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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 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

What did you do for me?
I served you.

“You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.”

Jesus’ disciples came to Him looking for special favors. They wanted to have positions of power, authority, and glory in the kingdom. They even offered to sacrifice a little today if they could have that promise.

Jesus turned the tables on them and used their request to teach them the true message of the kingdom. We aren’t to seek glory, honors, power, and notoriety. Instead, we are to give all we have, even our lives, in service and sacrifice for others. Only then will we come to know the glory of the kingdom. It is a glory where we give completely of ourselves for others. In turn, we are made rich through their giving, serving, and sacrificing for us. Mutual sacrifice is the way of life in the kingdom.

Our first two readings point to the fact that this type of sacrifice, this kind of giving, is not something our Lord and God demand of us as subjects. It is all captured in the key phrase – You know how it is with those who are recognized as rulers…

We do know how it is, right down to this day. Leaders demand obedience, work for personal enrichment, and do favors for “friends” who do favors for them. Money fuels power, and power rewards money.

God came to us, God who has absolute power, glory, and authority, and emptied Himself completely. He was made low, served all, and was completely crushed. In giving His life – He brought us to eternal life. He lost everything so that we might have everything.

The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that we have a high priest, Jesus, who sympathizes with our weaknesses, because He faced the same weaknesses – facing them without sin.

Because of this there is no barrier between us and the ultimate power, authority, and glory of God. We may fully and confidently approach the throne of grace, because God will lower Himself from that throne to lift us up. He will serve us, heal us, have mercy on us, forgive us, wash our feet and feed us. He will do it all for us because we are worth that much to Him.

We must follow His example, and lower ourselves, serving and lifting others in sacrificial love.

Homilies, PNCC

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Christian Family

Hey, you look just like…
God.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it”

We’ve all heard the old adage – everyone has a twin somewhere.

Followers of the television show Lost discuss an imaginary French Mathematician named Marseille Roussau putting forward a theory – referred to as Roussau’s genetic mirror theory. Roussau’s theory says that everyone in the world has an exact twin somewhere, however according to the theory you never encounter this person by laws of probability and other natural occurring phenomena. In these discussions, Roussau uses a series of numbers to explain his theory. Of course that’s television.

Now look at the biblical passage from Genesis above. There it is, right there at the very start of the bible, the reality. Everyone looks like – God. Our twin is God, and by His creation each and every person is our twin.

It is wonderful to consider isn’t it. We all bear the image of God. As we celebrate our Church’s unique and special celebration in honor of the Christian Family – we should consider this hallmark of our faith. We are not just natural families, by birth and genetics, with perhaps a twin out there somewhere, but something much greater. We are linked together as images of the Heavenly Father – bearing the image of Jesus in us.

As images of Jesus we have one Father. We share in one heritage. We are born into one family. We are promised one inheritance, not divided up, but given to each in full.

The Hartford Institute for Religious Research’s National Congregations Study tells us median church in the U.S. has 75 regular participants worshiping on Sunday mornings. For statisticians the median is important because it factors out the influence very large churches.

Visit almost any of the parishes in our Holy Church and you will find exactly that – a small congregation – but a congregation that is family. We look after each other, care for each other, work together, pray for each other (look at our prayer list), worry when someone isn’t in church on Sunday, and of course welcome newcomers into our family (hey, they’re our twins).

As we reflect today and in the week ahead let’s pray for our twins, our Christian family. Let’s thank our Heavenly Father for giving us such a loving family. Let us also seek His help in growing the family. Then, take a few minutes to reach out to a family member we haven’t seen in a while to show your personal care for your twin.

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, , ,

Pray for the Holy Synod of the Central Diocese

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 11th, we begin the quadrennial Holy Synod of the Central Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church. As we review the accomplishments of the last four years and plan for the next four, please join in praying that the Holy Spirit guide the deliberations and grant us His sevenfold gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.

Come Holy Spirit, enkindle the hearts of Thy faithful with the fire of Thy love. Grant Your sevenfold gifts to the Holy Synod of the Central Diocese. Guide us in drawing souls to Your Holy Church. Grant us an increase in vocations. Draw Your community of faith to accord with Your will. Grant that we may set our hearts, minds, and actions to carrying out all that You will. Infuse us with love and fortitude. Renew and energize us by Your ever present grace. Grant safe travel to all participants. Amen.

And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. – Isaiah 11:2-3

Christian Witness, Homilies, Political

Reflection for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Hey, butt out of it.
No!

“And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.’”

Is there any direct biblical quote that states Church leaders must become involved in politics? The simple answer is no. Does that mean that Church leaders and Christians in general are to turn a blind eye to government and politics? The answer is also no.

Throughout biblical history we see men and women of faith standing up to power and politics to proclaim what is right and true by God’s standard. The Lord’s prophets obediently confronted civic leaders with their sin and with their godless decisions: Samuel with Saul; Gad and Nathan with David; Elijah, Elisha, and Micaiah with Ahab; Isaiah with Ahaz; Daniel with Belshazzar; Jeremiah with Jehoiakim and Zedekiah; as well as others. At the very beginning of the New Testament we see Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist, confront Herod about his immorality.

Certainly God does not set Himself against government as an institution. Jesus tells us to pay our taxes. Paul tells us to submit ourselves to the governing authorities. Peter tells us to honor the emperor.

All that said, there is a line that cannot be crossed. When Peter was told by the authorities to stop preaching he declared that he must obey God rather than men.

Jesus reminds us today that there is a standard set by God. This is a right, just, and truth-filled standard – as perfect as God is perfect. Whenever civil governments or the whims of society run afoul of God’s standard the Church must arise, proclaim and teach the standard, and accept persecution for it.

The early church knew it, and endured suffering from the Roman emperors because they refused to bend from God’s standard.

Jesus equips and empowers with the authority of His way – the one and only right way. As we prepare to vote, as we consider the options, let us pray and exhort each other to stand with God’s standard. Let us abide by biblical principals in the vote we cast. There is no perfect candidate. There is no one that is perfect and without sin. Measure each against God’s standards and vote for the people who best hold to and strive to meet the only standard that matters.

Christian Witness, Homilies,

Reflection for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

I’m locking up Jesus.
Hey, wait a minute…

“John said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us.’”

We meet someone, and find out that they are doing amazing things in Jesus’ name what do we think. Maybe they are drawing dozens of people into their Church. Maybe they are really effective at serving others, helping them find God’s forgiveness and healing through their words and actions. Maybe they are a really great preacher. What’s is our reaction especially if they are not members of our parish or our Holy Church?

Today’s gospel shows us that the disciples’ reaction is jealousy, anger, and a desire to stop that person. Better yet, they want to use the power of God (that’s Jesus) to stop them. It sort of reminds us of how petty the disciples could be at times.

Remember, in Luke 9, after a town had rejected Jesus the very same disciple, John, came to Jesus and asked if he could call down fire from heaven to destroy the town.

Jesus tells us today that our reaction to our brothers and sisters who bear His name should be one of joy, happiness, thankfulness, and fellowship. The person the disciples saw, and the people we find, doing great things in Jesus’ name all belong to Him. Jesus isn’t claiming exclusivity for His followers, or creating one human boss over all.

Jesus did not create one human boss over all because He well knew human weakness. If the disciples couldn’t rejoice in the wonderful things being done in His name, if their first reaction to anyone who didn’t get Jesus was to destroy them, how could He trust any one of them to be the “one over all?”

It is sad and unfortunate when one Church claims such things. It makes all Christians look bad because those that do not know Jesus see a sign that says Church is a closed community – a gated community with Jesus locked up inside. It speaks of exclusivity rather than openness.

Jesus left us a sacred and holy way of life. He gave us His word. He provided us with the nourishment of His sacraments. He showed us love and welcome. He expects all that follow Him to do just that – follow Him as the “One in charge.”

When we get the urge to lock Jesus up in a gated community, to claim Him exclusively, remember today’s example. He says: You cannot lock me up. There is no “one in charge” but rather “One in charge.” All who follow the “One in charge” are blessed and welcome.

Homilies,

Reflection for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Key kids.
You get it.

“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

Why did Jesus compare receiving a child to receiving Him?

The key in this verse is the word “receive.” It actually means to take by the hand. It means to take up. It means to befriend. It means to receive in hospitality. It means to accept into one’s life.

Whoever does these things isn’t just receiving a child, but they are also receiving Jesus because they no longer care about being pretentious, pompous, high-and-mighty, or arrogant. They are open, not just the innocence or a child, but to becoming small themselves.

We all know that we can’t act like big shots around children. They see right through it and will call us on it. In relating to a child we have to let down our guards, open up, and soften ourselves.

We have to do the same to accept Jesus, and to accept and welcome His Father as our Father.

Jesus was showing the disciples, who were arguing about who’s first that they had to let go of that attitude. They had to stop pretending after greatness because the only place they could find greatness, find heaven, was in being the servant to each other.

Jesus loved children because they weren’t competing. They were open to love and plain teaching. They recognized Jesus’ love – they got Him. While the men and women around Him, even His disciples were blinded by their own goals, children clearly saw God’s goals for their lives – and they accepted God’s goals as their goals.

We will all be called to account for our approach to life – how closely our lives follow Jesus’ way.

Did we treat our faith as something complex and hierarchical? Did we treat our faith as based on community and service to each other and the wider world?

Do we dwell on disputes and the competition to be greater than others? Do we focus on humility and self-denial so as to be most like Jesus?

St. James, having learned from Jesus during these days, points out that we tend to seek for ourselves, we focus only on our passions, we ask wrongly. We need to listen to the child’s voice. When we hear, “May I please have a glass of water?” our hearts should melt to become the servant who fulfills that child’s need – for the water that brings both physical and spiritual life. Be a humble believer, accept that child, and receive Jesus.

Current Events, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , ,

Veteran’s Day Scholarship Contest for High School Students

The Polish American Journal is sponsoring a Veteran’s Day Scholarship Contest for high school students honoring Lt. Col. Matthew L. Urban, the most decorated soldier in United States military history. Six awards will be made to winners and runners-up. Students must submit an essay entitled “Why I Think the United States Postal Service Should Issue a Stamp Commemorating Lt. Col. Matthew L. Urban.” Entries must be submitted no later than November 11, 2012. Download the rules, eligibility, and submission criteria by clicking on the picture below.

Homilies, , , ,

Reflection for Back to Church Sunday

I am listening.
What should I say?

“The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD accepts my prayer.”

Did you ever wonder what the Word of God is all about? Scripture, the Bible, whatever term we use, what is its purpose, why should we read it, study it, reflect on it, or even act on it?

For many people, the bible might be something handed down from parents and grandparents, a cherished memento. For some it may have been a gift they received for their first communion, baptism, on their wedding day. Certainly, most people have access to a bible in their home, and even if they do not, it is easily accessed via the Internet, on your iPod or iPad.

It comes in handy. We tend to reach for that bible when an issue or problem confronts us, when we are not well or when someone we love is sick. We look for those words of comfort and guidance.

Some people really focus on scripture and use the bible as their guide for life. It becomes a procedure manual and a guide for everyday living. I need to go to the store – what does the bible have to say? I dropped my groceries, my car is making an odd noise, and my husband or wife isn’t talking to me — what does God have to say on the issue?

That is all well and good and has merit. Anytime someone picks up that bible God’s word goes to work in his or her life, but the Word is not really about us.

If God’s word, His revelation is not a revelation about our lives, what does it reveal?

Scripture is this – it is God’s revelation about Himself, His self-revelation. Everything in scripture points out something about God’s personality, His thoughts, His power, His mercy, His Fatherhood, and His love.

The single most important thread in God’s self-revelation is that He wants to live with us, in relationship with us. This is so important that He sent His only Son Jesus to break down the barrier of sin that separated us from God. He broke down that wall; He wiped away sin and the consequence of sin – death. He offered His life to accomplish this mission.

God wants to be in a relationship with us that much. We are that important to Him. Because of that He is with us every minute, listening to us. So when problems or issues confront us, and we reach for that bible, God opens Himself to us. He says, here I am, for you, for whatever you need, even if it is only comfort. This is who I AM. I am listening to you. Say or ask for anything because you are that important to me.

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, , ,

Consecration of our new bishops

See coverage and a video of the consecration of Bishops Nowicki and Bilinski at: New Bishops Installed in Polish National Catholic Church

Scranton, Lackawanna County – Friday, [September 14, 2012] was a big day for the Polish National Catholic Church.

A mass to officially install two new bishops, including the one who will serve northeastern Pennsylvania, got underway late Friday afternoon in Scranton.

The mass began at 3:30 PM at Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr Cathedral in South Scranton.

The two bishops who will now serve their communities are Bishop Stanley Bilinski and Bishop Bernard Nowicki.

“I can’t believe the people who have come around from so far away and old friends from close places are an absolute delight,” Bishop Nowicki said.

Bishop Nowicki will serve the Polish National Catholic Church’s largest diocese, which includes Scranton. It stretches from New York to Washington, D.C.

Bishop Bilinski will be based in Chicago and will serve the church’s western diocese.

“We each bring unique gifts to the table and to understand that we can help the church along in its various needs, especially in this day and age,” Bishop Bilinski said.

Both of the new bishops, who were elected in June, say this is an exciting time for the Polish National Catholic Church. The bishops point to a new Prime Bishop in the church and a lot of new leadership that will drive them forward.

“We have our ideas, we have senses of where we want to go and certainly how we want to work together and that’s already been born out in the last few days,” Bishop Nowicki said…

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