We repeat the above words contained in the testimony of St. John the Baptist at every Mass.  These words are the same answer John gave the Pharisees who asked if he was the Messiah.  For the most part, however, they confirm the truth revealed by God the Father Himself in these words:  “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt.3:17).  John’s testimony, then, is his heart’s answer upon hearing the voice of God.  Jesus, presented by the Father as His beloved Son, is now shown as an innocent lamb who will be offered in propitiation for sin.  Thus is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah regarding our redemption and deliverance.  Through his sacrifice, he becomes a light to all mankind, in Him is revealed the glory of God.  “You are my servant, In you, Israel, I show my glory…I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Is.49:3,6)  Today, we are participants in this promise.

            John’s testimony also was a sign of the beginning and purpose of Jesus’ mission for which the expected Messiah came:  “…the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” (Jn.1:31)   Just as the blood of a lamb saved the nation of Israel coming out of Egyptian captivity during the time of Moses, so in the New Testament, the Lamb of God is sacrificed and His Blood saves God’s people once again!

            Every day during the Eucharistic sacrifice, when everyone repeats the acclamation Behold the Lamb of God” before Communion, we participate in the very moment of Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary.  This moment of Christ’s death on the cross, this moment of our cleansing in his wounds , this is the moment of the origination of  the Sacraments of the Church. (Easter Liturgy)

            Let us give thanks then for this great gift and through faith let us have the courage to draw so much from the stream of grace that our transformed life might be an actualization of the words of John.    May our lips proclaim: “Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” (Jn.1:34)

Roman Harmata, PA

Today as we celebrate the solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord, we read about the homage which the wise men paid to Christ born in Bethlehem. They brought gold, frankincense and myrrh!

For centuries, the gifts the Magi placed at the feet of the Messiah have symbolized true worship. By depositing gold, they emphasize His royal divinity; By giving incense they profess that he is a priest of the new Covenant. By offering myrrh, they worship the prophet who will shed his blood to reconcile humanity with the Father.

Their gesture has a deeper meaning. For, according to the mentality of the ancient East, it constitutes the recognition of the person of Jesus as God and Lord. It is an act of submission. The wise men want to state that from now on they belong to the ruler and recognize His sovereignty. This affects their subsequent decisions. They can no longer follow their prior path on their return, they cannot go back to Herod, they can no longer be allied with this powerful and cruel tyrant. They are now forever following the path of the Child, a royal path. The newborn King has given them an audience and thus an  invitation to participate in His mission. They are the representatives of us today. From now on, every Christian is invited to participate in Christ’s royal, priestly and prophetic mission. We are to be like royal gold of the purest quality, and at the same time, a people offering our lives in the priestly sacrifice of love with one goal: our own salvation and that of our brothers. This is done by proclaiming the Word of Christ by our actions. And this, in turn, includes us in His prophetic mission. Saint Peter describes our vocation in his letter: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light “(1 P2: 9)

Let us then take the advice of St. Augustine, who reminds us: “We, also recognizing Christ as our king and priest who died for us, ought to celebrate Him as if we had brought gold, incense and myrrh; all we lack is this, that we testify about him by taking a new path, different from the one by which we had arrived.”

Roman Harmata PA

Our spiritual health is just as, or even more important than our physical health. It has to do with our soul. It might just be a perfect time to reflect on the health of my soul; examine it for any deficiencies or what junk I have to get rid of. These can become lofty goals for this new year.

Maybe it is spending more time in prayer? Be specific. “I will say the rosary every day.” Or, “ I will sign up for an hour per week  of Adoration at my closest Adoration Chapel.” Or maybe it is something that I need to get rid of? Like not watching 3 hours of TV series, but instead spending that time with my family or loved ones. Think about it.

What will bring me closer to my Creator and beautify my soul which will live forever, unlike my body which will one day perish? Once I focus on my spiritual health, taking care of my physical body will follow. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Wishing you all the blessings and strength of Our Lord for this new year and for the successful completion of our New Year Resolutions.

Happy New Year 2020!

Marta Sniezko

This sentence ought to be reflected upon by many Christians. Although St. John the Baptist was already filled with the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of St. Elizabeth and called to a special mission, he is considered less than “the least in the kingdom of heaven.” How great must be the quality of purification and sanctification of those who enter there! Jesus’ statement places a question deep in the heart of every person: “Is the state of my life sufficient in light of such criteria?” Even though Jesus’ statement puts before us a picture of the new spirituality of Jesus’ gift of humanity’s redemption in the New Testament, different from the one preached by John the Baptist, His very strong statement about the last Old Testament prophet ought to be taken seriously. St. Paul warns “seek your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2:12)

We must see the greatness of Jesus’ gift and accept its infinity with all our hearts. This is the salvation given to us and paid for with the sacrifice of the life of the King of the Universe, the Lord of life! The mystery of redemption conceals the truth about our ability to enter the Father’s heavenly Kingdom. Jesus clearly says, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6) Only through Him! Only in Him! Only for Him! Who, then, will enter His kingdom? There are several important indications in the Bible; let us treat the following selected passages as a meditative homework assignment for the third week of Advent:

• One who “does the will of my Father” will enter Heaven. (Mt 7:21)
• One who has allowed God to “draw him toward holiness”. (Ex 22:30; Jn 6:4)
• One whose heart has been cleansed by God from evil and pride. (Lk 13:22-30; Rom 12:21)

Roman Harmata, PA

In Great Britain the celebration of this holiday as the “Immaculate Conception” began in the eleventh century, and around 1130 A.D. this tradition was passed on to France.

Due to opposition from some theologians (including Saint Bernard, Peter Lombardo, Saint Albert the Greater, and Saint Thomas), the decline in popularity suffered in the 13th century. However, after Duns Scot defended the idea, it became more widespread and became almost universal.

In 1477 Pope Sixtus IV approved the texts of the Mass and Liturgy of the Immaculate Conception.

Starting from the end of the 15th century, many universities introduced the custom of granting academic degrees only to those who vowed to defend the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 1708, Pope Clement XI raised the feast of the Immaculate Conception to the rank of a compulsory feast. Pius IX, on the other hand, approved the texts of the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours, which were reviewed again in 1863. The significance of this celebration must be traced to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, which was solemnly proclaimed by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854 with the  “lneffabilis Deus”.

For theologians, it was not clear from the beginning that Mary was conceived without sin because such a fact was, in their opinion, difficult to reconcile with other truths of the faith, among others with the dogma of the universality of salvation. The development of this doctrine was therefore slow. The key point was the distinction made by Duns Scot to “redenzione prevenieste” (prophylactic, preventive) and “redenzione curativa” (healing, curing).

Only Pius IX dogmatically defined the truth about the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary after prior consultation with the universal church. Dogma speaks of a special privilege granted to Mary by the subsequent merits of her Son Jesus Christ.

Mary was thus prepared to be a dignified dwelling place (Sanctuary and Mother) for the Son of God. The Immaculate Conception was a preparation for Mary and her ability to answer the mystery of the Annunciation. She was a person truly free from sin, free from all selfishness, which enabled her to respond perfectly to God’s call, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to Your word,” and to let her humbly and responsibly participate in God’s Plan of Salvation for humanity . Being perfectly free, Mary opened and continues to open her heart to everyone, even to the greatest sinner, desiring to draw him to her Son, with whom she could find the grace of forgiveness and salvation.

This dogma and this celebration should be especially dear to our hearts, because they confirm the great things that God accomplished in Mary and through Mary, and which he often accomplishes in us through her motherly intercession.

Translated by Marta Sniezko

The history of the chosen people, can be called a great Advent, full of expectation and longing. Each chapter and verse of the Holy Scriptures echoes this yearning and waiting. The best proof is found in the Advent readings: the longing of a nation deprived of its homeland, sent to captivity, is a symbol of the spiritual longing of the heart away from the source of love, peace and security. This cry for the Savior, for deliverance from the oppression of sin, is a plea for a Guide who will lead you safely to Heaven’s gates. The Advent prayer should be imbued with a spirit of deep faith. It is the main note of liturgical and life Advent, faith in the coming of Christ and his presence among us.

In the first letter of St. Peter, we read: “Watch! Your adversary, the devil, roars like a roaring lion, seeking someone whom to devour. Be strong in faith, resist him.” The evil spirit during our Advent life does everything to dissuade us from salvation, vigilance and faith. Sometimes you can hear the explanation: I don’t have time for faith, for prayer, for God … As if God was an addition to our lives; as if He was an “addition” to pre-Christmas shopping. As if the soul is an addition to our existence … when it is the essence of our person, and nothing else but the union of the soul with God in love is the meaning of our life. Jesus is life itself! So you must have time for him – anytime, anywhere! Since Advent is the start of the new church year. He tells us – Stop! It compels us to stop and reflect, to faith and vigilance, to prayer and spiritual preparation, to be ready not only for a proper Christmas experience, but to someday stand up “before the Son of Man”.

Saying thank you is the easiest way to show gratitude. We probably say it many times each day if we learned our manners correctly. Every time someone opens the door for us, hands us a cup of coffee, says “Bless you” when we sneeze, we usually reply, “thank you”. Some of us say it so often it has become a daily routine. These two simple words mean so much.

Thankfulness is very important in our human lives. It shows that we are aware of others and their care for us, whether in small or big things. Showing gratitude is a way of showing that we love them in return, that we appreciate the love shown to us. Friends, family, loved ones, and many others are often people we thank and we should be thankful for. But what about thanking the One who gave us those precious people in our lives?

Our God is the Giver of All Good Gifts. He is the ultimate One who has provided us with everything we need, even though at times we may think we may need more or need something different. But He knows best. We may not understand why God put that hard-to-listen-to aunt or annoying brother in our lives, but God has a purpose for everything. And whether we will find out why in this life, or in the next, we still must thank our Lord and trust that He is doing it all for our good. And that is exactly why we must thank Him.

When is the last time I thanked my God for my mom? What about for my boss? How about for the last person to whom I said, “thank you” to? All these people were put there in my life by God whether I like them or not. God gave me these people to aid me in my life in one way or another. I must be thankful to God for each and everyone of them, and if there is an occasion, tell them “thank you” too!

This Thanksgiving let us remember that God is the ultimate designer of our lives and gives us the people we need in our lives and when we need them. Let us not forget to thank our Lord for these people and for His Great Love towards us that He takes care of us through the hands of other people around us.

Marta Sniezko

Roman Harmata
Translated and edited by Theresa Harmata

Reading the bible, or even watching the film titled, “Moses,” shows us the mistakes that the Israelites made, but we often do not understand their stubborn conduct against the recommendations of their guide. Still, we do not realize that our life is similar to their misconduct, but we do not see our sins because they are somewhat hidden, as we can read about in Scripture in the chapter Mat. 7.3. We see the splinter in the eye of our brother, while the beams in our own eye we do not perceive. This is because we often do not respond to the remarks of our spiritual advisors – the priests who sometimes preach their homilies in a way that we do not understand. At times, we are more focused on what is happening around us and we get distracted from the present moment. We can see an example in the gospel of Luke 8.4-8 in the parable about the sower who sows the seed.

Thus, we can discuss the negative experiences that come enter our hearts through out senses from the times of our youth. The senses tend to play an enormous role here. For instance, we can consider the sense of taste, as we consume food excessively, simply for our own pleasure. Can we not change something here? Satisfying our hunger is essential, yet gluttony us just pleasurable, but overindulging further can harm our health causing not only weight gain but also significant health problems stemming from obesity. In this case, prudence and carefulness are needed during a meal as to determine where pleasure begins to ensure that greed does not take over and cause sin. This does not yet touch on fasting, which Jesus highly recommends for our spiritual growth.  The sense of touch could also have positive or negative effects. A sense of sexual implications can likewise be disorderly, excessive, or can foreshadow immoral action. Let us also consider the sense of smell, could only a positive sense of smell have a negative effect? As far as our sense of hearing, or even our sense of sight, we can be blessed with a ton of good streaming from these two senses but also a significant amount of evil. Richness – in regard to the senses – allows us to understand another human being in a way that grants us the ability to distinguish them and then choose to utilize these senses in positive or negative deeds.

Joanna M. Maj

August 2019

Every August, thousands of Polish people make pilgrimages either by foot or by other means to a very special place. Whether they travel to Czestochowa in Poland, or to other similar shrines, they all want to show their love and gratitude, and ask for any graces they need.  On August 26, we will celebrate Our Lady of Czestochowa, Queen of Poland.

Being Polish, you probably know the story of Czestochowa, maybe have been there, walked a pilgrimage, or maybe  just heard of Her. Our Lady of Czestochowa has a special place in Polish hearts.

As the famous song “Czarna Madonna”  goes, “There’s a place on this earth, that everyone wants to return to. The place that she reigns from with two scars on her face. She has a sad and worried look as if to ask you to place yourself in her motherly care. Madonna, Black Madonna, how good it is to be your child. Please allow, oh Black Madonna, to take shelter in your arms.”

Our Lady of Czestochowa has cared for and protected the nation of Poland for hundreds of years. And she was always victorious with those that put themselves in her care, in her arms. I can go on and give you examples of all the historical battles or all the personal hardships in which the Black Madonna was asked for intercession and the outcomes were miraculous. But that would probably not hit as hard as something that, in my opinion, leaves many people in awe.

If Our Lady of Czestochowa was just an icon, and all the stories untrue, why would millions of people who received her help in one way or another leave her gifts of thanksgiving? I’m talking about the millions of rosaries, jewelry, crutches, and lots of other items that are left in sanctuaries dedicated to the Black Madonna all over the world. If you have ever visited Her Shrine in Czestochowa, Poland, for example, you will know exactly what I mean. When you see the walls of the shrine filled top to bottom with gifts of gratitude for Our Lady’s Grace in these individual lives, it hits you. There is something powerful there.

Also, all the thousands of people who take the time and sacrifice to walk to Our Lady of Czestochowa’s Shrines praying, singing, dancing as they go along. It is a testimony. A testimony of Love to our Dear Queen of Poland. To thank her for taking care of us individually and as a nation, our nation of Poland.

If you are planning to visit a Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa this month, or maybe even are doing a pilgrimage, remember, if the Black Madonna was trusted and true for hundreds of years to millions of people, I am sure that she will lead you and take care of you too!

Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for us!

Everyone needs a break from time to time. There are times we need a pause to refocus, a stop to take a breath, a step back to regain perspective. That’s just how our human nature is. Even the Lord Himself needed a “vacation” after He was done with Creation in the Book of Genesis 2:2, “On the seventh day God completed the work He had been doing; He rested on the seventh day from all the work He had undertaken.”

And so we have “vacations”. It brings a lot of different things to our minds. It may be time off work, school being out of session, a trip to a new place, the beach, a family barbeque, and so on. But if you really look at why we take these “vacations”, it’s a very interesting aspect. It’s because we need a break from the usual, to take a breath, look at the past, look into the future, put things in perspective, refocus, and start up again.

That’s what the Good Lord taught us in His Seventh Day of rest, which we celebrate every Sunday. Every week, we are called to refocus spiritually on what matters most, so that we can go through the usual week with our eyes refocused and our strength renewed. And so not only spiritually, but also in our everyday earthly lives, we need those “vacations” to pause, renew, refocus, and move on with a better purpose.

May these summer months truly inspire us to reevaluate ourselves and our lives, and to start up once again as better people that we were before!

St Thomas is the Patron saint of Argentina, architects, cooks, and construction workers

St Thomas is a unique saint. He has a bad reputation of being the “doubter” and most people remember him as the one who was obstinate and lacking in faith. However, the opposite is true. He was known to ask a lot of questions carefully, and to be a logical person.

In the scriptures there are three mentions of him, first that he asks Jesus about where he was going and that he wanted to know the way there so that he could follow him. Jesus then graced him with the wonderful words “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” which is the core of Christian belief. The earliest Christians were known as the followers of “The Way”. Christian Philosophers are satisfied and delighted when they realize that Christ is the objective Truth they are looking for. Finally, by being alive and realizing God’s goodness we are humbled but thankful when we acknowledge that he is our Life.

In the Gospel of John, Thomas also motivates the disciples to visit Lazarus tomb despite the danger of being killed with Jesus, thus being a catalyst to the disciples witnessing one of the greatest miracles of Jesus’s ministry.

The other instance where Jesus talks to Thomas is the well-known situation where Thomas did not want to be tricked, but desired to see Jesus alive on his own. Here he was acting like a person like ourselves who needed to use his own logic and experience to see the truth. By this we see that he is a real man, not tricked by delusions, and after the moment where he puts his hand into the lance hole and his fingers into the nail holes, he declares a great personal realization and truth about Jesus when he says: “My Lord and my God”. This becomes a doctrine that Jesus is truly and fully God and Man.

We can learn a lot from St Thomas from reading the scriptures. Something that we can take from his character is to listen, inquire, and make our own decision to become educated followers of Jesus. Traditionally St Thomas is known to have traveled to Iraq, India, and other countries spreading the word about Jesus. He died a martyr in India and was buried on a mountain considered holy to several religions. St Thomas teaches us that once he understood the Truth about Jesus, he took to heart the instructions to spread the good news to the ends of the earth.

St Thomas Pray for Us!

Article by Theresa Harmata