April 2015 Newsletter – We are His Witnesses

April begins in a few days. This newsletter arrives as we begin our journey into Holy Week. On Easter morning we will be reminded that we have been chosen by God to be witnesses to all His Son said and did. How will we live out that witness?

Our newsletter discusses that question. It also contains information on our Holy Week and Easter schedule, our upcoming Basket Social (only two weeks away), on those great Easter traditions that connect us to our heritage, and so much more. Come and witness to Jesus along with us right here in Schenectady.

You may view and download a copy of our April 2015 Newsletter right here.

00028044_h

Reflection for the Feast of the Holy Family 2015

Icon-of-the-Holy-Family-of-Nazareth-Photograph

Bless and protect
our family.

Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.

How very important is St. Paul’s discourse with the people of Colossae in Asia Minor. The primary subject of the section of his letter we read today is how to live the ideal Christian life.

As Jesus had told us: [we] are not of the world, even as [He is] not of the world. But we must live here; we must work to transform the world, conforming it to Jesus’ way of life so that His kingdom may be made real among us. That is the job we accept in our baptism. As such we must strive to be living examples. We must work toward the perfection of life Jesus modeled for His disciples – that’s us.

The Church at Colossae was not without troubles. Paul had spent two years planting and building the Church in Asia Minor. Starting in Ephesus he branched out and as Acts tells us: “all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.” Of course, Paul wasn’t solely responsible, for the initial hearers of the word became proclaimers of the Word.

From prison, Paul had heard that the Colossians, who had at one time been strong in their faith, were now vulnerable to deception about the faith. He wrote to refute each of the errors the Colossians were tempted to embrace and which were dividing them. The letter, however, takes readers far beyond theology. Paul cared deeply that all of his readers (including us) understand the context of their lives within God’s Story, and what that looks like in their relationships. We can imagine the disputes that were taking place, the confusion, and people stepping forward as ‘thought leaders.’ Others saying, ‘Forget it, I’m quitting.’ Paul was calling them back to right faith and right action – that they be one body, one family. They were not to quit, even if offended, but to forgive, to become better, and to be living examples of life in the family of Christ.

He puts a fine point on this by saying: And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Whatever we do when we enter the doors of the Church, and when we leave is to be done in the name of Jesus. Very appropriate to us, the family of Christ blessed and protected at Holy Name of Jesus!

January 2015 Newsletter – Happy New Year! Happy Abundant Life!!!

January, we are left with a question. For all we have learned about abundant life in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will we decide to participate in that abundance? The New Year always presents an opportunity to make a turn, to pledge our lives to Christ and to membership in His Holy Church. This January we continue our celebration of the forty days of Christmas, we expand our Holy Mass schedule, and we continue our charitable work. Come be lavished with abundant life in your church – right here in Schenectady.

You may view and download a copy of our January 2015 Newsletter right here.

round-2015-calendar_23-2147497720

Advent and Christmas Holy Mass and Event Schedule

christmasschedule2014

Keeping Advent and the forty days of Christmas at your neighborhood church. All are welcome to join in prayer and celebration as we come to know, love, and serve the Lord and each other. He came to give us abundant life!

Advent

  • December 14: 3rd Sunday of 
 Advent: Holy Mass at 9:30 am. Parish Vigil Pot-luck dinner and Youth Christmas Performance
  • December 21: 4th Sunday of 
 Advent: Holy Mass and Confirmation at 9:30am. Greening of the Church and Free Lunch on Sunday

Christmas

  • December 24: Vigil of the Nativity
  • December 25: Nativity of the Lord, Holy Mass at Midnight and Morning Holy Mass at 10:30am. Festive Repast follows each Holy Mass
  • December 26: Feast – St. Stephen, Proto-Martyr
  • December 27: Feast – St. John, Apostle & Evangelist. Holy Mass at 5pm with the Blessing of Wine
  • December 28: Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds. Holy Mass at 9:30am
  • December 31: New Year’s Eve
  • January 1: Solemnity of the Circumcision. Holy Mass at 9:30am. Happy 2015
  • January 2: Solemnity of the Holy Name of Jesus. Holy Mass at 7pm
  • January 4: Feast of the Holy Family. Holy Mass at 9:30am
  • January 6: Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord. Holy Mass with blessing of chalk, charcoal, and incense at 7pm.
  • January 11: Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord. Holy Mass at 9:30am

Now Thank We…

As I reflect this special day, I cannot help but give thanks to God for our beautiful family in the faith right here in Schenectady. I have been so blessed to minister to all of you and our wider community. I wish on this day that many more may find the Lord — come to know, love, and serve Him — among us so that they too would know the same joy that fills my heart.

thanksgiving-give-thanks4

Now thank we all our God,
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom this world rejoices;
who from our mothers’ arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us;
and keep us still in grace,
and guide us when perplexed;
and free us from all ills,
in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given;
the Son, and him who reigns
with them in highest heaven;
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heaven adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.

Now Thank We All Our God
Text: Martin Rinkart; Trans. by Catherine Winkworth
Music: Johann Cruger; Harm. by Felix Mendelssohn

Åš+P Edward Panfil

EdwardPanfilLifelong parishioner and member of our Holy Polish National Catholic Church, śp. Edward Panfil, 95, passed away peacefully at his home with family by his side on Friday, November 14th, 2014.

238Born and raised in Schenectady, NY, he was the son of the late śp. Lawrence and śp. Catherine (Mortka) Panfil. In addition to his parents, Edward was predeceased by his wife, śp. Josephine (Kopec) Panfil; and his sisters, śp. Florence Panfil, śp. Gladys Ordyk, śp. Emily Kopec, and śp. Nellie Kosiba.

Ed was a gentle, caring man who loved his family. He enjoyed working in his woodworking shop, designing and building many wonderful things out of wood. He also enjoyed playing pool, bocci ball, and darts, and he looked forward to his daily bourbon manhattan and watching his NY Giants and Mets.

Edward is survived by his sons, Lawrence E. Panfil (Donna) of Saratoga Springs, NY, Allen C. Panfil (Anne) of Chalfont, PA; his grandchildren, Laurie Woodworth and Lawrence A. Panfil (Beth); his great-grandchildren, Jessica, Jack, Shawn and Tyler; and several nieces and nephews who all loved him dearly. He will also be missed by his longtime friend, Edith Derico.

Ed grew up in Schenectady, graduated from Nott Terrace High School, and then entered the Apprentice Training Program at the Watervliet Arsenal. In 1943 he joined the army and served as a technician fourth grade with the Fifth Army, 350th Infantry, in Italy during WWII. Post war he was employed as a toolmaker first class at ALCO Products in Schenectady. Two years later he became a planner with General Electric’s Guided Missile Dept., working on the development of rocket engines. GE then moved Ed and his family to San Jose, CA, in their Atomic Power Equipment Department which was at the forefront in the manufacturing of nuclear fuel. After moving back East, he served as a manufacturing engineer with GE’s ordinance dept. in Pittsfield, MA, with responsibility for numerically controlled machine tools used in the manufacture of Polaris Guided Missile Systems. Ed was a founding member of the National Numerical Control Society and cofounder and twice chairman of the GE Numerical Control Group which was dedicated to the sharing of information among various company departments. He then left GE to be the Eastern Regional Sales Representative for numerical controlled machines with the Burgmaster Corporation. Four years later he returned to General Electric in Schenectady where he retired as a senior manufacturing engineer in 1979 with 27 years of service. After retirement he worked briefly for Gordon Light at Light’s Funeral Home. Ed was part of The Goose Hill Gang, a group of men who grew up together in that section of Schenectady and gathered weekly in their later years to have lunch together at various restaurants. His friend, former Mayor Frank Ducci, is now the last survivor of the group.

Å›p. Edward was a lifelong communicant of The Holy Name of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church where he was a member of the HarmoniacChoir (an occasional soloist), and a past member of the Parish Committee. He was also a member of the GE Quarter Century Club, the Colonie Elks, and the Son’s of Italy where he had many friends. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Wednesday, Nov. 19th at the Holy Name of Jesus Church. Interment followed in Holy Name of Jesus Cemetery, Donald Ave., Schenectady.

Contributions may be made in his memory to the Holy Name of Jesus Church, 1040 Pearl St., Schenectady, NY 12303 or to a charity of one’s choice.

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

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Christian Family 2014

2263

God bless our
family.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

In the time of advance technology and information, our families are almost continually confronted by bad influences and polluting information. One of the worst influences is that of so called atheists who claim there is no God, and who reject the salvation He offered to mankind in His Son, Jesus.

An atheist might say that God is nothing more than a mythical figure, made up in our imaginations to allay our fears and insecurities.

In a way they are correct. If we, as Christians, were to understand God as a mythical figure, a distant and powerful being that acts only as an occasional wish-giver, we would be without faith and understanding. We would be worshiping and following a false and fake god. Our God is very much different.

Our God is relational, and our understanding of Him is relational. This is His ultimate reality – the binding together of all of us in relationship to Him and each other.

God’s very character starts in relationship – the inter-relatedness and unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. From that source relationship, He created us as a people desiring relationship – with Him and with each other. In coming to save us, Jesus did not just show up. He was born into family – into relationship, and throughout His life on earth He continued to build relationship.

In rejecting God, people reject the true source of relationship and the understanding that relationships, especially within family are truly blessed, are very good.

As the Creator and Builder, God set forth the family as the first and finest example of relationship. Within the Christian family we learn to love, honor, and respect others and to go on to further build relationship. It is there that our desire for relationship with God is nurtured. It is in the context of family that we become heirs to Jesus’ promises. We are brought into the family of faith, and we receive the promise of everlasting life in relationship with God and each other. In the nurture of family we learn to become like our God Who is defined in relationship.

Within the Christian family, at home and in our Church, we find God’s blessing and true life. We find how connected we are to God and to everyone who is in Him. We are blessed.

September 2014 Newsletter – Preparing for Holy Synod

August 30th and our newsletter is here two days early!

September calls us to preparation for Holy Synod and the four things we are called to do: pray, take part, suggest, and be confident. September also calls us to ask God’s blessings upon our labor and to invite friends, family, and neighbors back to church. Read reports on our summer activities and all the wonderful things our youth have been engaged in. This summer showed forth so many blessings on our community of faith. We invite you be part of these blessings right here in Schenectady. You may view and download a copy right here — September 2014 Newsletter.

1-corinthians-2-14

Reflection for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2014

17626

All people?
Really?

The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants—all who keep the Sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

This beautiful text recounts very powerful words to people who believed themselves to be exclusive. This sense of separateness built up in Israel over time – but this was not God’s way or instruction to Israel.

When Israel was constituted as a nation, a concern for resident aliens and foreigners was built into its legal system. The alien peoples received special protection under the law and were to be loved as native Israelites.

They came to or dwelt in Israel for various reasons including for the specific purpose of knowing God. All foreigners sojourning in Israel were counted as its people under the care and protection of God. Those who were joined to Israel through circumcision could join in the Passover. All were expected to honor and follow the laws of the Lord including the Sabbath rest. No foreigner was to be vexed or oppressed. They were to be loved, helped in distress, and have justice in all disputes.

Of all nations only Israel’s law, given by God, contained legislation for the resident alien. When Israel received the Promised Land she was required to purge it of its foreign population. But, foreigners in this context represented those hostile to her – it did not mean complete exclusion. Israel’s entire existence was bound up with being a blessing to all nations.

Various scriptures including Solomon’s prayer at the inauguration of the temple implied that God’s house was a house of prayer for all peoples. Israelite and foreigner could both pray to the Lord. Today’s words from Isaiah re-speak those words as instructed by God.

By the time of Jesus’ coming Israel had become extremely exclusive, and forgot God’s words – to be a blessing and mission to the nations. Jesus’s life is replete with His reaching out to foreigners – they were present at His birth, during His ministry where He interacted, preached to, and healed them. Paul clearly states that in Christ all are called and there is no negative racial, linguistic, or ethnic difference. We are gifts to each other.

Jesus’ call is never to separateness, to dissolution, or hopelessness – but to hope for all people in all circumstances. May God be praised for choosing and loving all!

May 2014 Newsletter – The Easter Season, Mom, and more…

It is May and our newsletter has arrived. It is filled with information on so many holy and exciting events as we continue to celebrate the fifty days of Easter. We start by visiting the upper room and study the witness of those who were there, including Mary, the mother of Jesus. We invite you to stand with your family in faith as we celebrate mom and worship together right here in Schenectady. You may view and download a copy right here — May 2014 Newsletter.

virgin-mary-0107