Jan 17, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 2 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Hebrews 7:1-3,15-17
“This becomes even more clearly evident when there appears a second Melchizedek, who is a priest not by virtue of a law about physical descent, but by the power of an indestructible life”. The distinction between a priest by virtue of a law of physical descent and by virtue of an indestructible life is very clear. “He remains a priest for ever”. The grace has the power of indestructible life which can transform us for ever. The changes we make in our life, the transformation we make in our life, must be through by the power of this grace. If we try to make changes or transformation because of the pressures of the situation or because of our egoistic intentions, it will not last. The good which comes out of us through the grace of God will last for ever. So, it’s very important to make sure that our conversion and transformation is through the working of the grace of God. Then the effects will remain for ever. Let’s reflect: Is our transformation and conversion really motivated by grace or just a necessity of the situation?
Jan 17, 2023 | NEWS
In the last week of 2022, a retreat for sisters from Tanzania, who serve in Poland, Germany and Rome, took place in our house in Poznań. The retreat in Swahili was preached by Fr. Alex, who is currently studying in Poznań. The priest reminded us that as consecrated persons, we are to transform the world and not let it be the other way around, that the world changes us and shapes our religious life. After the retreat, the sisters and the priest came to Wrocław to pray at the tomb of the Founder.
Jan 17, 2023 | POSITIVE IMPULSES
When we are afraid to face a situation, we also want others to participate in that fear. Then all our perceptions about that situation are interpreted by this fear and our explanations are conditioned by this fear. It’s here we must understand our fear to overcome it. It’s natural to have fears. But it’s important that don’t let your fears take control of you. Find out the fears and verify whether you are controlling the fear, or the fear is controlling you. Have the courage to control your own fear.
Don Giorgio
Jan 16, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Antony, Abbot
Tuesday of week 2 in Ordinary Time
First reading – Hebrews 6:10-20
We “should have a strong encouragement to take a firm grip on the hope that is held out to us. Here we have an anchor for our soul, as sure as it is firm”. The anchor for our soul is the promise of God that He will bless us always. “I will shower blessings on you and give you many descendants”. The promise of God is irrevocable because it is the Word of God. It cannot be altered. That is our strong encouragement. That is our strong hope. That God will shower blessings on us always. Upon this hope we must build our relationship with God. “Our one desire is that every one of you should go on showing the same earnestness to the end, to the perfect fulfilment of our hopes, never growing careless, but imitating those who have the faith and the perseverance to inherit the promises”. So, we must have earnestness to the end in the abovesaid hope. Not hope in anything else but in the promise of God. Then we must not grow careless or easy going. It should be like the anchor, always held tight and firm. There we need the help. The help is in imitating those who have the faith and perseverance. Imitation of saints. Let’s reflect: Are we anchoring our hope earnestly in the promise of God without growing careless?
Jan 16, 2023 | POSITIVE IMPULSES
“You don’t understand”, this is a key phrase we hear from people who wants to put us down, especially when they repeat it. This is a phrase of attack. Never say this. But in case you must say this, think 100 times before. Because it can be that I did not explain something well and that is why the other party did not understand. Then when someone is saying this to you, “You don’t understand”, don’t defend yourself. Because often this phrase is a sign of desperation and impatience. Don’t doubt your capacity of understanding or yourself. Be calm and understand the intention of the person. Then you will see the whole picture. So, whenever you hear this phrase, “You don’t understand”, it is not that you must understand what he or she says, but that you must understand the person who says that.
Don Giorgio
