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Reflection for Trinity Sunday 2025

Christian Witness

Reflection for Trinity Sunday 2025

Christian Witness

Reflection for Trinity Sunday 2025

Christian Witness, Homilies, , ,

Reflection for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

We thank You Lord.
…and anticipate Your coming.

“‘And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds'”

It is the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and our readings focus on the end times, the second coming of Jesus. It can seem like a scary and even depressing subject when we want to focus on celebrating.

When we hear Jesus speak of these images of darkness, falling stars, and the heavens being shaken we are shaken. Daniel reminds us that these will be times of “surpassing distress.”

We grow a little frightened, what if Jesus were really to come tomorrow, or in the next hour, or minute? We certainly may consider ourselves unprepared.

Maybe we are prepared for Thanksgiving. The turkey is purchased, the potatoes, yams, vegetables, those special items unique to our family traditions are stored away. But are we prepared to meet Jesus when He returns?

As we approach Thanksgiving, let’s prepare ourselves; fill ourselves with a spirit of thankfulness. Let that thankfulness include a sense of praise and anticipation for Jesus’ coming.

Whatever the events that will precede the glorious appearance of Jesus with the angelic cohort, we should gladly celebrate Jesus’ promise and be thankful for it. We know that when He comes we will be ready to be drawn to His side.

We are the people Daniel speaks of because of our faith in Jesus. “The wise who shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, those who lead the many to justice who shall be like the stars forever.”

Like the psalmist, we can declare that the Lord is our inheritance. What a wonderful thing to be thankful for, an inheritance with God forever in His kingdom.

As we pray this Thanksgiving let us set aside our concern over the events of the end times. Any fantastic theories and predictions about the end of the world and return of Christ are worthless. Instead, praise God and be thankful for the spirit of renewal, which prepares us for Jesus. Pray Maranatha – a word meaning, “Come, O Lord.” This prayer asks for the speedy and early return of Christ.

Build desire and thankfulness for the Second Coming. This is our preparation. To live in the hope that strengthens and fortifies us seeking always to live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Perspective, Political,

Reports on the fiscal cliff

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released reports projecting the economic impact the fiscal cliff and of avoiding different portions of the fiscal cliff. For example, avoiding sequestration and extending Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors would increase domestic product by 0.75 percent. Extending the current tax rates, which are set to expire at the end of the year, would increase economic growth by more than 1.5 percent. The report, “Economic Effects of Policies Contributing to Fiscal tightening in 2013,” is one of two reports released by CBO. The other report, “Choices for Deficit Reduction,” examines several methods for reducing the deficit over the next decade.

PNCC, , , , ,

Potential issue for parish treasurers

At a training session for church treasurers, an accountant discussed recent instances where an IRS auditor has disallowed a charitable deduction to a church. In each case both the church and the donation were legitimate and documentation was ample. The churches had mailed the required annual statement of cash donations received from the giver. These auditors are disallowing the entire year’s donations because the annual statement of donations did not contain the required boilerplate language, “No goods have been received in exchange for this donation.”

Parish treasurers should be aware of this potential issue and insert the required language in their donation statements as appropriate.

Regulations and law:

Under U.S. Tax Code Sec. 170, a taxpayer is allowed a charitable contribution deduction for a contribution or gift to or for the use of an organization organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes. Under Code Sec. 170(f)(8)(A), no charitable contribution deduction for any contribution of $250 or more is allowed unless the taxpayer substantiates the contribution with a contemporaneous written acknowledgment of the contribution by the donee organization that meets certain specified requirements. Under Code Sec. 170(f)(8)(B), the donee organization must state in the acknowledgment whether the donee organization provided any goods or services in consideration, in whole or part, for the contributed property or cash. If so, the acknowledgment generally must include a description and good faith estimate of the value of any goods or services provided. (Reg. § 1.170A-13(f)(2)) Under Code Sec. 170(f)(8)(C), a written acknowledgment is contemporaneous if it’s obtained by the taxpayer on or before the earlier of: (1) the date the taxpayer files the original return for the tax year of the contribution; or (2) the due date (including extensions) for filing the original return for the year. (Reg. § 1.170A-13(f)(3))

See articles on this issue here, here and at Law as Ministry.

Events, ,

A Prayer for Veteran’s Day

We thank Thee, Lord, for America, our home. We bless Thee for the liberty, the opportunity, and the abundance we share. But above all we praise Thee for the traditions which have made our country great, and for the patriots who have laid the foundations through faith, courage, and self-sacrifice. Teach us in our own day the meaning of citizenship, and help us to be faithful stewards of the responsibility which Thou entrusted to us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. — A Prayer for our Country from A Book of Devotions and Prayers According to the Use of the Polish National Catholic Church

Christian Witness, Homilies, ,

Reflection for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

I’ve been drafted!
I will go and serve.

“‘Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.'”

The widow of Zarephath and the widow who contributed to the treasury both did incredible acts of charity. Both gave totally of themselves for the good of others. They gave all they had, not out of surplus. In their giving they placed their faith in the God who provides, God who the psalmist says:

…keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, sets captives free, gives sight to the blind, raises up those who were bowed down, loves the just, protects strangers, who sustains the fatherless and the widow.

As we reflect today, on this Veterans Day we should recall that our veterans, our service men and women have done exactly the same. Even if wealthy, they decided to place their all on the line to serve – not just their country – but the cause of freedom for their brothers and sisters.

Whatever we do, we have the God given freedom to decide. When drafted, we might choose to go, just because of the law. When we are confronted with Jesus’ command to love and serve others, whether we are clergy or laity, we may follow His commandments just because we are afraid of God’s punishment. That may be sufficient – to follow the law, or to do because we are afraid of punishment, but our faith calls us to do these things out of a greater purpose.

That purpose is God’s call to love, to lean on Him who is our protector, advocate, strength, and teacher.

When we decide to ‘go and serve,’ to give our all, we fulfill the commandment of love – loving God by doing His will and loving our brothers and sisters to the point of sacrificing ourselves for them.

The widows did that. The widow chose to prepare bread and give water to Elijah even though she and her son would be left with almost nothing. The widow gave her last pennies to the treasury for charity.

Jesus had portrayed the religious leaders who feigned piety; accepted honor from people, and stole from widows as living without love, without even acting out of obligation to the law or fear of the Lord. They chose wrongly – and served themselves, not love.

Our call is to live like our veterans, in love and service toward others – and to do so out of love. Let us honor them for their right choice and choose rightly ourselves.

Art, Events, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , , , , , , , , ,

Events at the Albany’s Polish Community Center

Craft Fair

Get a head start on your Christmas shopping as the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Polish Community Center presents its Craft Show on Saturday, November 10th from 10am to 3pm. The Center is located at 225 Washington Avenue Ext., Albany, NY. The Center’s Polish/American kitchen will be open, and there will be a baked goods sale. Call (518) 456-3995 for more information.

Andrzejki Dance/bal Andrzejkowy

Andrzejki is the last party before Advent and a chance to have fun before the start of the Christmas season. The Polish Community Center will present its annual Andrzejki Dance on Saturday, November 24th from 7pm till 2am. The Dance features the band SYGNAL (Polish contemporary music – this is not a Polka band). Tickets are $30 per person and include the dinner buffet, snacks at midnight, and desserts. A cash bar will be available. For more information, please call Darius Figiel at (518) 235-6001. Note: There will be no tickets available at the door.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular

The Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Polish Community Center is sponsoring a trip to the Radio city Christmas Spectacular in New York City. The trip will take place on Saturday, November 17th leaving at 6:30 am from the Polish Community Center at 225 Washington Avenue Ext., Albany, NY. The show begins at 10:00 am at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Participant will have free time for some Christmas shopping and site seeing. Buses will leave to return at 6:30 pm with an approximate arrival back at the Center at 9:00 pm.

Tickets are $105 for PCC members, $65 for children, and $140 for non-PCC members. Price includes an orchestra section ticket and the chartered bus trip. To sign-up, please contact Susan Matala.

SLĄSK Performs

The Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Polish Community Center has tickets available for Sląsk – the internationally known Song & Dance Ensemble of Poland. Sląsk is conducting a tour of cities across the United States and Canada and will be appearing at Proctor’s Theater, 432 State Street, Schenectady, NY on Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 4pm. Ticket are $37, a 20% discount on the regular price of $46. Balcony and orchestra seats available. Please contact Susan Matala for tickets.

Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , ,

History of the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw, Poland

Mr. Robert Cymborski has developed a website highlighting the history of the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw, Poland as well as records of those interred there.

For the past seven years Mr. Cymborski has inventoried the resting place of the famous and ordinary Poles buried in the Powązki Cemetery. He has taken and cataloged more than 100,000 images, and has recorded graves in 105 sections from the oldest parts of the cemetery. His website currently contains more than 23,000 records of burials. It is updated once a week on average.

Mr. Cymborski undertook this project because of the lack of any documentation on burials that took place between 1792-1944, that is from the foundation of the cemetery to the Warsaw Uprising. During the Warsaw Uprising all cemetery records were lost when the Germans destroyed the city and burned down the local office containing the entire archive of the cemetery. Additionally, Mr. Cymborski was motivated by the deterioration of older grave markers resulting from weathering and air pollution. Mr. Cymborski estimates that his work will continue for the next 10-12 years.

I encourage my readers to visit the website and support Mr. Cymborski’s efforts as you are able.

Events, Poetry, Poland - Polish - Polonia, Political, , , , , , , , ,

Polish Film, Art and Book Festival

The Polish Chair at Canisius and the Polish Legacy Project are presenting the Polish Film, Art and Book Festival at Canisius College, 2001 Main St., Buffalo, NY from Wednesday, November 7th to Monday, November 19th. Presentations include:

  • Wed. Nov.7 – 7 p.m. “Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin,” Lecture by Dr. Timothy Snyder of Yale.
  • Mon. Nov. 12 – 7 p.m. Path to Glory (2011), Documentary film showing the epic story of the Polish Arabian Horse.
  • Thurs. Nov. 15 through Sat. Nov. 17, 1 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. and Sun. Nov. 18, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. – Book Fair – Thurs.-Sat. at Canisius. & Sun. Nov. 18 at Market Arcade Theatre. Books, DVDs & art on Polish topics for sale.
  • Thurs. Nov.15 – 1 p.m. – Andy Bienkowski & Mary Akers, talk about their book “One Life to Give…,” based on the experiences of Bienkowski as a child in Siberia.
  • Thurs. Nov.15 – 2 p.m. – Workshop by Bienkowski & Akers: “Writing Together: The Many Sides of Co-Authorship.”
  • Thurs. Nov.15 – 3:30 p.m. – Workshop by Wes Adamczyk, survivor of Soviet camps & author-“Writing From the Heart.”
  • Thurs. Nov.15 – 7 p.m. – Festival reception. Books, DVDs & art for sale.
  • Thurs. Nov.15 – 7:30 p.m. – Argentinian Lesson (2011), a film about an 8 year-old who moves to Argentina and learns about the world around him through 11 year-old Marcia.
  • Thurs. Nov.15 – 9 p.m. – Decrescendo (2011) Film showing the world of a nursing home through the eyes of a young therapist, who tries to find the meaning of his own life.
  • Fri. Nov. 16 – 6 p.m. – Wes Adamczyk presents “Living in the Shadows of Katyń,” about a family’s 10-year odyssey through multiple continents, and the Katyń Massacre.
  • Fri. Nov. 16 – 7:30 p.m. – Battle of Warsaw 1920 (2011) Film which tells the story of Poland’s battle vs. the Soviets through the eyes of two young people.
  • Sat. Nov. 17 – 4:30 p.m. – Workshop-Krysia Jopek: “Getting Your Work Published…”
  • Sat. Nov. 17 – 6 p.m. – Jopek, daughter of Polish WWII survivors, discusses her novel “Maps and Shadows”
  • Sat. Nov. 17 – 7:30 p.m. – Control Sample-Film about young Poles who live in four cities of Western Europe. Meet the Director.
  • Sat. Nov. 17 – 8:30 p.m. – 80 Million (2011) Film which portrays events of ten days before martial law.
  • Sun. Nov. 18 – 6:00 p.m. – Control Sample-Film
  • Sun. Nov. 18 – 6:30 p.m. – At the Market Arcade Theatre – In Darkness (2011) Film about one Catholic’s rescue of Jews.
  • Mon. Nov. 19 – 3:00 p.m. – Workshop-Poet John Guzlowski: “The Art of Listening: Writing Poems & Stories on Family.”
  • Mon. Nov. 19 – 7:00 p.m. – Siege-film by an American who documented Warsaw just before the Nazi invasion.
  • Mon. Nov. 19 – 7:15 p.m. – Guzlowski presents “Two Lives Shaped by World War II,”, the story of his parents’ lives as slave laborers in Germany.

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