Bible Study for the Fourth Week of Lent
  • 3/18 – Ezekiel 37:27 – Lord God, thank you for showing us that You are not separate and apart from us, but one with us and active in our lives. Grant me the grace to recognize your presence each day, a presence I long to be with forever.
  • 3/19 – Hebrews 10:34-35 – Lord Jesus, the things in my life may come and go, but my true treasure is with You. Grant that I may recognize where my treasure truly lies.
  • 3/20 – Hebrews 11:1-2 – Lord Jesus, grant me the gift of faith and blessed assurance so that I may stand fast knowing my inheritance is with You.
  • 3/21 – Hebrews 11:8-10 – Lord Jesus, grant that I may venture forth each day, strong in faith, sure that Your kingdom is where I will dwell forever.
  • 3/22 – Hebrews 11:13 – Lord Jesus, grant that I may see past the allures of the world which hold little value to the heavenly kingdom which is my true treasure.
  • 3/23 – Hebrews 11:16 – Lord God, You have prepared a beautiful city in which all Your faithful will live forever. Grant that I may never loose sight of what You hold in store for me.
  • 3/24 – Revelation 21:1-4 – God, I look forward with eager anticipation to the new heaven and the new earth. I cry out with joy, Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, I long to dwell in the new and heavenly Jerusalem.

Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent

Are we there yet?
its only 5,615 miles…

Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever, therefore, among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him!”

We’ve all heard or seen those instances on a trip where someone in the car or airplane asks: “Are we there yet?” It is usually a small child who is impatient with the trip.
Our Lenten journey can be like that. By the time we close in on Easter we might ask ourselves (or others), “Are we there yet?”

If we were saying that now, it wouldn’t be uncommon because from a time perspective we are more than half way there. Yet we may still be at the bottom of the hill.
The Jewish people had been exiled from Jerusalem for 70 years.

They longed to return. They lost their music, their joy, and in their penance found reconciliation with God.

We must continue on our journey to find reconciliation with God. We may need to refresh and renew our Lenten sacrifice. We may need to reconnect to where we should be, and get back on the road.

The days ahead will be an uphill struggle. Penance will increase. We will find it harder to comply with the Church’s requirements and with our best intentions.

This is where family becomes essential to our journey. We do not need to travel 5,615 miles to get to Jerusalem the city or to family. The city is of no matter because it is only a place. Where we’re headed is the new and heavenly Jerusalem. This is our family dwelling, the house that belongs to us because we are His children.

We can be assured that our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, in faith, has put us on the road. Our membership in the family of faith, the Church, gives us the love and support we need to get there.

“Are we there yet?” Yes. “Are we still on the road?” Yes, that too. We have both a home and a family to support us as we journey there.

Bible Study for the Third Week of Lent
  • 3/11 – Ephesians 1:22-23 – Lord Jesus, You are the head of the Church. Grant that I may always recognize Your leadership and follow only those who faithfully follow You.
  • 3/12 – Galatians 3:26-27 – Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of baptism by which we are regenerated and joined to Your Holy Church. Grant that I may live in accordance with my promises to You and Your Church.
  • 3/13 – Ephesians 5:25 – Lord Jesus, grant that I may follow You in the way I love my family and my brothers and sisters in faith.
  • 3/14 – Ephesians 2:16-19 – Lord Jesus, grant that all who claim the name Christian may strive together, not to clutch after positions, titles, and offices, but in preaching the Gospel to all, showing the true road to salvation.
  • 3/15 – Romans 8:16-17 – Lord Jesus, grant that I may never count the cost of following You, but rather that I may strive to truth through my work and struggle. Grant that each may be seen only as a joy.
  • 3/16 – 1 Peter 1:3-4 – Lord, our inheritance is with You. Grant that Your Holy Church may always lead Your people to that inheritance.
  • 3/17 – 1 Timothy 3:15 – Lord Jesus, grant strength and growth to Your Holy Polish National Catholic Church so it may continue as a pillar of truth and a buttress against evil.

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, may I ever cherish Your Holy Church and my membership in its family.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Institution of the PNCC

If I’m part of the vine…
can I drink more wine?

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

We have been studying family as our Lenten theme. Today, we lighten our Lenten practice a bit and engage in a celebration of – no wait – yes family. Amazing isn’t it?
Today we celebrate the organization of our Holy Polish National Catholic Church.

Church can be a lot of things to a lot of people, but one thing it certainly isn’t is a stagnant shell of a corporation based on dusty old books.

Church is the reality of our relationship as family in Christ. There are so many quotes about that, but a key one is taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 4:4-6:

There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all.

We have been grafted onto Jesus. He is the vine and we are the braches. That makes us one being, one entity, and sharers in His nourishment and love.

If Church were dusty old books, it would not be a living entity. If it were a stagnant shell, we would have no reason to be part of it, or feel alive in it.

Being part of the vine does give us reason to celebrate, to become intoxicated with the happiness that comes from being part of the living body of Christ.

Our Holy Church is a beacon and the joy of life. It is a place of happiness, reconciliation, mutual labor and support, the one place where we can endeavor together to reach God.

In the Holy Church we find ourselves already connected to God, part of Him, members of His family – and as St. Paul focuses on, one in every aspect of who we are.

We are not strangers who bump into each other on occasion. We are Polish National Catholics who live and abide in Jesus Christ, who bring His life filled Church, His life-giving message, to the world. There we will gather and join others to the life-giving vine, the place where we will all drink the wine of joy!

Bible Study for the Second Week of Lent
  • 3/4 – Matthew 12:48-50 – Lord Jesus, grant that I may see a brother or sister in the face of every person who seeks to do Your Father’s will.
  • 3/5 – Romans 12:4-5 – Lord Jesus, thank You for making me part of Your one body, the Holy Church. Grant that I may joyously use the gifts You have given me in fulfilling my role in the Church.
  • 3/6 – 1 John 4:20 – Lord Jesus, grant that I may never shut the door to anyone who seeks You, for You created every person in Your image, and all are my brothers and sisters.
  • 3/7 – Hebrews 10:25 – Lord Jesus, grant me the perseverance to worship You in the company of my brothers and sisters, even when I am tired or discouraged.
  • 3/8 – 1 John 4:12 – God, every man and woman is created in Your image. Grant that I may ever recognize that fact.
  • 3/9 – Galatians 3:28 – Lord Jesus, dispel the sin of prejudice and bigotry from among us. Grant that we may not relish in division, but celebrate in our faith in You.
  • 3/10 – Hebrews 13:1 – Lord Jesus, show me where I have failed to treat others as brother or sister, and grant me the gift of repentance and the will to reconcile.

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, may I recognize my brother/sister in the face of every person.

Reflection for the Second Sunday of Lent

Can I trade in this kid?
Ummm, NO!

“God put Abraham to the test… ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ ‘Here I am!’ he answered. ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy. Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.’”

Relatedness – The dictionary tells us that relatedness means a particular manner of connectedness or relationship. Unrelatedness means the lack of any particular manner of connectedness.

We might wonder if Abraham had any troubles with his son Isaac. Maybe, at one time or another, he regretted his relatedness to Isaac, and thought, maybe I could trade this kid in for something better.

God puts Abraham to the test, he asks him to sacrifice his son. Scripture tells us that Abraham loved his son, but maybe, somewhere in his mind he thought, maybe God is going to give me an even better son on trade. It is one of the unfortunate consequences of our humanity, our ability to set aside our relatedness. We all have someone with whom we have a strained, distant, or disconnected relationship.

Being part of God’s family, being the brothers and sisters of Jesus and of each other can put us to the test. How do we exercise our relatedness – how do we keep connected?

God Himself has told us that we are connected, we are related, and we are part of one body. He never abandons His relationship with us because we share the DNA of Jesus; it is imprinted in our hearts and souls.

Our Lenten journey is about correcting those instances where we feel we have grown unrelated. We have to recapture those markers of a healthy relationship with God. We have to rebuild what is strained between sister and brother.

We bear the signs of family, our shared birth in water and the Holy Spirit, our shared language of prayer and praise, the way we work together and support each other. We know, as members of God’s family, there are no trades allowed. The Father gave His Son for this family. What Jesus did to bring us together as one family is worth rebuilding; wherever it might be strained. Let’s set to that task.

67th Annual PNCC Bowling Tournament coming to Schenectady

We invite you to Schenectady:

On behalf of the Tournament Committee for the 67th Annual PNCC/YMS of R Bowling Tournament, please accept this invitation to participate in this year’s event, sponsored by our parish, Holy Name of Jesus in Schenectady, NY. The Tournament will begin on Friday, May 18th and conclude on Sunday, May 20th.

Schedule of Events:

Thursday, May 17, 2012 – Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord

Friday, May 18, 2012

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Accommodations:

We recommend:

Ramada Plaza Albany
3 Watervliet Ave. Ext.
Albany, NY 12206 US

Check in: After 3:00 PM
Check out: Before 11:00 AM
Phone: 518-438-8431
Fax: 518-438-8356

Hotel website

The Ramada Plaza Albany hotel is right off I-90, Exit 5 and is right down the street from our Friday and Saturday evening venues (almost walking distance). The hotel’s location, adjacent to the I-90 interchange allows for quick access to the I-87 Northway which will get you to Spare Time Lanes and Holy Name of Jesus. The hotel is also close to great sightseeing in New York’s Capital, shopping and entertainment.

The hotel offers a free deluxe breakfast buffet. There is a fitness center as well as indoor and outdoor pools. You can also stay connected to home with free Wi-Fi Internet access. The hotel is pet-friendly. Rooms feature in-room microwaves and refrigerators, guest laundry services and free parking for vehicles of any size.

Venues:

A = Albany Polish American Citizens Club, 110 Commerce Avenue, Albany, NY 12206
B = Spare Time Lanes, 375 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110
C = Holy Name of Jesus Parish, 1040 Pearl Street, Schenectady, NY 12303

Registration and Forms:

You may click on any of the following links to download these forms to your computer, or just click and print them from this website.

Please return all forms and fees by April 15, 2012. Make all checks payable to: 2012 Tournament Committee.

Mail completed packets to:

Holy Name of Jesus
Attn: Deacon Jim Konicki
1040 Pearl St.
Schenectady, NY 12303-­‐1846

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in New York’s Electric City – Schenectady for some powerful bowling action and competition, great fellowship, and fun over a Spirit filled weekend.

Bible Study for the First Week of Lent
  • 2/26 – Ephesians 3:14-15 – Father, grant that we may see You as the center of our family – its light, peace, perseverance, and joy.
  • 2/27 – 1 Peter 2:17 – Lord Jesus, help me to see my inter-relatedness with others, our mutual membership in Your family. Grant that I may honor and cherish every member of our family.
  • 2/28 – 3 John 10 – Heavenly Father, I thank you for giving me a Church that casts none out, and opens its doors to all who seek You. Grant that my arms may be open to all who seek You and that I never shut the door, nor cast anyone out, because in doing so I fail in my duty to love.
  • 2/29 – Galatians 3:26-29 – Lord Jesus, thank You for rebirth and regeneration through the waters of baptism. Grant that I may never draw distinctions, but see only one fellowship in You.
  • 3/1 – 1 Timothy 5:1-2 – Lord, grant that I may ever honor and cherish every member of the human family as a mother, father, sister, and brother. May I respect each person’s humanity and the gifts they bring to our family of faith.
  • 3/2 – 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 – Holy Trinity, may we not consider You with the eyes of the mind, but rather rejoice in love, unity, and fellowship that surpasses all understanding.
  • 3/3 – John 3:3-5 – Lord Jesus, give Your enlightening grace to many so that they may enter into the one family of faith through baptism and the Spirit. Grant that my example of Christian life opens the path to You and never shuts the door.

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, help me to see my place in the family of faith.

Reflection for the First Sunday of Lent

Hey, this is my boat!
You cannot go alone…

“God said to Noah and to his sons with him: “See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you.”

Consider Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Mary, John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter – what do all these, and the rest of the heroes of the Bible have in common? They were all members of a family.

Our Lenten theme is all about family. We see that God makes His promises not just to one person, but to the human family.

God always deals with family, with people’s relationships with each other. God isn’t building His kingdom on hermits and loners. Rather, He is looking to us as His children, and a single body (the body of Christ), as a community that is defined as a family.

Remember that Jesus always referred to His Father as our Father. This wasn’t some sort of light saying, just to make us feel good. Jesus meant what He said. His Father is our Father.

Jesus came to rebuild His Father’s family and He did so on Calvary – reconnecting us to God.

God is our Father, and we are Jesus’ brothers and sisters. This makes us His family and family to each other. We have even taken the steps necessary to be born into that family, through the waters of Baptism, by our regeneration.

There’s a lot to study this Lent, so let us begin our focus on the fact that we are members of one body – the Church, the body of Christ, and that makes us one family. With that comes a knowledge of how we were born into this family, how are related, how we relate to the Father, Jesus, and each other, our responsibilities as family members, our importance to the family, and the inheritance that is in store for members of God’s family.

Brother, or brethren, is found 319 times in the New Testament. Child, or children, is used 168 times in the New Testament. God didn’t send Noah onto the boat alone, and doesn’t make His promises to only a select few. His promises are for all of us as a family. He doesn’t want us to go it alone. He is our loving Father.