Monday, July 30, 2012

Valio! Valio! Meilutyte wins gold in 100M breast stroke!

Read all about it in The Guardian! I'm definitely going to watch the medal ceremony on TV this evening, in fact I wish there were some Lithuanians in my neighborhood so that we could gather in our local tavern.  When the anthem is played I certainly will sing along.  I am not high tech enough to give you the  bouncing ball, but here are the lyrics:


Lietuva, Tėvyne mūsų,
Tu didvyrių žeme,
Iš praeities Tavo sūnūs
Te stiprybę semia.

Tegul Tavo vaikai eina
Vien takais dorybės,
Tegul dirba Tavo naudai
Ir žmonių gėrybei.

Tegu saulė Lietuvoj
Tamsumas prašalina,
Ir šviesa, ir tiesa
Mūs žingsnius telydi.

Tegul meilė Lietuvos
Dega mūsų širdyse,
Vardan tos, Lietuvos
Vienybė težydi!

English Translation:

Lithuania, my homeland, land of heroes!
Let your sons draw strength from the past.
Let your chidren follow only the path of virtue,
working for the good of their native land and for all mankind.

Let the sun banish all darkness from Lithuania,
with light and truth always guiding our steps.
Let the love of Lithuania burn in our hearts
And for the sake of our country, let unity blossom.

Thank you, Ruta and Ausros Vartu Marija for this wonderful achievement!

On NBC, Meilutyte rhymes with Kryptonite


And well it should.  Ruta Meilutyte plowed through the Olympic pool like a superwoman or aquatic Energizer Bunny in both the prelims and semi-finals of the Womens' 100 meter breast stroke.  She swims for the Gold today at 3:15 PM NYC time (8:15 PM London time) and it would be a real morale booster for all of us Lithuanians and Lithuanian/Americans in OLV country to see her atop the podium as the Lithuanian flag is raised and the anthem played.  Although I have been reproached for trying to get  Our Lady to influence athletic events in the past, I think that we should certainly place our hopes before Ausros Vartu Marija and ask for Her intercession.


Friday, July 27, 2012

Mary, is that you?

Recently trees in the metropolitan area have sprouted images of the Virgin Mary in the form of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  One, in West New York, NJ, appeared in the media limelight on Sunday. Another appeared yesterday in our very own archdiocese in a tree across from the shuttered Holy Cross Church in Sleepy Hollow.

A brief piece at archdiocesan-friendly MyFoxNY has spokesman Joseph Zwilling responding as follows:

"Joseph Zwilling, chief spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, said this is not an official apparition. He added that people tend to see this image in various places but they are not endorsed by the church. But he concluded that people taking inspiration from these images is a good thing.
When asked about the closed Holy Cross Church across the street, Zwilling said the image would not cause the Archdiocese to take any action.

Read more: http://www.myfoxny.com/story/19103211/virgin-mary-in-tree-in-sleepy-hollow#ixzz21ppPZVfe"

This brief statement includes the word "not" 3 times and the powerful poetry of the words "official" and "endorsed."    Interestingly enough, one of the "nots" referred to taking action regarding the the Holy Cross Church.  It would be interesting to see the full text of the question that occasioned the terse response.

When I am down and discouraged, I tend to see the faces of old friends in the middle distance on a crowed street or subway platform and my heart leaps.  As the person comes closer I see a stranger who bears a resemblance.  While I do not meet my friend, I am consoled by the remembrance.  As the Feast of the Assumption nears I am happy that Our Lady is in the hearts and minds of so many people who hunger for her loving presence.

Attention all metro traffic reporters:  As you hover over the entrance to the Holland Tunnel, please take lots of video if the roofs of the waiting cars form a mosaic that looks something like this:



Wednesday, July 18, 2012

New York Times Publishes Good News of Catholicism

Sharon Otterman's piece in todays NY Times, In Graying Priesthood, New York’s Grayest Keeps Faith in Bronx, profiles Father Gerald Ryan, 92 year old Pastor of St. Luke's parish in the Bronx.

Though his title is officially "Administrator," as the article points out and the Archdiocese frowns on the use of the possessive (I say "the parish of St. Luke") I enjoy taking liberties.  Father Ryan embodies everything that is good about the Catholic Church.  Priests like him keep us going and vice versa.  Thank you, Sharon Otterman for this positive piece.