The General Synod

As we find ourselves now in the month of September, there is just about one month until we gather for the XXVI General Synod held within the Central Diocese of our Church.  We remind ourselves that the Holy Synod is such a critical part of what we do as members of God’s Holy Church.  We gather together as beloved children of God, brothers and sisters of Christ, to do the work of the Church, the building up of the kingdom of God.

I certainly realize that this is sometimes a little difficult to see.  We will have to go through many reports of the work completed and the things that still need to be accomplished.  We will possibly have to spend some late nights dealing with the matters of the Church.  But through all of it, we will spend time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to inspire us to help point us in the right direction for the Church.  We will spend time in discussion with others seeking their wisdom and their help in best serving the Church.  It is our strong belief that through all of this, the Holy Spirit will guide the Church to fulfill the will of God in our world today. 

I encourage all the faithful of the Church, and especially the delegates to the Synod, to keep in mind a number of things as we prepare for Holy Synod.  As the Synod is called to accomplish the work of the Church, we can ask, what exactly is this work?  What should we be doing?  I know that we will oftentimes work on rather specific items, but we must also keep in mind the larger reality of this work of the Synod.

The Preamble to the Constitution and Laws of the Polish National Catholic Church speaks to this.  “By divine imperative the sacred mission of this Church is to carry the light of Jesus Christ before the people, constantly reminding them that their aim is to live in the spirit of God, in truth, love and righteousness, seeking the truth by reading and studying the Holy Scriptures with the aid of the accumulated wisdom of the ages.”

This is the realization that we must each have within ourselves when we come to the Holy Synod.  Yes, we are there to hear the reports of the work of the Church over the past four years.  We will try to plan a way forward for the next four years.  But through it all we must know within our hearts that we are striving to “carry the light of Jesus Christ before the people.”  Through our plans we must strive, for ourselves and for everyone, to “live in the spirit of God, in truth, love and righteousness.” 

I implore all the members of the Church to offer the following Prayer for the Church found within our P.N.C.C. Prayer Book.  Offer it in the days leading up to the Synod.  During the Synod, I ask the delegates to pray it before coming to sessions and all the faithful to pray it each day for the delegates while we gather.

Prayer for the Church

Almighty and eternal God, You have called us to serve You through the Polish National Catholic Church.  Hear our prayer for the Prime Bishop, the bishops, priests, deacons and faithful of our Holy Church.  May Your gifts and blessings strengthen our resolve to serve You and by example bring others into the Mystical Body of Christ.  May all that we do be for the glory of Your Name and the salvation of Your people.  By our faithful witness and service may we eventually be received into Your eternal kingdom.  Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

When we gather at Holy Synod there will certainly be much work to be done.  We will seek to elect a candidate for the office of Bishop, but we must also pledge ourselves to be leaders within our own parishes to help them continue to grow in spirit and in number.  We will hear reports of the Commissions and Committees of the entire Church, but we also will seek to find new and better ways to accomplish the work set out over eight years ago at the first Future Direction discussions.  These five points for the entire Church, and especially for each parish, are: 1) Growth and Membership, 2) Increase Spirituality, 3) Lifelong Learning, 4) Sacred Vocations, and 5) Community Involvement and Presence.  While we know that each of these matters is important for the life of each of our parishes, we must also keep in mind that through these things what we are really doing is kingdom building.  We are really in each of these matters “carrying the light of Jesus Christ before the people.”

Each time I get myself ready to prepare for my participation in Holy Synod, I often read the words of Bishop Hodur, when he addressed the Synod delegates at the 1906 Synod in Scranton before they took their synodal oath.  A portion of these words are: “What power is it that has brought [us] here, Honored Brothers and Beloved in Christ?  What idea has led us to His holy place before the altar of sacrifice?  The idea of a Free Church, the idea of a Christian society in which Christ would be the only leader.  His Word the water which gives life, and the people are brothers and sisters.  This is the goal for which we are bound, for which we are to work.  Are you ready?  Have you all gathered here in the thought that you are laborers in the vineyard of Christ …?  And that we are to fulfill in these three days work similar to that which the Jewish priests and people did in the days of Esdras when they built the temple and in one hand, held a trowel and built walls and in the other a sword in defense before the enemies of their nation?”

“We must further build this National shrine but also defend it before external and internal enemies who want to tear it to pieces and change it to rubble.  We have gathered in God’s Church to call upon the help and light from the Spirit of all light and to pledge also before God that we will fulfill our duty conscientiously and honestly.”

“We are ready to stand in defense of the pure teaching of Christ, always and everywhere.  We shall defend the honor of the Holy Cross, defending it before hypocrisy, and we are ready to give our lives in defense of truth.  We pledge loyalty and love to the National Church, and respect and obedience for its laws.  May Almighty God and the Most Holy Mother of His Son help us to fulfill all these duties.”  (Hodur: Sermon Outlines and Occasional Speeches, Address in Church Prior to the Oath (In conjunction with the oath taken by the First Special Synod 1906 p. 52-53)

As we prepare for the Synod, pray for the Church, Her leaders and Her members.  Pray for the delegates that the Holy Spirit may inspire them to set a course to “carry the light of Jesus Christ before the people.”  Resolve to serve the Church putting your love of God and neighbor to action in your own life and in your parish life.  Give what you can in time, talent and treasure to build the kingdom of God.

The “Tenets and Aims” portion of the Constitution and Laws of the P.N.C.C. gives expression to our belief “that through the Holy Spirit, God governs the Church and enables it to regenerate and convert human society and to unite it under one Shepherd, Christ Jesus our Lord.  In this manner the kingdom of God on earth is realized.”