St. Quintinus, Martyr, (unknown)
St. Foillan, Abbot, (655)
St. Wolfgang of Regensburg, Bishop, (994)
St. Serapion of Antioch, Bishop, (212)
St. Marcellus the Centaurian, Martyr, (298)
St. Asterius of Amasea, Bishop, (410)
Let us then be shepherds like the Lord. We must meditate on the Gospel, and as we see in this mirror the example of zeal and loving kindness, we should become thoroughly schooled in these virtues.
For there, obscurely, in the form of a parable, we see a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. When one of them was separated from the flock and lost its way, that shepherd did not remain with the sheep who kept together at pasture. No, he went off to look for the stray. He crossed many valleys and thickets, he climbed great and towering mountains, he spent much time and labour in wandering through solitary places until at last he found his sheep.
When he found it, he did not chastise it; he did not use rough blows to drive it back, but gently placed it on his own shoulders and carried it back to the flock. He took greater joy in this one sheep, lost and found, than in all the others.
Let us look more closely at the hidden meaning of this parable. The sheep is more than a sheep, the shepherd more than a shepherd. They are examples enshrining holy truths. They teach us that we should not look on men as lost or beyond hope; we should not abandon them when they are in danger or be slow to come to their help. When they turn away from the right path and wander, we must lead them back, and rejoice at their return, welcoming them back into the company of those who lead good and holy lives. — Saint Asterius of Amasea
I received a spam E-mail from the United Nations… well not exactly.
The give away was that the E-mail from the U.S. Committee for UN (which isn’t a real organization) came from Dr. Adams Collins who directs me to send my resume/CV to: adamscollins2004@yahoo.com. Once you apply it looks like they hit you up for application and training fees.
You could also write to:
Dr.Adams Collins
Recruitment Officer
U.S. Committee for UN
Two UN Plaza, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
For a full exposition on this see Spam of the Week: Fake UN Agency Job Advertisement from Rik Panganiban at The Click Heard Round the World.
Lots of other interesting stuff at his blog a well.
St. Narcissus of Jerusalem, Bishop, (215)
St. Theuderius, Abbot, (575)
St. Abraham of Rostov, Abbot, (12th century)
Feast – Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Saints Anastasia and Cyril, Martyrs, (unknown)
St. Fidelis of Como, Martyr, (303)
The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds;
it does not rest till it reaches its goal,
nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds,
judges justly and affirms the right,
and the Lord will not delay.
As we glance over the word of today’s readings and Gospel, we would be quick to think that God steps right up to help the poor, the widow, orphans, outcasts, the downtrodden, those in need.
We like to think of God as the loving Father, Who, as in the story of the Prodigal Son, pours out every mercy to those in need.
We even get a little upset, sometimes perturbed, sometimes downright angry with God, especially when those cries go unanswered.
We ask: How could a just and loving God, who promised to hear our prayers, be so downright cold?
Brothers and sisters,
We fail see our expectations in light of the fact that God requires something of us. His mercy is boundless, His generosity unfailing. Still, that generosity, that mercy, requires a response from us.
Listen carefully:
From Sirach:
The one who serves God willingly is heard;
his petition reaches the heavens.
From Psalm 34:
When the just cry out, the Lord hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
…and:
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
The one who serves God willingly is heard, the Lord hears the cries of the just, and He redeems the lives of His servants.
The Father sent His only begotten Son to us to teach us.
He never taught: Do nothing and you shall inherit the earth. Rather He taught that those who live in accord with His teachings —“ which are from the Father, will be saved. He taught that those who pray and command in faith will have their prayers answered and their commands fulfilled.
Our expectation must be this: That God will hear and answer those who live by His teachings. He will answer us in accord with our faith.
Certainly, His arms are wide open, as with the Prodigal Son. But there is always the expectation, God’s expectation. What will your response be my child?
The Prodigal Son and the tax collector from today’s Gospel got it right.
[He] stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
Both the Prodigal Son and the tax collector were in need. As you might recall, the Prodigal Son looked at his situation, hungry, homeless, feeding the pigs, and said:
—I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;
I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”
Both stood off at a distance, certainly with expectation, but with something much greater than expectation, with faith.
My friends,
St. Paul, writing from prison after his trial said:
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.
The crown of righteousness is ours for the asking. The crown of righteousness awaits us. But, we must long for it. We must live up to it. We must seek it with faith, and with a life lived with that crown as our only goal.
All we do, all we ask, and all we seek will be judged in light of our desire to repent and to live rightly, justly, faithfully, as servants, in accord with the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Holy Church.
Seek…
and the Lord will not delay.
St. Frumentius of Aksum, Bishop, (380)
St. Otteran, Abbot, (563)
St. Eata, Bishop, (686)
St. Evaristus of Rome, Bishop and Martyr, (107)
Saints Lucian and Marcian, Martyrs, (250)
St. Rusticus of Narbonne, Bishop, (461)
Saints Chrysanthus and Daria, Martyrs, (unknown)
Saints Crispin and Chrispinian, Martyrs, (unknown)
St. Gaudentius of Brescia, Bishop, (410)
The Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies at the University of Rochester is proud to announce the 2007 Annual Polish Film Festival.
The festival is sponsored by a generous grant from the Louis Skalny Foundation.
All films are in Polish with English subtitles.
List of Films & Show Times
SOLIDARITY, SOLIDARITY (Solidarność, Solidarność)
Directed by 13 outstanding Polish directors, 2005
November 10, 3:30 & 7:20pm
This feature, the brainchild of Andrzej Wajda, is a joint venture of 13 great Polish directors to memorialize the events of August 1980, when Polish workers went on strike across the country and began a hard-fought campaign for workers’ rights. Each of directors shot a 10-minute-long film. The plots and their genre were up to the filmmakers. The resulting 2-hour-long film feature a wide variety of forms: from a video-clip through comedy and documentary to a rarefied interview with Lech Wałęsa that echoes the famous films by Andrzej Wajda: Man of Marble and Man of Iron. The result is truly fascinating, irrespective of what you know, or can remember, about Solidarity.
JASMINUM
Dir. Jan Jakub Kolski, 2006
November 11, 3:30 & 7:20pm
Kolski is at his best with this heartwarming, beautifully told bitter-sweet comedy.
A young woman, with a small daughter, arrives at a convent where she is restoring paintings. She works during the day but at night she experiments with alchemy and creates fragrances inspired by the mysterious monks who live at the convent and smell of the most incredible scents… . The inquiring mind of her charming five-year-old daughter wreaks havoc in the ordered life of the monastery, where people, buildings, and smells have their own secrets.
FORECAST FOR TOMORROW (Pogoda na jutro)
Dir. Jerzy Stuhr, 2003
November 12, 7:20pm
Poland’s most beloved actor, Jerzy Stuhr, directs and stars in this serious-minded comedy satire about a member of Solidarity who disappears to live as a monk in order to hide from repressions by the communist authorities.
Seventeen years later, accidentally found by his family and thrown out of the monastery, he does not like the new world he has to live in. During his long absence, his wife has settled down with a businessman, his son is developing a political career, his older daughter strips at a TV reality show, and his youngest daughter’s attention is focused exclusively on the internet.
Nevertheless, he tries very hard to adjust to the rapidly changing reality and to put his relations with his family on healthier basis.
COLONEL KWIATKOWSKI (Pułkownik Kwiatkowski)
Dir. Kazimierz Kutz, 1995
November 13, 7:20pm
This hilarious comedy depicts Poland during the Stalinist era and tells the adventuresome story of the title character, who travels around the country masquerading as an officer of the Polish Secret Police.
Kutz produced wonderful human portraits, including grotesque portrayals of Communist Party apparatchiks and functionaries of the State Security Bureau. The main character’s satiric use of the Communist Party lingo, as he turns its intended meanings inside out to manipulate the unwitting Party faithful, is another highlight of this film.
I AM LOOKING AT YOU, MARY (Patrzę na ciebie, Marysiu)
Dir. Łukasz Barczyk, 1999
November 14, 7:20pm
This film draws attention to important factors shaping the lives of young people after the collapse of communism in Poland: their dependence on parents and fear of the future.
Marysia is a Geology student; her boyfriend Michał works as a junior psychiatrist in a hospital. They are living together in rented accommodations and are supported by their parents. This dependency affects Michał’s self-confidence and perception of the future. He avoids making commitments, especially in terms of a family. He becomes unhappy when he learns that Marysia is pregnant. He tries to convince her to arrange an abortion, but she refuses. This is followed by Michał’s increased difficulties at work. During a speedily arranged wedding he has a mental breakdown and decides to quit his job as a psychiatrist.
All films were provided by Telewizja Polska SA
Ticket Information:
Tickets for the Little Theatre screenings can be purchased at the Little Theatre box office before each show (Little Theatre, 240 East Avenue, Rochester, NY, Telephone 585-258-0444.)
The ticket price is $8.00 for the evening shows and $6.00 for the matinée, students and seniors pay $5.00. Little Theatre Film Society members receive their membership discount.
For more information, please call the Skalny Center at 585-275-9898.