Pray for Christians in Iraq

They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony. Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives. — Luke 21:11-19

Let us pray for the Christians of and in Iraq. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ, members of the body of Christ, our family.

Lord God, Father Almighty, grant by Your strong arm that Your Church in Iraq may be saved and preserved from every evil. Grant also that it may remain steadfast and persevere in faith before the evils of the enemy. If called to martyrdom, may Your Church show forth strong witness; for You preserve our lives even if we lose them in the eyes of the world. May we too be strengthened to serve you in imitation of the courage of the Holy Martyrs of Iraq. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

10527439_838964872781785_951830842262202219_n

O God, Who rules the world from everlasting to everlasting; speak to our hearts when courage fails, and we faint for fear. Keep us resolute and steadfast in the things that cannot be shaken, abounding in hope and knowing that our labor is not in vain in Thee. Restore our faith in Thine eternal purpose: renew in us that love which never fails; and make us lift up our eyes to behold, beyond the things which are seen and temporal, the things which are unseen and eternal. We ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Transfiguration

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. — 1 John 3:1-2

Transfiguration IconA Solemnity Fighting Fear

Today we observe the Solemnity of the Transfiguration of our Lord. We read in the 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew: Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.

Jesus chose this moment, before the great struggles, persecution, suffering, and death He was about to encounter, to reveal the blessing of His heavenly Father and His glory in Him. While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

In our time the Holy Church is facing greater and greater struggles. In the Middle East, North Korea, Africa, and elsewhere Christians are actively being persecuted and martyred. Some Christians in our country are losing jobs for their beliefs and face other forms of prejudice. When faced with all this – and we may be in ways subtle or not so subtle – recall this holy day and let us say in confidence that our God is bigger and His promises are more important than anything anyone can do to us. Trust in Him and have NO fear for His promise is that “we shall be like Him!“

Reflection for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2014

20941

Follow the blueprint
for being in Christ

“O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”

We could make much the same prayer as Solomon did. Lord, give me a wise and understanding heart so that I may serve you in the midst of all those around me. Help me to distinguish between right and wrong so as to follow the path Your Son Jesus has set for me.

Solomon was young and wasn’t quite aware of what God had in store for him. He wasn’t aware of God’s blueprint for his life. Solomon made the right choice. He prayed for wisdom – a wisdom that would allow him to build his life on God’s way, according to God’s plan. This gave him confidence in leading and building as ruler of Israel. He prayed to follow God’s blueprint for his life.

If you’ve ever watched a house being built, you know that blueprints are essential. Blueprints contain plans that tells the builders how to assemble everything so that the home is strong, safe, and of high quality. A good blueprint gives a homeowner assurance that the job will be done properly and provides confidence.

Our call is to follow God’s path for us, and to pledge ourselves to following His blueprint for our lives. His blueprint gives us a guarantee – confidence in all we do in Him. By following His blueprint we will succeed. We will be strong, safe, and have high quality lives that last forever. We have assurance that our lives will be lived properly and with goodness. We will judge rightly, with wisdom, and lead many to come to know, love and serve Him. He created a blueprint for each of us with all we need to live a faithful life, a life that draws us closer to Him and leads others to Him.

Following the Lord’s blueprint for us shows us what to do and how we can do it with joy, peace, and trust in both good and bad times – it allows us to overcome all.

God created a blueprint for our lives. When God designed our lives, when He drew our blueprint, He accounted for everything we need to live in Him and with Him. If we build our lives on Jesus as our foundation, if we follow His blueprint, if we are truly wise, we will, like Solomon, ask correctly. Lord, show us the way! It takes time to learn how to follow His blueprint for us. Like Solomon, we must continue to pray for the wisdom to follow His blueprint for our lives and work daily to live it out, to follow Him and live in Him.

Reflection for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2014

16451

We have put on
Christ

But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you. And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.

In the moment of baptism we put on Christ. The white garment we received represents the purity and beauty of our souls at that moment and also represents our future, where as Revelation tells us: a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes.

We should reflect on this awesome picture and see ourselves standing there, clothed in white, before God’s throne, ready to praise, worship, adore, and live with Him forever.

We began our readings today with the Book of Wisdom, and Wisdom knows that all fall and cannot possibly live up to the perfection of God. God is mighty, yet His might is filled with mercy and lenience. He sets that example for us to live up to, for we must be kind. The caveat is that kindness must flow from being just.

To be just means that we live guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness. Our actions are principled; equitable; and proper. Everything we feel, say, do; all that is seen and unseen is based on right and in keeping with the truth of God. It means that if we have put on Christ, taken up that white robe, our lives must be modeled on and lived out in His way.

The problems we face in our lives, homes, neighborhoods, cities – in fact worldwide – come from confusing God’s mercy and leniency with license to do whatever we feel, to believe whatever we want, to just let it all be. We forget our white robes (I think I left them in that closet I never open), and that we have put on Christ. We think being just is to just go along, to ignore the questions that should be plaguing us. We believe the false prophets who tell us that everything is ok, do what feels good, our feelings are all that matter. We start thinking all faiths are somehow equal and ‘what does it really matter…’ Jesus gets reduced to maybe a once weekly outing.

The allures are strong, we can be weak – but there is hope in God’s forgiveness. With prayer, regular worship, and bible study we build up the strength to be just – to dig out those white robes, to remember that we must measure every moment of our lives against Jesus. Jesus is the only truth, and each decision, word, and action are to be considered, spoken, and done as if Jesus were doing them – for we are wearing Him.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity 2014

Living-Room-Main

Get on the couch
with Us

Brothers and sisters, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the holy ones greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

If you look at the picture at the top you will see a couch with three seats and the words: “The Living Room.” This is symbolic of our One God and the three Devine Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and the real focus of this Solemnity.

If we were to try to explain the nature of God as One in Three Divine Persons we would be wasting our time. Many saints have offered analogies to explain the Trinity. The Councils of the Church have set forth great Creeds that proclaim our understanding of God. We can simply proclaim our belief and understanding of God’s nature in those Creeds and avoid the frustrations of over-thinking. Today, let us stand in faith, accepting God’s revelation of Himself as One and Three Divine Persons, and profess our Creeds with confidence. What has frustrated the minds of others has been given to us by faith.

This Solemnity is about the ‘living room.’ Ecclesiastes 4:7-8 tells us: Again, I saw vanity under the sun: a person who has no one, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.

This reflection and Paul’s words to the Corinthians are about living Godlike lives. We could have the most perfect living room (at least to those looking in from the outside) but if we are alone or apart, if people can only look in, we are not living God’s life.

Ecclesiastes goes on: Two are better than one… though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. This and Paul’s words are practical instruction on what life in God is really about. It is about faith expressed by living as God intends us to live, modeled on His own Divine Life – an eternal, beautiful, peaceful, truthful, rejoicing, and just life lived together. When the Holy Trinity looked at what they had made they declared: “It is not good that the man should be alone.” Jesus did not live alone, but gathered a community of disciples, and of course was always one with the Father and Holy Spirit.

Strength and the best in life come from living together in the living room created by and modeled on God. There are many seats – we must not sit there alone.

Reflection for the 7th Sunday of Easter 2014

185240-custom

Pray, do
accomplish

I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you

In the New Testament, Chapters 14-17 of John’s Gospel is known as the Farewell Discourse given by Jesus to His apostles immediately after the conclusion of the Last Supper.

In the final part of the discourse, which we proclaim today, Jesus prays for His glorification, for His followers and for the coming Church. It is known as the High Priestly Prayer. In this prayer Jesus submits five specific petitions to the Father. The five petitions are: Verses 1-5: Petition for His glorification based on the completion of his work; Verses 6-10: Petitions for his disciples; Verses 11-19: Petition for the preservation and sanctification of “his own” in the world; Verses 20-23: Petition for unity of “his own”; and Verses 24-26: Petition for the union of “his own” with Himself.

The prayer begins with Jesus’ petition for his glorification by the Father: I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you… Note that Jesus is not just asking that His Father glorify Him ‘just because,’ but rather because He has was has fulfilled the work the Father had sent Him to accomplish. Not just that, but He was moving toward the moment when that work would be completely accomplished in His passion and death.

Jesus sets the standard by which Christian life is to be lived. We are to seek only to do the will of God, to follow Jesus’ teaching and the path of life He gave us. We are to do God’s will in all things, whether it is easy or very difficult. Whether we feel great, or are suffering.

The world would tell us to run to sinful false gods and false saviors for comfort, especially when the road gets rough. The world wants to bury us in its false hopes, to bury us in the false saviors of food, sex, possessions, alcohol, bitterness, and self-loathing, hopelessness, and depression. If we live our baptismal commitment, if we fully realize that we have been buried into Christ’s death, death to the world, our living will be marked by continuously approaching God in prayer and doing all that is necessary to show accomplishment – a resume of doing God’s will.

Jesus then prays for the success of the work of His disciples – all of us. Jesus refers to us as the people who accept that He was sent by His Father to reveal the Father’s character and will. Jesus prays for us so that we might live in God with the very same love, affection, and glory that exist between the Father and Son. He prays that the Father accomplish this unity by keeping us steadfast in our baptismal relationship, persevering in faithfulness to accomplish God’s will.

Reflection for the 6th Sunday of Easter 2014

19769

Let us see who
has given witness

Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.

Philip was one of the first seven deacons of the Church. The proto-martyr Stephen had just been executed by stoning (Acts 7). Saul and his men were going house-to-house, dragging out Christians and bringing them to trial, throwing them in prison, and killing them. By Acts 12 we see James the brother of John killed by Herod. The Church historian Eusebius tells us that James the Just, the Apostle and so-called Brother of the Lord was placed on the pinnacle of the temple, thrown down, then clubbed and stoned – for he would not forsake the Lord.

Leading him into their midst they demanded of him that he should renounce faith in Christ in the presence of all the people. But, contrary to the opinion of all, with a clear voice, and with greater boldness than they had anticipated, he spoke out before the whole multitude and confessed that our Savior and Lord Jesus is the Son of God. But they were unable to bear longer the testimony of the man… they slew him.

Philip was among those scattered in the first major persecution of the Church. Being scattered did not prevent him, or any of these others, from witnessing to the faith. Each of those we read about, and the countless number of Christians whose names we will never know, proclaimed the word and kept the faith in good times and bad.

This proclamation of the word and witness were not an accident. It was prompted by faith in the promises of Jesus. These witnesses lived in the Spirit Who had filled them with His gifts and strengthened them for the task.

Jesus promised those who would be baptized, who would come to Him in faith, would never be left orphans: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. They would always have what is necessary to witness.

The Spirit has drawn men and women – and us – to give witness. Thus, while the Church may have been scattered in persecution (persecution that still exists in many places to this day) witness has never ceased.

As we reflect this weekend on those who have given their lives in witness to national freedom, let us also reflect on those who are giving witness to the truth that surpasses country and nation. Whether we live in relative safety or are among the persecuted – are we giving witness to the truth? Let us abide in the Spirit and ask that He give us the courage to give testimony always and everywhere.

Åš+P Jane Kopec

Our sister in Christ, śp. Jane Rivers Swinson Kopec, 93, passed away on Bright Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at the Ellis Residential Center after a brief illness.

238Å›p. Jane was born in Warsaw, NC on April 7, 1921 to Erasmus and Bessie Swinson. She attended Campbell College in Buies Creek, NC and went on to study and graduate from Highsmith’s Hospital in Fayetteville, NC as a registered nurse. She met her husband, Dennis, when he returned from Pearl Harbor and was stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Field in Goldsboro, NC. They moved to Dennis’ hometown of Schenectady where they raised their three children. Jane and Dennis were married for 61 years until Dennis’ death in 2005. While raising three children, Jane worked as a nurse for 38 years at Ellis Hospital. In retirement, Jane enjoyed taking trips with her husband to Wildwood, Branson and revisited Pearl Harbor as an anniversary gift from their children. She enjoyed shopping trips to Reading, gardening and attending the summertime music events in Central Park. She most enjoyed going to the Racino with her son, Dennis. She was a member of the Colonie Elks Club, Niskayuna Senior Citizens and a longtime member of the Holy Name of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church in Schenectady. She loved her weekly worship and coffee hours with her dear family and friends.

śp. Jane was preceded in death by her beloved husband, śp. Dennis and her beloved son, śp. Garry. She leaves her loving son, Dennis, Jr. (Donna) of Yanceyville, NC; her devoted daughter, Linda (Darryl, Sr.) DePaula of Niskayuna; her daughter-in-law, Deborah Kopec of Niskayuna; her cherished grandchildren, Rebecca and Rachael Kopec, Alyssa and Darryl DePaula, Jr.; and her sister, Martha Fields of Greenville, NC. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. May she rest in peace with her precious husband and son.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral which will begin Friday morning at 10:15 at the Gleason Funeral Home, 730 Union Street and at 11 a.m. at the Holy Name of Jesus Polish National Church where the Holy Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated. The funeral home will be open Friday morning from 9:15 until 10:15 for those who wish to call. Burial will be in Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery, Niskayuna. Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the Holy Name of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church, 1040 Pearl St., Schenectady, NY 12303.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord.
And may the perpetual light shine upon her.
May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Resurrection

Easter Look Screen

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised.”

Scripture goes on to tell us:

Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others… but their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them.

The disciples we incredulous at news of Jesus being risen, and much of the world is incredulous to this day.

If we look at Jesus with human reasoning alone we can make a very strong case that all of this is too incredible to believe.

We do not have the benefit of being among the women who entered the empty tomb, who had the advantage of an explanation from dazzling angels. We do not have the benefit of being in the company of Peter and John as they ran to find an empty tomb. We do not have the privilege of walking along the road to Emmaus with Jesus and having Him reveal Himself in the breaking of the bread. Yet we have the eyes of faith.

Here we are, looking at an empty tomb and hearing the words of the resurrection proclaimed and sung. Here we are, having rushed to church this morning to see the empty tomb. Here we are, to share in the breaking of the bread, and to recognize the reality of the Lord among us.

We aren’t incredulous. We are here, this morning for two important reasons. The first is that we have received the gift of faith. The second is that we continue live, see, and respond because of faith that He is truly risen.

We value the gift of faith – faith in a God that loves us enough that He would sacrifice His Son’s life so that we might have eternal life. Faith that this Christ was more than a prophet, more than a wise man, more than good teacher, but God Himself that came among us, died for us, and because of His obedience to the Father was raised again – showing us our glorious destiny.

Many cannot believe it. If they hear, ‘Christ is risen!’ they respond, ‘No way!’ They remain incredulous. Our faith is foolishness to them.

For us, a people living in faith, the ancient greeting of Easter, the greeting we proclaim to each other is Christ is risen! to which we all reply, He is truly risen!