Father Stanko's Blog

Please pray for the sick of the parish and for all families who are experiencing financial difficulties.
I would like to welcome all of you to my blog, and I hope that you enjoy reading "Pastor's Ponderings."
I pray that you will be filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit.
PLEASE PRAY FOR AN END OF ABORTION! 

PASTOR’S PONDERINGS - 5 - 20 - 12

     Sometimes you find the most thought provoking articles in the Readers Forum section of the Johnstown Tribune.  One such letter was written by Karl Komara entitled, “Contraception a wall between two souls.”  It appeared in the Saturday, April 21 issue of
the Johnstown Tribune.  

     The writer states that many people see contraception as one of the greatest gifts given to mankind.  “In reality, it isn’t, “ says the
author.  Rather: “It’s a scourge, and it deeply affects our families and marriages.  It prevents life, but what else does it prevent?”  The writer goes on to mention:   “It prevents a complete union.  That which expresses love totally, faithfully, freely and fruitfully being a sincere gift of self always open to life.”

     Mr. Komara goes on to say: “The conjugal act is meant to unite husband and wife and renew their vows . . . How can there be a total self giving “when a wall is built between the two.” 
Also, the use of contraceptives when “sex shouldn’t even occur - like
outside marriage” prevents chastity, the forgotten virtue in our culture, from being learned and practiced.

     What has happened as a result of the government mandate that contraceptives and abortion be paid for by “Obama Care” is that it has opened a new interest in Catholic teaching against things like abortion and contraceptives.  People are beginning to take a second look at
Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical, Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life) which reiterated Catholic teaching against the use of contraceptives which dates back to the early Church.

     During this year long Marriage Building Initiative, the truth may come to the fore that the use of contraceptives is not a marriage
builder but a marriage destroyer.  This is something that the Catholic Church has always maintained.  The use of contraceptives takes God out of the picture.  I would like to thank Mr. Komara for writing such an excellent letter and the Johnstown Tribune for printing iT.

     I wanted to help her get some meaning out of Mothers Day.  I
mentioned to her that her mother, although imperfect, did give her the gift of life.  Then I asked her: “What if your
mother would have aborted you?”  She thought for a moment and said, “Then I guess I wouldn’t be here today.”  She then added, “I guess I should at least thank her for the gift of life.”
     Today we thank our mothers for so many things - the cooking, the washing of cloths, cleaning the house, her support when we need it, all of her many sacrifices and so many other countless things that a mother does, but do we ever thank her for the gift of life? 
   The world wouldn’t be what it is . . . our days wouldn’t be what they are . . . without the love of our mothers.  Motherhood is not given the respect it deserves by our culture.
     So we thank them today and honor them, not just today, their special Sunday.  WE SHOULD THANK THEM EVERYDAY.  THANKS MOM FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE - EVERYDAY SHOULD BE MOTHERS DAY. Do something nice for Mom today. If she is deceased, remember her in a prayerful way.
 
 
PASTOR’S PONDERINGS - 5 - 6 - 12
 One of the most intriguing events in the life of St. John Vianney was his First Holy Communion.  Perhaps, on this First Holy Communion for our parish, it might be a good idea to remember the experience of our Patron Saint.  We have to understand that this occurred during the “second reign of terror” of the French Revolution in the year 1799.  Because St. John Mary lived during this time, it was very difficult for him to get a good education because the Catholic Church was severely persecuted in France.
     His First Holy Communion probably took place during the hay harvest.  During this time of persecution priests were being hunted down and died by the hundreds. Because of this, John was led to embrace the Priesthood.  In fact the Pope, Pius VI, who was 82 years
old, was a prisoner of the revolution. 
    The so called republican calendar remained in force and religious
festivals were replaced by strange and preposterous secular festivals;
therefore, Mass had to be celebrated in secrecy.
      Because of these terrible circumstances, St. John’s First Holy Communion had to be held in the little town of Ecully.  At a very early hour the sixteen communicants, dressed in their ordinary cloths,wereconducted to a large room with the shutters closed because it was decided that the children would carry a lighted candle, the flame of which could not be seen.
      Carts laden with hay were placed around the house in front of the windows and were unloaded while the ceremony took place.  The clothing worn by the communicants was smuggled secretly into the house by the mother of each child.  John was thirteen years of age at this time.  When John grew older, he always shed tears of joy when he spoke of his First Holy Communion.  St. John Vianney always had a tremendous love for the Mass and the Eucharist.  I would like to offer my congratulations to our First Communicants.  May our Patron guide these young people throughout their lives.  (Source – “The Cure ‘D Ars” by Abbe Francis Trochu)
 
PASTOR’S PONDERINGS – 4 – 29 - 12
     As mentioned last Sunday, today we are beginning the “Marriage
Building Initiative of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.  Last
week you received a letter from Bishop Mark. As we begin this initiate, I would like to site the December, 2009 letter of the American Bishops, “MARRIAGE: Love and Life in the Divine Plan.” 
    In the introduction of this letter, the bishops remind us of the words of Blessed John Paul II who always reminded us that the future of the human race depends on marriage and the family.  The letter goes on to mention some of the serious problems of the times that we live in that seriously erode the dignity of marriage.
    The first of these is that so many couples live in cohabiting relationships.  We should realize that, according to the latest statistics, cohabitation does NOT decrease the divorce rate; in fact it does the exact opposite - it makes divorce more likely.  Also, the
introduction to this letter states that the divorce rate among Catholics is much too high.
     The bishops also speak out against the numerous attempts to redefine marriage so that it is no longer exclusively a union between a man and a woman which is aimed at the procreation of children as God established it.  How can a couple in a same sex “marriage”
procreate children?  Every child has the right to a real father and a real mother. Also, the dignity of marriage is also attacked by the contraceptive mentality that is so prevalent in our society.
    The bishops addressed this pastoral letter first and foremost to the Catholic faithful in the United States, and they ask us to stand firm against all attacks on marriage and the family.  During this year-long Marriage Building Initiative, let us pray for those who are married that they will continue to live this sacrament the way God intended it to be lived.  We also should pray for those couples in a difficult marriage that they may be open to receiving the help that they need to heal their marriages.  Here’s where family members and good friends
can be a tremendous help.