January 2025 Newsletter – Leading From Why

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

As the new year begins it behooves us to take account of our lives. Certainly, there is personal stuff we should address. It may be our weight, health issues, and so on. Our concerns also extend to our families – am I spending enough time and paying attention to their needs. This includes the parish family and its needs as well. All of these concerns add up, don’t they? They become a sort of whirlwind which appears impossible. How do I succeed?

Recently, I attended a class given by a former Marine pilot who had served in Iraq. His duty station was the Al-Anbar province. This was the worst place on earth. It was so bad that most, including American commanders, wrote it off as unsalvageable and unwindable; there was no way out. The overall campaign took four years. 1,335 Americans were killed, 8,205 injured. When one faces a significant challenge as the U.S. did in Al-Anbar, or even our own personal whirlwinds, we need to search deeply for keys to success. In the end Al-Anbar became a success for its people because leaders took initiative to succeed. But, who were those leaders?

It is not as many suspect, a few top people, but rather a wholesale change in dynamic – the key – everyone had to be a leader. For our Church and for our parish let us take these lessons to heart. Each of us is called to be a leader in every situation. Each of us is called to learn leadership – because it is a learned trait, not just something that happens (and we will focus on that in the year ahead). The first key is to recognize and focus on our why. If our why is focused inwardly, if all is about me, we will be unhappy and fail; we will miss on the commandment of love. If our why is focused on others, on our fellow parishioners, church members, and community we can be anywhere, in any role, and be truly happy. Let us then take on leadership from our why in this new year and so overcome the whirlwind with victory.

Welcome to a new year and happy 2025. We began our discussion in this Newsletter focusing on the subject of leadership. We pause at the start of the year and assemble for our annual parish meeting (February 2nd) where we exercise our responsibilities in our ecclesial democracy. Can you step up and serve? Truthfully, we would love to have you on the Parish Committee as we undertake the various projects ahead pf us this year. We give thanks for everyone’s generosity with clothing and food donations over the holidays. We are also grateful to all those who did so much to make Advent and the start of the Christmas Season beautiful. The SouperBowl of Caring is here once again and the soup pot is out. Let’s fill it with kindness.

It is Epiphany season, so see or call Fr. Jim if you would like your home blessed. This is also the month for supporting our church musicians on Music Scholarship Sunday. Looking further forward, you can now get your tickets for the Outrageous Valentine’s Raffle. Our Basket Social is approaching so start thinking about the basket themes for this year’s donations.

2025 also marks an important anniversary. Can you believe it’s only been 1700 years since the Council of Nicaea? Read up on this important moment in faith history and join us in professing the Creed each Sunday as the Council intended, without adulteration or theological error.

All this and more in our January 2025 Newsletter.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds 2024

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.

Welcome! We are already a few days into the forty-day celebration of Christmas. As Charles Dickens wrote, and I paraphrase, I hope we are all keeping it well. Better than any man ever has.

Today we celebrate another of those special Solemnities established by the people of the Church. 

It was at the First Special Synod of the Church in 1906 that the people set aside two special days, the Solemnity of Brotherly Love, and this day, the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds.

In 1914, at the Third General Synod, the people would set aside the other special days we honor, the Solemnity of the Institution of the Church and the Solemnity of the Christian Family.

Let’s place ourselves in the environment of those days. 

In 1906 the Church had been organized for only nine years and was facing significant resistance and persecution. In the face of those struggles what did the people of the Church focus on? What did they do? The placed their focus and emphasis on, and called each other to work at and live, love and humility.

Those people saw the story of the Good Samaritan and the action of the shepherds who were called upon to visit the infant Jesus as their model.

This was no mistake, rather it was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which brought about this conviction to love and humility.

The 1906 Synod speaks of us as being drawn to the Church and to the Lord’s table as the true source of life. We are called to draw close just as those shepherds were called to draw close to the long-awaited Messiah in a stable. We are called to partake of the Bread of Life, and we need those who will bring it to us. They are called to act as those first shepherds – hearing, going in haste, believing and declaring. 

Throughout subsequent Synods the needs of the Church for humble shepherds, priests who take after the Lord’s love and humility was regularly discussed. How do we train and support them? There is desperate need for that. Thus, we take up a special collection today and pray for that very purpose, to train priests who are humble and loving – not lords and rulers – not princes – but servant shepherds.

If there is cause for hope it is this – many are stepping up to serve, to enter those three years of training needed. They are sacrificing much and will be called upon to sacrifice still more. They willingly are laying their lives on the line in absolute self-sacrifice and effacement to stand in the breech ushering us to meet the newborn King. Let us love and support them.

The Celebration of Christmas in Schenectady 2024 – 2025

Join us this Christmas Season and celebrate the continuing birth of Jesus in our lives.

All services are at the parish at 1040 Pearl Street in Schenectady.

  • December 25: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), Shepherd’s Holy Mass / Pasterka at Midnight and Holy Mass of the Day at 10am.
  • December 26: Feast – St. Stephen the Martyr. Holy Mass at Noon.
  • December 27: St. John, Apostle & Evangelist. Holy Mass at Noon with Blessing of Wine (bring a bottle or two to be blessed).
  • December 29: Sunday – Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds. Holy Mass at 10am and Noon.
  • January 1: Solemnity of the Circumcision. Happy 2025! Holy Mass at Noon.
  • January 2: Solemnity of the Holy Name of Jesus. Parish Feast. Holy Mass at Noon.
  • January 5: Sunday – Solemnity – Holy Family. Holy Mass at 10am and Noon.
  • January 6: Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord. Holy Mass at Noon includes blessing of chalk, charcoal, and incense.
  • January 12: Sunday – Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord. Holy Mass at 10am and Noon.

December 2024 Newsletter – Prepare to Give Him Our All

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In so many ways we are in a time of preparation. There were preparations for Halloween, All Saints and All Souls Days, Thanksgiving, and we now prepare for Advent, the Nativity of the Lord, the New Year, and Epiphany. It truly is a wonder we get it all done. On top of that are our weekly preparations, work, normal shopping, cleaning, and cooking as well as the good works we do with our Food Pantry partnership and our CarePortal work that serves families in crisis. With all that understood, it comes down to approach. I have learned through many a lesson in the pitfalls of forgetfulness that a well documented list of to-dos helps. I like making shopping lists, or taking the ones sent me (can you pick up some milk on your way home) and then deleting the items as I accomplish them. Gives one a certain sense of satisfaction. On top of all the preparing and accomplishing we tend to be influenced by expectation. I know that too – remembering the search for Cabbage Patch dolls and Teddy Ruxpin – and that was when there was no online shopping outlets.

I am not going to deride the preparations, the work involved, or even the expectations around us. The work is typically done with love and concern, a way to make our loved ones’ days brighter, an effort to ease their burdens in life. The expectations are really a call from the heart – a desire to be seen and acknowledged – to be loved.

Jesus did the same and asks the same. Let us be careful to ensure He is on our lists and let us make every effort not to cross Him off the list. Let us be careful so that when Christmas arrives we are not surprised, shocked, or whispering to ourselves – that went so fast. Our efforts done out of love for Him need to reflect all He has done and continues to do for us. From His incarnation to His death it was all for us. Let our lives then be all for Him and His gospel way. Prepare, He is near.

 Welcome to our December 2024 Newsletter. It is indeed a time of preparation as we begin a new Church Year on December 1st with the First Sunday of Advent. The Opłatki (Christmas Wafers) and Advent Wreath are prepared. As the new liturgical year begins we look forward to all our Advent activities and our entry into the Christmas season.

Join us for Rorate Holy Masses by candlelight on Wednesday mornings at 7:30am. We have an American Goulash sale on Sunday, December 8th starting at 11:30am. Get your pre-orders by clicking here. We hold our annual Vigil / Wigilia Dinner on Sunday, December 15th after 10am Holy Mass. We hold our Greening of the Church on Sunday, December 22nd. Fr. Jim celebrates his 10th anniversary of his ordination to the Holy Priesthood on December 6th.

We continue in our charitable works with our food and clothing collections. Join in to support our music director and the Thursday Musical Club as they perform Night Divine at the First Reformed Church of Schenectady on Saturday, December 7th at 2pm. Get a Memory Cross for the parish Christmas Tress in memory of a departed loved one. There are still Christmas Vigil tickets available. If all 100 sell the prize will be $2,500. You can also get advance tickets for the Valentine’s Raffle supporting our parish youth – put one in a card to someone.

Please remember annual dues and Epiphany home blessings. …and, see what else Fr. Jim is up to.

All this and more in our December 2024 Newsletter.

November 2024 Newsletter – Desiring God

Beloved, we are God’s children now

On All Saints Day he heard the line above taken from the First Letter of St. John (1 John 3:1-3). What a wonderful statement of assurance for us who are His faithful people.

A primary emphasis for us on the road to sainthood is understanding the type of relationship we have with God. Our relationship is naturally centered on God’s love toward us, and His desire for a familial relationship with us. This relationship needs to be built up – which takes time – and relies on our growing into the image of Jesus. St. John is telling us that the more we resemble Jesus, the more the Father loves us as His sons and daughters.

We know the saints did their utmost to resemble Jesus. Perhaps they did not accomplish that in every way, but each saint took his or her talents and worked to grow those talents into a reflection of how Jesus showed forth that aspect of Himself. Those talents may have been compassion, community building, charity, care, gentleness, discipline, teaching, feeding, holding people accountable for their behavior, and in so many other ways. The natural consequence of our growth into Jesus’ image, and using our talents to reflect Him in our world today, is the gift of hope for eternal life and eventual glorification alongside Jesus. St. John tells us that we shall be like Him.

We know God loves us and wants relationship with us. We know we are called to respond to His love with a commitment to grow into the image of Jesus and by using our talents to reflect Him in our own unique ways. Our promised outcome is living in hope for eternal life and glory. Becoming a saint is this process of knowing, growing, and living – but it always starts in one place – that is desire. Desire for God is not something we can manufacture. Rather, it is a call within ourselves, prompted by the Holy Spirit, to love God abundantly and to move toward Him with an overwhelming yearning to be His saint. Drawn to Him, let us continually grow in desire for God and to reflect Him in every way.

Welcome to our November 2024 Newsletter. We enter into prayer this month for our faithful departed loved ones. We begin our various drives to provide comfort and assistance through the cold months to come. This includes our YMSofR Clothing Drive, Food Drive, and the support we give to families in crisis. We remember our longtime pastor Rt. Rev. śp. Stanley Bilinski. Raffles are also underway – get your tickets now. They are great gifts for a loved one or friend. We focus on thanksgiving – the holiday, personal and corporate thankfulness, prayer, and great Thanksgiving hymns. Our participation in the Pierogi 5k was a success. Study up on some background on the importance of voting and exercise your right on November 5th. Also, check out what is upcoming as we enter Advent on December 1st. All that and more in our November 2024 Newsletter.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Christian Family 2024

God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. 

For seven Sundays this summer we journeyed with Jesus and His apostles coming to understand that we receive Him. For the rest of Ordinary Time and the special Solemnities of our Church, Jesus discusses applying His presence within us. How do we do it?

Today, our Holy Church offers us a special Solemnity focused on the Christian Family.

Family is the perfect environment for applying the presence of Jesus within us. We might all laugh a bit and say, ‘That’s for sure.’ Family really gives me agita.

Rather than focusing on that, I ask you to imagine concentric circles, a large circle with smaller and smaller circles inside of it. That is a representation of family as we generally envision it.

At the center we find our immediate family, mother, father, children. As we proceed outward, circle after circle, we get to more distant family. First grandparents, then aunts and uncles, cousins, 2nd, 3rd, 4th cousins, one twice, three times removed. You know your priest is an amateur genealogist when he gets into that much detail.

Getting to the outermost circles we may find our fellow church members, maybe co-workers, members of organizations we belong to, neighbors, and our larger community.

The problem with this vision of concentric circles is that each of the circles is a point of demarcation, a separation, a thing that defines boundaries. That is not what God intended.

In our passage from Genesis God shows us a vision of totality. Adam, Eve, nature, and God included was all part of one big reality. There was no separation, no boundaries. All shared in everything.

 God’s vision and creation is the totality of family.

We know that the problem of sin is what causes the demarcations and divisions. We set boundaries both as a way to protect us from the sin of others and as part of our own sinfulness, a guard against fully expressing Christian charity.

To get past sinful inclination we must re-vision our notion of family to come into conformity with God’s vision. We need to look at family as one big circle.

Consider this singular circle filled with the presence and light of God. See in it our entire personal families and the entire family of faith. That, brother and sisters, is what the Kingdom of God is.

This is a wonderful vision. It is so good because it is as God intends. It is also immensely attractive for those who hurt, who need family. God saw that it was very good, and so must we.

Reflection for the Solemnity of Brotherly Love 2024

“What is written in the Law? How do you understand it?”

For seven Sundays we journeyed with Jesus and His apostles coming to understand that we receive Him. For the rest of Ordinary Time and the special Solemnities of our Church, Jesus will discuss the practical application of being in Him. How do we do it?

Last week we covered the nature of the Law Israel was to follow. Unfortunately, what Jesus encountered was the Law reduced to a series of dos and don’ts modified with unimportant additions. What was meant to be about Israel’s special relationship with God and with each other had been corrupted.

Jesus tells us that the Law’s true nature is about a community in relationship with God and each other. More importantly for us who receive Jesus, who are in His living presence right now, our way of life must be about growing toward God, having our hearts close to God, and always keeping our worship directed to God.

Today the Law scholar questions Jesus exactly about the way God’s people are to live. What encompasses the nature of relationship with God and others as contained in the Law. After covering the basics and getting the passages right, the scholar asked for more and Jesus responded with one of His more known parables, that of the Good Samaritan.

So, for us today. In just a bit we will offer our sacrifices – which we all give – the bread and the wine. In their offering and the repetition of Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, we will all be pulled into eternity with Christ. We will be in His presence, in heaven, for the briefest of moments. He will return with us providing us His gift of His Body and Blood.

In that moment, and in receiving Him, let us practice asking the same question, ‘What do I do with Him in me? How do I understand and enact Him?’

The response we will get is Jesus repeating His closing words to the scholar: “Go and do likewise.”

We must take Jesus and take up His way of life as we walk the gospel path in our everyday lives. Our receiving Him is an awesome meeting with eternal love, but if we just keep it for ourselves, we fall short.

How to do it, what to take on? There are million plus ways to enact the example of the Good Samaritan. Visit a friend, talk with someone about Jesus, sing a hymn with someone, volunteer, encourage a young person in their journey, console the sick, comfort a mourner.

Like the Samaritan, we will come across the moment we are needed – the Holy Spirit will put it right there. Then answer the question: “What is written in the gospel? How do I understand it?”

Visit Us at the Altamont Fair 2024

Holy Name of Jesus is a White Ribbon Sponsor for this year’s Altamont Fair running Tuesday, August 13th through Sunday, August 18th. We are underwriting the Chapel at the Fair (near Gate 3 in the Grove).

Holy Mass will be held at the Chapel on Friday, August 16th at 11am. Parish volunteers will be present all day. We have give-aways too.

See you there.

July/August 2024 Newsletter – A Building Paradigm

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus begins with the Beatitudes. In the ninth Beatitude above, Jesus continues by saying those insulted because of Him will “Rejoice and be glad, because great is [their] reward in heaven.”

At this year’s Men’s Spiritual Retreat we erected a huge “Cross on Kicker Hill.” Some members of our Polish National Catholic Church may remember the term “Kicker.” That, along with the words “warcholy” (brawlers and sowers of discord), ‘heretics, unbelievers, and masons’ were used by Roman Catholics to denigrate members of the Church. In some places these words are still used. The rhyme thrown at us was: “Ringer, ringer, ring that bell. Kicker, kicker, go to hell.” 

Members of the Church had to choose their response. Would they return insult for insult or act in accord with Jesus’ gospel way of life? They chose to act as Jesus commanded. The Solemnity of Brotherly Love was instituted in 1906 to counteract these acts of hatred. At various gatherings of the Church and Its Societies banners stating: “Bóg z nami — Kto przeciw nam?” “God is for us — Who will stand against us?” were on display.

The Cross on Kicker Hill is a paradigm for building and the future.

As a Church and as a parish, our focus must remain on growth, building the Kingdom of God here and right now. This is done through our presence as a sanctuary of peace and security for anyone wishing to pray. It occurs through our individual acts of evangelization, bringing family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers into the family of God. It is in how we love and care for all we come into contact with. It is who we are – builders.

You may have heard of other Churches closing – Baltimore, Buffalo, and likely soon in the R.C. Diocese of Albany; nearly 50% of parishes closing. We must be prepared, going forward, as a place of refuge and welcome and a sure symbol of God’s Kingdom being built right here. Rejoice! Be glad!

Welcome to our July/August 2024 Newsletter. we had a wonderful June including a very special Men’s Spiritual Retreat. Read the report. Ready for County Fair season? We will be at the Altamont Fair this year. Sign up and volunteer to help. We begin recognizing those who have graduated. Stay tuned for more. Summer events are underway so mark your calendars. Join us at Spójnia Farm for its 95th Anniversary and the blessing of the new Great Hall on the 4th of July. We start with Holy Mass at 11am. We have made great progress in establishing a Food Bank at the parish. Check out the details. See the list of great articles on relationship, marriage, and parenting. Fantastic offers from the PNA continue (IRAs, insurance, and annuities). All this and more in our July/August 2024 Newsletter.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Word of God 2024

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and without Him not one thing came into being. 

Two weeks ago, we began considering the word mystery and the fact that we are now in a short transitional season between the fifty days of Easter and the start of ‘Ordinary Time’ next week.

We have already considered the mysteries of the Holy Trinity and the Body and Blood of Jesus. Today we consider the mystery of the Word whose Solemnity our Holy Church has instituted.

All these mysteries flow out of Pentecost which is their lynchpin. The power of the Holy Spirit and His gifts are given to us so we may better appreciate and draw grace from our contemplation and celebration of the mysteries of God’s Being, Feeding, and Word.

We are so privileged, for our Holy Church is the only one that believes and teaches that the Word of God proclaimed and taught has sacramental effect in our lives.

Many of us likely have a vague recollection of what sacramental effect is. It has been a while since catechism class. So, a little refresher.

A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of God’s inward and spiritual grace, instituted by Christ for our sanctification and salvation. Sacraments give sanctifying grace, and each gives a special sacramental grace through the merits of Jesus Christ Who instituted them.

Catechism of the PNCC 280, 283, 284.

That is a beautiful definition, and it covers a lot, but to make it more accessible let’s consider sacraments this way: God has great love for us and His love is so powerful that it changes us in the most remarkable and essential of ways. It causes us to grow into the image of His beloved Son Jesus and to become those who, when they appear before Him, are embraced just as the Father embraces His Son Jesus.

So, God has this love, but it must be transmitted, we need an infusion of His love, and it must occur in real, recognizable ways. Think of the sacraments as food for eternal life. We need to receive this food so to be filled and satisfied.

God’s Word Who is Jesus filled the world with all goodness at creation. His Word filled the people of Israel on their journeys, and His Word fills us today for through the Word people learn and grow, we are fed, filled and are enabled to confidently approach the throne of grace.