May 8, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Tuesday of the 5th week of Eastertide
First reading – Acts 14:19-28
“They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead. The disciples came crowding round him but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town…. They put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith.” This is a beautiful passage which is very symbolic. Paul was stoned and was dragged outside the town, thinking he was dead. He got stoned because he was preaching the Gospel. Then we see this beautiful gesture. The disciples came crowding around Paul. This is an ecclesial gesture. Gathering around the stoned Paul worked a miracle. The stoned Paul got up and went back to the town. We see the challenges in preaching the Gospel. We see the strength of the gathering of the disciples around Paul. He goes back to the town where he was stoned. This is the life of a missionary. Even when one has difficulties he or she moves forward. Then he or she is down with problems or challenges, the whole community must gather around him or her to make him or her get up. And back again to the town to preach. Each one of us has a missionary role in this process. Let’s reflect: Am I doing my missionary part in the process of preaching the Gospel?
May 8, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of the 5th week of Eastertide
First reading – Acts 14:5-18
“We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that these hold”. Also, in this verse of today, we can find out the mission of the Church. The mission of the Church is to go with the good news. The good news of the salvation brought by Jesus Christ. And the goal of this good news is to make people turn from the empty idols to the living God. The good news is that living God loves us. And in the love of the living God, we can turn from the empty idols. The empty idols are those things which we hold close to our heart but cannot give us life. Paul and Barnabas cured the man who never walked in his life. The people in Lycaonia thought that Paul and Barnabas are gods Zeus and Hermes. This happened because they did not know the living God. When we don’t know the living God, we identify anything which pleases us as God. When we don’t know the living God, we think any empty idol as living God. So, it’s important to understand the living God. Let’s reflect: Do I understand the living God or am I satisfied with empty idols that please me?
May 6, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
5th Sunday of Easter
Second reading 1 Peter 2:4-9
“The Lord is the living stone”. How can a stone be alive? Stone is alive because it’s chosen by God and precious to him because He is going to build on that stone. The living stone is the holy priesthood in Jesus Christ. The priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices. The priesthood that makes the spiritual house. For those who are believers, as the Scripture says, it is precious. The priesthood is the living stone as it is chosen and consecrated and set apart to sing the praises of God so that those who are in darkness can be called out into the wonderful light of God. When we see priesthood as a living stone chosen by God and precious to hem, we can trust on it and will not be disappointed. Our relationship to God is to be built on this living stone. This living stone helps us to come out of the darkness into the wonderful light of God who chose this living God. The priesthood of Jesus Christ is the living stone upon which we build our relationship with God. The priests participate in this priesthood of Christ so that this process is carried forward. Let’s reflect: Am I constructing my life upon the living stone which is Jesus Christ?
May 5, 2023 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of the 4th week of Eastertide
First reading – Acts 13:44-52
In the trouble inside the first community of Christians, Paul saw the opportunity to preach the gospel to all. There is a profound message in this trouble in the first community of Christians. They are making the trouble out of jealousy. There is no real reason for the trouble. In making this trouble, they lost the flow of grace through the preaching of Gospel. The truth of the gospel is more important than our petty interests. Sometimes we forget that. To safeguard our petty interests, we sacrifice the truth of gospel. This will result is losing the grace of Gospel. Our selfish interests should not be a hindrance in accepting the truth of the Gospel. We should allow the truth of Gospel to purify our intentions and our interests. Let’s reflect: am I neglecting the truth of the Gospel because of my selfish interests?
May 5, 2023 | NEWS
Will you go with us to Lisieux to St. Theresa? I was asked by Father Theodore Suchoń, the retired custodian of the shrine of St. Teresa in Rybnik Chwałowice. I can’t hide the fact that the priest surprised me with this question, so I immediately didn’t know what to say. I heard in the receiver: please don’t worry about anything, just ask permission from your superiors. I asked Sr. Provincial Superior for her opinion, I got the green light. However, I knew that May would be a very demanding month for me. However, when I read that April 29 marks the 100th anniversary of the beatification of St. Teresa – I rejoiced heartily. I understood that this is a special time and when I thanked Fr. Theodore and said that I would go it was the Priest who calmly replied – There will be Sister Dulcissima walking in the person of a sister in the thanksgiving procession in Lisieux. I was touched. I also realized that the sender of the invitation to Lisieux that I had received from Fr. Theodore was a Carmelite saint. This is how St. Therese of the Child Jesus invited us to give thanks and adore God.
The central celebration in Lisieux was held in a solemn atmosphere. It was a great celebration! At the shrine of St. Thérèse in Lisieux, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline assured with simplicity of heart that St. Thérèse is teaching us as well as the whole Church today a valuable lesson. He said that St. Thérèse teaches us a Catholicism based on humility, total trust in God, and participation in Christ’s saving mission through intercessory prayer and sacrifice. The cardinal noted that Pope Pius XI called her the star of the pontificate and also pointed out that she is the word that God speaks to us because even today He shows us through her , that for Him the most important thing is humility.
Saint Teresa and Sr. Dulcissima how similar they are. This thought kept coming back to me like a boomerang. I realized, once again, that St. Teresa is a gift of heaven to Sr. Dulcissima, but also to our entire congregation.
The 100th anniversary of the beatification and also the 150th anniversary of the birth of St. Therese of the Child Jesus were events that brought together large crowds for the Eucharist in the Basilica of Lisieux. After the Mass, there was an opportunity for personal prayer and veneration of St. Therese’s relics.
With gratitude in my heart, we returned, back to Poland.
May God be glorified in His angels and saints.
s. Małgorzata Cur
