Jan 11, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 1 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 2:1-12
“Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven”. There are so many details in this gospel passage to meditate. But on this verse, we concentrate. The first thought goes to the Word of God which says, “Seeing their faith”. Jesus is seeing not only the paralytic man, but also, He is also seeing the faith of the persons who are lowering the paralytic man. Others are not seeing them, but Jesus is seeing. Jesus is seeing their faith though others are not seeing them. So, when we do something for others because of our faith in Jesus, He sees it. Then the second thought is about how Jesus is addressing the paralytic man, “My child”. Jesus is addressing his with the love of the Father. Jesus is considering him as His child. Again, then whom was they carrying? They were carrying to Jesus, a person whom Jesus considers as son. In faith we see all things in a different way. In faith, we understand Jesus. Nothing can stop us. We move towards Jesus because we are carrying someone important for Jesus, we are doing something important for Jesus. Let’s reflect: Our faith must motivate us to do all things as an act focused on Jesus.
Jan 11, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 1 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 2:1-12
“Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven”. There are so many details in this gospel passage to meditate. But on this verse, we concentrate. The first thought goes to the Word of God which says, “Seeing their faith”. Jesus is seeing not only the paralytic man, but also, He is also seeing the faith of the persons who are lowering the paralytic man. Others are not seeing them, but Jesus is seeing. Jesus is seeing their faith though others are not seeing them. So, when we do something for others because of our faith in Jesus, He sees it. Then the second thought is about how Jesus is addressing the paralytic man, “My child”. Jesus is addressing his with the love of the Father. Jesus is considering him as His child. Again, then whom was they carrying? They were carrying to Jesus, a person whom Jesus considers as son. In faith we see all things in a different way. In faith, we understand Jesus. Nothing can stop us. We move towards Jesus because we are carrying someone important for Jesus, we are doing something important for Jesus. Let’s reflect: Our faith must motivate us to do all things as an act focused on Jesus.
Jan 11, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 1 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Mark 1:40-45
“Even so, people from all around would come to him”. This is because He is Jesus, the second person of Trinity. This is because He is God incarnated. God who touches our infirmities. Because this verse, there is this episode of a leper who kneeled before Jesus and pleaded. He knelt and confessed his faith in Jesus. ‘If you want to you can cure me.’ The leper has full faith in the power of Jesus to cure him. This is his faith. His faith has another character which is very important. He is ready to admit the plan of God for him. He is not doing an act of faith obliging God to do a miracle. He is ready to accept the plan of God which may be not to heal him too. This character of his faith is very important. While imploring for his important intention, he is leaving space for a better plan of God for him. Let’s reflect: God can have better plans for us than what we have for ourselves and acknowledging that is the real faith.
Jan 10, 2024 | NEWS
On January 7, 2024, on the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord, we went on a pilgrimage to Mieszkowice, the hometown of the Servant of God, Fr. John Schneider, our Founding Father, to thank the Good God during the Holy Eucharist for the gift of His life and vocation on the 200th anniversary of His birth and baptism this year.
The Holy Mass was presided over by Fr. Krystian Charchut, parish priest of Our Lady of the Piasek parish in Wrocław. The ceremony was also attended by Fr. prof. Zdzisław Lec from Wrocław, priest Kazimierz Szczepanik SAC, chaplain of the Branicki convent of sisters and the local parish priest, Fr. Mariusz Budziarek.
The homily was delivered by Fr. Mariusz, spoke simply and clearly, his words touched our hearts and were deeply moving.
In order to properly describe the content of the homily, let me quote a larger fragment of it that I wrote down.
– When John Paul II, as the Holy Father, came to his hometown of Wadowice in 1999, it was June. He said that “it all started here.” [In Wadowice] He received the sacrament of baptism there, he went to school there, and his priesthood began there. Man returns to his sources. We could wonder what would have happened if not for Father John Schneider, [who came from] such an inconspicuous, small Mieszkowice. What would happen to the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate? Trusting in God’s Providence, we deeply believe that God predicted, planned and directed everything.
You penetrate and know me, Lord, You know when I sit and when I get up. You see my thoughts from afar, you see how I rest and walk, and you know all my ways. Ps 139:1-2
This is how God’s Providence arranged it in its plan, that it was here in Mieszkowice, 200 years ago, that Fr. John Schneider was born, just two days later in this church, on January 13, he received the sacrament of baptism, that he served here as an altar boy, and then there was more and more. (…)
It seems so natural that the sisters make pilgrimages here, to this humble House of God, because man returns to his sources. Sisters, this is where the faith of your founding father was formed. (…)
Today, when we celebrate this [200th] anniversary, we must also thank God for the life and work of Father John Schneider, but we must be aware that we too were once brought to the temple by our parents. It was our parents who asked for baptism for us, so that we would be incorporated into a new life with Christ. (…) And today, when we gather on the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord, we gather, so to speak, in the house of Father John Schneider. This House of God was also his house, where his faith was shaped, and at home one feels good, safe, wanted, loved , respected and appreciated. This is how one feels at home and I hope that the sisters and guests who come here will be able to feel this way. As a parish priest, as local parishioners, we would like you to feel at home when you come here [to Mieszkowice, to the temple], in the house of God in the house of Father John Schneider – invited Father Mariusz, the parish priest.
After the Holy Mass, Provincial Superior, Sr. Magdalena Zabłotna, thanked the priests and the gathered faithful for the community prayer. She referred to a person, Fr. The Founder recalled that he was a great honor of Our Lady, a dedicated confessor, and a man sensitive to the needs of the sick and poor.
– He was a priest of steadfast faith. He learned the miracle of Divine Mercy and shared it and gave it to everyone. The Provincial Sister encouraged us to follow his path.
Finally, a plaque commemorating the baptism of the Servant of God was consecrated in the Mieszkow church.
Here is its content:
IN THIS CHURCH. ST. JERZEGO
13/01/1824. WAS BAPTIZED
SERVANT OF GOD
FR. JOHN SCHNEIDER,
GREAT HONOR OF THE MOTHER OF GOD,
APOSTLE OF MERCY,
PRIEST OF UNBREAKABLE FAITH,
FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION
SISTERS OF MARY IMMACULATE.
In order to extend the Eucharistic table into a table where we could meet in sisterly and brotherly relationships, we went to our monastery in Nysa, where, with a good lunch and then coffee and cake, we continued to celebrate the passing of 200 years since the birth and baptism of our Founding Father.
May God be glorified in the life and vocation of the servant of God, Fr. John Schneider.
Sr. Małgorzata Cur
Jan 9, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Now Simon’s mother-in-law had gone to bed with fever, and they told him about her straightaway. He went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to wait on them”. In this verse we can see three actions which explains the whole love of God for us. These three actions can be seen in the curing of the mother-in-law of Simon. What are these three actions? Jesus going to her, Jesus taking her by the hand and Jesus helping her up. This happened in the mystery of incarnation. This happens in every sacrament. This happens in all our relationship with God. God initiating his journey to us. He comes to us. He gives His hand to us. He takes us by our hand because it shows that God is intervening in our life but not taking away our freedom. He is just taking our hand and we have the freedom to take it away. He takes our hands and then He helps us to get up. To get up walk in the way that is right. The right path is serving Him That is what Simon’s mother-in-law is doing. She served Jesus. Let’s reflect: Jesus comes to our life, takes our hand, and helps us to restart
