April 2024 Newsletter – Light, Flavor, and Pierogi

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father

We entered the Easter Season with great joy on the cusp of this new month. We are living in the joy and radiance of the Easter Season — and guess what — it is Basket Social time.

The text above from Matthew 5:16 is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. He began speaking about His people being salt (i.e., flavor) and light before the world. We are to be that which changes the as-is way of doing things to His new way, a way that gives hope, light, and flavor to life – a life very much worth living now and through eternity. We may fall into the trap of thinking these themes of radiance, hope, light, and flavor are something we must reserve for church and being around churchy people. Jesus would differ. After all, He told us to let our light shine before others. He spoke of these things before huge crowds of people — working to grow His Father’s Kingdom.

Efforts at being radiance, hope, light, and flavor definitely start internally, in our own community. Our working together, our generosity, creativity, and the joy that surrounds us as we prepare together – from the making of pierogi and gołąbki to the creation of baskets, and our working together in so many ways show us to be what Jesus desires we be. Our work upholds each other as we stand together even when things may seem stressful. Then we let our light shine out to all those we encounter — our public. The Basket Social is the perfect occasion for fun, for that radiance and joy human interaction elicits. In the midst of the fun something becomes apparent — people see the difference that Jesus makes in our lives and they are drawn to that. We Easter people are different because we choose patience when we might be impatient. We select kindness when others might not be kind. We smile even though we might be tired, and at the end of our rope.

Now, and into the future, let us together be the Easter difference all we encounter need – light and flavor, and be joy-filled in the doing.

Welcome to our April 2024 Newsletter. Indeed it is Basket Social Time – the 20th Anniversary of this wonderful event. We look forward to our work together and welcoming our beautiful supporters on Sunday, April 21st at Noon.

This April we walk together through the first thirty of the fifty days of the Easter Season. It will be a grand celebration of all Jesus has done for us. There are great events, beyond the Basket Social, also occurring this month including the annual Mission and Evangelism Workshop and the PNCC Scholar’s Conference.

Ever wondered about the origin story on the Baby Jesus you (or your family) used to dress up at home – the Infant of Prague – well check it out and more in this month’s newsletter.

20th Anniversary Basket Social & Polish Kitchen – April 21st

Come join us for the Grand 20th Anniversary Basket Social to be held Sunday, April 21st at the South Schenectady Fire House, 6 Old Mariaville Rd, Schenectady, NY 12306 starting at Noon. This year’s Basket Social will feature:

  • Nearly 100 themed baskets.
  • Homemade Polish food.
  • Raffles and Door Prizes

Join us for this wonderful event.

Bible Study for Bright Week 2024

This week’s memory verse: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17
  • 3/31 – Jeremiah 24:7
  • 4/1 – Romans 12:2
  • 4/2 – Hosea 10:12
  • 4/3 – Hebrews 4:12
  • 4/4 – Romans 10:10
  • 4/5 – John 6:44
  • 4/6 – Philippians 4:13

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, Your Resurrection calls me to change and constant renewal. Grant that I may be changed so as to live fully in Your life and call. Amen.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Resurrection 2024

Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.

Christ is Risen! He is truly Risen! Alleluia! Chrystus zmartwychwstał! Prawdziwie zmartwychwstał! Cristo è Risorto! È veramente Risorto!

My dear brothers and sisters, do we think change is inevitable?

As a young man, I was most focused on stability, keeping things the way they were. It wasn’t that everything was perfect the way it was – but at least it was comfortable. I liked that. I liked my surroundings, the security I had, and most of the people.

A psychologist would probably tell you that early loss in my life would lead a young person to crave stability because stability is security, or at least the appearance of security.

Here I am, and you with me, generations later. We have the fifth generation of computers, smartphones, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, great strides in heath science, constant change in the way people live and relate to one another – some for good, others for ill. All those comfortable surroundings and people are gone.

People think the Holy Church is so unchanging, that it takes centuries to even move an inch. Yet that is not true – just look at this resurrection morning. Jesus did not create us to stand still.

The women and the two apostles are taken by surprise. The readings and gospels throughout days and weeks ahead will recount surprise after surprise, change after change. Jesus is about that.

This is a vivid reminder – one we need badly – that the Church, the Body of Christ – is not a stagnant place. Rather, this is the place we encounter the very change Jesus came to bring within and beyond us.

St. Paul reminds the Colossians to think and live differently and to be different. Old definitions are no more. We have died with Christ and we are in Him where everything is different. Jesus changes who we are.

There are no limits on what we can or cannot do. There are no boundaries we cannot cross with Christ within us. His universe spanning life is in us.

Jesus’ resurrected life is intended to open our eyes to the heavenward change we must be. Let us rejoice heartily then and be those gospel living Easter people of unafraid change and full of surprise.

Bible Study for the 2nd Week of Passiontide and the Triduum 2024

This week’s memory verse: For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18
  • 3/24 – John 3:16
  • 3/25 – Matthew 10:38
  • 3/26 – Galatians 2:20
  • 3/27 – Mark 8:34
  • 3/28 – Romans 5:8
  • 3/29 – 1 Peter 2:24
  • 3/30 – Hebrews 12:2

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, You gave Your all for my life. Grant that I may live fully in You and reflect life in You to the whole world. Amen.

Reflection for Palm Sunday 2024

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Welcome on this Palm Sunday. 

The Passion narratives are replete with studies in struggle and lessons for us as we complete our Lenten study of struggle today.

A woman – praised through the ages for her love and goodness, anoints Jesus. Her heart breaks with the struggle of knowing what Jesus was about to face. On top of it all she suffers abuse for her goodness. Her resolution to her struggles – to respond in love and allow God to take care of the rest. Let us always respond to struggle with love and faith in God.

Judas – he struggles with his disappointment. Jesus isn’t the Messiah he wanted. He was going to fix that by forcing Jesus to act. His resolution to his struggle – failure in achieving his ends, a failure of his faith, and a horrific death. Let us avoid the despair of Judas by seeing Christ before all selfish desire.

The apostles and disciples – they nearly all, except John, struggle with failure in their promises and pledges to Jesus. They fall asleep. They abandon Him. They run away. They deny Him. Peter weeps bitterly realizing what he had done. They all hide and struggle to understand. The resolution to their struggle came in the person of the resurrected Jesus Who they accepted with joy. Let us reflect on our sinfulness, the breaking of our promises and pledges to God, with confession and renewed resurrection faith.

The women – Mary and the other Marys stood by Jesus’ side the whole way. They did not allow their anguish to overcome their faith in and love for Jesus. Let us imitate them.

The others – the Council, the false witnesses, soldiers, guards, Pilate, Simon of Cyrenia – each of them struggles with their actions or lack thereof. Each of them struggles between the way of God and the way of their human masters. Let us always listen to what God calls us to do. Jesus is God and He is the way, truth, and life.

The pinnacle is Jesus because in taking on our humanity He took on all our struggles, pain, and suffering. In that He, though innocent, took on all our sin and through His struggle paid the price for our sin. His heavenly Father took it all out on Him so that our debt would be fully paid. Jesus suffered every trial – His struggle with His Father’s will, with every injury inflicted, with abuse and mockery, a feeling of utter abandonment, the loneliness of death – All so we have life and hope greater than any struggle we face.

Bible Study for the 1st Week of Passiontide 2024

This week’s memory verse: My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Psalm 84:2
  • 3/17 – Romans 8:18
  • 3/18 – Psalm 32:8
  • 3/19 – 1 Peter 5:10
  • 3/20 – James 1:2-4
  • 3/21 – Hebrews 9:28
  • 3/22 – 1 Peter 4:13
  • 3/23 – Galatians 2:20

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, as we enter into this Passiontide, grant that we may fully conform ourselves to Your life. Show us the hope that is freely available to all who profess You with faith. Amen.

Reflection for Passion Sunday 2024

Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.

Welcome on this Passion Sunday. We continue in our Lenten study of struggle. 

Today we consider Jesus’s struggle as He faces His impending death. We also consider the very struggles we ourselves face in our faith journey. Through struggle, we realize that the Holy Spirit is alive and working in us. The Holy Spirit moves to guide and gift us. Jesus walks with us as we journey toward the eternal life Jesus won for us.

In today’s gospel message some Greeks arrive, find Philip, and make a request, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 

It is interesting that this meeting with Jesus is not outwardly described. Rather, Jesus’ discourse is the very response to the request. If you wish to see Me, then this is what you will and must see – My suffering and death, the requirement to walk in My footsteps, a call to our willingness to sacrifice, our complete focus on God’s kingdom work, and allowing ourselves to go to Jesus crucified.

The call to all who want to see Jesus is to accept His very real presence in each aspect of our existence, in each experience of any or all of our human senses.

Sometimes the struggles we face are right there in our face, they are a very present experience that challenges us and gives us great examples of strong faith.

As you know, yesterday we went to our Seniorate Lenten Retreat. There was a lot of good accomplished in prayer and reflection. Of course we shared in a fantastic meal. Then this happened…

We got into our ‘brief’ Seniorate meeting. Everyone reported out on the activities in their parish. Then the meeting took on a negative tone. It was an awful struggle. Negativity is. The casting of blame on others or down-talking the way others find their way to Christ is no answer or help. It hurt.

That struggle may have made lesser people bitter or angry, yet brave people from those among us and others stood up and blew away the negativity. They remembered that the negativity of the ruler of the world has been driven out by Christ.

They reminded us of what is most important for believers. Problems – go to the cross with faith that God is God, that His promises are true, that we must act in all things with faith and hope – no struggle can overcome the Holy Spirit. Our call is to be there for all who struggle with exactly the hope, faith, and welcome Jesus calls us to offer. As Jesus faced His struggle so must we!

Bible Study for the 4th Week of Lent 2024

This week’s memory verse: Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

2 Timothy 3:12
  • 3/10 – John 15:18
  • 3/11 – Matthew 5:10
  • 3/12 – Matthew 5:44
  • 3/13 – Luke 6:22
  • 3/14 – Romans 12:14
  • 3/15 – 1 Peter 4:12-14
  • 3/16 – John 16:33

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, grant that I may be courageous and endure amid persecution and hatred. Keep my heart and mind clear and sober so that hatred may not overcome my witness of love for that is Your Father’s command. Amen.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Institution 2024

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower… Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.“

Welcome on this Solemnity of the Institution. We take a brief break from Lent yet continue in our Lenten theme – struggle. As I mentioned on Ash Wednesday, struggle is in the very motto of our Church. 

We consider the stories of struggle engaged in by our forefathers and mothers. Through today’s stories of struggle, we realize that the struggle for righteousness in our lives is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in our Holy Church and in each of us. The Holy Spirit moves to guide and gifts us. Jesus walks with us as we continue in our holy journey toward victory.

In preparation, I reviewed news articles concerning the organization of our Holy Church.

Here, as in Scranton and other places the people wanted a Church where they had a say in the life and matters of the Church; where their voice mattered and where their dignity was protected. The people wanted a Church that was the society Jesus intended to establish, where their lives would be bound together in the one great mission of Christ and where we would be connected one to the other as a rule of life, not just for a Sunday occasion. We have such a Church.

We know our Church was organized on March 14, 1897. Even before that, a September 1896 news articles tells us that a third delegation went to their bishop so their ideas might be heard. They were told to wait. A protest took place subsequent because requests remained unheard (lay representation in parish management, and an end to verbal abuse from the pulpit by their pastor). They were castigated by their bishop, men and women were arrested. Their pastor excommunicated them.

June 1911 – a man shows up at an outdoor Women’s Societies meeting wearing a clown outfit mocking Bishop Hodur and blessing the women with a broom and a pail of dirty water. Other men join him and two woman and two men from the Church had their heads cut open by cobblestones. Bishop Hodur has stones thrown at him. Nineteen-year-old Helen Palinski and three other young women tell the Press. “We would die for him.”

The word Catholic could not be used because of threats. February 1912, lawsuits are used to prevent Bishop Hodur from conducting services. January 1916 George Greizor was shot and killed protecting the church in Dupont. One woman describes three men hanging across a fence dazed by club blows. November 1926, Bishops Hodur and Bonczak are attacked and beaten in Poland. May 1951 Bishop Padewski is martyred in Poland.

We have been pruned, and continue to be, so we might bear much fruit from the struggle and to the victory of the Kingdom in ourselves and in the world. Amen.