May 5, 2021 | NEWS
Once the children told me that this was their second home … “Seed” HOME … I remember my emotions and tears that day. The day before, I prayed to God that I would still not be able to do it … And perhaps I would not have given it, if it had not been for what I heard, and I read it as meeting the Lord himself in these children.
A grain is time… time given and received. Space just a few hours a day after school. But a space different than any other. Unique, but very, very simple. Doing homework together, praying together, afternoon tea, activities and fun… a lot of fun. And a lot of fun. Sometimes worries, but more joys – basically more joys.
“Ziarenko” is a building … Once, in the convent of the Sisters, or actually in its basement, we started our work with children … and today the activity is located in the community building, in rooms that we lend. And again it’s something special, even though it’s just walls …
I will tell a short story related to this building.
Ziarenko was founded by Maksymilian’s sister, who was then in the facility in Branice. Once I visited her while visiting my parents (I come from Branice). I saw the gleam in her eyes. I knew it meant an idea. It turned out to be not only an ordinary human idea, but God’s inspiration. She suggested that I go for a walk with her. To my surprise, for this walk she took a rather large statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. “I’ll tell you on the way,” she said. It was about the old, ruined building of my nursery, where my parents accompanied me as a child. Maksymilian Kolbe put the statue of Mary Immaculate in the open field and said: “Here will be Niepokalanów” and there is … And Maksymilian put the statue of Mary Immaculate in the old, damaged, roofless building and said: “Here will be a seed”. What…? No kidding … I thought to myself.
And no kidding, in a few years the Community of Branice undertakes to completely renovate this old building and allocate some of the rooms to the activities of the Center for children called “Ziarenko”. To this day … I do not understand it humanly … It is also the reason for such a personal meeting with the Immaculate. I am sure today that whenever in my life, or in whatever I do, I will see some ruins … without a roof … then I have to invite Mary to this place … She will perform a miracle of transformation and there will be heaven on earth …
The building, but how important, although it is only walls, but donated by Mary herself. Walls that hold a lot.
Children in “Ziarenek” can pursue interesting and new passions and interests – from sports to artistic. They play football, table tennis, billiards, table football, air hockey, shoot a bow, climb the climbing wall, use the gym. They have a recreation room with a dry pool and wetsuits. There is also a World Experience Room with a waterbed. Computer and study room. In summer, we spend time outside, where we have a lot of activities and challenges for children. There is a go-kart track, tennis court, climbing boulder, playground, gym and many, many other games and adventures that children will invent and create on their own.
In the near future, an oratory will be created, where children will be able to enter for a while and leave their prayers and thanksgiving to God.
“Ziarenko” is an institution … but Marian, first of all … But also weary in law and set on the foundations of the Immaculata Association, which has its soul mate in Opole in the form of our second institution “Cegiełka”
“Ziarenko” are children … Children and they are the most important here … Children attending the Primary School in Branice and older ones, who are already our volunteers … The most important because Jesus said “let the children come to me, the kingdom of heaven belongs to them …” and our grain.
Most importantly, and I am writing about them at the end, but also according to the Gospel principle that “the last will be the first”. Ziarenko are children who find here HOME, TIME, BUILDING, INSTITUTIONS … LOVE, the enormity of love of people who are in the background of the work of this institution. Agnes, devoted with her heart and loving children, mother, wife and trusted friend … Our commune authorities headed by the commune administrator, who … who is wholeheartedly behind us and cheers us on, often fulfilling our strangest requests :). The parish priest of the WNMP Parish in Branice and his parishioners and many, many other people with huge, good and open hearts who support us materially and spiritually.
And I must also mention my Sisters from the Branicka community. Their patience with myself, often a helping hand in good, small things, sometimes make the burden of work that accompanies it becomes smaller, because the community carries and lifts.
So, what is the “Ziarenko” Day Support Center in Branice … all and all that he did not write about and what is in the hearts of the children who attend it.
Sr. Daniela Gumienna
May 3, 2021 | NEWS
I used to wonder what my favorite term for the Immaculate is. She is greeted with so many titles that probably each of her devotees is particularly close to one of them.
Personally, I rarely call her by name. Mother of God is definitely closer to me, and in a very personal prayer simply Mummy … Everything comes from her Divine Motherhood, all the veneration that is surrounded by Jesus’ disciples.
When we invoke the intercession of Our Lady in the Litany of Loreto, we also call her the Mother of the Church. This is the second title that I often address to her also when it falls me to lead community prayers. And although this title of Mary was solemnly announced only by St. Paul VI on November 21, 1964, its value and pronunciation are present throughout the history of the Church from its beginnings.
Today, in the age of pandemics, unrest in many parts of the world, great social differences, prevailing ideologies and other things far from the Gospel, there are many seers, prophets and apostles of the apocalypse. The thought that we are living in the end times gives rise to all sorts of pious practices that are good in themselves and belong to the wealth of the Church. However, their excessive multiplication seems to betray a certain spiritual anxiety, nervousness, distrust, or a tendency to panic. The fullness of time has come with the coming of the Savior into the world (see Gal 4: 4). The end times full of expectation, longing, trials, and hope are inscribed in the time of the Church (see CCC 672-677). Already from the Ascension, the Lord’s coming is close, and while awaiting this event, the Church is accompanied by Her Mother. You have to listen to your mother. This statement seems so obvious, but it is not always as we think it is.
In private revelations recognized as true and approved by the Church, she says the same as in Scripture through her attitude, presence with Jesus and the young Church. It says the same as in the few words written by the Evangelists. For me, the most specific clue is the command given at the wedding to the servants of Cana in Galilee, whom he sends back to Jesus saying: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2: 5).
The title of Mary, Mother of the Church reminds me of a beautiful medieval Madonna with a Protective Mantle, the original of which is in the Church of St. Nicholas in Markdorf. I have never been there, but I got a picture with her image from a late Franciscan who, years ago, accompanied me in the discernment of my vocation. Today, when we live in times when everything is or must be special, I think that such simplicity and ordinariness are needed in protecting oneself under her maternal protection, with which, under the mantle of Mary, the figures representing the medieval inhabitants of the town are protected. We need simplicity and ordinariness in the spiritual life, prayer and work, in interpersonal relationships within and outside communities.
Then we are most like the Mother when, following Her commands, we live as she lived – in the presence of Jesus. Then we are like her when we let the Spirit of God guide us and permeate us as he fills and guides her. So it is not only about addressing Mary in a solemn, pietistic way in solemn moments, or about undertaking various works or apostolic actions as her Sisters. Rather, it is about daily faithfulness to the simple way of living, following her example, which is also manifested in the forms of piety, the way of being, speaking, behaving …
Finishing my reflections on Mary, our Mother – Mother of the Church, one more thought comes to my mind. The aforementioned time of vocational discernment ended with the decision to enter to the Sisters of Mary Immaculate, although I knew a few other religious congregations, and some of them contributed greatly to my religious development through catechesis, running a group of the Children of Mary, a choir, parish camps and retreats for girls. It is difficult to say why the Lord Jesus brought me here. But I can say with certainty that what distinguished the Sisters of Mary was the simplicity, the family atmosphere that can be felt in the religious house and the ordinariness of the Sisters with whom I had contact then.
Sr. M. Michaela Musiał
Apr 28, 2021 | NEWS
Psychotherapy doM is a place where you can express problems, difficulties that are perceived by strength and willingness to live.
It is a place where you can experience the dignity of yourself, discover your beauty, feel that you are loved.
This is the place where Mary, the patroness of the office, wipes the tears flowing down her cheeks herself, and bends over every human story.
It is a place where, apart from me and the person who comes, Mary is present in a special way. I feel grateful that SHE Herself, through my superiors, trusted me, entrusting each person in this and no other job. I know that every person who comes to the meeting is here not by accident. It gives me such confidence that it is a good time.
The office is a meeting place, it’s TIME. A time that is often fraught with feelings, emotions, memories, where everything becomes alive and real again, where you can experience yourself. Each pain is a profound experience. We fight it so often because it is unbearable. But being with this pain helps you accept it, helps you experience yourself.
To experience yourself in a difficult situation is to know that even if everything is falling apart, I AM, you can feel deep support, even though there is nothing stable around. It is to touch your innermost being, which is stable, calm, confident, despite the fact that it is hard outside and various turbulent feelings. This pain can often help you make your way back to yourself.
As a sister, I cannot help but write that this innermost being is the holy place of the saints in us, where God resides. The time when we are with our own pain, when we experience it, sometimes deeply, truly and vividly, allows us to meet ourselves. It allows you to peel off all layers that have covered like dust, what is most beautiful in us. The layer of expectations of others towards us, unfulfilled hopes, all feelings that today are so different tomorrow, bad words about us, wrongs … what we have, God makes the way to Himself. We begin to enjoy ourselves as we are, with our wounds.
Pain and time to be with it, to reach the depths of yourself.
Difficult experiences, well lived, often leave the most beautiful trace.
We experience a time of joy in the Octave of Easter, Jesus stretches out His wounded hands,
shows His pierced side, these wounds are all Love
This is my job, my service – I am with another person in their pain, worries and sadness.
Sr. M. Dominika
Apr 19, 2021 | NEWS
Like every day, I have our sisters who live in the care sector, today too I visited.
Yes, and there was such a nice conversation with our sister Franziska and I don’t want to keep this to myself.
Sister Franziska is 95 years old (I reported on her birthday party in October 2020.)
When I sat down with her today, she said to me: “Do you know who I was” just thinking of – my answer – well, I can’t know that, because I can’t read minds.
“Well, dear Sister Superior – I thought of Mother Roswitha. She was our Superior General when we came to the monastery in the 1950s ”.
I said: I’ve only seen her once, but I’ve heard a lot from her – many sisters say – she was very strict.
Sister Franziska again – no – it wasn’t like that – she followed the straight way. She had to put things in order first. The sisters were scattered everywhere after the escape and she then looked for them together.
You know – she looked stern and proud too – but her heart was warm.
We could already be seen with her.
The Holy Spirit led her – otherwise she would not have made it all.
Love was always felt in its severity.
I am really very impressed with this conversation, because I could not have heard more convincingly about it.
Sister M. Felicitas
from the Klosterberg in Cochem
Apr 10, 2021 | FORUM, NEWS
During one of the meditations on the text from the Gospel according to St. John, I noticed the sentence written there: “And there was a division in the crowd because of him” (Jn 7:43). This Word has worked in me in the context of the Year of Unity that we are currently living in our Congregation. I saw the unity and divisions running through the history of salvation, through the history of mankind, through every human heart. I saw the great desire of Jesus himself expressed to the Father in a prayer shortly before the Passion “that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ”(Jn 17:21). The unity of the disciples is an eloquent testimony of God’s love for man. About the Love which knows “what is hidden in man” (Jn 2: 25b) and tends decisively towards “gathering the scattered children of God into one” (Jn 11:52). Likewise, our unity in the communities and the works we conduct is a testimony to God’s presence here and now.
This great desire for unity includes the truth about sin, which has been divisive since the dawn of human history (Gen 3: 1f). It separates man from God. It causes discord even among the people closest to each other. It destroys harmony with nature and touches the very heart of man, making in it a deep rupture of original sin first, and with time personal sins … Often, external divisions are only an image of what is happening in people’s hearts, souls and minds. St. Paul writes about how sin influences the way we think: “Because, although they knew God, they did not worship Him as God or thanked Him, but vanished in their thoughts and their mindless heart was darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools ”(Rom 1: 21-22). At the same time, the same Apostle grieves over his inner tear despite all his devotion to the service of the Gospel: “Wretched man I am, who will set me free from the body that leads to death?” (Rom 7:24). In these words, he recognizes his own sinfulness, not only from the first stage of life as a zealous Pharisee, but also after joining the community of the Church. How much humility there, how much truth …
During my biblical and life reflections, the words from the Letter to the Ephesians came to my mind about the two races of humanity divided by the wall of hostility which Jesus thus broke down, making us one (cf. Eph 2: 14-16). And though it speaks of Jews and Gentiles,
The inspired word is up-to-date and also applies to modern man, and it is you and me. Hostility, fueled by fear – most often for oneself, resentment or lack of forgiveness, still makes it difficult to build good interpersonal relationships on which unity is based. This also applies to the relationship with oneself and also with God.
The one who heals the wounds of our broken hearts and does not extinguish the wick with a faint flame (cf. Is 42: 3), who teaches to build bridges instead of building walls is Jesus Crucified and is risen. His Heart is also hurt, but because of our sin – mine and yours. He allowed himself to be hurt, pierced, opened. And just like to St. Tomas, he also addresses us with an invitation: “Put your finger here and see my hands. Lift up your hand and put it to my side, and do not be an unbeliever but a believer! ”(Jn 20:27). And faith works miracles. Miracles happen today. Unity in diversity is also one of these miracles. Touching the Heart of Jesus, staying with Him, immersing ourselves in Him, we experience the healing of our divided hearts and … we fulfill the will of Father Founder: “Strive for unity.”
The Mother is closest to the Son’s Heart. It was under her Immaculate Heart that the human Heart of God was shaped, uniting two so different natures. Therefore, let Mary, who is also our Mother, the Mother of the Church, obtain for us the grace of internal unity, that is, unity with God by living in grace – in freedom from sin, especially the deliberate, planned, and willed one. May she also obtain for us the gift of unity with people, of sisterhood through “God’s love poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5: 5).
Sr. M. Michaela Musiał
Apr 3, 2021 | NEWS
With the empty tomb of the risen Christ, make yourself aware of it well,
that you have to be a loser to win,
be poor to give something to people,
disappear to last,
be useless to be useful to someone
live in the dark to become light,
die to live,
love and continue suffering.
When it seems like it’s all over, that’s when it all begins.
Fr. John Twardowski
