Paul Zalonski – Page 468

Dolan calls for a truce: don’t mall each other at Christmas

Today the NY Daily News published a letter written by Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York. I am happy that the News published this letter because it is not only a message for Christians, but people of faith, and those looking for the gift of faith. The substance of the Archbishop’s letter can be summarized in this way: this is a time for peace among peoples; for love and reconciliation. And even though not all go about observing this season in the same way, we ought to respect one another!

Christians, particularly, are preparing themselves to welcome the Prince of Peace, the Wonder-Counselor, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, into their whole being. Others will be observing Chanuka and still others will just try to live the best they now how.

While faith-neural language like “holiday parties,” “Seasons Greetings,” or “holiday sale,” can get annoying, even ridiculous, our attention ought not to be exclusively on how “others” are removing Jesus Christ from view at this point of the calendar. Sure, some of our brothers and sisters are frustrated by this move away from our Christian roots. I am, too. However, I am not giving more power to those who agitate to rid the world of Advent & Christmas.

So we need ask ourselves, is the frustration worth it? Is letting the secularization of our Christian culture “get to us” giving more power to the forces of the faith-neutral ideologues in our lives than need be? If so, they’ve won. Reasonable people of faith and good will won’t think of Christ being removed from our hearts or families or the work place by anyone but ourselves. We can’t blame others for everything. So, the Archbishop’s call for a truce on all that distracts from the real meaning of Advent and the forthcoming Christmastide is well-taken.

I, for one, am going to get back to listening to “Christmas at Ephesus,” the recent album of Christmas hymns recorded by the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles. Perhaps I’ll pray the Joyful mysteries of the rosary.

Saint Nicholas, bishop

You have proved yourself to be a holy priest, O Nicholas; You served God in Myra and lived the Gospel of Christ. You offered your life for your people; You rescued the innocent from death, therefore God has glorified you as a trustworthy guide of things divine.

(St Nicholas Kontakion, Tone 3)

You were revealed to your flock as a measure of faith. You were an image of humility and a teacher of self-control. Because of your humble life, heaven was opened to you, because of your poverty, spiritual riches were granted to you. O holy bishop Nicholas, we cry out to you: Pray to Christ our Go that our souls may be saved.

The Liturgy’s prayer for Saint Nicholas may be found here.

A brief bio on Saint Nicholas is here.

Blessed Mary Frances Schervier

God, our Father, You bestowed a marvelous gift of
charity on blessed Mary Frances the virgin to help the poor and the sick. Grant
us through her example to live the spirit of poverty with prudence and to serve
the brethren with all care.

A little bit on Blessed Mary Frances’ life is found here and about her order you can this entry.

Some groups and webpages have Blessed Mary Frances’ liturgical memorial on December 15. The Roman Martyrology lists her on December 14 and the Franciscan supplement to the Roman Missal indicates today.

Liturgy is both an end and source of strength

The Liturgy is at once both the end to which the
action of the Church tends and at the same time the source from which flows all
her strength. We, who have left everything to seek God alone and to possess him
more fully, should carry out the liturgical functions with particular
reverence. For when we accomplish the Liturgy, especially the Eucharistic
celebration, we have access to the Father through his Son, the Word Incarnate
who suffered and was glorified, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Thus we achieve
communion with the Most Holy Trinity.

(Statutes of the Carthusian Order 41.1)

We are neither Carthusian monks nor nuns (at least I am not), but this paragraph from the Statutes should in some way focus our attention to the serious matter of prayer, redemption and the action of God, namely the Liturgy. Their sentiments must also be ours given our state in life. In what ways are we changed by the Liturgy (Mass and Divine Office)? If you are not changed, then what needs to be done in your life to be open to the divine changed hoped-for during and after the celebration of the Liturgy?

Saint John of Damascus

Saint John of Damascus spent most of his life in the monastery of Saint Sabas, near Jerusalem, under Muslim rule, indeed, protected by it. Born in Damascus c. 676, John received a classical and theological education, and followed his father in a government position under the Muslims. He resigned after a few years so that he could go to the monastery of Saint Sabas. Saint John is considered the last of the Greek Church Fathers (his writings)

Three points to remember about the Damascene:

1. he is known for his opposition to the iconoclasts, who opposed the veneration of images. Paradoxically, it was the Eastern Christian emperor Leo who forbade the practice, and it was because John lived in Muslim territory that his enemies could not silence him.

2. he is famous for his treatise, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, a summary of the Greek Fathers. It is said that this book is the Eastern equivalent of Aquinas’ Summa.

3. he is known as a poet, one of the two greatest in the Eastern Church (the other being Romanus the Melodist). His devotion to the Theotokos (the Blessed Virgin Mary) and his sermons on her feasts are well known.

The Church and aliens, ETs, that is

Every so often something interesting happens in the brutish lives we live. Tuesday night
was one of those times, at a seminary no less, that we had an interesting conversation about something many of us knew nothing about: stars, aliens and the connection with faith. We had a visit from Jesuit
Father David Brown whose work is at the Vatican’s Observatory. Funny that David and I are classmates but our journeys took us in different directions. Of course, he went up…that is, he studies the stars and I just went…

As a
coinky-dinky, Stephen Colbert chatted with the Vatican astronomer, Jesuit
Brother Guy Consolmagno, about extraterrestrial life. Who would have thought
that the seminary and Mr. Colbert were doing the same stuff: thinking about life beyond
the present moment.

Watch the interview here…

9 Lessons & Carols: St. Catherine of Siena Church NYC on December 12

Join the Dominican Friars of Saint Catherine of Siena Church
& Priory for a Candlelight Lessons and Carols, featuring the Master Singers
of Archmere Academy and the Choir of the Church of the Holy Child Jesus. David
J. Ikfovits will conduct the choirs. The organist will be Father Jordan
Kelly, O.P.

The Lessons and Carols will be held on December 12, 2009 at 7:00 pm
at the Church of Saint Catherine of Siena (411 East 68th Street, New York
City). The favor of your reply is requested on or before December 7.
Please call 212-988-8300, or email
your reply.

Saint Francis Xavier

The prayer for the feast is found here.

Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.

We entered some villages of Christians, who had been baptized about eight years ago. It is an area uninhabited by the Portugese, because of its extreme barrenness and poverty; the native Christians, having no one to instruct them in our faith, know nothing about it save only the face that they are Christians. There is no one to say Mass, no one to teach them the Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, or the Ten Commandments.

Whenever I came to one of these villages I baptized all the children who had not yet been baptized. So I baptized a great number of babies “who did know their right hand from their left” (Jonah 4:11). The children in these villages would not allow me any time to say my office, or to eat or sleep, until I had taught them some prayers. Then I came to realize that “of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14). As it would been wrong for me to refuse so holy a request, I began with the sign of the cross, then the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father, and the Hail Mary.

I noted that they had considerable abilities and I am quite certain that they would be good Christians if only had someone to instruct them in the holy faith.

Multitudes out here fail to become Christians only because there is nobody prepared to undertake the holy task of instructing them. I have often felt strongly moved to go to the universities of Europe, especially Paris, crying out like a madman, and say to those in the Sorbonne who have more learning than good will to employ it advantageously: “How many souls are missing heaven and going to hell through your negligence?”

If only, while they studied their humanities, they would also study the account that God will demand for the talent he has given them, many might feel the need to engage in spiritual exercises, so as to discover God’s will in their hearts and embrace it rather than their own inclinations, saying: “Lord, here I am. What would you have me to do? Send me where you will, if necessary even to India.”

An extract of two letters from Saint Francis Xavier to Saint Ignatius of Loyola dated 28 October 1542 and 15 January 1544

First Thursday Plenary Indulgence for Lay Faithful for Year for Priests

In response to questions about the Plenary Indulgence for
the Year for Priests, the decree says that, “all truly penitent
priests”–having confessed their sins and received Holy Communion–may
obtain a Plenary Indulgence each day by devoutly praying Lauds or Vespers
before the Blessed Sacrament, and by making themselves available “with a
ready and generous heart” for the Sacrament of Penance and the other
sacraments.

This Plenary Indulgence may be applied to the souls of priests in
purgatory. Priests may also obtain a partial indulgence so often as they offer
prayers to ask for the grace of sacerdotal holiness. As I mentioned the other day about praying for souls of our priests, this an opportunity for priests to come to the assistance of their brother priests in
purgatory!

The decree also makes generous provision for the lay faithful. They
may obtain a Plenary Indulgence on the opening and closing days of the Year of
the Priest and on the 150th anniversary of the death of Saint John Mary Vianney
(August 4, 2009), on the First Thursday of the Month, or on any other day
established by the ordinaries of particular places for the good of the
faithful. The particular conditions are given below.

An example, a
prayer suitable for obtaining the Plenary Indulgence would be:

O Jesus, Eternal
Priest, keep Thy priests within the shelter of Thy Sacred Heart, where none may
touch them. Keep unstained their anointed hands, which daily touch Thy Sacred
Body. Keep unsullied their lips, daily purpled with Thy Precious Blood. Keep
pure and unworldly their hearts sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.
Let Thy holy love surround them from the world’s contagion. Bless their labors
with abundant fruit, and may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and
consolation here and their everlasting crown hereafter. Mary, Queen of the
Clergy, pray for us; obtain for us numerous and holy priests. Amen.

To acquire
a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the
indulgence is attached and to fulfil three conditions: sacramental confession,
Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It
is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent.

Connecticut Bike Project

The Connecticut Bike Project
is a program that collects and distributes donated bicycles in good working
condition to financially challenged children and adults who need them. Besides
offering them to children for recreation the aim of the endeavor is to provide
needed transportation to work and for running errands to the economically
disadvantaged; individuals with physical or mental disabilities that prevent
them from driving, ex-offenders re-entering the workforce and other folks who
can’t afford a vehicle or are without licenses to drive.

Consider hosting a
Bike-Drive at your parish! Please spread the word that bicycles are in need for
this project. Contact Mr. Brooks Sumberg to
schedule a drive in your parish or through your club or organization. He will
be there for the event and take the bikes the same day as the drive. All you
need to do is publicize the drive in your bulletins or newsletters. Maybe you
can make it a project for your Parish youth group or Confirmation class.

All
individual bikes can be dropped off at your convenience (at 96 Hillspoint Road, Westport, CT) but please call the project
founder, Mr. Brooks Sumberg, at 203-293-4130 or by e-mail: bsumberg@earthlink.net.
If you know of a child or adult in need of a bike you may contact The Urban
Center at Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in Bridgeport which has graciously
houses the project and serves as the distribution center.