SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church Celebrating 92 Years 1923 - 2015
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SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church Celebrating 92 Years 1923 - 2015 Drawing from the treasures of the Gospel and Roman Catholic Church teaching, we commit ourselves to be living examples of a community rich in faith, seeking the Kingdom of God. Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time October 25, 2015 I WAS THINKING… The fifth window on the west side of our church, top part to the left, depicts Saint Hedwig of Silesia - Święta Jadwiga Śląska. Hedwig was of Bavarian origin, the daughter of the Count of Andechs, and the aunt of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Having received her elementary training as a boarding student at the Monastery of Kitzingen, she was wedded at the age of twelve to the 18-year-old Henry, who shortly became the Duke of Silesia (Książe Śląski), an area of western Poland. Duke Henry I and Duchess Jadwiga proved to be ideally matched. He was an earnest ruler and she an admirable counselor. Through her influence Church life in the duchy was promoted. On her recommendation Henry founded the great Cistercian monastery of Trzebnica near the city of Wrocław, the first convent for women in Silesia. Through her influence other religious houses were founded and supported. Both Jadwiga and Henry were themselves devout Christians. After the birth of their seventh child in 1208, the couple took a solemn vow of purity. After that, she engaged even more actively in penitential practices. Hedwig's children caused her grief at one point. In 1212, the duke divided his estates between their sons Henry and Conrad. The sons, disappointed at the amount of land, declared war on each other. Despite their mother's efforts at reconciliation, young Henry defeated Conrad; but the argument only further convinced Jadwiga of the evils of the world's way. Henry I died in 1238. All mourned him. But his widow's eyes were dry. “Would you oppose the will of God?” she asked. “Our lives are His. Our will is whatever He is pleased to ordain, whether our own death or that of our friends.” After that, Duchess Jadwiga spent even more time than before at the Cistercian monastery of Trzebnica. She followed its rule. She wore the habit of its nuns. But she did not take vows, since that would have deprived her of the right to administer her own property for the benefit of those in need. Jadwiga's son Henry had succeeded his father as Henry II of Silesia. He held the dukedom only two years, for in 1240 he died in combat against the Tartar invaders. His mother knew of his death three days before the tidings were brought to her. Prophetically, she said to a companion, “He has gone from me like a bird in flight, and I shall never see him again in this life.” When the news broke, it was she who comforted the others. Miracles and prophecies were attributed to the Jadwiga during her lifetime. Jadwiga died and was buried in Trzebnica Abbey on October 15, 1243. She was canonized in 1267. Saint Jadwiga is one of Poland's favorite saints. She is Patron Saint of: Bavaria, Duchesses, Silesia, victims of jealousy, brides, death of children, difficult marriages and widows. The top part of our stained glass window shows the Crown of Duchess Jadwiga and a tray with bread for the poor. Below we have the title “ŚW. SS. Peter and Paul News Page 2 JADWIGA” Przyglądając się opowiadaniu o uzdrowieniu The center on the window shows Saint Jadwiga Bartymeusza, możemy ulec mylnemu wrażeniu, że Jezus go carrying bread for those who are hungry. She is not nie zauważał, choć miał świetny wzrok, natomiast wearing her crown but just simple hat like toque. She is Bartymeusz, choć był ślepy, dostrzegł Jezusa. Czyżby Bogu dressed in Cistercian habit. nie zależało na wszystkich bartymeuszach? Czyżby ich The Feast Day of Saint Jadwiga is on October 16. pomijał? W Psalmie 23., pasterskim, a więc kapłańskim, na Saint Hedwig, pray for us. samym końcu czytamy: „Dobroć i łaska pójdą w ślad za mną”. Otóż tekst hebrajski użył w tym miejscu słowa May the Lord Jesus Christ and His Mom bless and RADAF, które tłumaczy się jako zdecydowane podążanie, protect you always! ściganie, a najczęściej jako prześladowanie. Być może Fr. Jerry niektórym tłumaczom wydawało się dziwne, że miłosierdzie może prześladować człowieka, ale Bogu nie KAPŁAN NA DEBECIE jest obojętny nasz los i On właśnie stale goni grzesznika i Kim jest niewidomy żebrak? Nikim szczególnym. zaślepionego tym światem. To On prześladuje nas Kimś, kto nie tylko nie widzi, ale kogo się omija i nie natchnieniami, abyśmy wołali do Niego: „Synu Dawida, zauważa. Kimś, kogo krzyk bywa tłumiony nawet przez ulituj się nade mną!” idących za Jezusem. I właśnie ktoś taki jest nie tylko O. Augustyn Pelanowski OSPPE usłyszany, zauważony, ale też uzdrowiony i, co najważniejsze, uzdolniony do pójścia za Chrystusem. Nic “What do you want me to do for you?” nie jest tak istotne, jak tylko zdiagnozowanie wiary. Bez Meditation on the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time niej nikt nie ma szans na przejrzenie. Wiara pozwoliła mu Have you ever encountered a once in a life-time przejrzeć na oczy, ponieważ właśnie przejrzeniem jest opportunity you knew you could not pass up? Such a mo- wiara. Piszę te słowa jako kapłan, pragnąc głęboko ment came for a blind and destitute man, named Barti- zapamiętać: mam szukać wiary i wiarą budować tych, maeus. He was determined to get near the one person których spotkam. W jaki sposób wzniecać wiarę? Jest tylko who could meet his need. He knew who Jesus was and had jeden sposób: wiara budzi się ze słuchania Bożych słów! heard of his fame for healing, but until now had no means W dekrecie soborowym czytam z zapartym tchem: of making contact with the Son of David, a clear reference „Posługiwanie prezbitera zaczyna się od głoszenia and title for the Messiah. It took a lot of "guts" and persis- Ewangelii”, choć szczytem jest doprowadzenie kogoś do tence for Bartimaeus to get the attention of Jesus over the pełnego udziału w eucharystycznym zjednoczeniu z din of a noisy throng who crowded around Jesus as he Jezusem. I dalej: „Lud Boży jednoczy się przez słowo Boga made his way out of town. żywego, którego z ust kapłanów bezwzględnie należy się domagać!”. Bezwzględne wymaganie skierowane do Why was the crowd annoyed with the blind man's kapłanów, aby lepiej czy gorzej, elokwentnie czy też persistent shouts? He was disturbing their peace and inter- nieporadnie, zawsze i wszędzie głosić Ewangelię, robi na rupting Jesus' discourse. It was common for a rabbi to mnie duże wrażenie. Inaczej wielu bartymeuszów dalej teach as he walked with others. Jesus was on his way to będzie siedziało przy bezdrożach, nie wiedząc, czego się celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem and a band of pilgrims spodziewać po Chrystusie. Wolałbym być pośród tych followed him. When the crowd tried to silence the blind kapłanów, którzy wołają: „Bądź dobrej myśli, wstań, woła man he overpowered them with his emotional outburst cię!”, niż pośród tych, którzy nastawali, aby umilkł. and thus caught the attention of Jesus. W tym samym soborowym dokumencie czytam z This incident reveals something important about nie mniejszym wrażeniem o kapłanach, którzy są how God interacts with us. The blind man was determined dłużnikami wszystkich; dłużnikami zobowiązanymi do to get Jesus' attention and he was persistent in the face of dzielenia się prawdą Ewangelii. Tekst łaciński dokumentu opposition. Jesus could have ignored or rebuffed him be- używa w tym miejscu słowa DEBITORES! Czy wiemy, co to cause he was disturbing his talk and his audience. Jesus jest debet w banku? Otóż każdy kapłan jest na duchowym showed that acting was more important than talking. This debecie wobec Kościoła i nie może sobie od niechcenia man was in desperate need and Jesus was ready, not only powiedzieć jakiegoś kazanka okolicznościowego, to empathize with his suffering, but to relieve it as well. A upstrzonego poezją i polityką. Musi spłacać dług słowa great speaker can command attention and respect, but a Bożego, budzącego nadzieję i wiarę w miłość Jezusa, man or woman with a helping hand and a big heart is loved ludziom, którzy nie tylko wdowi grosz łożą na kapłańskie more. Jesus commends Bartimaeus for recognizing who he utrzymanie. is with the eyes of faith and grants him physical sight as SS. Peter and Paul News Page 3 well. Do you recognize your need for God's healing grace 2015 FLU SHOTS and do you seek Jesus out, like Bartimaeus, with persistent SS. Peter and Paul Church faith and trust in his goodness and mercy? "Lord Jesus, may I never fail to recognize my need Activities Building for your grace. Help me to take advantage of the opportu- (7718 Westwood; enter Parking Lot from Grandville) nities you give me to seek your presence daily and to listen attentively to your word." (Copyright 2015, Don Schwager) Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. When: Monday, November 2nd Update from the Archdiocese of Detroit All Souls Day Mass Monday, November 2, 2015 Your family of faithful servants at Catholic Funeral & Ceme- tery Services looks forward to commemorating the lives of those called back into the loving arms of Our Holy Father. Holy Sepulchre Cemetery $15 FEE for those who DO NOT have: 9am-Archbishop Allen Vigneron presiding Medicare (Part B) or Medicaid Mausoleum Rotunda Chapel PLEASE BRING YOUR MEDICARE OR MEDICAID CARD AND I.D. Our Lady of Hope Cemetery 10am-Bishop Francis Reiss presiding Garden Mausoleum Inlfluenza (“FLU”) is a viral infection of the bronchial tubes Catholic Services Appeal and lungs that can cause illness to people of all ages.