Nov 5, 2022 | NEWS
You hear He says it: Become fire to Fire! Become fire in me, live only with love.
On October 30, 2022, in the chapel of our Motherhouse in Wrocław, I was able to respond to the voice of Jesus that I heard, who cried out to be a witness of His love in the world. After a two-year period of novitiate, I made my first vows of chastity, poverty and obedience infront of Provincial Sister Magdalena Zabłotna, which give me not so much a duty as a right to build a closer relationship with God, not so much to imitate as to remain with Jesus, but thus continuing to become more and more like Him. The vows I took – the evangelical counsels – made me His property to love everyone in Him; to make faith my wealth; to seek only God’s will, not mine.
A joyful day, a solemn day, because apart from the religious family, my relatives, family and friends were witnesses of the event. The solemn Holy Mass was presided over by Fr. Wiktor Trojnar and the homily was delivered by Fr. Kamil Cieliński, assuring that it will not be easy, but it will be beautiful;) The joy of the act of profession was extended by sharing a common table in the refectory, during a gala dinner and the joy of mutual presence.
With my prayer, I embrace all those who have supported and support me on the path of consecrated life which is only just beginning. The end of the novitiate is not the finish but the start,
step by step to be led by God to be the sister He wants me to be.
Sr. Justyna Wijatyk
Nov 5, 2022 | POSITIVE IMPULSES
Our connections and our relationships are not the same. Connections are making use of each other. Relationships are walking together. Connections are selfish motivated. Relationships are selfless. Connections move forward based on maintaining common interests. Relationships move forward based on sacrificing individual interests. Connections end when one is no more useful. Relations are forever. We can add lot more differentiating elements. Invest in relations and not in connections. Because relations are sacred, connections are fleeting.
Don Giorgio
Nov 5, 2022 | SPIRITUALITY
Wine – as old as mankind?
Wine is an ancient cultural asset. Since the earliest times, people have grown wine, cultivated it, drunk it at festivals and celebrations, and last but not least experienced its intoxicating effect. All of this can also be found in the scriptures of the Bible. In this way, Jesus also takes up the image of the vine in his preaching in order to address a beautiful theme: the bond with God.
Connected or disconnected
The theme of the metaphor of the vine is actually clear. Remain in me, then I will remain in you. And only if you abide in me can you bear rich fruit.
Of course, if I cut the grapes, they can no longer grow, but dry up. And if I detach myself from the mountain guide’s rope during a mountain hike, it’s possible that I’ll slip and, in the worst case, fall. So, it seems sensible to remain connected to the vine or the mountain guide’s rope.
Communion – connection with Christ
In his metaphorical speech, Christ now addresses the connection to him. Only if you abide in me can you bear rich fruit. What does this bond with Christ look like?
Spiritual exercise: how would you describe your communion with Christ? Prayer, having time for him, living up to his commandments…?
Communion subject to conditions?
Jesus himself describes how the connection with him could look like. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. The sentence reminds me of my school days: If you’re good, I’ll read you something. So, as students, we have to pay in advance before we get anything from the teacher. Is that the same with God? Do we have to earn His grace first?
God takes the first step
The Bible has a different order:
– Vocation narratives: God calls. Then comes the story of the called one; and despite all failures, God does not turn back his calling.
– Rule and serve: Jesus not only speaks of serving, he is the first to do so (washing of feet); to this poem by Goethe: Legend.
– Forgive: Jesus reaches out to people and this radically changes people’s lives. Example: Zacchaeus.
So, it is not man who makes the advance payment, but God. A gracious God.
joy in the gospel
A few years ago, Pope Francis issued an apostolic exhortation. Title: Joy in the Gospel. I enjoyed reading it very much. The Pope’s imagery alone impressed me. “The church is not a customs post, but a father’s house.” And elsewhere “The church is a house with open doors.” Open doors – by this the pope means not only the church doors, but open doors for the people, and open for the sacraments the church. Sacraments are not rewards for a good life, but strengthening for the weak. So, it’s the other way around: we don’t have to make advance payments, but rather God gives his love undeservedly and gratuitously. So, he wants us to stay on the vine and keep in touch with him.
stay in my love
In his first encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI writes: about love He distinguishes between two types of love. One kind is a love that flares up quickly but then dies out just as quickly. The other kind of love grows slowly, but is long-lasting and constant. In his metaphor of the vine, Jesus invites us to search for that abiding love.
Free espresso
In Naples there was once a beautiful habit. If someone was in a particularly good mood and drank an espresso in a bar, they would pay two instead of one. The second coffee was reserved for a guest who would come after him and who could not pay for it. So, a gesture of humanity.
I can well imagine the surprise when someone wants to drink an espresso and doesn’t have to pay for it. Surprises of this kind change life and bring light into the often-dull everyday life. In the Bible one often reads of such surprises.
The fact that there is no direct encounter between the donor and the recipient is remarkable. Poor guy doesn’t know who to thank. This reminds me of the rules of charity in ancient Judaism. There is a room with two doors. The givers enter through one door and deposit their offerings. After they leave, the poor come through the other door and receive the offerings. This does not create any dependency. An act of dignity for the recipient.
But even the donor does not know who is getting his espresso. Maybe a friendly person, but maybe also a completely unsympathetic type. And yet he gets the support. For me, this gesture breathes a vastness that I think is great. I experience that with God. He does not make his donations dependent on sympathy or gratitude. He just gives away. A bountiful vine.
Prelate Dr. Stefan Dybowski
09/09/2022 Monthly Lecture St. Franziskus Hospital, Berlin-Tiergarten
09/20/2022 Monthly Lecture Monastery St. Augustine, Berlin-Lankwitz
Nov 4, 2022 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 31 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Luke 16:9-15
“For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’” The key to understand the gospel passage is this phrase of Jesus. What we think as noble could be disgusting in the sight of God. When I read this phrase again and again. The question comes: What are the things which I think noble in my life and around me? Then I would think, “imagine, if these things are disgusting to God, where am I?”. Our value is to be centered around God. If we fix our value around things we consider as noble and important, those things could be disgusting to God, and we will find ourselves senseless. With whatever we associate, it is not those things that give us value or importance. Only the relationship with God that makes our life meaningful. When we depend on other things, may be our own capacities, connections, or possessions, we may fail to serve the Lord because we feel ourselves in control of situations and our life. This is where we lose ourselves. We lose the sense of life. Therefore, the Gospel asks us: make sure the things I consider noble are not disgusting in the sight of God!
Nov 3, 2022 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop
Friday of week 31 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Luke 16:1-8
Jesus is highlighting our attitude to give up when we face difficulties in living our vocation as children of light. ‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.’ The dishonest steward did not give up when he faced the situation of losing his job. He finds a way to deal with it and comes out successful. So, the question is: when this man is doing this, why are we giving up? The moment we see difficulties and challenges we give up doing the good. Even before doing something good, we think about the challenges rather than the beneficiaries. The difficulties and challenges instill in us fear to continue. Whereas they should not instill in us fear but it should inspire us to think of overcoming this difficulties and challenges using our intelligence and creativity. Therefore, the Gospel puts before us the question: are you finding ways to continue the good you are doing or are you giving up because of the challenges and difficulties?
