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Month: October 2006

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Poland - Polish - Polonia, Saints and Martyrs

October 31 – Bl. Grzymislawa (Błg. Grzymisławy)

Daj, o wielki Boże, zrozumieć Twym wiernym, że uszczęśliwienie ludzkości może przyjść do skutku tylko u stopni Twoich ołtarzy, że prawdziwe zjednoczenie umysłów i serc dokonać się może tylko w Sercu Jezusa, a żywe Serce Jezusa to Najśw. Sakrament, któremu cześć i chwała na wieki wieków. Amen.

Historical note and anecdote: Bl. Grzymisława was the wife of Leszek the White who, according to a rather famous anecdote, once explained to the Pope that Polish knights could not participate in his Crusade because there was no mead to be had in Palestine.

Current Events, Perspective, Political

If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed

On the torture of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, from an interview with Ron Suskind (see Spiegel Online in “The President Knows more than He Lets on”)

SPIEGEL ONLINE: With waterboarding, the prisoner is made to feel as though he is drowing, even if he isn’t really at risk of dying. There are reports that Mohammed was a kind of unoffical record-holder when it came to waterboarding.

Suskind: With extraordinary minutes passing he earned a sort of grudging respect from interrogators. The thing they did with Mohammed is that we had captured his children, a boy and a girl, age 7 and 9. And at the darkest moment we threatened grievous injury to his children if he did not cooperate. His response was quite clear: “That’s fine. You can do what you want to my children, and they will find a better place with Allah.”

A dark omen indeed and people say faith doesn’t matter.

As in the case of the Fox News correspondents captured by Palestinian terrorists —“ sure we’ll convert to Islam, who cares. I don’t think Khalid Shaikh Mohammed would say anything similar. I can’t say I’m so courageous, but God, please grant me the grace of final perseverance.

What I found interesting in the interview is that the torturers actually became like the tortured. They came within inches of adopting the Khalid Shaikh Mohammed’s methods. Talk about a screwed up psyche after this experience (see the Milgram experiment) —“ all brought to you by the Bush administration.

Current Events, Political

Somebody has to have a conscience

On the Israeli cabinet’s inclusion of the far right Israel Beiteinu Party in the ruling coalition (From XINHUA Online: Israeli parliament okays inclusion of extreme-right party)

…

Shortly after the cabinet’s approval of Israel Beiteinu’s entry into coalition, Israeli Science, Technology, Culture, and Sports Minister Ophir Pines-Paz announced his resignation from the government in protest of the decision.

Speaking at a press conference held on Monday, Pines-Paz said that there had been no other option left to him in the wake of the cabinet vote, adding that he had fought as hard as he could against Lieberman’s inclusion in the government and had resigned for reasons of conscience.

Pines-Paz, a member of the left-wing Labor Party, was the only cabinet member to vote against the inclusion of Lieberman. He also revealed at the conference that he would ran for the leadership of the Labor Party in later elections, adding that Labor’s leadership should be replaced.

…

Lieberman, 48, has long taken a tough line towards the Palestinians as well as Israel’s own Arab minority.

Lieberman’s hawkish policy can also be seen from his attitude towards Iran, an Islamic country that had sworn the wipe-off of Israel from Middle East map.

Last Monday, shortly after signing the entry agreement with Olmert, Lieberman said that “the big issue now is the Iranian threat, and I don’t want to think about what would happen in a year or two if we don’t deal with it now.”

Lieberman has also called for stripping Israeli Arabs of their citizenship, executing lawmakers for talking to Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and bombing Palestinian population centers, which made him one of Israel’s most divisive figures.

Let’s see, in Israel calling for the execution of lawmakers and the bombing of population centers makes you divisive. In other places I think it makes you criminally insane, a terrorist, or a mass murderer.

Everything Else

This week’s iPod shuffle (a little late)

Fr. Jim Tucker is still away and it looks like he has no Internet access so he can do his weekly call out for an iPod shuffle. I wanted to get at this before the weekend, but time got away from me. So here’s my shuffle for the week ahead:

  1. Mississippi Queen —“ Bachman-Turner Overdrive, The All Time Greatest Hits
  2. Biegnij razem ze mną —“ Kora and Maanam, The Best Of Kora & Maanam
  3. Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again) – Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash Artist’s Choice
  4. Barka —“ ks. Bogdan Skowroński, Witaj Panie
  5. Tenerife – Urszula, Udar
  6. Sorry —“ Iryna Bilyk (Ірина Білик), Kraina (Країна)
  7. Already Gone —“ Eagles, The Eagles – Their Greatest Hits
  8. Ten Years Gone —“ Led Zepplin, Physical Graffiti
  9. Nobody Does Me —“ Diane Schuur, Pure Schuur
  10. Highway Patrolman —“ Bruce Spingsteen, Johnny Cash Artist’s Choice
Homilies

The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”

Today’s readings and gospel combine the realities of despair with the joyful hope to which we are called.

Our first reading sounds rather joyous. The exiles are being called home. God is bringing them back:

They departed in tears,
but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall stumble.

But a quick jaunt into biblical history will show us that Jeremiah spoke these words in the midst of the destruction of Israel and of Jerusalem. The temple had already been partially destroyed. Wars had been ensuing for years. Nothing looked good. The northern tribes were carried off to Assyria. The razing of the rest of Jerusalem was upon the Jewish people and the remnant would be carried off. The Jewish people and their king were entering the Babylonian captivity.

How could Jeremiah speak hope? Here he was, left sitting among the ruins of Jerusalem, like Job among the ashes. The temple was no more and the temple fixtures were the spoils of war.

Not much to be happy about.

Yet Jeremiah proclaimed hope. God spoke through His prophet. He would bring them all back; He would be their Father again.

God always speaks hope. It is hope to which we are called; the hope of everlasting life in God, and the hope of the resurrection on the last day.

Bartimaeus understood hope. Bartimaeus had a clue, and just like the rest of us he was confronted with an opportunity to recognize and act on what was already inside him. He recognized Jesus.

On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me.”

Jesus rewarded Bartimaeus’ hope and his faith. He healed him and Jesus said a rather funny thing:

“Go your way; your faith has saved you.”

When Jesus said —Go your way— what did we expect Bartimaeus to do? Should Bartimaeus have run home? Should he have picked up the coins he had been begging for? Should he have run off to the Synagogue to show the priests that he had been healed? What did Jesus’ statement —Go your way— mean?

Bartimaeus was told his faith had not only healed him, but had saved him. Jesus’ words, —Go your way— were Bartimaeus’ next challenge.

Think a moment. Jesus touches you, heals you, and performs one of the millions of small miracles that occur in your every day life. Then He says —Go your way.— What to do? What would we expect to do?

Bartimaeus did it right.

Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.

He followed Jesus with a sight that was greater than the gift of physical sight.

For Bartimaeus the hope of a cure was the door to a greater hope. He recognized that the cure was not enough. He literally saw that his greatest hope was in following Jesus.

It’s Sunday morning. You’re getting up, a little groggy. You prepare yourself and your family to depart for church. Why? What is your attitude? Do you come filled with hope? Do you feel like Jeremiah, seeing the hope despite the obstacles in front of you?

Listen to the crowd:

“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”

Like Bartimaeus we need to throw aside what we have clung to. We need to spring up, and come to Jesus.

Even in the midst of despair, tiredness, sickness, and want, we need to know where our hope lies, a hope greater than our present reality. A hope in the midst of despair.

The cure of Bartimaeus is a sign for us; a sign of the deeper challenge Christ calls us to. How do we react to Jesus? Once the cure and the good times arrive, how do we react? How do we respond to Jesus’ question of —Go your way?—

Will “Go your way” always mean my way or no way, or will “Go your way” mean following in the footsteps of Christ.

What we sow in our struggles must always be related to the harvest that is to come. Because of Jesus we must leave here changed, ever ready to say yes Lord, and to follow Him.

PNCC

Ś.P. Li’l Wally Jagiełło

The October 21, 2006 edition of God’s Field carried a memorial notice for polka great Li’l Wally Jagiełło. Li’l Wally passed away on August 17, 2006.

Li’l Wally was one of the first two inductees into the Polka Hall of Fame and had a career that spanned sixty-eight years. He recorded over 3,000 songs and had 150 releases.

Li’l Wally has played everything from Lawrence Welk (three appearances) to a concert for Pope John Paul II.

At his request, Li’l Wally was buried from —“ Saints Cyril & Methodius Polish National Catholic Church in Chicago.

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

See the Chicago Tribune obituary for more information.

PNCC

Bishops to be consecrated

All four Bishops-elect of the Polish National Catholic Church are to be consecrated on the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, November 30, 2006, 3pm, at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Cathedral in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Upon consecration the Bishops-elect will be assigned as follows:

  • Bishop-elect Sylvester Bigaj —“ Diocesan Bishop of the Canadian Diocese
  • Bishop-elect Anthony Mikovsky – Diocesan Bishop of the Central Diocese
  • Bishop-elect Anthony Kopka —“ Auxiliary Bishop of the Eastern Diocese
  • Bishop-elect John Mack —“ Auxiliary Bishop of the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Diocese

Official Notice of the consecrations and assignment appears in the October 24, 2006 issue of God’s Field (Vol. 84, Number 21), the official organ of the Polish National Catholic Church.

I look forward to serving under Bishop-elect Mikovsky.

A Bishop’s role, in the fullness of his office, builds up the Church. I know Bishop-elect Mikovsky will fulfill this work well, seeing that the members of the Church work together, guided by the Holy Spirit, in bringing Christ to all, and in building up our Holy Church.

I am overjoyed by the Church’s selection of Bishops. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is in our midst. Let us pray:

O God, the pastor and ruler of all the faithful, mercifully look upon Thy servants whom Thou has been pleased to set as Bishops in Thy Church; grant them, we beseech Thee, to be in word and conversation a wholesome example to the people committed to their charge, that they with them may attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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