Let us be Attentive

I would like to draw your attention to something going on here. It would appear the all Town employees in the Town of Dudley, Massachusetts received lay off notices this week. ALL town employees to include the guys that I work with on the Fire Department. I hope people get outraged enough to write to the Town Manager and Selectmen and call them on this. It is not fair to the employees and it is not fair to the town residents. These selfless servants have given years of service to the town and they deserve better than this. The deserve to be treated better than this for all of the years of service.

Write to:

Mr. Peter Jankowski
Town Administrator
Town of Dudley
71 West Main Street
Dudley, MA 01571
508-949-8000

Mr. BRIAN GERMAIN, Chairman
Board of Selectmen
Town of Dudley
71 West Main Street
Dudley, MA 01571
508-949-8000 Sphere: Related Content

Eastern Rite Anglicans

My friend Huw has been discussion the possibility of Eastern Rite Anglicans over on his blog. He has posted three FAQ's about this possibility. It is a very interesting thing to consider. I find it interesting that we have a group of people in the Anglican Church interested in Eastern Rite Worship and we have a group of Orthodox who are interested in Western Rite Worship. Down is up, left is right, white is black, I need a score card. However give it a read it is very interesting.

Eastern Rite Anglicans FAQ (Part 1)

Eastern Rite Anglicans FAQ (Part 2)

Eastern Rite Anglicans FAQ (Part 3) Sphere: Related Content

Reaching the Next Generation

I read and follow a lot of blogs on a daily basis. I am always looking for the next great idea or something that will help in ministry. We never stop learning and we can learn how to do things from lots of sources. One of the blogs I follow is called Swerve. Great blog about ministry and the practice of ministry or should I say the Art of the practice of ministry. That is what it is after all an art and we practice ministry. As a lawyer practices law or a doctor practices medicine, clergy practice ministry. I digress.

Last week there were three posts on reaching the next generation and they deserve some reading and discussion. I was going to just re post them here but I will pit the links below but please comment here with your thoughts. Let's get some conversation going here on how to reach the next generation.

Reaching the Next Generation

Missional Ministry

Generational Ministry

Again please leave comments here

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Sunday of Cheesefare and Mission Sunday - March 1, 2009

March 1, 2009
Sunday of Cheesefare and Mission Sunday

The Lord has commanded us: I have set you as a light to the Nations, that you should be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. (Acts 13:47)

To the Most Reverend Clergy, Venerable Monastics andThe Devout Faithful of the Holy Orthodox Churches in the Americas

Dearly Beloved in the Lord,

We greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we set our eyes on the coming celebration of Christ's glorious Resurrection through our joyful participation in the Great and Holy Lent. The Sunday preceding our Lenten journey has been designated by the Hierarchs of SCOBA as Mission Sunday. For 2000 years, Christians have worked to share Christ's message of hope and His promise of salvation with the world by serving as living lights and witnesses to His truth among all nations, even unto the ends of the earth.

In 1994, the Hierarchs of SCOBA sanctioned the Orthodox Christian Mission Center to provide the Orthodox Faithful in the Americas with the resources and opportunities they needed to answer the call to mission. Orthodox Christians have served in 34 countries by preaching, baptizing, and teaching the newly illumined; supporting and educating priests, and helping the Church to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of Her people through the many ministries of the OCMC. Through this work, guided by the Holy Spirit, thousands of people who were once in darkness are now embraced by the eternal light of Christ.

This year the doors of the new Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administration Building will open. This building, the first permanent building of a SCOBA agency, will facilitate the continued growth of our Holy Churches' worldwide missionary efforts. It will be a resource for the training up of new missionaries and the coordination of international mission ministries, and it will allow the Orthodox Faithful of North America to share the light of Christ with even more people.

This Mission Sunday, and throughout the Lenten season, let us embrace our call to shine as lights in the darkness. Let us re-commit to pray for those who have yet to hear the Gospel. Let us soften our hearts, that the Holy Spirit may guide our response to the command to be light to the Nations, to be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. Let us, as God's children, shine brightly with the light of Christ before others.

May our hearts be filled with hope and love as we prayerfully anticipate the triumphant Resurrection of Christ our God; and may we be given the strength and courage to share this glorious promise with our brothers and sisters around the world.

With paternal blessings and love in Christ,

+Archbishop DEMETRIOS, Chairman Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

+Metropolitan PHILIP, Vice Chairman Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

+Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER, Secretary Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America

+Metropolitan NICHOLAS of Amissos, Treasurer American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese in the USA

+Archbishop NICOLAE Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas

+Metropolitan JOSEPH Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church

+Metropolitan JONAH Orthodox Church in America

+Metropolitan CONSTANTINE Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA

+Bishop MERCURIUS of Zaraisk Representation of the Moscow Patriarchate in the USA

+Bishop ILIA of Philomelion Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America

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Confession Makes a Comback

Last week I posted some thoughts on confession. Last Sunday in the New York Times there was an article about confession making a comeback in the Roman Catholic Church. For all of you Orthodox Christians reading this, we still have confession in the Orthodox Church, it is kind of cool you should check it out!

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Politics and Religion

Last week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in Rome and had an audience with The Pope. It has been reported that the Pope told the Catholic Pelosi what the Church teaches on issue around life. In other words the church is, regardless of what people think, the church is Pro Life. The Roman Catholic Church believes in the sanctity of the life from the womb to the tomb and the Pope reminded Speaker Pelosi of this fact.

So I got to thinking about how politicians are supposed to act. Now I am pro life so don 't get me wrong in what I am going to say. The majority of Americans support some for of abortion rights this is fact. It is also a fact that abortion has been legal in this Country since 1974. So how is a politician supposed to act?

During the election season we try and find candidates that have the same thoughts and beliefs that we do, or at least most of the time, and that is the person we vote for. Now a person is elected to represent all of the people in a given area that they represent be that local, state, or federal. The person takes an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States which includes the body of law that has come down since the Constitution was written.

So I ask again how is a politician supposed to vote? Do you vote the way your faith teaches or do you vote the way the people of your district want you to vote? Now I will say if you call yourself something, in this example Roman Catholic, then you say you believe what the church teaches. Some people believe that they can pick and choose what they want to believe and what they do not want to believe. As I have often said religion is not a buffet you cannot just pick somethings and not the others it is a package deal. If you do not like what the church teaches, then find a church that believes what you do, or do what many people are doing now, start your own church! The other part of this is the church does not run it's theology by opinion polls and the church is not a democracy.

So how to we vote and how should religion and politics play a role? The question for the day, let the comments begin.

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Judgment Sunday (Meatfare Sunday)

Sermon Audio

This past Sunday the Orthodox celebrated (I guess that is the right way to say that) Judgment Sunday. We are reminded in the Gospel passage that we will all the judged and the criteria for how we will be judged.

"Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' "Matthew 25:31-46

We will be judged on how we treat each other and what we do for each other. As Orthodox Christians we believe that faith is not static. It is not enough to just have faith we must put that faith in action and action for the other. It is not enough for us to sit on the sidelines. Christianity is an active faith and we must be active. Its the little things that make the difference.

Tomorrow night (Thursday) we will have our second Community Meal here at the church. We began last month offering a free meal to the community to those who cannot afford a meal, or those who are alone, or those who just want to come together with other people from the community and share a meal. This is the church in action, this is what we are called to do, we are not sitting on the sidelines anymore. Join in and Lent is a great time to do this.

This is also the start of the fast for us Orthodox. We slowly begin the fast starting Monday (Yesterday) by abstaining from meat and meat products until after Easter. Next Monday we begin to abstain from dairy and dairy products as well as wine and olive oil until after Easter. I am working on a post on fasting so look for that latter in the week.

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Weird Liturgical Happenings

During the winter months and even during some summer ones I am usually cold in church. Up where the altar is the heat does not usually get there and because of the Icon Screen the air does not move around. Even under the usual four layers of vestments I get a little chill. Mostly my hands are affected as they were this past Sunday.

As I was standing at the altar and my hands were cold I began to rub them whilst singing the various parts of the liturgy. Sometimes I tuck them under the front of the vestments and try to steal some heat. But then something really weird happened that has never happened to me before.

If you are unfamiliar with the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom about 2/3rds of the way through we have consecration of the Holy Gifts. The priest recites the words, "and make this bread to be the precious body of the Your Christ, and that which is in this cup to be the Precious Blood of Your Christ, changing then both by the power of the Holy Spirit." My congregation is singing a little tune at this point so often times they do not hear this. Whilst the priest is saying these words he makes a cross over each of the elements. Right at that point my hands became hot, I mean hot, not warm, but hot! After the last blessing of that part of the Liturgy my hands did cool a little but they stayed warm for the rest of the Liturgy.

So I ask the priests that read this blog, has this ever happened to you? To others, the Liturgy Geeks of your out there, any thoughts on this?

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Local Orthodox pastor hits the airwaves

By Brian Lee TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

SOUTHBRIDGE — The Rev. Peter-Michael Preble, St. Michael's Romanian Orthodox Church's pastor, wanted forgiveness.

During Rev. Preble's weekly radio show on WESO 970, he had mistakenly hung up on a caller who had just won a DVD in which Rev. Preble's guest, health coach Kathi Casey, shows how to relieve sciatic pain.

With all that was going on - an interview with Ms. Casey, weather updates to give, and a switchboard to operate - the pastor explained that it's sometimes easy to forget a detail.

But the transition was seamless. He continued to guide the health dialogue with Ms. Casey, who said she enjoyed being interviewed by Rev. Preble, "an intelligent, fun and articulate host."

And the DVD winner called back, as many listeners do at noon on Thursdays for "Father Live."

Dick Vaughan, station operating manager, said Rev. Preble has a great audience, gets good guests and generates a lot of e-mails.

The call-in show covers just about everything but religion, Rev. Preble said.

The priest has another radio show, the syndicated "Shepherd of Souls," which is religious in nature. It airs on WESO at 8:30 Sunday mornings. It is also heard on three other Massachusetts stations, five stations in western New York and one each in Texas, Alabama and Kentucky. It is also on a satellite network, the pastor said.

If that's not enough, Rev. Preble has a Web blog and is on Facebook.

Religion has been multimedia for awhile. For example, the Vatican last month launched a channel on YouTube to cover the main activities of Pope Benedict XVI and relevant Vatican events.

Rev. Preble has been St. Michael's pastor for over four years, doing radio and blogging about half that time. The church, at 16 Romanian Ave., has 65 to 70 congregants.

"As clergy, we're required to use whatever the means or the median is to reach the largest number of people," the priest said.

In the Orthodox church community, blogging is a couple of years old, he said.

The Orthodox message has been steady for some 2,000 years, Rev. Preble said. The countries from which it is derived "don't need to evangelize, because everybody is Orthodox," he said.

But here, he continued, "we compete for every person."

St. Michael's large Facebook presence has helped spread the word for ministry opportunities and church events.

Plus, it helps St. Michael's in its goal of targeting people in their mid-20s to late-30s, the pastor said.

Laura N. DeAngelis, among the church's older set, has taken to the new media, and the reverend.

The grandmother said Rev. Preble invited her onto Facebook, something she wouldn't ordinarily have done, and he inspired her to blog.

Ms. DeAngelis said people immediately are at ease talking to Rev. Preble because he is nonjudgmental and friendly.

"You go to some churches, you feel like they're judging you," she said. "You can talk to him about any subject. We're very lucky to have him.

"Like the local show, the reverend's blog topics vary. He's weighed in on everything from his concern about the town's teenage birth rate, which is the state's fourth highest, to sports. Last month his blog had a prolific 79 posts.

On his range, he said, "As religious people or clergy, we should be involved in what I like to call the public square: community, national issues and politics.

"He adds that a religion-only theme would limit his audience and message.

The syndicated show started as a Podcast two years ago. "I got on WESO first in August. It just sort of took off from there."

St. Michael's is his first assignment out of the seminary. Originally from Quincy, Rev. Preble had been a middle school teacher in the Hyde Park section of Boston.

Being from the city, the pastor said, it's taken him awhile to get accustomed to this Quinebaug River community of about 17,000 people, where everyone seemingly knows each other.

"There are struggles here and struggles there and somehow we just make it all work," he said.

His radio shows can be heard on the Internet at shepherdofsouls.com and fatherpeterlive.com. His blog is frpeterpreble.com.

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Events of the Week

UPDATE: Thanks for all your prayers for Mike, he fell asleep in the Lord about 9:30pm. May His Memory be Eternal!

I don't usually blog about bad things that happen in the church community but this warrants a little something because the end of the story, or at lest part of the end, has a happy outcome.

For the past week we have dealing with some controversy here and it has not been pleasant going through it. On Friday night we had a parish council meeting to discuss rumors and lies that have been circulating through the parish. At the end of the meeting I spoke briefly about sin and lying and how bad it is for the soul and that those involved should come to confession. Yes we in the Orthodox Church still have confession you should try it sometime it is great.

Yesterday was confession day at the church, we have confession one Saturday a month. Usually I sit alone in the church for an hour and no one comes by but yesterday low and behold a person who has not been to confession with me in the time I have been here came it was great! It is so nice to be able to help someone.

Today I spoke about pride. Today in the Orthodox Church it is the Sunday of the Judgement and the Gospel was about the separation of the sheep and the goats. I spoke about pride being the first of the deadly sins and it is first because it leads to all of the others. Low and be hold someone came to me after church and asked about confession. Not wanting to loose an opportunity I grabbed the book and we went to confession. Again another GREAT ending.

Now I have one of the oldest parishioners in the church in the hospital and it does not look good. Please pray for Michael and his family.

Blessed Sunday to all.

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Get Back Up

I heard this story just the other day and then someone sent me a link to the video on You Tube. You need to watch this and send it to everyone you know, this story is so inspirational. Be warned, you might want to have a tissue or two around when you watch this.

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Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Sermon Audio

Through the parable of today's Gospel, our Saviour has set forth three things for us: the condition of the sinner, the rule of repentance, and the greatness of God's compassion. The divine Fathers have put this reading the week after the parable of the Publican and Pharisee so that, seeing in the person of the Prodigal Son our own wretched condition -- inasmuch as we are sunken in sin, far from God and His Mysteries -- we might at last come to our senses and make haste to return to Him by repentance during these holy days of the Fast.

Furthermore, those who have wrought many great iniquities, and have persisted in them for a long time, oftentimes fall into despair, thinking that there can no longer be any forgiveness for them; and so being without hope, they fall every day into the same and even worse iniquities. Therefore, the divine Fathers, that they might root out the passion of despair from the hearts of such people, and rouse them to the deeds of virtue, have set the present parable at the forecourts of the Fast, to show them the surpassing goodness of God's compassion, and to teach them that there is no sin -- no matter how great it may be -- that can overcome at any time His love for man.

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The Red Envelope Project

UPDATE: I joined the Red Envelope Group on Facebook and the day to send these envelopes in March 31, 2009. That is the day that we should send the envelopes.

Since traveling to Washington, DC for the March for life I have been looking for concrete ways to be involved in the Respect for Life movement. I believe now more than ever we need to band together and let our government know what we think. I know some people feel that our voices will go unheard but that does not mean we should stop shouting.

So today in my RSS feed came news of the Red Envelope Project. This is quite simple. Get a red envelope, address it to the President with the following message on the back:

This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.

Do not seal the envelope and just mail it to the President. Then of course pray.

For more information go to: http://www.redenvelopeproject.org/

Pass this on to all of your friends and relatives. If you blog, blog about this and pass the word on. If you are from St. Michael's I will have red envelopes for you all next week

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Teen Birth Rate Part II

The other day I posted some thoughts on a recent article about the teen birth rate in Southbridge. Although my thoughts are still not clear on all of this I think we need to do something and the question is what?

Without pointing fingers, because as I mentioned in my recent post, pointing fingers does nothing but get people all excited for no reason. We need to find answers and solutions. It is time we roll our sleeves up and try and find the reason this is happening and then try and find a solution. This issue is far too important for us to just ring our hands and walk away from.

Parents are the first line educators of our children. Sex education belongs at home not in the classroom. Why would you want someone else teaching your kids one of the most important lessons of life. Teachers have more than enough to do with Big Brother making them teach to a test so let's not burden then with any thing more.

So I am suggesting the following. A meeting, a summit meeting if you will, let us get together educators, parents, clergy, and maybe the politicians, and put our heads together and come up with some kind of a plan. We spend a lot of time trying to make life better in Southbridge. We are against the land fill, we are against the methadone clinic, and we are against babies having babies. So let's do something about it. Maybe there is nothing we can do, but we have to try.

So leave me some comments, even if you are not from Southbridge, and let me know if this is a good idea and I will get the ball rolling.

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Teenage birth rate on rise

Teenage birth rate on rise

I read this story in the local paper yesterday and then we talked about it on the air and I am still at a loss for words. Those of you who know me know how hard it is to get me not to say anything. I am still trying to find the correct response. I do not want to blame anyone because those days are gone. We need to stop blaming and find answers and solutions that will work.

Right away people were quick to blame the minority population of our town but that is not helpful either. Let's see if we can put our heads together and come up with some response.

Okay guess I was not at a loss for words after all.

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Washington Post Shame!

What kind of dopes do we have working at the Washington Post? I always thought they had the best reporters and editors in the business. In the midst of a Presidential Press Conference last night Washington Post reporter Michael Fletcher asked the President what he thought about the A Rod scandal. If I was the President I would have had The Secret Service remove him from the room for being stupid.

We are in the midst of the worst economic crisis in many generations and this dope asks the President what he think of an over paid child. Shame on this reporter, Shame on the Washington post if the don't throw this bum out on his, well bum, and shame on the President of the United States for dignifying this question with an answer.

A Rod time for you and the rest of your drug addict pals to leave the field in shame!

Cross Posted from Worcester Sports Roundup

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Facebook

I have been a member of Facebook for the last year or so but Saturday I went crazy with the thing. I have been using it to catch up with various people and also for ministry reasons, keeping parishioners in touch with each other and also for the various podcasts.

On Saturday my cousin Jane from Panama found me on Facebook. I have not seen her in about 5 years and it was good to connect with her. But what happened after that is the stuff that legends are made of.

My mother's family is rather large, she is one of 10 and it has grown since then, I believe at last count there are about 300 of us running around out there somewhere. Every so often we have a reunion where we catch up and meet up with old a new family members. The first one was 29 years ago in Florida and we have had two more since then, one in Colorado and one in Quincy. Another one is being planned for 2010 in Nashville, TN.

So when cousin Jane contacted me I looked at her friend list and 5 hours latter I have like 50 new friends all cousins and aunts and uncles, and my brother who I did not even know was on Facebook, subject for a long discussion with him...

All of this is to say how important family is. It is great to be part of a very large extended family and to catch up with people and to try and figure out how we are all related. It is great to see pictures of kids and to know that the next generation is well underway and the fact that once of my cousins is now a great grand father! My we have come a long way in all of this.

So this weekend was filled with catching up with family and friends on Facebook. This is no way replaces real actual meetings and conversation, but it sets the stage and will keep us connected to each other. There has been a lot of crap written about Facebook and the other sites around but I think it is worth the time to sign up, it takes all of about 5 minutes, and then start looking around you will be surprised who you might find. I have not only connected with family but friends from the old neighborhood, from college, from High School, from my days in the Army it has been great.

So what are you waiting for, go sign up: www.facebook.com after you do look me up and make me your friend.

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Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee

Sermon Audio

The Pharisees were an ancient and outstanding sect among the Jews known for their diligent observance of the outward matters of the Law. Although, according to the word of our Lord, they "did all their works to be seen of men" (Matt. 23:5), and were hypocrites (ibid. 23: 13, 14, 15, etc.), because of the apparent holiness of their lives they were thought by all to be righteous, and separate from others, which is what the name Pharisee means. On the other hand, Publicans, collectors of the royal taxes, committed many injustices and extortions for filthy lucre's sake, and all held them to be sinners and unjust. It was therefore according to common opinion that the Lord Jesus in His parable signified a virtuous person by a Pharisee, and a sinner by a Publican, to teach His disciples the harm of pride and the profit of humble-mindedness.

Since the chief weapon for virtue is humility, and the greatest hindrance to it is pride, the divine Fathers have set these three weeks before the Forty-day Fast as a preparation for the spiritual struggles of virtue. This present week they have called Harbinger, since it declares that the Fast is approaching; and they set humility as the foundation for all our spiritual labors by appointing that the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee be read today, even before the Fast begins, to teach, through the vaunting of the Pharisee, that the foul smoke of self-esteem and the stench of boasting drives away the grace of the Spirit, strips man of all his virtue, and casts him into the pits of Hades; and, through the repentance and contrite prayer of the Publican, that humility confers upon the sinner forgiveness of all his wicked deeds and raises him up to the greatest heights.

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Paczki

No that title is not an eye chart. I have discovered the most amazing pastry. This pasty must have existed in the Garden of Eden as only God could have created something so good!

Paczki is a Polish doughnut, I guess that's what it is, is like a jelly doughnut on steroids. This is amazing and is filled with lemon or blueberry. I am not sure if they come in other flavors but those are the two I have.

I understand they are a traditional pre lent desert and once lent arrives it is bye bye Paczki. I will have to go into rehab after that.

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Governor of Massachusetts Goes High Tech

This is a great article on how the Government is using the modern technology to keep us all informed. I joined the Governors Facebook page as well as his Twitter page.


Beacon Hill goes digital - LOL
Boston Globe

In the meeting rooms and corridors of the State House, he's known as Mr. Governor or, when formal settings dictate, His Excellency. But to Governor Deval Patrick's more than 9,000 Facebook friends he's known alternately as D Pat, DP, or Uncle D.

Some state senators are so focused on tapping away on their BlackBerrys, even during debate, that the Senate is considering banning the practice. Senate Republicans recently launched their own blog.

But other state officials, including Senate president Therese Murray and Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill leave the high-tech stuff to their aides. A BlackBerry for the new House speaker, Robert A. DeLeo? Not anytime soon. His staff says he is "a habitual cellphone user," but nothing more.
In an age when most middle-school students are conversant in Twitter, Flickr, and Flotzam, leaders in state government demonstrate widely varying degrees of technical proficiency, giving the most wired elected officials an edge in the new political dialogue.

"Technology is really revolutionizing the way we communicate with people and the way they communicate with us," said Senate minority leader Richard Tisei, who last month issued a Republican response to the governor's State of the State speech - via video on YouTube.

The Rest of the Story

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Medical Board Revokes License of Abortion Practitioner in Florida Born Alive Case

Tampa, FL (LifeNews.com) -- The Florida Board of Medicine has revoked the license of an abortion practitioner who allegedly acted negligently in a shocking botched abortion case. The July 2006 incident involves baby Shanice Denise Osbourne and abortion facility staff hid her body from officials after a botched abortion.

The medical board held a hearing Friday in the case and found abortion practitioner Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique guilty of medical malpractice.

The panel also found him guilty of wrongly delegating a medical responsibility meant for physicians to unlicensed personnel.

Renelique's attorney, Joseph Harrison, told AP before the hearing that he thinks the allegations are "misguided and incomplete" but did not provide more information to back his claims. He did not provide any comments following the board's decision.

According to witnesses, a young woman went to the GYN Diagnostic Center abortion facility in Hialeah, outside Miami, for an abortion. Sycloria Williams, 18, paid $1,200 for the abortion
Police say the 18-year-old had an abortion and returned the next day complaining of severe stomach pains.

The Rest of the Story

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Holocaust Deniers

Over on the On Faith Blog there is a discussion going centered around this question:

Is it better to challenge or ignore Holocaust deniers such as Catholic Bishop Richard Williamson and Iranian President Mahmoud Amadenijad? Why?

If you don't read the On Faith Blog I recommend it highly. It is a group blog of different folks from different religious traditions, although no Orthodox presence can be found.

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Michael Dubruiel - RIP

New has reached us here in the Village that Michael Dubruiel author and husband of fellow blogger Amy Wellborn died suddenly yesterday only a few days after his 50th birthday. Please pray for Michael and Amy and their young family.

May his memory be eternal! Sphere: Related Content

Public disapproves of Obama on abortion

A new poll by Gallup finds that of the many actions President Obama took during his first days in office, the least popular is his decision to lift a ban on the use of federal funds for organizations that provide information about abortion overseas. According to Gallup, 58 percent of the public disapproves of the step to revoke the so-called Mexico City Policy, also known as the global gag rule, while 35 percent approve. By contrast, a majority of the public supports most of the other early moves by Obama. From Gallup:

"Obama's decision to reverse the prohibition on funding for overseas family-planning providers may be the least popular thing he has done so far. This was an executive order that forbade federal government money from going to overseas family-planning groups that provide abortions or offer abortion counseling. Fifty-eight percent of Americans disapprove of Obama's decision to lift this ban, while only 35% approve of it. The ban on federal funds to these groups was put in place by Ronald Reagan, but lifted by Bill Clinton. George W. Bush re-instituted the ban after taking office in 2001, but Obama has once again lifted it. The abortion and Guantanamo Bay prison decisions are especially unpopular among Republicans; only 8% approve of the former and 11% of the latter. But these are also the least popular decisions among independents and Democrats as well, though a majority of Democrats still approve of both."

The Rest of the Story Sphere: Related Content

US bishops slam Holocaust denial

I wonder if my previous post had anything to do with this.

In the most pointed statement yet from a high-ranking Catholic official, Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, today is sharply criticizing the Holocaust denial by a traditionalist bishop whose excommunication was lifted last month by Pope Benedict XVI. George (above), clearly alarmed by the brewing controversy and the damage to Catholic-Jewish relations, called the statements by Bishop Richard Williamson "deeply offensive and utterly false" and called the outrage from Jews and Catholics "understandable.''

Signficantly, George also asserts that full reconciliation between the Vatican and the four un-excommunicated bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X, including Williamson, will require "their assent to all that the Church professes, including the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.'' That is important because the Second Vatican Council resulted in the church's renunciation of anti-Semitism and led to a historic warming of relations between Catholics and Jews.

The Rest of the Story

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2 February ~ The Presentation

When the most pure Mother and Ever-Virgin Mary's forty days of purification had been fulfilled, she took her first-born Son to Jerusalem on this, the fortieth day after His birth, that she might present Him in the temple according to the Law of Moses, which teaches that every first-born male child be dedicated to God, and also that she might offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons, as required by the Law (Luke 2:22-24; Exod. 13:2; Lev. 12:6-8). On this same day, a just and devout man, the greatly aged Symeon, was also present in the temple, being guided by the Holy Spirit. For a long time, this man had been awaiting the salvation of God, and he had been informed by divine revelation that he would not die until he beheld the Lord's Christ. Thus, when he beheld Him at that time and took Him up into his aged arms, he gave glory to God, singing: "Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master. . ." And he confessed that he would close his eyes joyfully, since he had seen the Light of revelation for the nations and the Glory of Israel (Luke 2:25-32). From ancient times, the Holy Church has retained this tradition of the churching of the mother and new-born child on the fortieth day and of the reading of prayers of purification.

The Apodosis of the Feast of the Meeting in the Temple is usually on the 9th of February. This, however, may vary if the Feast falls within the period of the Triodion. Should this occur, the Typicon should be consulted for specific information concerning the Apodosis of the Feast.

From www.goarch.org

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February 1 ~ St. Bridgit of Kildare

ABBESS, AND PATRONESS OF IRELAND

She was born at Fochard, in Ulster, soon after Ireland had been blessed with the light of faith. She received the religious veil in her youth. from the hands of St. Mel, nephew and disciple of St. Patrick. She built herself a cell under a large oak, thence called Kill-dara, or cell of the oak; living, as her name implies, the bright shining light of that country by her virtues. Being joined soon after by several of her own sex, they formed themselves into a religious community, which branched out into several other nunneries throughout Ireland; all which acknowledged her for their mother and foundress, as in effect she was of all in that kingdom. But a full account of her virtues has not been transmitted down to us, together with the veneration of her name. Her five modern lives mention little else but wonderful miracles. She flourished in the beginning of the sixth century, and is named in the Martyrology of Bede, and in all others since that age. Several churches in England and Scotland are dedicated to God under her name, as, among others, that of St. Bride in Fleet- street; several also in Germany, and some in France. Her name occurs in most copies of the Martyrology which bears the name of St. Jerome, especially in those of Esternach and Corbie, which are most ancient. She is commemorated in the divine office in most churches of Germany, and in that of Paris, till the year 1607, and in many others in France. One of the Hebrides, or western islands which belong to Scotland, near that of Ila, was called, from a famous monastery built there in her honor, Brigidiani. A church of St. Brigit, in the province of Athol, was reputed famous for miracles, and a portion of her relics was kept with great veneration in a monastery of regular canons at Aburnethi, once capital of the kingdom of the Picts, and a bishopric, as Major mentions. Her body was found with those of SS. Patrick and Columba, in a triple vault in Down-Patrick, in 1185, as Giraldus Cambrensis informs us: they were all three translated to the cathedral of the same city; but their monument was destroyed in the reign of king Henry VIII. the head of St. Bride is now kept in the church of the Jesuits at Lisbon.

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New Bishops

I do not often comment on the inner workings of other Churches but I feel compelled to do so now. This past week, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of several bishops that belong to a splinter groups of Catholics known as the Society of St. Pius X. Now this is a good thing because it is not good for Christians to be separated and this is the first step in a movement towards reconciliation. There are many sites that list the history of all of this so I will not go into it here.

The bad part of this is that one of the bishops, Richard Williamson has gone on record saying that the Nazi's did not use gas chambers to execute Jews during the Second World War. Now I find this totally unacceptable for anyone to hold these views, unless of course your are a Nazi, and I find find it even more unacceptable for a bishop of the church to hold these views! To his credit Cardinal Sean O'Malley was very critical of this bishops views but supports the lifting of the excommunication. I would agree with His Eminence on the importance of lifting this ban

I close friend of mine has been nominated to be the next Episcopal bishop of Long Island New York. He tells me the process that he has gone through has been like trying to get through airport security. The vetting process has been very full and complete, looking for every slip of paper that he might have written something down on to see if he would bring scandal to the Church. I would think that the RC Church would be just as careful and complete.

Okay now to move on to another new bishop in the RC Church. The other day Pope Benedict XVI elevated Rev. Gerhard Wagner to be Auxiliary Bishop of Linz, Austria. This priest has gone on record as saying that Hurricane Katrina was "Divine Retribution" for New Orleans' tolerance of homosexuality and laid-back sexual attitudes. I am not sure what God he prays to or theologian he studies but this is way off course. He is quoted in his parish newsletter from 2005 saying that the Hurricane wiped out brothels and abortion clinics. Well Gerhard, it also took out many churches, most of them Catholic by the way, and lost of other stuff. I am sure you are one of these guys that say it is just collateral damage.

One of the things I always admired about the Catholic church was it's process in selecting bishops. Well I think the Pope has let the side down. Most of this will go unnoticed, but we need to start paying attention to who is moving up.

Just some thoughts on this Sunday

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Orthodox glad to claim Polamalu as one of their own

Of course, Mr. Polamalu is the safety of the team.

Most NFL fans are familiar with the sight of Steelers safety Troy Polamalu crossing himself during games, but one subset of fans is gleefully aware that he crosses himself from right to left, rather than left to right.

"Each time there is an important play, he makes his cross the Orthodox way. Nobody else does this, and it is a beautiful thing," said Metropolitan Maximos, of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, who officiated at the wedding of Troy and Theodora Polamalu four years ago.

Mr. Polamalu, an ethnic Samoan, long has had a strong Christian faith, but was non-denominational until he joined his wife's Greek Orthodox church. The metropolitan is quick to note that Orthodox enthusiasm for Mr. Polamalu isn't intended to denigrate any other branch of Christianity.

"I'm very proud of him. But, to be honest, I don't care if his background is Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox or any of the Protestant communities, as long as the guy is a faithful person. And Polamalu is that, and his wife is as well," he said.

When football doesn't allow the Polamalus to worship together on Sundays, they make weekday visits to the Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Saxonburg. Their infant son was baptized there. But the nuns won't be watching him play in the Super Bowl, Metropolitan Maximos said, because they don't watch anything on television that isn't religious.

The Rest of the Story

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