Prayers for the Solemnity of the Christian Family

In Gratitude for Parents:

I thank you, God in Heaven, for my parents. When morning wakes, when daytime ends, I have the consciousness of loving hands that touch my own, of tender voice and gentleness, of thoughts that cheer and bless!

If sorrow comes to me I know that my parents will talk about the way I go. And, as the shadows fall, I know that I will raise my eyes and know with a Hope that never dies! — to You, the Dearest Parent of All.

A Parent’s Prayer — From A Book of Devotions and Prayers According to the Use of the Polish National Catholic Church:

Merciful Father, who gave me my children, and committed them to my charge to bring them up in the first place for Thee, for Thy Church and this our country, as also to prepare them for everlasting life; assist and help me with Thy heavenly grace, I most humbly beseech and implore Thee, that I may be able to fulfill this sacred duty. Make me gentle, patient, and considerate, yet firm and watchful; teach me both what to give and what to withhold; when to reprove and when to forbear; deliver me from the weakness of indulgence, as also from the excess of severity. Grant, O Gracious Father, that both by word and example I may lead them in the ways of Thy faith, love and wisdom, that as they advance in years, they may grow in grace and true piety, so that in the end, I may with them be admitted to Thy eternal glory. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Child’s Prayer — From A Book of Devotions and Prayers According to the Use of the Polish National Catholic Church:

Heavenly Father, who gave me my father and mother, and commanded me to love, honor, and obey them in all things; give me Thy grace, I implore Thee, that I may cheerfully and with my whole heart fulfill this Thy law; that I may love them fervently, honor them truly and comply with their wishes. Deliver me, O God, from pride, rebellion, stubborness, and carelessness. Make me diligent in all my duties and studies, patient in all my trials, and humble in Thy presence. Create in me a clean heart and make me strong in Thy faith, that I may grow in grace and wisdom, from day to day, to Thy glory and to the pride and benefit of my dear parents. Through Christ, my Lord and Saviour. Amen.

For Families — From A Book of Devotions and Prayers According to the Use of the Polish National Catholic Church:

Our Father, in Whose family all men are children: we remember before Thee all homes broken by separation. We pray for mothers and children separated from each other; for husbands and wives compelled to live apart; and especially for homes from which the husband, son or brother has gone forth to the service. Soften, we pray Thee, these hard blows by the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Be with the lonely. Help them to maintain the links that bind them to those they love. May fellowship in spirit be kept though bodily presence be denied. Teach us all that neither death nor life can separate us from Thy love which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

Bible Study for the 28th Week in Ordinary Time
  • 10/9 – Luke 1:1-4 – How does ordering your life and developing a regimen help you to live better? Prayer starter: Gracious and compassionate God, you who search the hearts minds and souls of everyone, help me to realize that you have called me to love you more closely.
  • 10/10 – Luke 1:5-20 – How do you react to God’s surprises in your life – with doubt or with awe? Prayer starter: God of surprises, you who at times surprise everyone in their lives, help me to develop a sense of wonder about your surprising presence.
  • 10/11 – Luke 1:21-25 – Does God engage in age discrimination? Do you? Prayer starter: Gracious God, you are God to the elderly and to the young. Help me to see your many blessings in everyone regardless of age.
  • 10/12 – Luke 1:26-33 – What does it mean for you to believe God is with you and has blessed and favored you? Prayer starter: Gracious God, help me always to realize that you always go before me, guiding and guarding me. Help me always to follow you, for you are the one who shows me the way.
  • 10/13 – Luke 1:34-58 – Are you ready to be surprised by God the way Mary was? Prayer starter: O God, help me to be attuned to your word and presence in my life. Help me to develop a sense of wonder so I can be open to the surprise you have in store for me.
  • 10/14 – Luke 1:39-45 – Who are the women in my own life who have carried the presence of God to me? Prayer starter: God the creator, you who formed me in my mothers womb, continue to fill me with your holy breath. Help me to realize how you animate me daily.
  • 10/15 – Luke 1:46-50 – How has God shown his might, his holiness, and his mercy to you in your life? Prayer starter: All-powerful, holy, and merciful God, I thank you for your powerful and awesome presence in the world. May I always be a recipient of your endless mercy.

Bible Study for the 27th Week in Ordinary Time
  • 10/2 – Matthew 1:22-25 – Where and in whom do I experience God with us? Prayer starter: God, help me never to forget that you are always with me. Help me to live a life that shows others you are with all of us.
  • 10/3 – Matthew 2:1-12 – Whose star do you follow as you travel through life? Prayer starter: God of all revelation, help me to encounter you through the reading of the Sacred Scripture, in my dreams, and in the wonders of nature with which you have surrounded me.
  • 10/4 – Matthew 2:7-12 – What gifts do you share with God and others? Prayer starter: God, you to whom all homage and praise is due, help me to worship you in awe. Receive the gifts I bring to you.
  • 10/5 – Matthew 2:13-15 – Do you pay attention to your dreams and how God may be revealed through them? Prayer starter: Protecting God, protect me and all of my loved ones as you protected the Holy Family. Help me to realize that no matter how alien I may feel you are with me.
  • 10/6 – Matthew 2:16-18 – How do you help the innocent whom you encounter in your own life and work? Prayer starter: All-caring and loving God, help me be ever sensitive, loving and caring of all people at risk. Help me to stand up for their rights in a society that refuses to hear them.
  • 10/7 – Matthew 2:19-23 – How have your parents practiced and taught you wisdom? Prayer starter: Gracious God, grant me the wisdom I need to love you more tenderly, to seek you more closely, and to share your graciousness toward me with others.
  • 10/8 – Matthew 1:20-24, Matthew 2:7-22, and Matthew 27:19 – How have your own dreams helped or hindered your relationship to God and others? Prayer starter: God, help me to dream about you and to fulfill your dreams for me in the way I live my life.

Åš+P Marilyn (Lyn) Podkulski

We were saddened on hearing the passing of our sister in Christ, śp. Marilyn (Lyn) Podkulski.

After a very quick and debilitating period of illness, our sister, śp. Lyn accepted the call of her Lord to enter into eternal life.

As we all fondly remember, Å›p. Lyn served as parish organist and offered her ministry for many years, certainly during the time of this pastorate and for many years prior. She also was one of two “Stephen Ministry” folk, offering her comfort to those in need here at the parish. Her vocation was one of grief counselor providing necessary guidance and comfort to those families she came in contact with. There were three occasions when Å›p. Lyn scheduled to have a “remembrance service” here at the parish; always met with a deep
appreciation.

We will have a chance to offer our prayers of thanksgiving for her life; a memorial mass will be scheduled at the discretion of the family sometime in the near future.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace. Amen.

Bible Study for the 26th Week in Ordinary Time
  • 9/25 – Jonah 2 – When did I personally learn the lesson that “pride goeth before a fall?” Prayer starter: Lord of the universe, you created us to know, love, and serve you so as to share your joy. Grant us the gift of humility – one way or another.
  • 9/26 – Jonah 3 – When have I seen grace redeem persons or situations that seemed irredeemable? Prayer starter: Lord, your justice is not like our justice, nor are your ways our ways. For which we are very, very grateful.
  • 9/27 – Jonah 4 – Do I allow God’s freedom to exercise control over my heart? Prayer starter: Liberating God, the earth is your footstool and your authority cannot be contained. Teach us to incorporate the freedom of the children of God.
  • 9/28 – Matthew 1:1-17 – Who are my ancestors in faith and how have they helped me practice my faith? Prayer starter: God of my ancestors, help me to remember that I came from you through them and will return to you.
  • 9/29 – Matthew 1:2-6,16 – Who are the women in my own family who brought God to me and brought me to God? Prayer starter: Good God, you who make use of the least likely in society’s eyes, help me to become aware of your presence in them. Help me to see them with your eyes not the eyes of society.
  • 9/30 – Luke 3:23-38 – How old were you when you started to do God’s work? Prayer starter: God, you who created humankind in your image and likeness, help me to discover you in everyone I meet.
  • 10/1 – Matthew 1:18-25 – Are you willing to feed, help, and house people at risk in your home? Prayer starter: All-loving God, help me to become a righteous person, one who lives according to your law as Joseph did. Help me to be attentive to your revelation in my dreams.

Why do we celebrate Spójnia Sunday?

The month of September has many meanings to many different people. First, and probably foremost, parents look forward to the beginning of the new school year. Farmers know that September means the beginning of the fall harvest of God’s gifts to us. Polish National Catholics know that September has been set aside by the Church to honor its fraternal organization, the Polish National Union of America, “Spójnia.”

Many people ask, why does the Church celebrate a fraternal organization in a special way? The answer to this question is an easy one: because the Polish National Union of America had done and given more to the Church than any other organization to date. The Polish National Union was born and grew from the heart of the Polish National Catholic Church. These two great institutions share the same membership, the same concerns for the people. The same man, the late Prime Bishop Francis Hodur, organized both. Both organizations stand for the same principle, that all men and women should and do have the right to choose their destinies, no mater what their ethnic backgrounds. In other words, it would be every hard to separate in the inter-mingled struggles and accomplishments of the two.

Over the past 100 years, the support of Spójnia for the Polish National Catholic Church has been constantly shown through financial aid to parishes in the form of mortgages, educational materials and financial stipends; and recreational aid to all by support given to many varied and widely held events. Our parish has benefited greatly over the years through these various programs: our college students have received stipends, and, in past years, the van traveling to the “Zlot” was funded through the PNU.

Be it in times of hardship or time of good fortune, Spójnia has always been there. Offering a helping hand or a shoulder to rest upon. Giving words of encouragement or inspiration. No matter what the situation, what area of the country or the world, Spójnia would always try to help. Many times the help was meager. Many times it would just be words of encouragement, but at least people know that someone cared. People know that we are “joining hands to touch lives” because we we’re all sisters and brothers working together for the happiness and betterment of all.

By being members of the PNCC and Spójnia, we have joined hands in a partnership that has grown over the past 100 years. A partnership that today can boast over 144 parishes in the United States and Canada partnered with a fraternal with over $45M in assets.

This is a partnership where people care about each other, where love and brotherhood are the two main ingredients. A partnership where each other’s rights and ideas have meaning. A partnership where the partners, the PNCC and the PNU of America, will always be there when needed.

As we celebrate this day, let us be thankful for those who determined this organization to be necessary and that it continue to be a source of fraternalism. May we all be members. Young and old alike can all benefit from the Spójnia.

Bible Study for the 25th Week in Ordinary Time
  • 9/18 – Zechariah 11:4-17 and Zechariah 12-14 – Where do I look for, or experience, the holy presence of God? Prayer starter: God of all times and places, you infuse our world with holiness. Open our eyes to the sacred in every common thing, in our sisters and brothers, and in ourselves.
  • 9/19 – Malachi 1,2 – Do I ever cut corners on religious observance or moral obligations? Prayer starter: All-seeing and all-knowing God, your benevolent gaze is on the whole world and all of human history. Teach us how to live rightly in the spirit of your truth.
  • 9/20 – Malachi 3,4 – How do I demonstrate my loyalty to God: in prayer, ritual, law or service? Prayer starter: Most Holy God, we are not worthy to receive you into our presence. Only say the word and we will be healed.
  • 9/21 – Joel 1 and Joel 2:1-11 – How much of my fear is based on global forces and events? Prayer starter: In the spirit of humility. Lord, we acknowledge our mortality and frailty. We know that life and death are always in your hands.
  • 9/22 – Joel 2:12-32 and Joel 3 – How often do you put on the spirit of contrition and return to God again? Prayer starter: God of mercy and forgiveness, you welcome sinners home and seek lost sheep who have strayed from you. Give us the courage to meet you in the valley of decision.
  • 9/23 – Obadiah 1 – When have you experienced the flash point between love and hate? Prayer starter: Lord, we ask you to heal the wounds that divide those who are closest: In the Middle East, in tribal Africa, and in racially divided America.
  • 9/24 – Jonah 1 – When has humor helped me to see that my worldview is in need of correction? Prayer starter: You are the Lord of the good story, and you provide us with a Bible full of characters aimed at our instruction. Help us to learn from them all: saints, sinners, and clowns.

Bible Study for the Solemnity of Brotherly Love and the 24th Week in Ordinary Time
  • 9/11 – Nahum 2:2-13 and Nahum 3 – What criteria can be used to justify human violence? Prayer starter: God of light and darkness, Lord of life and death, all authority comes from you and belongs to you in heaven and on earth. Teach us wisdom in using the power in our hands.
  • 9/12 – Habakkuk 1 – Under what circumstances have I or might I challenge God’s ways? Prayer starter: All-knowing God, we are unable to fathom the twin mysteries of evil and suffering. Strengthen our trust in your holy purposes even when we cannot see them.
  • 9/13 – Habakkuk 2-3 – Do I believe that God is ultimately the tamer of the world’s chaos? Prayer starter: Lord of history, you are not bound to time or place and you see what is not known to us. Help us to live and act courageously to bring your purposes to fulfillment.
  • 9/14 – Haggai 1 – How do I decide when to wait for God and when to act myself? Prayer starter: May we never forget, Lord, that our allegiance to you comes before every other obligation. With you all things are possible.
  • 9/15 – Zechariah 1-4 – Could it be that my plans for my life are much smaller than God’s plans for me? Prayer starter: Saving God, you ordained that a shoot should sprout from the dead stump of Jesse, after hope of human kings had failed. Open our minds to your amazing possibilities.
  • 9/16 – Zechariah 5-8 – What’s the good news — and bad news — about living at the center of destiny? Prayer starter: The desire of our heart, O Lord, is to seek and find you at the center of our lives. Dislodge the ego that keeps us clinging to the place of privilege.
  • 9/17 – Zechariah 9-10 and Zechariah 11:1-3 – Who has taught you wisdom, and how do you express your gratitude? Prayer starter: All wisdom has its origins in you, eternal God. Help us persevere in gaining the wisdom that our world needs and hungers for.

Observance of The Feast-day of St. Francis of Assisi and the Blessing of Animals

As you may have heard, there have been many pets and animals that were abandoned in the flooded areas around us and in our state’s southern tier. Various agencies in and around our area have taken up the search and rescue and rehabilitation of those animals found homeless. Although we could not be involved with the agencies that are trying to match up the animals with their owners, we could be helpful in those plans that will help to provide care until that reunion may take place.

Therefore, we are asking that if you have a pet or not, to stop by and add your prayers during a short service on Saturday, October 1st (the actual Feast-day is the 4th), at 10am. Also, if you could bring along some items to donate: dry or canned pet food, cat litter, leashes, or other items (no perishable food) you would like to donate. Some early contact with these agencies has been made.

Our prayer this year will have special import since there are a number of animals we will ask St. Francis to intercede for and ask God to protect and re-unite with their caregivers. Please add your prayer, voice, and donation. In advance, THANKS!