Recent Posts

Most Used Categories

Tag: Sacraments

You are Here :
Christian Witness, Media, Perspective, PNCC, , ,

We have our Canons

An interesting post at WebCommentary entitled: Unapologetic Sally Quinn’s Holy Communion Abuse. Also read Ms. Quinn’s On Faith post on the issue.

This sort of thing really annoys me. Beyond the typical web based religious extremism – we’re right everyone else is wrong/going to hell/some such – it belies an attitude that seems to be more and more prevalent even among members of the R.C. hierarchy. It is a sort of reliance on legalism and the loss of what Ms. Quinn calls for – charity.

Whenever I hear the phrases: We have Canon…, or According to Canon… I cannot help but think of the Chief Priest standing there saying: “We have our law…” (John 19:7).

Agreed that Ms. Quinn didn’t read the directions in the back of the R.C. missalette. Agreed that she didn’t follow “the R.C. rules.” That said I can think of a few better responses, for instance:

Ms. Quinn, let’s talk about the Eucharist. I am so glad to see that you understand that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus. That’s an inspired understandingSomething some Roman Catholics have trouble believing. You also said that reception of the Eucharist made you “feel” something — a closeness. Did you know that there are two core statements in what you said. That is, the Eucharist changes you through the operation of grace etc. and that the Eucharist does join us together into the Body of Christ, that is all people in heaven and on earth. You know Ms. Quinn, I would like to have more of these discussions with you. You know faith lived — in the sacraments and in community — is the means God provides for us to reach our potential as human beings, building a stronger relationship with God and each other. Let’s start a walk, learning about our understanding of those relationships.

When Ms. Quinn asked the proverbial WWJD question; a good answer would have been: He would talk to you and teach you. He would not accuse you and make it less likely that you would enter a relationship with Him and His Church. Unfortunately she hasn’t received that response at WebCommentary, from other Commentators, or in her com-box.

Opportunities are missed on a human scale — person-to-person. I would love to talk to Ms. Quinn and let her know that there are Catholics (to wit the PNCC) who believe the Eucharist does work miracles in peoples lives. Not the flashy kind – but the kind that build us up to be the people who are the apple of God’s eye (Deuteronomy 32:9-11). If we aren’t watching for the subtlety of God’s way (1 Kings 19:11-13) and are rushing to judgment then we will have a lot more to answer for.

Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective, PNCC, , ,

Ministry in time of war

At our recent Clergy Conference we heard a report from one of our diocesan priests who is assigned as a military chaplainThe PNCC has a strong tradition of vocations to the military chaplaincy. As of this writing there are at least four military chaplains that I know of.. His report was bracing and was a call to the vocation of military chaplain.

This priest has been to Iraq twice, and both times has been stationed in some of the worst areas of Iraq. He spoke at length about his ministry, especially as it relates to prayer, counseling, Bible study, suicide preventionSee this Washington Post article: Soldiers’ Suicide Rate On Pace to Set Record, interaction with local residents, program development, charity, and Ecumenical conflicts (sometimes greater than interfaith conflictsEven in the case of a long term absence of a Roman Catholic Chaplain, the former head of the Archdiocese for the Military refused to provide a time slot to this PNCC priest so he could minister to Roman Catholic soldiers – a direct contradiction of Canon 844(2) and a failure to provide for the flock. They chose rather to “provide” by appointing an “Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion!”).

He noted that our servicemen and women are heartened to know that the folks back home are praying for them. They also love to hear the chaplains read out the cards and letters sent in-care-of those chaplains. The prayers, cards, and letters brighten their difficult existence.

This priest was very supportive of me in my vocation and when he told me he was going full-time active duty I was not surprised. He definitely had the calling for this ministry. Based on his report I see why he was called. God does make sense, even in the midst of senselessness.

Whether or not you subscribe to the neo-con, Bush Administration line on this war (I do not), the men and women of the armed services need the ministry of these chaplains. It is a worthy vocation and true service in times of difficulty.

I encourage you to do several things: Pray for our servicemen and women and for the ministry of their chaplains. Consider the vocation to serve in this capacity. Send a card or letter in care of a chaplain. Let him or her know they can read it out to their congregation.

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.

Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC,

A Synod on the Word

From America: Synod on the Word of God

More than 40 years after the Second Vatican Council, the Bible still does not figure at the center of Catholic life the way the Eucharist does. When they meet in synod at the Vatican in October, bishops from around the world will address one of the great unfinished works of the council—”namely, how Catholics can make the word of God their own. Even though the Catholic Lectionary for Sundays was re-designed in 1969 to use a three-year cycle of readings in order to promote greater familiarity with the whole of Scripture, Catholics do not yet own the Scriptures the way many Protestants, especially evangelicals, do. In assigning —The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church— as the topic for the coming 12th Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Benedict signaled his recognition not only of how important proclamation, prayer and study of the Scripture are to the church, but also of his awareness that the church has far to go to complete the council’s reforms…

I posted the following comment a few days ago. It hasn’t appeared yet as the magazine’s editors must review and approve every comment – something exceedingly difficult when otherwise busy running a magazine:

An interesting fact: The Polish National Catholic Church (of which I am a member) considers the Word of God to be a sacrament. The [Roman] Church found agreement with our understanding as noted in the joint publication: Journeying Together in Christ: The Report of the Polish National Catholic-Roman Catholic Dialogue (1984-1989).

We believe and state that the proclamation and preaching of the Word confers sacramental grace. The Church has recently published a pamphlet on this issue – available from the PNCC Bookstore for anyone interested.

What our understanding does in the practical sense is that it encourages due seriousness in the preparation and delivery of homilies. It also encourages the faithful to proactively participate in the Church’s understanding of the Word. More so, to understand that the sacrament brings about change – a growing closer to our Lord and Savior – and a life lived in accord with His way.

I wish you the best in your upcoming Synod and prayerfully hope that the Sacrament of the Word take its rightful place in the life of the [Roman] Church.

What I find so amazing is that the work and reforms of the PNCC (actually a re-claiming of Catholicism) are much in the same as the efforts undertaken by the Roman Church in Vatican II 60 years later. In my opinion the PNCC achieved those reforms without the damage that resulted from Vatican II (to me the things that Benedict, Bishop of Rome is trying to correct and re-reform). This may be due to the fact that the PNCC effort took place in a different time, that reforms that might have gone awry were kept in check by the inherent conservatism of the Polish diasporaSomething the Young Fogey has pointed to numerous times, or most likely that the Church’s understanding was simply in line with the faith of the first thousand years. I think this Synod is another step in the Roman Church’s process of finding the reforms of the PNCC as faithful and true to what the Church teaches.

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.

PNCC, Poland - Polish - Polonia,

Today and tomorrow

It’s been a busy weekend so far. My son has three baseball games this weekend, among other things going on.

I took my son to his Friday evening at his game – and if you haven’t seen it in my Twitter, he won the game ball based on a tremendous hit he had. He drove the ball right over second base. He’s in the eight year old league – it’s the first year that the players do all the pitching and catching.

He had another game this morning at 10am. After the game he and I ran home to get changed and we met up with our parish’s pastor and his wife and son and headed over to lend our support to a Summer (Polish) Festival being held at St. Michael’s R.C. Church in Cohoes, NY.

We had a brief chat with the pastor there, Fr. Peter Tkocz, who is very hospitable. The Polish kitchen was in full swing and the food was top notch. I met a bunch of great folks like Zygmund Fiegel, whose sons head and play in The Figiel Brothers Band. They had the Polkas going full blast – and played some great old time numbers. We also met with some of the vendors who will be appearing at PolishFest ’07.

If you are in New York’s Capital Region, the festival continues tomorrow, beginning with a Polka Mass at 11am. The Festival doors open at Noon and the Festival continues through 8pm. Call 518-664-1877 for more information.

After the Festival my wife and daughter joined us and we attended our Vigil Holy Mass as a family.

My son has a game Sunday morning at 10am, which my wife is covering.

I’ll be at 9am High Holy Mass and 11:30am Holy Mass, after which Fr. Andrew and I are headed off to Syracuse.

Our Bishop Ordinary, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Anthony Mikovsky will be conferring Confirmation on the youth of the Holy Cross Parish just outside Syracuse. It will be great to see the Bishop and assist him during the Holy Mass and Confirmation.

PNCC,

The Sacrament of Matrimony in the PNCC

The Polish National Catholic Church website has posted The Sacrament of Matrimony in the Polish National Catholic Church (PDF document) which was Presented to the XXI General Synod and which was accepted unanimously by the Polish National Catholic Church Doctrine Commission during their meeting on September 4, 2002.

The paper covers the following:

  • Matrimony —“ A Sacrament
  • The Priest is the Minister of the Sacrament
  • Administration of the Sacrament of Matrimony
  • Ceremonies
  • Annulment, Dissolution and Divorce
  • The Church Fathers and Dissolution of Marriage
  • Impediments to Marriage —“ Grounds for Annulment or Dissolution
  • Permission to Remarry
  • Procedures for an Annulment or Dissolution of a Marriage
  • Matrimonial Commission

I highly recommend this paper to anyone interested in the PNC Church’s understanding of matrimony and its Doctrine on the Sacrament of Matrimony.

Perspective, PNCC,

The Eucharist, the Pope, the Press, directions

I took a look at the Pope’s Apostolic Exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis” (Sacrament of Charity) on the Eucharist and the press that surrounded the release of the document. Wow – how can so many have their facts so confused.

I read through one press account that was so far removed from the actuality of the document as to be a basic lie. What was worse however were the public comments attached to the article. People argued over points in the press report, proclaiming the Pope good or evil, depending on perspective, and arguing over things that existed only within the article.

On issues of religion the press scores 100% on the you can fool most of the people all of the time.

Now I have my own perspective, and would proffer the following:

  • Was this meant for the Latin Church only? I understand that the general points address the entire Church, but I saw nothing that spoke to the Eastern Churches in any particular way – addressing their Tradition or tradition. Did I miss something or was there nothing there.
  • I know the term ‘reform of the reform’ is popular, and I guess it fits that need. That being said, I do not see the needs of traditionalist Roman Catholics addressed anywhere in the document. The much vaulted Motu Proprio, coming any day, still lies in the dust of adherence to V-II norms. Whoever is at the core of the Motu Proprio leaks is really yanking peoples chains – and is without charity.
  • The discussion of proper architecture is long overdue, but the document leaves design in the hands of folks like Bishop Tod Brown, Donald Trautman, and Cardinal Mahoney. The Eucharist will continue to be relegated to the broom closet in diocese like those.
  • The Eucharist is indeed a sacrament of charity and of the graces necessary for men and women. I’ve addressed this point in this blog before. The continued exclusions and prohibitions outlined in the Exhortation fall short of attaching Eucharistic reality to practice. The R.C. model continues to be prescriptive. As such, it limits and restricts the healing grace, present in the gift of the Eucharist.
  • The discussion of the celibacy issue continues to mix metaphors. Tying a man made rule to a Divine mandate, and demanding of the Lord a grace that only the Lord can give, is not working for the building up of the Church. As God’s grace must flow freely into the hearts of men and women from Eucharistic reception, with those men and women, and thus Church, reaping its benefits, so too must the Church be trusting of the graces given to men for presbyteral service – whether married or not.
  • The Latin issue is a non-issue. As far as I’m concerned everyone should learn a little. For folks in the U.S., it will provide some insight into the origins of parts of the English (and a lot of the Spanish) language. It is also part and parcel of a vast repertoire of fantastic Church — and secular — music. Expand the mind and be open. All the complaining over Latin being restrictive is ironic coming from those whose minds are shut to learning anything of their heritage and history.

Of course the PNCC has a different take on reception of the Eucharist, celibacy, architecture, T/tradition, and language. We were ahead of the curve by about 60 years on all the truly positive aspects of V-II without loosing proper praxis. As I’ve noted before, the damage done in the 10 years following V-II will take 3-4 right thinking Popes about 100 years to fix.

In all, this is a good first step, giving a slight nudge to the people of the Roman Church, turning them ever so slightly onto the right road. I hope it continues.

Christian Witness, Homilies, PNCC, , , ,

Homily of the Ecumenical Patriarch concerning the Liturgy

08.JPG

Fr. John T. Zuhlsdorf’s blog What Does The Prayer Really Say? offers a transcript of the Ecumenical Patriarch’s homily on the Holy Mass delivered during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle.

Both the homily and Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s commentary in Homily of the Ecumenical Patriarch before Benedict are worth a read.

As a member of the PNCC I am in full agreement. The holiness, solemnity, and care used in both the Traditional and Contemporary Rites of the Holy Mass in the PNCC are a testament to our living connection to —the kingdom of heaven where the angels celebrate; toward the celebration of the liturgy through the centuries; and toward the heavenly kingdom to come.—

My thanks to Fr. Jim Tucker for pointing to this in Constantinople Patriarch on Sacred Liturgy.

All Right Reserved © 2005 - 2023