January 2024 Newsletter – To Everything A Time

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven

A number one hit with the oldest lyrics? That is Pete Seeger’s song Turn, Turn Turn covered by the Byrds in 1965. The lyrics from Ecclesiastes ca. 300 BC

The first eight verses of Chapter 3 tells us that everything is suitable for its time. God is in control, indeed sovereign, and that gives us reassurance and a sense of sobriety. We cannot necessarily fathom the mystery of God, but we can say that we are ok with the mystery He offers if we have faith in His goodness – the goodness of God Who gave His Son Jesus so that we might be saved. We just celebrated that beginning by allowing Jesus to be reborn into our lives.

I remember my mom talking about songs like Turn, Turn Turn with some sense of amazement – ‘they’re singing about the Bible,’ or words to that affect. Truthfully, it wouldn’t take too much effort in going through the pop and rock songs of the 1960’s and 1970’s and even beyond to see the influence of faith, the Church, and scripture in a good number of those hits. I suppose my memory of my mother’s talking about scripture in pop and rock music attuned my ear, gave me an awareness of God permeating every time and season, every method of expression.

It is a positive practice for us, as Christians, to remain aware, to listen and look, for God is continually making Himself known through ordinary means and in each time and season. We will find Him in music, literature, the beauty of nature, and in each other. Speaking of times and season, we just experienced a very short Advent which kicked-off the new Church year. Now we will experience a somewhat shorter Christmas season because Pre-Lent begins January 28th. Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent is just around the corner – February 14th. As we wend our way through God’s seasons and times, as we keep our eyes, ears, and hearts open to the revelation of His mystery and His timeless grace, let us meet each season in this new year both reassured and open to Him.

Happy New Year and welcome to our January 2024 Newsletter. The Newsletter covers the good we are doing and will be doing as God’s people in our corner of the world. Need your house blessed? It is Epiphany / Kolędy House Blessing season so make your appointments with Fr. Jim. The annual parish meeting and elections are upcoming, please plan to attend. Why not run for office… We are once again holding our Outrageous Valentine’s Raffle to support our youth ministry. Get your tickets now. We give thanks for the many blessings in our lives and look forward to the events of 2024, Lent which is just around the corner, and our Basket Social! Also, check out the poetry of Rev. Walter Andrew Hyszko for the New Year. Check it all out in our January 2024 Newsletter.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds 2023

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy…

My homily on Christmas was centered on Paul’s letter to Titus, someone we do not encounter very much in the Church year (4 times at most). As I mentioned, Titus was the first Bishop of Crete, that small Mediterranean island that lies between Athens and Rhodes.

On Christmas we focused on the confidence Titus needed because he was charged with developing the Church in Crete, a place Paul had never visited. 

As I also mentioned, there is a lot in Paul’s letter to Titus about Church organization, differing groups of people and their roles and responsibilities and how they are to grow in faith, but key to all of that was how the grace and love of God that appeared in Jesus Christ should cause us all to live and act, eager to do what is good. 

Indeed, we are to live with the confidence of a people who have been redeemed, saved, delivered, and cleansed; a people belonging to God.

About 86 years before Paul wrote his letter to Titus, Jesus was born, and the first to encounter Him besides Mary and Joseph were the Humble Shepherds of the area.

Like all of us, those Humble Shepherds had not done anything to merit the announcement they heard. They hadn’t even bought a lottery ticket. They weren’t thinking – I’m in it to win it. Yet the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared to them.

God’s coming among us brought about real change and it is change that will last forever. It will last despite the world’s denial, despite any negative thing we could think of, and it will overcome for as Jeremiah proclaimed: I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. That is God’s promise and Jesus’ coming did that!

What can we take away from this encounter with those Humble Shepherds who were so highly blessed? 

We can take an attitude of confidence because Jesus saved us despite ourselves. We can develop an active disposition – to get up, go, learn, then witness, and proclaim based on faith alone without any prompting, without fear. We can live as Jesus intends – in gladness and comfort knowing we are His. Come, let us go to the stable.

Call For Papers – 23rd Scholars’ Conference

The Commission On History And Archives of the Polish National Catholic Church is pleased to announce the 23rd Scholars’ Conference to be held April 18-19, 2024, in historic Scranton, Pennsylvania. A virtual opportunity will also be available.

Academic scholars, representing the social sciences, are invited to submit proposals for individual papers related/devoted to the Polish National Catholic Church, its associations, its outreaches, and various independent movements that preceded or are contemporaneous with the Church and related subjects. Selected papers will be presented and subsequently published in the PNCC Studies Journal. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2024.  

Additionally, we are pleased to offer an alternative to formal paper presentations with the addition of poster presentations. Details on submission are listed below. Graduate student presenters will be eligible for a $500 stipend/scholarship and free meals.

Register today by Email to the Prime Bishop’s secretary or by calling or 570.346.9131.

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to hearing from you.

November 2023 Newsletter – Everlasting Comfort

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort

In our Sunday Holy Mass for November 5th we heard a beautiful psalm (Ps. 131:2) in which King David quiets and stills himself with God. David likens the experience to a babe in its mother’s arms. There is David with his soul at peace and rest.

As we know, November is the Month of All Souls. Contemplating death and the seeming unknown is cause for no small amount of distress in our lives. Yet, the phrases of comfort and care found throughout scripture, especially in the work of Jesus, eliminates the unknown. Jesus told us what would happen and that gives comfort, assurance, and dispels distress. I look to the example of Dismas, the ‘good thief.’ He certainly did not live the best life. Yet, his faith led Jesus to proclaim: “today you will be with Me in paradise.”That is a confidence booster. The raising of the widow’s son, Jairus’ daughter, and Lazarus adds to that confidence. The joy the disciples experienced on Easter and afterward puts a fine point on the fulfilled promises of God – we have forever life in Jesus in paradise.

As the weather gets colder I have been contemplating old comfortable slippers and sweaters. Those things that wrap around us and make us feel safe and well cared for. So our faith in Jesus. When we contemplate His love and care for us, His holding us in the palm of His hand, and His eternal promise of life we too should feel like David – quiet and still. We should feel God’s warmth that removes all cold. We should proclaim With St. Paul: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us. Paul then says that as we are comforted by God, so must we comfort, reassure, and wrap others in that same care. Paul says God comforts us so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction.

Let us in our endeavors, our charity, and in all things both experience and share the comfort God provides. Let us show the reality of God’s care that drives out the cold.

November is here and we approach the end of the current Church year and ready for Advent. This month is dedicated to remeberance of and prayers for our dearly departed loved ones. 

On December 3rd at 4pm we will host our Prime Bishop for the blessing of our new organ and then enjoy an organ concert coupled with a fundraiser for our sister parish, Blessed Virgin Mary, to assist in their recovery from the arson fire which damaged their facilities and church.

Our winter clothing drive is underway as is the collection of foodstuffs for those in our local community. Please remember our Christmas Vigil Raffle – time is growing short. Check out our Thanksgiving prayer and the thanks we offer for for all the good around us.

Interested in pet pics with St. Nick? Online Cathechism class? Need a place to go for Thanksgiving? Check that and more out in our November 2023 Newsletter.

Annual Winter Clothing Drive

The United Young Men’s Society of Resurrection is conducting its annual clothing drive.

Let us be Christ to our community!

Needed: Articles of clothing to help dull the winter chill.

Your Reward: A good deed that reflects the love of Jesus.

Please help out by using either the pdf form or Excel file below to record items you are donating and take them to a charity of your choice. Use the Excel file to optionally automatically tally your donations. Turn in the forms at church. If you need help in delivering items, please let us know and someone will assist you.

Winter Clothing Drive PDF Count SheetDownload
Winter Clothing Drive Form FillableDownload

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Christian Family 2023

And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 

Once again, we take a break from Ordinary Time to focus on this special Solemnity only celebrated in our Holy Church, the Solemnity of the Christian Family.

While taking this break we, in a very special way, continue to study and commit ourselves to the work of following, witnessing to, and sharing Jesus as His family. That is the essence of family, to be together as one in Jesus.

It may seem strange in our day; families are often separated by time, distance, and priorities.

In this separation, we tend to get caught up in the minutia. Certainly, some things are important like work and school, but when it comes down to it, there are plenty of opportunities to come together and strengthen the family.

We see this when the happy and tragic moments confront us. Someone is in the hospital, a baby or wedding shower, the wedding or christening, a funeral. A flood comes and we need to help our family. At these times you will surely find someone saying: We ought to get together more often, let’s have a reunion, let’s stay in contact. But then… missed opportunities. Strengthening each other requires more than occasional time together.

We heard that people were amazed at Jesus’ understanding and answers. In the various gospels we hear this theme repeated: 

Matthew 7:28: …the crowds were astonished. Matthew 22:33: …they were astonished at His teaching. Mark 1:22: The people were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority. Mark 11:18: …they looked for a way to kill Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.

This astonishment or amazement is rendered existanto in Greek. People were changed in encountering Jesus, they saw things in a new and previously unheard-of ways.

The same existanto is used for those times people met the first Christians. Those encounters changed their lives and relationships.

Things are different because we, the Christian family, get together to strengthen each other in Christ. Jesus understands our need and gives us this place and each other as strong family, both at home and in the wider Body of Christ, so to live differently because of Him and amaze those we meet.

October 2023 Newsletter – Earnest Love

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

Welcome to October! We see a wonderful theme for this month carried on from our celebration of Brotherly Love in September. It is this, a theme of deep focus on sacrificial love. Peter reminds us of our Christian duty to sacrificial love in 1 Peter 1:22 as quoted above: love one another earnestly. How do we grow in love?

October is the month of the Holy Rosary. We must ensure, of course, that we keep the rosary in perspective as a methodology for concentrated prayer and not as some sort of magical mystery thing. The rosary takes us on a tour of the glorious, joyful, and sorrowful moments (called mysteries in the rosary) in the life of Jesus. What we see in each moment of His life and that of Mary is their living out the sacrificial love that marks the gospel way of life. They give of themselves totally to do as God the Father asks. By their example and our focusing on that example, we discover new ways to share our love. We pause to recollect how we might imitate Jesus and follow His call to love as the Father asks.

Also in October we celebrate the Christian Family in a special way. The family, as designed by God, is the seed bed for developing a life that conforms to St. Peter’s guidance – foremost by obedience to the truth. The family relationship, the smaller model for the wider Church, is the place we learn true self-sacrifice, whether it is giving up our time or treasure to serve another member or in giving up our dreams to bring the aspirations of the other to fruition. Further, the truth of God and our obedience to it is also self-sacrifice founded in love. No, we must not meander through life just doing whatever we please if we call ourselves Christian. We set aside our urges to do as we please in order to follow Jesus’ way of life and the Father’s call to us.

To love one another earnestly means we place our whole selves in the service of love. We privy ourselves by obedience to God’s truth and with sincerity follow Jesus, imitate Mary, love on our families, and take a back seat to the other.

Fall is here and we are busy. The blessing of pets will occur at Holy Masses on Sunday, October 1st. We celebrate the month of the Holy Rosary with regular prayer on Fridays at 3pm and we honor the Christian Family with a special Solemnity on October 8th. We cover the unfortunate occurrences (debacle) in the Polish Catholic Church in the Republic of Poland. Read up on the PNUA transition to the PNA.

We look forward to the months ahead replete with activities including our Seniorate Thanksgiving celebration. Fr. Jim will offer online catechism classes starting October 11th. That and so much more to read up on.

Check it out in our October 2023 Newsletter.

Reflection for the Solemnity of Brotherly Love 2023

‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

Thank you for joining today as we continue our journey focused on listening to, obeying, and witnessing to Jesus.

Our Holy Church drives this listening, obeying, and witnessing home in very particular ways through special Solemnities celebrated throughout the year.

Today listening, obeying, and witnessing is stressed through our call to love. This Solemnity of Brotherly Love was instituted a long time ago, in 1923, when members of our Church were persecuted for their faith.

Yes, our people faced a hatred that resulted in beatings, firings from jobs, homes being foreclosed on, and even murder. 

They, the Church, decided they would not respond in-kind, they would not fight back with fists and clubs, but would focus themselves on Jesus’ teaching on love toward all.

Was that the past? It seems many have not listened to Jesus: ‘Go and do likewise.’ 

Love is harder to find, hate is far easier to see. Sometimes alleged Christians are right up front in fermenting something quite different from Brotherly Love. Let’s use a real-life example. Perhaps you have seen Deuteronomy 28:43-44 quoted in social media: Aliens residing among you shall ascend above you higher and higher, while you shall descend lower and lower. They shall lend to you but you shall not lend to them; they shall be the head and you shall be the tail. Of course, we should fear immigrants.

This scripture was from the listing of curses against Israel if they were unfaithful to God’s law. Everything they would do would fail. They would lose their crops, children, and nation. 

All this was set forth in a ceremony to be performed by the entire nation, so that they would understand the gravity of their choice whether to actually walk in the ways of God.

In the blessings and curses God warns in several places related to foreigners (see Exodus 22:21, and 23:9) and most particularly in Leviticus 19:33-34 “‘When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself.” 

Brotherly love is a choice, an eternal choice. We must choose to stop for the stranger, to love all people totally, or face God’s consequences. What must I do? Love!

Additional Scriptural references:

  • Exodus 22:21
  • Exodus 23:9
  • Leviticus 19:33-34
  • Leviticus 25:23
  • Numbers 15:15
  • Deuteronomy 10:19
  • Deuteronomy 23:7
  • Deuteronomy 24:14
  • Deuteronomy 24:17-22
  • Deuteronomy 27:19
  • Ezekiel 22:7
  • Ezekiel 22:29
  • Ezekiel 47:22
  • Zechariah 7:10
  • Matthew 25:31-46

September 2023 Newsletter – Christian In Every Way

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

At this year’s Central Diocesan Clergy Retreat we were drawn into a deep discussion on living holy and consecrated lives as bishops, priests, and deacons and our obligation to call our people to holy lives. Our retreat master reminded us that our baptism into the Body of Christ, our regeneration, was not a one- and-done event but rather entry into an ongoing process of relationship to Jesus and His Body, the Church. As Christians we need to be constantly becoming.

An important question to ponder over, to reflect on for a holy life, is whether or not we have really united ourselves with Christ Jesus. Is Jesus our center and our all-in-all or does He take a back seat to other priorities? Worse yet, do we put Jesus in the trunk and only fish Him out when we feel we might need Him. I know He’s back there somewhere… maybe under the blankets…? If we are united with Jesus we work daily at our becoming. Jesus is part of our day, minute-by-minute. If that is so:

  • We pray in all things, before we step out the door, cook, drive, go to work and go home, and eat, and we end all tasks with a prayer of thanksgiving. Moreover, we do not hide that fact. We do not make a show of it of course, but neither do we hide our intentionality. Note – it is especially important for our families to see and participate in this prayer.
  • We worship regularly – at a minimum each Sunday.
  • We commit to the work of the Church and our parish by active participation, for the family of God is the best hangout possible.

Jesus has great expectations of us. If we reflect and find ourselves falling short we can start with this question: Can I invite Jesus to come along with me? If I cannot, I need to discover why and then fix that issue. If I can invite Him, why might I not be doing that in each thing.

Mr. Eddie Gibbs wrote a book, In Name Only: Tackling the Problem of Nominal Christianity. Our call is to be more than a person labeled Christian, but to be so in every way.

Welcome to our September 2023 Newsletter. September opens a whole new season in the life of our parish. There are so many great things coming up..

We reflect on this summer’s activities, prepare for Back-To-Church Sunday, honor all workers on Labor Day at Good Shepherd Cemetery, Remember 9-11-01, and continue to look ahead with eager expectation (who knows – you might be a winner in this year’s Vigil Dinner raffle).

Please join us for the Solemnity of Brotherly Love on September 10th — we are the only Church that has a special day set aside to reflect on and reinforce our obligation to love — and remember to invite and bring someone new to church on September 17th.

Check out all that and more in our September 2023 Newsletter.