A Reflection – The XXVI General Synod  

We have just concluded the XXVI General Synod of the Polish National Catholic Church.  It was most certainly an exhausting few days as we started off our days with early breakfast and continued with sessions all during the day and into the evening after dinner.  The days were also extended since, as faithful members of the Church, we desired to spend some time in catching up with those that we may have not seen for some time from parishes and areas around the entire Church.  We desire to share Christian fellowship with Polish National Catholics throughout the country.

But I can also say that following the Holy Synod, I am also enthused for the work of the new four-year Synodal period as new individuals presented themselves for the Commission work of the Church.  There is also a set of new priorities that we can take from the Resolution that was passed at the conclusion of the Synod (see page 4).  Now I certainly know that many times we pass resolutions at the conclusion of Synods or Conventions that are taken as beautiful expressions of what was accomplished during our days together, but they have little effect on us going forward into the future.  It is my prayer that this is not the case of this past XXVI General Synod.  The Resolution speaks to a number of concrete realities that we must strive to continue to encourage within the life of the Church and it also expresses forward pointing goals to unite ourselves ever stronger with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to bring the work and mission of the Church to those who surround us and are in need of the Lord’s presence.

In reflection on the Resolution that was accepted on the final day of the Synod, each parish of the Polish National Catholic Church, each person within our Church needs to consider these words as a part of their daily life and action within our Christian communities.

At the beginning of the Resolution, it states: “We [the delegates] were strengthened, enlightened and sanctified by our Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, truly present in our very midst through Word and Sacrament during the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist.”  This paragraph concludes with the statement that we “proclaim it as the most beautiful and important aspect of the great work of these blessed days.”

We must not pass over this affirmation as merely an introduction of our later resolutions.  This is, in fact, who we truly are as Polish National Catholics and what sustains all that we will continue to do as we build the kingdom of God and accomplish the will of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Holy Communion, the Holy Sacrament, is the very presence of Jesus among us, strongly expressed especially when we gather together at the Holy Eucharist.  We are surely ‘strengthened’ as through this Sacrament we are united with Jesus Christ.  In receiving Holy Communion, we reflect on the words of St. Paul who said: “And it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ Who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

As Synod delegates and for all Polish National Catholics, we were and are enlightened when we receive our Lord present in Holy Communion and worship Him as our Creator and Redeemer.  In John’s Gospel, Jesus expresses a summation of all that He taught saying: “I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me should not remain in the darkness.” (John 12:46)  Lastly, our lives and work and all that we are and do is sanctified in the receiving of Jesus Christ present in Holy Communion.  In this we make Jesus’ prayer for His disciples our own prayer.  Jesus prays to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.  As You have sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:17-19)

Here in this prayer, that we seek to make our own, we are prepared to go out into the world.  And we do so, as Christian individuals seeking to live our lives in the way that Jesus has taught us, as Christian families seeking to build each other up and support each other in our common life of worship and faith, as Parishes seeking to gather together in the worship of Almighty God, in the reception of His Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Eucharist, and then becoming witnesses to His presence and to work in building His kingdom. 

It is looking within these three realities of our individual Christian lives, our Christian families and our parish life that we must then put the resolutions of our Synod into action.  These resolutions are:

To continually draw strength from the Most Holy Eucharist and the Sacraments, so lovingly provided for us by Christ’s work in the Church; We will do this as we gather for worship at Holy Mass on Sundays and Holy Days and seek to witness to others who will join in that worship.

To seek the true enlightenment that comes from Holy Scripture, God’s own Word to us and from the teachings of the Church, Christ’s continued presence among us; We will do this in our delving into the Holy Scriptures to more fully understand God’s will for us.

To embrace the sacrificial work that Christ entrusts to us in the fulfilling of the two great commandments of love, to Love God and our neighbor; We will do this by seeking to see the needs of those around us, our communities and our world and then, in witnessing to Christ, serve others.

To walk the path of Christian discipleship that we have strived, and will continue to strive, to bring to reality in our Future Direction program as it continues into the future.

Lastly to show ourselves, individually and collectively, as members of the Holy Church founded by Jesus Christ by our shining examples of compassion, mercy and charity, and by our own lives of true and abiding holiness.

These are certainly lofty goals put forward by our Holy Synod, but they are also the goals that have been continually with us in the pages of Holy Scripture and in the teaching of our Holy Church.  As we gathered at Holy Synod, they were expressed to us anew and therefore we reflect on them anew and also strive anew to put them into action.

So many wonderful things occurred during our time together at Holy Synod, we were inspired by the reports of the good things accomplished in the name of Christ, we were enthused by the desire and example of the young members of the Church to take up the mantle of leadership in Christian life and witness.  We were sanctified by our time together in prayer and the reception of the Holy Eucharist at the Opening Mass and the 125^th Anniversary Mass.

As I reflect on the time in prayer and in work at our Holy Synod, I pray that all will join me in making this resolution, not just a summation of our days at Holy Synod, but a reaffirmation of the work of Jesus Christ that lies before us, to sanctify ourselves in worship and uniting ourselves to Christ, to enlighten ourselves with the Word of God and the witness to our fellow Christians surrounding us and ultimately to strengthen ourselves and each other as we, together, build the kingdom of God on earth, showing, through all of it, the love we have and share for God and each other.