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t in the bond of peace.Communio …bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Menu and widgets About the author Paul A. Zalonski from New Haven, CT, follows the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, and the charism of Saint Benedict, works as a monastery farmer and a keeper of honey bees. Contact: paulzalonski[at]yahoo.com. 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Benedict Maria ordained deacon at Portsmouth Abbey Today my friend, Brother Benedict Maria, a Benedictine monk of Portsmouth Abbey, was ordained to the Order of Deacon by the Bishop of Providence, Richard G, Henning, STD. He’s doing his seminary studies at the major seminary in Florida. The Portsmouth Abbey family is blessed to have him among us. Deacon Benedict Maria’s family came from India and countless friends from around the USA came to the ordination including the many members of the impressive ecclesial movement, Jesus Youth. May God grant Benedict Maria many years of fruitful ministry. Posted on May 3, 2024 May 4, 2024 Categories Benedictines Tags Portsmouth Abbey Leave a comment on Br. Benedict Maria ordained deacon at Portsmouth Abbey The Transitus of a friend After several months of prolonged sickness and more than 8 years of thrice weekly kidney dialysis, my friend of 37 years, Chorbishop Joseph Francis Kaddo made his transition to the Lord of Life, today at 4:30 a.m. Joe was a Maronite priest from Troy, NY, who served as the founding pastor of two parishes, pastor of a few of a more, a former Vicar General for two Maronite bishops and the friend of many. My love of the Eastern Church came through Joe Kaddo through our long years of friendship. Thanks be to God. This is the final picture of the two of us on 30 December 2023, just a few hours before being admitted to the hospital. Joe’s funeral rites will be on Sunday and Monday, 5-6 May 2024 at St. Anthony of the Desert Church, Fall River, MA. He will be laid to rest with his parents in Troy. UPDATE: Chorbishop Joseph Francis Kaddo’s obituary is posted here . May the Lord forgive his sins and admit him the beatific vision. May Joe’s memory be eternal. Posted on April 26, 2024 May 4, 2024 Categories PAZFriends Tags Maronite Leave a comment on The Transitus of a friend Sunday of the Paralytic Man 2024 In speaking about the liturgical contours of today’s commemoration, Fr David Petras uses St. John Chrysostom to draw our attention deeper into the mystery we are presented in the Gosepl. Chrysostom tells us that if an unbeliever enters a church during a baptism, all he sees is people being washed. But a believer sees people being reborn in the Spirit. The unbeliever sees only with the eyes of the body, the believer sees with the inner eyes of the soul. When we are baptized all our body sees and feels is water, but by the Spirit our sins are washed away and we become children of God.” Why Chrysostom identifies for us applies to all of the spiritual life and the sacraments of the Church. For example, when we receive Holy Communion, if we only see and taste with the eyes and mouth bread and wine but not with the eyes of the Holy Spirit we will miss on the fact of the Lord’s love, forgiveness of sins and and healing and the deepest reality of salvation. The Mystery of the bread of life is more than a social pact or a sense of social respectability. Receiving the Eucharistic Lord is communion with the God and with one another as it is the divine pledge of eternal life: new life. The Sunday of the Paralytic Man teaches us that the water of Bethesda is meaningless if we neglect the fact the word given by Jesus is full of power and energy to transform thus identifying the presence of God. Jesus speaks the word and gives the man the strength to walk. The water of the Bethseda pool is a type of Baptism. The waters of Baptism not only wash and make us adopted children of God. The waters of Baptism heals us spiritually and physically. One aspect of today’s Gospel is that illness is a lesser manifestation of death. Here Jesus’s word exercises power over the man’s illness pointing our attention once again to his own power over death. What do we learn on this 3rd Sunday after Pascha? What is the take-away lesson? First, we don’t make ourselves. Everything we have and are is given and sustained by God. Second, our identity as Christians is based not on a theory or a vague theological idea but on the person of Jesus the Christ. Third, we learn that by ourselves we cannot forgive, heal or love or be saved. Human nature can’t forgive without the prompting of the Holy Spirit. On Wednesday, April 24, we are mid-way to Pentecost. The Gospels we read at the Divine Liturgy bring our focus of faith into greater clarity as we approach the solemn feast of Pentecost. Christ is risen! Posted on April 21, 2024 Categories Easter, AscensionPentecost Tags Easter Leave a comment on Sunday of the Paralytic Man 2024 Thomas J. Kelly, priest, RIP In Christian charity please remember the repose of the soul of Fr. Thomas J. Kelly, who died earlier today. Thom was a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford, and the Magistral Chaplain for the Eastern Connecticut Area of the Order of Malta. A longtime friend and collaborator, Thom, served the Lord well in his Church. His sudden and unexpected death is very much a surprise. His presence will be felt. Fr. Kelly’s funeral will be next week at the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Motherhouse in Hamden, CT. May Fr. Kelly’s memory be eternal. Blessed Gerard, pray for Thom and for us. Posted on April 15, 2024 May 4, 2024 Categories PAZFriends Tags friends Leave a comment on Thomas J. Kelly, priest, RIP Pope once again the Patriarch of the West It seems the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, is once again the Patriarch of the West, according to the Annuario Pontificio 2024 . It was removed from the list of papal titles by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. An act that was unfathomable to me. The Annuario has on the front page the Pope with his original title: Francis, Bishop of Rome”. The current list of titles that the Roman Pontiff claims for himself: Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Pontifex Maximus of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Province of Rome, Sovereign of the...