William Penn Life, 2012 (47. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2012-05-01 / 5. szám
Tibor's Take with Tibor Check, Jr. Lots of points to ponder... AS MENTIONED in previous articles, I have a vast reserve of completed or nearly completed Takes saved on my computer. I had one ready to go for this month, but once again, recent experiences gave me a more impending urgency to create a new topic for the May issue. ***************************************************************** I do not consider myself to be a pious or deeply religious Catholic. I miss Mass on several Sundays and Holy Days every year. I understand my religion, but I am really turned off by politics within the realm of the church. As with most sacred entities, I consider church to be an oasis from the savage life each of us face on a daily basis. Church, like a hospital, library, musical concert or school, offers its own type of quietness, respect and decorum that is absent anywhere else. Schools should offer a safe and secure learning environment for all students and adults. Hospitals, just like libraries, are quiet and conducive to recovery, learning and thought. When listening and watching a musical presentation, certain rules and procedures are adhered to for the sake of performers and patrons alike. Church, should have the most in the way of proper protocols. No matter what the denomination, a house of worship should offer a cross-categorical sanctuary in terms of respect, comfort, inner peace and security. In recent years, my family and I have become migratory worshippers in terms of where we attend services. We travel from one church to another in quest of what we once had at St. Margaret of Hungary. Sorry to say, we haven't found a new house of worship that is or was like St. Margit. St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Cleveland, Ohio, is the closest to what we grew up to love and cherish. Unfortunately, Szt. Elizabeth is just too far away for us to attend on a regular basis. Over the past few years of vagabond worship, I have noticed a rapid decline in proper church behavior. Most violators of church etiquette are persons 30 years of age and under. There are plenty of poor mannered older adults as well, but it seems to me that the younger worshipers are much more blatant and numerous. This past Easter Sunday, my család attended the church geographically closest to our home. It is a modern, pleasant place but lacks the feel of church. The facility was filled to capacity. We got there about 10 minutes prior to the beginning of Mass. We were only able to enter the outer vestibule that houses several displays, mini-shrines, message boards, an adjacent cry room and a rather large marble pool/baptismal font. This font also houses a fourstation holy water waterfall for anointing oneself with the sign of the cross before entering the church proper. This stone centerpiece would be quite beautiful if it were in a shopping mall or in the foyer of a large office building. Contrary to what many people think, Húsvét is the most important date in the liturgical calendar. With that said, I realize that many infrequent worshipers make it a point to attend at least this one day in a year. As mentioned earlier in this commentary, I have seen a quick decline in how people show respect for the church and what it signifies. To be frank, I was appalled by the circus I witnessed on Easter Sunday 2012. I saw scantily clothed women, flip flops, T-shirts, short shorts, tank tops, midriff revealing blouses and a vast array of biker type leather chaps and vests. As for technology, there was plenty of that—iPads, cell phones, personal CD players, iPods, Kindles and even a small LCD screen television. All of these wonderful devices were being used to their full functionality. I was equally disturbed by parents talking as if they were at the local Giant Eagle or baseball game. Conversation became so loud that I could not hear the consecration segment of the Mass that was on the speaker system in the outer lobby. The baptismal font became the gathering point for a large clan of so called worshipers. I saw a few of the less C/l 4^^ One of the most requested songs on my család’s radio program is a narrative by-trie late Jenő Mate. On this particular recording, the Kara-Nemeth Orchestra plays “Fly, My Swallow” ('“Repülj Fecském’/ as a musical background for Mote’s recitation. The words recited by Mate and the music compliment each other in an extraordinary way. The recording begins with Mate saying, “A long time ago....” This relatively short recording beautifully portrays the story of Hungary, the old-fashioned weddings that lasted a week, the cimbalom, the land of the Hussars, the long-lost love and the 1,000-word lament. This melody was most likely recorded during the mid 1950‘s. My family has only a cassette copy of this unique recording. I was told that the original record is a picture disc, a clear vinyl record with a two-sided photograph in the middle. It is similar to a CD with the label inside, not a sticker affixed to the outside. Does anyone have in their possession this picture record? The record I’m seeking is NOT the popular 33 RPM with a picture of Mate and Kalmar Pal on the front side of the record jacket. Supposedly, only a limited number were produced. If you are aware of this record, please let me know. □ ■L 6 0 May 2012 0 William Penn Life
