture 22.
After this ye hear the chanter inviting you with a sacred melody to the communion of the Holy Mysteries, and saying, O taste and see that the Lord is good . Trust not the judgment to your bodily palate no, but to faith unfaltering; for they who taste are bidden to taste, not bread and wine, but the anti-typical Body and Blood of Christ. — Catechetical Lecture 23.