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Christian Witness, Current Events, Saints and Martyrs,

Pray for the Christians of India

From Asia News: Lalji Nayak, martyr for the faith in Orissa

Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) – Lalji Nayak, tortured to force him to abandon his Christian faith, died of his injuries two days ago. …”they [his radical Hindu assailants] stuck a knife in his neck and threatened to kill him if he did not renounce Christianity, but Lalji Nayak, even though he was severely bleeding, refused to abandon his faith. He died in the hospital on October 1″.

Lalji Nayak’s village, in Rudangia, was attacked by Hindu fundamentalists on September 30, at four o’clock in the morning. Rudangia is in the district of Kandhamal, the epicenter from which the pogrom against Christians began more than a month ago.

For a complete recap of the martyrdoms, assaults, rapes, and pillaging taking place in India, all directed at Christians, see The Western Confucian’s coverage. The headlines alone are horrific.

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy!
Mary, Queen of martyrs and confessors, intercede for us!
All holy martyrs and confessors, pray for us!

Thank you to the Young Fogey for the link.

Calendar of Saints, Saints and Martyrs

Angel of God

Today the PNCC marks the Feast of the Guardian Angels. Let us recognize their role in our lives and pray for their continued care over us.

My good Angel, Thou comest from heaven;
God has sent thee to take care of me.
Oh, shelter me under thy wings.
Lighten my path, direct my steps.
Do not leave me,
stay quite near me and defend me against the spirit of evil.
But above all come to my help in the last struggle of my life.
Deliver my soul so that with thee
it may praise, love and contemplate the goodness of God
forever and ever. Amen.

Jacek Malczewski -- Angel and Little Shepherd
(Jacek Malczewski -- Angel and Little Shepherd)

Aniele Boży, Stróżu mój,
Ty zawsze przy mnie stój;
Rano, w wieczór, we dnie, w nocy,
Bądź mi zawsze ku pomocy,
Broń mnie od wszelkiego złego
I doprowadź do żywota wiecznego.
Amen.

Christian Witness, PNCC

Eternal rest Frank Jawor

I ask your prayers for the repose of the soul of Mr. Frank Jawor. His obituary from Wayne State University follows:

Former WSU Men’s Golf Coach Passes Away: Frank Jawor was the 1990 GLIAC Coach of the Year

Former Wayne State University men’s golf coach Frank Jawor, 87, passed away last Friday, September 26, 2008. He was the 1990 GLIAC Coach of the Year.

Beloved husband of the late Helen. Dearest father of Frank (Carol), John J., and Kathy Lynn. Loving grandfather of Frank Benjamin. Dear brother of Stan, Cass, Wanda, John, and the late Ted, Chet, Victoria, Helen, Joe and Stephanie. Family will receive friends Sunday 1-8 p.m. with prayers at 7 p.m. at Stanley Turowski Funeral Home, 25509 W. Warren, Dearborn Hts. In state 9:30 a.m. Monday at Our Savior Polish National Catholic Church, 610 N. Beech Daly until 10 a.m. Mass. Long-time PGA Member, former President of Michigan PGA, master golf professional, and former Wayne State golf coach. In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Our Savior Polish National Church or charity of choice.

Mr. Jawor, besides his accomplishments noted above, was an active member of the Polish National Union of America. He was Secretary of Branch 243 in Dearborn Heights and served on several national committees. He passed away three days before the celebration of the centennial of Polish National Union. May his valued service be treasured by all. Please pray:

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and may the perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.

Wieczne odpoczynek racz mu dać Panie, a światłość wiekuista niechaj mu świeci.
Niech odpoczywa w pokoju, Amen.

Everything Else

On September 11

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. — A Prayer for Our Country, BCP, 1925.

PNCC

Your prayers please

From the Buffalo News: Weather indignities: Lake-effect rain and lightning strikes

Lightning strikes and lake-effect rain became the latest by-products of our wet and nasty early days of August, but relief could be on the way, at least by the end of the week…

…lightning struck at least twice over the weekend, damaging a Lackawanna church Sunday afternoon, after a Chautauqua County man was struck by lightning while cutting his grass Saturday evening.

The Lackawanna lightning strike sparked a steeple fire at the Polish National Catholic Church, at Pulaski and Franklin streets in Lackawanna. City firefighters responding to the 2:50 p.m. alarm put the fire out quickly. Moderate damage was reported to the church.

On Saturday night, Amos N. Byler, 41, of the Town of Chautauqua, was struck on the back of his head and neck at about 7:45 p.m., while cutting his lawn with a sickle, officials said. He was taken to Westfield Memorial Hospital, then transferred to an Erie, Pa., hospital for further treatment.

I ask your prayers for Holy Trinity Parish, its people, and its pastor, the recently ordained Fr. Gary Spencer, as well as for the health and healing of Mr. Byler.

PNCC, Poland - Polish - Polonia

U. S. Soldiers on pilgrimage to Jasna Góra

From the AP: Hundreds of US soldiers join Polish pilgrimage

WARSAW, Poland (AP) —” Hundreds of soldiers in camouflage set off Tuesday on a 10-day march to Poland’s holiest Roman Catholic shrine —” among them five Americans hoping to deepen ties with an ally.

Five members of the Illinois National Guard traveled to Poland to make the 180-mile (290-kilometer) trek on foot —” alongside Poles, Germans and other Europeans —” from Warsaw to Czestochowa, site of the revered Black Madonna icon.

Though the 300-year-old pilgrimage has deep religious and patriotic resonance in mainly Catholic Poland, the main purpose of the U.S. contingent, a tradition that has started in recent years, is to show solidarity with Poland —” an ally in Iraq and Afghanistan —” and other nations.

It’s a chance “to come together and share a little bit, and hopefully develop closer bonds with foreign militaries in a non-combat type setting,” said Master Sgt. Roman Waldron, 37, from Springfield, Illinois.

Before embarking on the pilgrimage, the pilgrims attended an early morning Mass at the Field Cathedral of the Polish Army, where a priest blessed them with holy water. They were also told to set a moral example and refrain from drinking or smoking during the march.

The Black Madonna —” which legend says was painted by St. Luke —” was brought to the Jasna Gora monastery in Czestochowa in 1384.

Many miracles have been attributed to the painting, including a 1655 siege during which 70 monks and 180 supporters held off nearly 4,000 soldiers from the Protestant Swedish army and inspired Poles to rise up and throw out the invaders.

Sgt. 1st Class Evan Young, from Rock Island, Illinois, believes the pilgrimage is going to be even more meaningful than he had first imagined.

“Originally when I was given the opportunity I thought it would be kind of a neat way to see Poland, but then I started doing research on the Black Madonna and the siege and I thought it’s part of a much bigger thing,” said Young, a 45-year-old who grew up Episcopalian.

“It’s pretty neat to be taking part in this, and help improve relations with Poland and other countries that are here,” he said.

Only one of the five American soldiers is a Catholic. They will sleep in eight-man tents set up along the route by the Polish army.

The soldiers were trailed by thousands of students and other pilgrims in Warsaw, and will eventually join up with thousands more expected to converge on Czestochowa next week, ahead of the August 15 [Roman] Catholic holy day marking the Assumption of Mary…

My the Blessed Mother watch over them and instruct them in the ways of her Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

O, God, the strength of those who put their trust in Thee; Bless we pray, our soldiers, sailors, servicewomen, and airmen; our chaplains, doctors, nurses; and all enlisted in the service of our country. Give Thy holy angels charge over them to protect them from all harm; deliver them in all temptation, and if it by Thy gracious will, bring them safely home. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. — A Prayer for Those in the Armed Forces from A Book of Devotions and Prayers According to the Use of the Polish National Catholic Church.

For more information on this annual pilgrimage see Polskie Radio – Poland on pilgrimage.

Current Events, Saints and Martyrs,

Understanding and Writing Icons: A Student Exhibition

Pictured is Phillip Schwartz' Madonna of Korson.The main purpose of icon-writing is, according to artist Christine Simoneau-Hales, drawing closer to God through the process of prayer—”and painting God’s word in visual form. This exhibit at RPI’s Chapel + Cultural Center features works by both Simoneau-Hales and her students. They created—”—wrote——”iconic paintings in the ancient style, using egg tempera, and real gold leaf to adorn the halos. Students may have begun with the same tracings, but differences in the final works range from folds in the robes to facial expressions as each student expresses a unique message—”not to mention the many hidden meanings and symbols in these color-specific paintings.

In the Gallery at the Chapel + Cultural Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 125 Burdett Avenue, Troy, NY 12180. The exhibit runs from 1 July —“ 1 August. For more information call 518-274-7793.

Christian Witness, , , ,

I’m a cracker too

The Young Fogey blogged this item concerning a hate filled article by Dr. PZ Myers of the University of Minnesota – Morris.

Dr. Myers is of the opinion that the Holy Eucharist is something to be desecrated. In fact he urges people to desecrate the Eucharist and further states that he will gladly do so himself if someone were to bring him a consecrated host (itself an act of desecration). Dr. Myers makes these assertions in his blog post: It’s a frackin’ cracker.

For my part I would like to alert Dr. Myers to the fact that we, the people of the Holy Church, consider ourselves to be members of the Body of Christ. St. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (RSV):

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
If all were a single organ, where would the body be?
As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensable,
and those parts of the body which we think less honorable we invest with the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,
which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior part,
that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Logically, if Dr. Myers would like to desecrate the Body of Christ, he should be perfectly willing to desecrate any member of the Body. Members of the Church should hold no more value for him than what he claims is mere bread.

Since I am ordained member of the Body I have a particular role of witness in the Body of Christ, and since in Dr. Myers way of thinking I am just a “frackin’ cracker” too, I would like to personally invite him to meet me (he’ll have to come here as I have no ability to travel to Minnesota).

At our meeting Dr. Myers can take the opportunity to desecrate me as he would the Holy Eucharist. I won’t fight back. He can feel free to film the whole thing. He can even bring friends if he wishes. When he is done he can put me under his microscope and prove that my flesh is merely human flesh – no observable scientific difference. Dr. Myers?

Jesus, my God, I adore Thee in the Sacrament of Thy love.

Divine Redeemer, Who in Thy infinite goodness hast been pleased to leave us Thy precious body and blood in the Blessed Eucharist, we adore Thee with the most profound respect, and return Thee our most humble thanks for all the favors Thou hast bestowed upon us, especially for the institution of the Most Holy Sacrament. As Thou are the source of every blessing , we entreat Thee to pour down Thy benediction this day upon us and upon our relatives, friends, and benefactors; upon the Holy Church, our bishops, priests, and deacons; and upon all those for whom we offer our prayers. Let Thy blessings go forth far and wide. Let it be felt in the souls of the afflicted who cannot come to receive it at Thy feet. Let the weak and tempted feel its power wherever they may be. Let poor sinners feel its influence, arousing them to come to Thee. Grant to me O Lord and to all the members of Your Holy Church, a strong personal love of Thee, a lively horror of sin, a higher esteem of grace, great zeal for Thy honor and glory, for our own sanctification, and for the salvation of souls. Amen.

My Lord and my God!

Blessed and praised every moment be the most holy and divine Sacrament.

Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective, PNCC, ,

Whither goeth the Anglo-Catholics

The Young Fogey links to several articles describing recent secret meetings between Church of England prelates and the Vatican. See Several Church of England bishops in secret talks with Vatican.

As commentor JohnT points out, in relation to Damian Thompson’s blog entry on this issue:

Cardinal Hume pointed out to Anglicans who were on the point of converting in the early 1990s that ‘Catholic doctrine is not an a la carte menu’ – and this is still true.
Nor is conversion a matter of ‘accommodation’.

Which is my thought exactly. This type of action requires a wholesale reordering of all that these prelates say, do, and believe (if it is indeed a true conversion rather than a lifeboat option).

What must they give up to come to Rome? What might they gain? Where might they find shelter?

The things they must give up are rather lengthy, but let’s focus on a few:

  • Their status as Bishops (and their entire ordained life). Look at the Anglican Use (a terminal proposition) in the United States. Any clergy member coming over has to start over in new orders. There are no direct conversions “in Orders.”
  • Their position as insiders. While they are part of the CofE they are on the inside for better or worse. In the R.C. world they will be oddities and outsiders, with their wives and children, their traditional stylings, and everything else that is part and parcel of who they are. The world’s Bishop’s Conferences will treat them like the fairly odd arms-length cousins you hope you only have to see at weddings and funerals.
  • The 39 Articles et. al.
  • As noted regarding the Anglican Use, their “traditions” such as the BCP and everything else Anglican, are terminal. Once they and their fellow converts die off there will be no more Anglican Use as no married men will be ordained nor will the BCP and Anglican Use be taught to up-and-coming celibate priests (except as a historical anecdote).

Still in all, I imagine that the issue of shelter is the real key. Is Rome the best shelter for these Bishops and their people? What other options might they have?

Certainly they cannot look to the Old Catholics of Europe (Utrecht v. 2.0). They are on the same track as the balance of liberal European/American Anglicanism. No port in the storm there. They could look to Orthodoxy who might accept them economically, conditioned on their acceptance of Orthodox Catholic faith and doctrine. The Russian Church or Antioch would be their best bet with Western Rite offerings. In any event I would imagine that the bishops could only come in as priests in an Orthodox solution. Then there is the PNCC ? Anyone for a read of the Declaration of Scranton and a trip across the Susquehanna?

In large measure, because of the long term relationship between Anglicans and the PNCC (back in the day when 99.9% of the faith was held in common), they would find a true Catholic home in the PNCC, and one where Anglo-Catholics and the PNCC share much more in common than the Bishops, their priests and people would find elsewhere. Why not study our history and our common faith.

Of course the choices are not easy regardless of the path because conversion is a full-on process. You may take a choice because you are fleeing a fire, but eventually you have to own up to the truth of your conversion. Bishops have a higher duty here because of their Order and their knowledge. Do you truly accept and believe the thing you purport to accept and believe in your conversion. I can say this much as a convert to the PNCC, if the conversion is true you gain access to the uninterrupted faith of the Catholic Church and its Traditions. What you give up counts very little if that is the Lord’s calling.

All conjecturing aside, I hope and pray that these Bishops, their priests, and their congregants find a home in the Catholic Faith. Whether Roman, Orthodox, or PNCC, confidence in faith and the commonly held doctrines of the first thousand years is a great joy. As Jesus told us in this weekend’s Gospel: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:30).

We pray Thee, O God, not that Thou should help us carry out our own plans, but that we may be used in serving Thine: not for man’s victory over man, but for the triumph of Thy righteousness and Thy Kingdom. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. — From A Book of Devotions and Prayers according to the use of the Polish National Catholic Church.

Media,

Eternal rest – Tim Russert

Tim Russet, the host of NBCs Meet the Press died today at the age of 58. From CNN:

Friends and colleagues remembered Russert on Friday not only as one of the country’s most respected and influential political journalists, but also as a friend, a devout Catholic and an avid sports fan, especially when it came to his home team, the Buffalo Bills…

Russert was born May 7, 1950, in Buffalo, New York. His parents were Timothy John Russert Sr., or “Big Russ,” a newspaper truck driver and sanitation worker, and Elizabeth Russert…

“Tim was a true child of Buffalo and the blue-collar roots from which he was raised,” Brokaw said Friday. “For all his success, he was always in touch with the ethos of that community.”

Russert credited his upbringing with helping him keep his ego in check as he became the man who interviewed presidents and important politicians of the day.

“If you come from Buffalo, everything else is easy. Walking backwards to school, for a mile in the snow, grounds you for life,” Russert told the Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz in 2004. “Plus, if you have a family the way I do, it’s a daily reality check…”

Eternal rest grant onto him O Lord and may the perpetual light shine upon him.

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