Apr 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
Saint Martin I, Pope, Martyr
Gospel – John 6:16-21
The appearance of Jesus walking on the lake is rich with lot of points to meditate in this Eastertide. The disciples were going alone. They were rowing. But the wind was strong, and the sea was getting rough. Then Jesus appeared to them. The direction from which Jesus appears is very significative. Even though they left Jesus behind and going to a new destination, Jesus is coming from the direction to which they are heading. Along with this, the disciples saw Him walking over a sea which was rough. Then Jesus speaks, “It is I. Do not be afraid”. And as soon as Jesus entered the boat, they reached the destination. This is the love of the Risen Lord. You are rowing alone on a rough sea trying to make to your destination. But Jesus is coming towards you to say to you, “It is I, Do not be afraid”. The moment you recognize Him, you reached your destination. Let’s reflect: Easter is listening to Jesus speaking to us who are rowing on a rough sea, “It is I. Do not be afraid”.
Apr 11, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
St Zeno of Verona
Gospel – John 6:1-15
Today’s reading is about the feeding of the five thousand. Whenever we read this in the Easter time, this miracle has a different flavor. Because we can read this episode with the joy of resurrection. Jesus seeing the crowds approaching him, the first thing is saying to the disciples, “Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?” The disciples saw the impossibilities. Jesus asked the disciples to make the people sit down. There was plenty of grass there. He multiplied the bread. He made everyone satisfied. He wanted that nothing gets wasted. The leftovers were collected. People seeing everything wanted to make him the king. We read, “Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself.” In Easter, we find the way Jesus conqueror the world. It’s by the death and resurrection and not by the acclamation of the people. The plan of God is different from the plan of man. At the same time, God sees the necessities of man, for example in this case, the need for bread. Let’s reflect: Easter is recognizing the way of God in our salvation.
Apr 10, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Stanislaus, Bishop, Martyr
Thursday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
Gospel – John 3:31-36
“though all who do accept his testimony are attesting the truthfulness of God, since he whom God has sent speaks God’s own words”. God sent the Word of God. In Jesus Christ we can find the truthfulness of God. The truthfulness of God is that Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to him. So, in the Son we can find the eternal life. But if we refuse to believe in the Son, we will not have the possibility of having His life. The Truthfulness of God which is manifested in Jesus Christ becomes a reality in us with our faith in Jesus Christ. In order to be born from heaven we have to accept the one who descended from heaven. So, we participate in the life of Jesus Christ through our faith. And when we participate truly we will understand the love of God the Father for us. Let’s reflect: Easter is understanding the truthfulness of God manifested in the Son.
Apr 9, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of the 2nd week of Eastertide
Gospel – John 3:16-21
“but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God”. Light came to the world with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There was darkness and doubts before the resurrections of Jesus Christ. Darkness of sin and punishment. Doubts of our relationship with God. But all these are over with the Risen Christ. “For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved”. God wanted to save us, and He saved us through His only Son. Because “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life”. So, in Risen Christ we see the love of God manifested and the love of God giving us eternal life. He is not for condemnation but for salvation. Our life therefore must not be in darkness but in the light of Jesus Christ. Our life and actions must be in the light of His love for us. Let’s reflect: Easter is starting to live our life in the light of God’s love for us.
Apr 9, 2024 | NEWS
On Monday, April 8, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, the 33 DEDICATION retreat began in the Cathedral of Christ the King in Katowice. This is a unique retreat because it is a spiritual preparation for the 100th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Katowice. The metropolitan, Archbishop Adrian Galbas SAC, invited the faithful to participate in this spiritual journey, emphasizing that the retreat reflections were based on the texts of outstanding figures of the Silesian Church: Father Franciszek Blachnicki, Cardinal August Hlond and Blessed Father Franciszek Macha and Sister Dulcissima.
I am very pleased that this retreat is also under the patronage of our Servant of God, Sister Dulcissima. Reflections for each day of the retreat have been prepared in a beautiful manual, which includes texts by saints and candidates for the altars. On the title page we see Our Lady of Piekarska smiling, but also our sister Dulcissima.
You can experience these retreats in the form of audio, video and by visiting the You Tube channel: Apostolate 33, where specific reflections have been prepared for each day. These holy days are addressed to parish communities or groups of believers established at the parish, but also to individual participants – noted Archbishop Adrian Galbas.
The inauguration of this retreat began on April 8 with a holy mass in the Cathedral of Christ the King in Katowice, led by the archbishop.
During the homily, Archbishop Adrian emphasized that the goods that participants receive during these holy days are countless. “Thanks to this retreat, there is sincere devotion to Mary and sincere devotion to Mary,” the metropolitan said.
In our Brzeski community, we have started the 33-dedication retreat,
that is why, together with the superior, Sister Joanna, we were in the Katowice cathedral for the Eucharist inaugurating this holy time.
Our joy was great when at Holy Mass we also met our sisters from the community in Katowice: Superior Sr. Agnieszka and Sr. Zuzanna.
I will also add that the 33 DADICATION retreat also took the form: 33 EDICATION with priests from the Silesian region and was proposed by the Polish Episcopal Conference as a valued format of 33 days of retreat preparing for the act of devotion to the Mother of God. Sister Dulcissima Hoffmann also accompanies us here.
I am convinced that Sister Dulcissima’s presence at this holy time will bring spiritual fruits to all participants.
The author of the retreat reflections proposes:
Do like Sister Dulcissima, who, following the example of Mary, kept these matters in her heart and pondered them.
A shooting act from Sister Dulcissima for every day:
Jesus, fill me with the childlike love you had for Mary.
s.Małgorzata Cur
