Recent Posts

Most Used Categories

Christian Witness

Reflection for Trinity Sunday 2025

Christian Witness

Reflection for Trinity Sunday 2025

Christian Witness

Reflection for Trinity Sunday 2025

Perspective, Political

Support the Troops

…I support bringing the troops home —“ today, not tomorrow or next week or next month —“ right now. I support providing the troops with gainful employment. I support allowing the troops to be conscientious objectors —“ the more the better. I support allowing the troops to leave the military —“ in droves. I support giving the troops medical treatment for their injuries. I support giving the troops mental help for emotional problems related to being in combat.

And when they are all home —“ from Iraq and everywhere else in the world —“ I support using the troops to actually patrol our coasts and guard our borders. I support the troops so much that I don’t want them sent to fight any more foreign wars.

Support the troops!

From Supporting the Troops by Laurence M. Vance as noted in A Conservative Blog for Peace.

I can’t say I agree 100% with global disengagement but the idiocy of our misadventures over the past two decades brings my thinking more in line with Mr. Vance’s.

We are like the husband in a bad relationship. We think we can provide all the answers and solutions to every problem, but we end up mucking it up all the more.

Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective, Political

Foley folly, but by golly we’ll win

Just a few questions:

  • Why is the first, and pretty much only question, the affect this scandal will have on the November elections?
  • Why is the second question whether this guy is lying about his alcoholism and prior contacts with deviant clergy?
  • Why is the third question the affect of the scandal on the homosexual community?

Shouldn’t the first, second, third, and fourth question concern the welfare of these young men who have been victimized?

For some reason people assume that if you’re sixteen years old and male you can’t be abused or victimized (by either sex). It’s part of the dichotomy between excessive Victorian guilt over sexuality and living in a society where everyone is expected to engage in sexual behaviors as early and as often as possible.

  • That boy and the hot teacher —“ ‘Oh, oh, oh, wish it was me.’
  • ‘Mom, dad, how should I respond if someone comes on to me? — Oh son, lets not talk about it, its dirty.’

It seems to me that Catholic Christianity has a lot to say about the proper ordering of sexual celebration within marriage and the relationship between healthy desire, pleasure, and commitment (what everyone wants —“ but no one will say, and what all parents should discuss with their children).

And if you don’t think that this person’s lechery and disjointed personality have had an affect on these young men, forcing them to question their sexuality at an age where everything is appearances, and forcing them to loose what little faith they have in the pillars of society, while they still have some modicum of faith in the ‘establishment’, you are deluding yourself.

PNCC

Fifth Day of the Octave – For the Gift of Understanding

+ Come Holy Spirit, come!
And from Your celestial home,
shed a ray of light divine!

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light,
of Strength, and of Love. With His
sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind,
strengthens the will, and inflames the
heart with the love of God. We should
invoke the Holy Spirit daily, for the Spirit
aids us in our infirmity. We do not know
what we should pray for, nor how we
should pray, but Scripture tells us that
the Spirit Himself asks for us.

Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, You have
regenerated us by water and the Holy
Spirit, and have given us forgiveness for
all our sins. From Heaven send forth
upon our Holy Synod Your sevenfold
Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and
Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and
Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and
Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of the
Fear of the Lord. Amen.

Rend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.

The Gift of Understanding

Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, helps us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our holy religion. By faith we know them, but by Understanding we learn to appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths and through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile and inactive, but rather inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to the faith that is in us; we begin to “live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10)

Prayer

Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten the minds of all those attending Holy Synod, that they may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Your light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of You and the Father and the Son. Amen.

Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory be to the Father …

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

On my knees, before the great
multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer
myself, soul and body, to You, Eternal
Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of
Your purity, the unerring keenness of
Your justice, and the might of Your love.
You are the Strength and Light of my
soul. In You I live and move and am. I
desire never to grieve You by
unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with
all my heart to be kept from the smallest
sin against You. Mercifully guard my
every thought and grant that I may
always watch for Your light, listen to Your
voice, and follow Your gracious
inspirations. I cling to You and give
myself to You and ask You, by Your
compassion, to watch over me in my
weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of
Jesus and looking at His five Wounds,
and trusting in His Precious Blood and
adoring His opened Side and Stricken
Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit,
Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in
Your grace that I may never sin against
You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, to
say to You always and everywhere,
“Speak for Your servant is listening.” (1
Sam. 3:10b)

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before
ascending into heaven, did promise to
send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work
in the souls of the Apostles and Disciples,
grant the same Holy Spirit to our Polish
National Catholic Church that it may be
made perfect in the work of Your grace
and Your love. Grant us the Spirit of
Wisdom that we may despise the
perishable things of this world and aspire
only after the things that are eternal; the
Spirit of Understanding to enlighten our
minds with the light of Your divine truth;
the Spirit of Counsel that we may ever
choose the surest way of pleasing God
and gaining heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude
that we may bear our crosses with You
and that we may overcome with courage
all the obstacles that oppose our
salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge that
we may know God and know ourselves
and grow perfect in the knowledge of
the Saints; the Spirit of Piety that we
may find the service of God sweet and
amiable, and the Spirit of the Fear of the
Lord, that we may be filled with a loving
reverence towards God and may dread
in anyway to displease Him. Dear Lord,
mark our Polish National Catholic
Church with the sign of discipleship and
enliven our Holy Synod in all its dealings
with Your Spirit. Amen. +

Saints and Martyrs

October 5 – St. Paul of the Cross (Św. Paweł od Krzyża)

O chwalebny Św. Pawle! który byłeś wybrany od Boga, abyś rozpamiętywał szczególniej Mękę Syna Jego Jednorodzonego, i rozszerzał po świecie nabożeństwo do Męki Pańskiej za pośrednictwem Zgromadzenia przez ciebie założonego! Wyjednaj nam miłość ku Ukrzyżowanemu, abyśmy mękę Jego rozpamiętywając, z grzechów naszych powstali. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.

Therefore, be constant in practicing every virtue, and especially in imitating the patience of our dear Jesus, for this is the summit of pure love. Live in such a way that all may know that you bear outwardly as well as inwardly the image of Christ crucified, the model of all gentleness and mercy. For if a man is united inwardly with the Son of the living God, he also bears his likeness outwardly by his continual practice of heroic goodness, and especially through a patience reinforced by courage, which does not complain either secretly or in public. Conceal yourselves in Jesus crucified, and hope for nothing except that all men be thoroughly converted to his will.

— from a letter by Saint Paul of the Cross

Current Events, Political

Ooops he did it again

From the public employees as errand boys file.

The Albany Times Union editorializes on State Controller (the person who’s job it is to assure us that public funds are used properly) Alan Hevesi’s latest misuse of public employees in Mr. Hevesi, again:

No one is suggesting this election season that New York Comptroller Alan Hevesi lacks the specialized skills to perform one of the more critical jobs in state government. The questions instead are simple enough to be of the layman’s variety. For example, where is this man’s common sense?

Last week should have had Mr. Hevesi especially on guard. It began with him having to repay the state some $83,000 after he was caught using a comptroller’s office employee to act as a driver for his ailing wife. Only by week’s end, Mr. Hevesi was scrambling to resolve another embarrassing misuse of the public’s money that never should have occurred in the first place.

Both Mr. Hevesi and his suddenly more aggressive and viable challenger, Christopher Callaghan, spoke to a New York State Association of Counties conference in Lake George. When it was Mr. Callaghan’s turn, Mr. Hevesi had him tape-recorded.

That much has become rather routine in political campaigns, a reality driven home by U.S. Sen. George Allen of Virginia and his already infamous “Macaca” comment. Such work is usually done by campaign aides. In Mr. Hevesi’s case, though, it was one of the press aides from the comptroller’s office, as the New York Daily News reported…

Christian Witness, Current Events

Faithless foolishness part 1,364,895

It appears that God is responsible for domestic abuse. From the Daily Mail: Outcry as clergy say calling God ‘He’ or ‘Lord’ encourages wife-beating:

Church of England leaders warned yesterday that calling God ‘He’ encourages men to beat their wives.

They told churchgoers they must think twice before they refer to God as ‘He’ or ‘Lord’ because of the dangers that it will lead to domestic abuse…

The new fine print disclaimer for those who believe such things:

Please note, we have not committed any errors, omissions, sins, grave wrongs, or evil. All such things are the fault of God (if you believe there is such a thing). Refer all questions to him. We hereby absolve ourselves. We further apologize for writing this, saying anything, saying we are sorry for saying anything, and everything.

Tip o’ the biretta to the Young Fogey.

PNCC

Fourth Day of the Octave – For the Gift of Knowledge

+ Come Holy Spirit, come!
And from Your celestial home,
shed a ray of light divine!

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Light,
of Strength, and of Love. With His
sevenfold gifts He enlightens the mind,
strengthens the will, and inflames the
heart with the love of God. We should
invoke the Holy Spirit daily, for the Spirit
aids us in our infirmity. We do not know
what we should pray for, nor how we
should pray, but Scripture tells us that
the Spirit Himself asks for us.

Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, You have
regenerated us by water and the Holy
Spirit, and have given us forgiveness for
all our sins. From Heaven send forth
upon our Holy Synod Your sevenfold
Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and
Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and
Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and
Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of the
Fear of the Lord. Amen.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour Your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away.

The Gift of Knowledge

The gift of Knowledge enables the soul to evaluate created things at their true worth – in their relation to God. Knowledge unmasks the pretense of creatures, reveals their emptiness, and points out their only true purpose as – instruments in the service of God. It shows us the loving care of God even in adversity and directs us to glorify Him in every circumstance of life. Guided by its light, we put first things first, and prize the friendship of God beyond all else. “Knowledge is a fountain of life to its possessor.” (Proverbs 16:22)

Prayer

Come, O blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that all those attending Holy Synod may perceive the will of the Father; show them the nothingness of earthly things. May they be aware of their own tendencies towards pride and self-importance and reject these in a desire to be used only for Your glory, looking beyond themselves to You, and Your eternal rewards. Amen.

Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory be to the Father …

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

On my knees, before the great
multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer
myself, soul and body, to You, Eternal
Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of
Your purity, the unerring keenness of
Your justice, and the might of Your love.
You are the Strength and Light of my
soul. In You I live and move and am. I
desire never to grieve You by
unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with
all my heart to be kept from the smallest
sin against You. Mercifully guard my
every thought and grant that I may
always watch for Your light, listen to Your
voice, and follow Your gracious
inspirations. I cling to You and give
myself to You and ask You, by Your
compassion, to watch over me in my
weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of
Jesus and looking at His five Wounds,
and trusting in His Precious Blood and
adoring His opened Side and Stricken
Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit,
Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in
Your grace that I may never sin against
You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, to
say to You always and everywhere,
“Speak for Your servant is listening.” (1
Sam. 3:10b)

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before
ascending into heaven, did promise to
send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work
in the souls of the Apostles and Disciples,
grant the same Holy Spirit to our Polish
National Catholic Church that it may be
made perfect in the work of Your grace
and Your love. Grant us the Spirit of
Wisdom that we may despise the
perishable things of this world and aspire
only after the things that are eternal; the
Spirit of Understanding to enlighten our
minds with the light of Your divine truth;
the Spirit of Counsel that we may ever
choose the surest way of pleasing God
and gaining heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude
that we may bear our crosses with You
and that we may overcome with courage
all the obstacles that oppose our
salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge that
we may know God and know ourselves
and grow perfect in the knowledge of
the Saints; the Spirit of Piety that we
may find the service of God sweet and
amiable, and the Spirit of the Fear of the
Lord, that we may be filled with a loving
reverence towards God and may dread
in anyway to displease Him. Dear Lord,
mark our Polish National Catholic
Church with the sign of discipleship and
enliven our Holy Synod in all its dealings
with Your Spirit. Amen. +

Saints and Martyrs

October 4 – St. Francis of Assisi (Św. Franciszek z Asyżu)

St. Francis of Assisi

Wspomóż nas Panie, a wejrzawszy na seraficzną miłość św. Franciszka, któregoś pięciu ranami naznaczył, – udziel nam tej łaski, abyśmy na ziemi ubóstwo jego naśladując, szczęścia prawdziwego to doznali i w przyszłości jego społecznością cieszyć się mogli, przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.

From a letter by Francis:

“O how happy and blessed are those who love the Lord and do as the Lord himself said in the gospel: You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and your whole soul, and your neighbor as yourself. Thereofore, let us love God and adore him with pure heart and mind. This is his particular desire when he says: True worshipers adore the Father in spirit and truth. For all who adore him must do so in the spirit of truth. Let us also direct to him our praises and prayers, saying: “Our Father, who are in heaven,” since we must always pray and never grow slack.

Furthermore, let us produce worthy fruits of penance. Let us also love our neightbors as ourselves. Let us have charity and humility. Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin. Men lose all the material things they leave behind in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these they will recieve from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve. We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be sinple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive to very human being for God’s sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be the Father’s children who do his work. They are the spouses, brothers and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Current Events

Ye may tithe unto the Lord (even in bankruptcy)

A follow-up to an earlier post from today’s Times-Union: Bill aims to protect post-bankruptcy tithing; Senate passes measure after ruling in New York case that couple cannot continue to give

ALBANY — A debtor’s right to make reasonable religious donations during a financial reorganization would be protected under a bill, based on a New York bankruptcy case, that was hastily passed in Washington last weekend.

The unanimous vote in the Senate early Saturday comes amid an outcry against a 2005 federal bankruptcy reform package critics say protects the credit card, credit union and car dealership lobbies at the expense of the rights of the faithful. The bill still faces a vote sometime this fall in the House of Representatives.

Judge Robert Littlefield ruled in August that the controversial 2005 law prohibits an Adirondacks couple who filed for Chapter 13 protection from continuing to pay $100 a month to the Sacred Heart Parish of Massena while they reimburse their unsecured creditors.

At the time, Littlefield, a judge for the Northern District of New York, said reform legislation clearly says such a contribution is not considered a reasonable or necessary expense when a family’s income is above the median level.

After being blasted by religious leaders and a national bankruptcy lawyers association in recent weeks, ranking Republican Sen. Orrin G. Hatch of Utah released a statement saying he usually opposes resorting to such an “impromptu legislative response to judicial decisions.”

“But the religious practices and beliefs of individuals should not be subject to the whims of judicial interpretation,” he said, striking back at Littlefield.

“This bill ensures those who tithe can continue to live their faith while in bankruptcy…”

All Right Reserved © 2005 - 2023