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Month: May 2014

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Christian Witness, Homilies, ,

Reflection for the 7th Sunday of Easter 2014

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Pray, do
accomplish

I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you

In the New Testament, Chapters 14-17 of John’s Gospel is known as the Farewell Discourse given by Jesus to His apostles immediately after the conclusion of the Last Supper.

In the final part of the discourse, which we proclaim today, Jesus prays for His glorification, for His followers and for the coming Church. It is known as the High Priestly Prayer. In this prayer Jesus submits five specific petitions to the Father. The five petitions are: Verses 1-5: Petition for His glorification based on the completion of his work; Verses 6-10: Petitions for his disciples; Verses 11-19: Petition for the preservation and sanctification of “his own” in the world; Verses 20-23: Petition for unity of “his own”; and Verses 24-26: Petition for the union of “his own” with Himself.

The prayer begins with Jesus’ petition for his glorification by the Father: I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you… Note that Jesus is not just asking that His Father glorify Him ‘just because,’ but rather because He has was has fulfilled the work the Father had sent Him to accomplish. Not just that, but He was moving toward the moment when that work would be completely accomplished in His passion and death.

Jesus sets the standard by which Christian life is to be lived. We are to seek only to do the will of God, to follow Jesus’ teaching and the path of life He gave us. We are to do God’s will in all things, whether it is easy or very difficult. Whether we feel great, or are suffering.

The world would tell us to run to sinful false gods and false saviors for comfort, especially when the road gets rough. The world wants to bury us in its false hopes, to bury us in the false saviors of food, sex, possessions, alcohol, bitterness, and self-loathing, hopelessness, and depression. If we live our baptismal commitment, if we fully realize that we have been buried into Christ’s death, death to the world, our living will be marked by continuously approaching God in prayer and doing all that is necessary to show accomplishment – a resume of doing God’s will.

Jesus then prays for the success of the work of His disciples – all of us. Jesus refers to us as the people who accept that He was sent by His Father to reveal the Father’s character and will. Jesus prays for us so that we might live in God with the very same love, affection, and glory that exist between the Father and Son. He prays that the Father accomplish this unity by keeping us steadfast in our baptismal relationship, persevering in faithfulness to accomplish God’s will.

Homilies, ,

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord 2014

ascension7St. Paul wrote to the early Christians in Galatia: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) This is not mere sentiment or piety, but is reality because of what has occurred through the “Paschal Mystery,” the saving Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We live differently now because we have accepted baptism into Christ’s death so we may rise and ascend with Him.

Living, abiding in Christ, is to be our daily reality. Christians are to live differently right now because we live in Jesus. We are to love differently now because we love in Jesus. We are to “be” different because our being is defined by Jesus.

On this Great Solemnity of the Ascension, and each day, we should ask ourselves this question: “How are we doing?” This Solemnity presents us an opportunity to assess the relationship between our baptism, our profession of faith, and its manifestation in our daily lives. Are we living now in an eschatological way – ready for the last day? If we are living in a committed way we are prepared for Jesus’ return, for as Acts 1 recounts, the angel told those gathered on Mount Olivet: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Our work of becoming one in life with Jesus will not be complete until the One who ascended returns and hands the re-created cosmos back to the Father. That is the promise of God and our urgent expectation. Come Lord Jesus!

Christian Witness, Homilies, ,

Reflection for the 6th Sunday of Easter 2014

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Let us see who
has given witness

Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.

Philip was one of the first seven deacons of the Church. The proto-martyr Stephen had just been executed by stoning (Acts 7). Saul and his men were going house-to-house, dragging out Christians and bringing them to trial, throwing them in prison, and killing them. By Acts 12 we see James the brother of John killed by Herod. The Church historian Eusebius tells us that James the Just, the Apostle and so-called Brother of the Lord was placed on the pinnacle of the temple, thrown down, then clubbed and stoned – for he would not forsake the Lord.

Leading him into their midst they demanded of him that he should renounce faith in Christ in the presence of all the people. But, contrary to the opinion of all, with a clear voice, and with greater boldness than they had anticipated, he spoke out before the whole multitude and confessed that our Savior and Lord Jesus is the Son of God. But they were unable to bear longer the testimony of the man… they slew him.

Philip was among those scattered in the first major persecution of the Church. Being scattered did not prevent him, or any of these others, from witnessing to the faith. Each of those we read about, and the countless number of Christians whose names we will never know, proclaimed the word and kept the faith in good times and bad.

This proclamation of the word and witness were not an accident. It was prompted by faith in the promises of Jesus. These witnesses lived in the Spirit Who had filled them with His gifts and strengthened them for the task.

Jesus promised those who would be baptized, who would come to Him in faith, would never be left orphans: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. They would always have what is necessary to witness.

The Spirit has drawn men and women – and us – to give witness. Thus, while the Church may have been scattered in persecution (persecution that still exists in many places to this day) witness has never ceased.

As we reflect this weekend on those who have given their lives in witness to national freedom, let us also reflect on those who are giving witness to the truth that surpasses country and nation. Whether we live in relative safety or are among the persecuted – are we giving witness to the truth? Let us abide in the Spirit and ask that He give us the courage to give testimony always and everywhere.

Christian Witness, Events,

Invocation at Schenectady County Human Rights Commission Breakfast

Friends at the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission invited me to deliver the invocation at its 31st Annual Awards breakfast on Friday, May 23rd. I offered the following prayer:

Lord, You have called all of us to a path of freedom and justice; a restoration of relationships and the recognition of each person’s human dignity.

Enter into our hearts and minds and enflame our souls to see in each person another self. Grant that we may look past outward appearance to the essential relationships that prevail in Your kingdom. Help us to be more human. Restore and reconcile all relationships and enable us to take up our calling to restore a global human community, a single family fashioned in Your image.

Help us today to recognize and bless all those who have labored so diligently to establish a new equality of participation in our community and across the globe. Bless the work of all who labor to end the sources of human conflict — race, class, wealth, gender, servitude, forced labor, wage theft, military opposition, indebtedness, imprisonment, coercion, despair, anxiety, self-centeredness, alienation, anxiety, greed, separation, prejudice, and injustice— so that we may rise above our baser selves. Fashion us into images of Your Divinity and justice.

Finally grant us a freedom that surpasses personal autonomy and help us to recognize our continuing dependence on You as our Creator and Your call to see each other as another self through lives committed to knowing, loving and serving You and each other. Amen

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Homilies, ,

Reflection for the 5th Sunday of Easter 2014

deacons

Find and offer men
who love and are wise

“Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty.”

The early Church was experiencing a need. It was growing rapidly; the disciples were increasing in number. That’s not a bad problem to have! The apostles were spreading the word. The twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said,”It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God.” They were devoting themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word, but needed helpers. There are important lessons for our parish and the wider Church in this passage from Acts.

The number of disciples grew because the apostles were devoted to prayer and preaching of the word. Certainly our bishops and clergy pray and devote themselves to preaching the word, but we too must pray as Jesus’ disciples. We honor our call to pray for growth in the Church by collectively raising our voices for that blessing each week and in a special way on the first Sunday of each month. We should do so at home as well, spending even less than a minute in simple prayer – Lord, increase Your flock here and throughout the world.

We also pray for an increase in vocations so that the word may be solemnly proclaimed and taught. But, we too must proclaim and teach the word by living as Jesus asked AND attributing our way of living to Jesus.

Next we see that whenever problems arise we must not turn to ourselves and perpetuate the problem. Rather, we are to go to the apostles and seek their guidance. Then we are to act on their guidance trusting that the Holy Spirit guides the apostles.

The successors to the apostles, the bishops, turn to us and ask that we pick men from among our company who are reputable and filled with the Spirit and wisdom. Those who are to serve the church, spread the word, and baptize are to come from the people – and we are to make sure they have good reputations and are filled with the Spirit. It is significant in our democratic tradition of Church we find and offer men who are reputable and filled with the Spirit and wisdom to serve us. We then present them before the bishops of our Church who like the apostles lay their hands on them in the sacrament of Orders by which they receive the special grace of God and gift of the Holy Spirit.

As we pray and witness, as we trust in the Church, we fulfill our duty to raise men to fulfill these roles. They are among us every week, strong men, reputable, wise, and filled with the Spirit. Their love and wisdom model for us belief in and loyalty to the One who is “the way and the truth and the life.”

Events, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , ,

Honoring Dr. Walter Golaski in Philadelphia

Golaski_02In 2013 the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission approved a historical marker to honor Dr. Walter Golaski (1913-1996), engineer and inventor who was a leading pioneer in manufacturing knitted Dacron blood-vessel replacements. A Drexel University graduate, he was also a philanthropist who devoted much time and energy to establishing closer ties between the United States and Poland through cultural and scholarly exchange. Though a Philadelphian, he was Chairman of the Board at the Kosciuszko Foundation in New York during the years 1973-1982.

A The dedication ceremony for the Historical Marker honoring Dr. Walter Golaski will take place at 12:00 noon on Saturday, May 17th at the corner of 34th Street and Lancaster Ave. in Philadelphia, this is Lancaster Walk in back of Drexel University athletic center. All are welcome to attend.

A luncheon will follow the dedication at approximately 2:00 pm at Drexel University’s Paul Peck Alumni Center located at 32nd and Market Street. Seating is limited – please make your reservation now. Tickets are $40 per person.

The contact person for information and tickets to the luncheon is Jean Joka, telephone: 215-483-0193.

Events, Media, , , ,

Free webinar – Music and More: Strategies for Success in Inclusion Settings

The New York State Alliance for Arts Education will be hosting a free webinar: Music and More: Strategies for Success in Inclusion Settings on Tuesday, May 20th from 3pm to 4pm (EDT)

Music educators Elise Sobol and Alan Núñez offer methodologies for teaching in and through music in inclusion settings. Drawing on their decades of experience as teachers and trainers for teachers, Núñez and Sobol will provide specific music ed techniques that build on or contribute to learning approaches in other art disciplines. Intended for music specialists and generalists alike, this webinar will give participants both theoretical and pragmatic approaches to multi-modal, multi-sensory learning that can be used in any K – 12 classroom, and are particularly successful for students with a wide range of abilities. The webinar will include a question and answer portion for participants.

See the biographies of the presenters, Elise Sobol and Alan Núñez.

To participate in this valuable professional development opportunity, please register here.

Christian Witness, DNKK, PNCC, ,

Our Shepherds

1UEWF00ZOur Holy Church has been specially blessed with dedicated, hard working, and faithful shepherds in our Bishops. Please remember them in your prayers – Prime Bishop Anthony, Our Diocesan Bishop Bernard, Diocesan Bishops Paul, Stanley, and John. Bishop Roald in Norway, Bishop Wiktor in Poland, Our retired Prime Bishops John and Robert, and Retired Bishops Thomas, Anthony, and Thaddeus.

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

Homilies, ,

Reflection for Good Shepherd Sunday 2014

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Recognize the right
Shepherd

Jesus said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Jesus begins talking about sheep, shepherds, and gates with a scene from everyday life. In Jewish villages each family owned a couple of sheep for personal use. The animals stay at night in the courtyard of the family’s house. Families in the village agree as to who will shepherd their combined flock. In the morning this shepherd goes down the street to gather the sheep. The person at the door recognizes the shepherd and opens the gate for the sheep to pass through. The shepherd has a distinct call or whistle, which the sheep recognize and follow.

We too live as a single village, a family; the family of Jesus called the Holy Church. We are God’s single flock composed sheep gathered from the courtyards of various homes. The doorkeepers in our homes are our faithful parents, particularly our mothers who were our gatekeepers. They stood watch over the gate of the home. They recognized what was best for us, what was safest, what would lead us to salvation and life. So, they opened the doors of the their homes to the Good Shepherd. They took action to recognize Jesus as the Good Shepherd, as the One who would shepherd their little flock, their children to salvation and life.

The One to Whom our mothers gave authorization, Jesus, enters into our lives in the proper fashion, through the gate. We recognize Him and He leads us to salvation and life while those without authorization, the false prophets, only have “the voice of strangers.” These forces of media, politics, celebrity, and peer group are not really powerful at all, but constantly try to draw us to ideas and aspirations that are contrary to those of our Shepherd. They want to lead us to separation, loneliness, fear, fading vanity, and death. They do not have the good of the sheep, our good, in mind but rather selfish ends of their own.

Our parents, our mothers who guard the fold, recognized the Good Shepherd. His entry into our lives was natural, out in the open, without forcing. Such has been Jesus’ entrance into this world and amongst his own people. He has come in the appropriate manner, having been sent by the Father to bring us life that is faithful, loving, dependable, and gentle.

What has been shown to us, taught to us, starting with our mothers, is the manner by which we recognize the Good Shepherd. In recognizing Him we find salvation and life.

Art, Events, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , ,

Motor City Comic-Con Features Polish Artists

25th Anniversary of Motor City Comic-Con to Feature Polish Artists
By Raymond Rolak

comiccon_poster-image2014Popular pop-culture art along with new-media will be just some of the exhibitions presented at the 25th anniversary of the Motor City Comic-Con, May 16-18, at the Novi Suburban Collection Showplace. Located just west of Detroit the event will have a variety of celebrity presenters along with creative poster artists and world class cartoonists.

William Shatner of “Star Trek” fame will be the highlighted attraction. Shatner has a strong body of work in film and television including T.J. Hooker and Rescue 911. Films include The Brothers Karamazov (1958), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Kingdom of the Spiders (1977), The Kidnapping of the President (1980), Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon I (1993) and Miss Congeniality (2000) just to name a few. He also received two Golden Globe Awards for his performance on the long-running hit series Boston Legal.

Chris Claremont, John Barrowman along with famed wrestling personalities Brett Hart and ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan will also be special featured guests. Longtime and nostalgia television performers will include Richard Anderson, Katie Cassidy, Ernie Hudson, Kristanna Loken, Kent McCord, Lindsay Wagner, Billy Zabka and Burt Young of “Rocky” film fame.

Mike-Bocianowski_Profile-photoOne of the popular comic artists to be featured will be Michael Bocianowski of Erie, PA. Bocianowski has developed a mix of cartoon animals and dragon fantasy stories that are playful for both children and adults. His main animation character is a creature called ‘Yet’ who communicates with fantasy dragons and can only say “meep”. He trained at the Art Institute of Pittsburg and Edinboro University. Besides his comic characters, Bocianowski specializes in graphic novels, which run about 100 pages.

Another highlighted comic artist is Agnes Garbowska, who was born in Poland. Fueled by creativity and imagination along with a passion for comics, she went to work for the storied Marvel Comics Publishing Company. She currently has released a well-received illustrated book, “You, Me, and Zombie.”

Bill Sienkiewicz – born Boleslav Felix Robert Sienkiewicz – is descended from the Nobel Prize-winning Polish novelist Henryk Sienkiewicz. He grew up in rural New Jersey, taught himself anatomy to better his sketches and worked construction to put himself through the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts in Newark, New Jersey. He is acclaimed for his graphic novel Stray Toasters, which earned an international reputation and cult status across the industry. He is also well known for his work on the revamping of Marvel Comic’s “Elektra.”

Other featured artists are Carolyn Nowak of Ann Arbor and Karl Slomski who trained at the Kubert School of Cartooning and Graphic Art. and Emily Zelasko is a Metro Detroit based comic book creator and quirky character artist. She has collaborated on the series “Jinx.”

Timothy Zulewski creates whimsical and spooky artwork that has been compared to Tim Burton and Edward Gorey. Zulewski has worked on children’s books, toy packaging, animation, and new media branding. He is well known in the sporting world for his contributions to the Fathead designs.

Saturday will be costume day for this, the 25th anniversary of the show. Guest judges will be Dan Phillips and Alloy Ash. Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with the comic book professionals, there will be previews of upcoming feature films, portfolio review sessions and debuts from video game companies.

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