Nov 16, 2024 | NEWS
At the Brzezie convent, on Saturday noon, together with a group of Maria's Children under her care, we planned to decorate gingerbread. The day before, together with the girls' mothers, we baked a large number of gingerbread cookies. Our girls did a great job. Beautifully iced, painted, sprinkled with chocolate and colorful stars gingerbread Christmas trees, stars, hearts will be distributed during the Advent fair. We are already preparing for Joy Sunday to bring joy to our parishioners and guests through sweet gingerbread cookies.
Sr. Joanna Marcińska SMI
Nov 15, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Saturday of week 32 in Ordinary Time
or Saint Margaret of Scotland
or Saint Gertrude, Virgin
or Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel Luke 18:1-8
“I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.” Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge to teach his disciples about the importance of persistent prayer. In the story, a widow repeatedly seeks justice from an uncaring judge who eventually relents due to her persistence. Jesus uses this to illustrate that if even an unjust judge will eventually respond, how much more will God, who is perfectly just and loving, answer the persistent prayers of His people. The parable encourages believers to pray continually, not lose heart, trust in God’s justice, and maintain faith even when answers seem delayed. It emphasizes the need for perseverance in prayer and unwavering faith in God’s responsiveness to His children’s needs. So, we should make prayer a constant part of our lives, not just an occasional activity. Even when answers seem delayed, we should not give up or become discouraged in our prayers. Let’s reflect: In what areas of my life have I been tempted to lose heart in prayer, and how might embracing persistence reshape my faith and trust in God’s timing?
Don Giorgio
Nov 14, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Friday of week 32 in Ordinary Time
Saint Albert the Great, Bishop, Doctor
Gospel Luke 17:26-37
“It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed”. The passage speaks of the sudden and decisive nature of the coming of the Son of Man. Jesus draws parallels between the days of Noah and Lot, emphasizing that people were going about their everyday lives—eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling—when the flood came or fire rained down, bringing destruction to those unprepared. Here Jesus underscores the need for vigilance and readiness. He warns that the day of His second coming will arrive unexpectedly, and those who are too attached to the world or their possessions may not be prepared to meet Him. He speaks of two people being in one place, and only one being taken, indicating the separation between those who are ready and those who are not. The reflection centers on the themes of preparedness, detachment, and living in a way that aligns with God’s will. It invites us to examine whether we are too engrossed in worldly concerns or distractions, potentially overlooking our relation to Jesus. Let’s reflect: How do I remain watchful in my relation to Jesus and ready in my daily life to be attached to the will of God?
Don Giorgio
Nov 14, 2024 | NEWS
The year 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of bringing the mortal remains of Bishop Joseph Martin Nathan from Opava in the Czech Republic to the Holy Family Church in Branice, Poland. This year also marks the 120th anniversary of the opening of the hospital founded by God's servant Msgr. Martin Joseph Nathan.
Bishop Nathan invited the Sisters of Mary Immaculate to serve at the Branice hospital, who established a facility here on October 23, 1898, responding to his invitation with heartfelt prayer and diligent work. Bishop Martin Joseph Nathan leaned on the mentally ill, creating a hospital that became a home for them.
“Do mercy” this request and encouragement of Fr. Jan Schneider, the founder of our congregation, here in Branice, under the guidance of Bishop Nathan gave the sisters serving in Branice a new and fresh quality of mercy rendered. On Saturday, November 9, in the City of Mercy, during the Eucharist, we gave thanks for the person and work of Bishop Nathan. A prayer for the beatification of God's servant Bishop Nathan, a concert by the FLOW Band, as well as the promotion of a book written by Sister Alodia Lelek dedicated to Bishop Nathan completed the solemn thanksgiving of the day.
In 1974, Sister Alodia Lelek SMI undertook to write her master's thesis on Bishop Nathan at the Theological Faculty of the Catholic University of Lublin. This year, on the occasion of Bp. Nathan's anniversary, Sister Alodia's thesis was published in book form through the efforts of the Caritas Christi Association. The publication is titled: THE FATHER OF THE POOR. The life and work of Father Bishop Joseph Martin Nathan (in the years 1867-1947).
Sister Alodia assiduously, for three years, collected the necessary materials on the person of Bishop Nathan, she also obtained information from the sisters who knew the Bishop personally. The sisters also assisted Sr. Alodia in translating the acquired writings and documents in Polish and Czechoslovak archives.
In the introduction to her work, the author admits:
It is hard to believe that already fifty years have passed since I wrote my master's thesis on Bishop Joseph Martin Nathan, the book edition of which has just reached readers interested in the life and work of this great man. The topic of my thesis actually arose partly by accident. I was studying with a sister of the Wroclaw Province and to her I gave priority to choosing the topic. She chose the topic of the history of our congregation, and I chose one about Bishop Nathan. Only after time did I realize that it was a blessed coincidence Discovering more and more documents about Fr. Bishop Nathan, I was able to learn more and more about the uniqueness of his person. Today, I am happy that this work can also bring the figure of the Bishop closer to others who will be reached. In all the work of the City of Mercy, it is worth emphasizing the great care for every detail of the medical care, the farmyard and the church. Inviting the Sisterhood to help was an important aspect of the Bishop's care for the sick. He counted on the generosity and spirit that the Sisters would bring to the place, and he was not disappointed. Everything was to bring relief to the suffering and anguish of the mentally ill. Today it gives hope that the current director Krzysztof Nazimek has understood the thought of Fr. Bishop Nathan and continues his mission It only remains for me to wish everyone an enjoyable and spiritually enriching reading experience.
Endowed with many charisms, Bishop Martin Joseph Nathan inspires great respect and the phenomenon of the City of Mercy he founded continues to delight, arouse admiration and generate gratitude. Undoubtedly, Sr. Alodia's work presents Bishop Joseph Martin Nathan as a man, a priest, a bishop with a fascinating imagination of mercy.
s. Małgorzata Cur SMI
Nov 13, 2024 | DAILY BREAD
Thursday of week 32 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Luke 17:20-25
“For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you”. This is the biggest truth of all times. It’s about the incarnation of God. God is with us. He became man. All the false images are gone. All the human fantasies about God are gone. God is real and He is amongst us. Jesus shifts the understanding of God’s kingdom from a distant, future event to a present reality. Through Jesus, God is not a remote or abstract being but one who walks with us, shares in our joys and sufferings, and reveals the true nature of divine love. The false images and fantasies that people may have created about God—depicting Him as detached or inaccessible—are dispelled by the reality of Jesus’ life and mission. This truth challenges us to seek and encounter God in the here and now. It calls us to live with an awareness that His kingdom is unfolding within us and around us, in our daily interactions, in acts of love and mercy, and in the ordinary moments of life. By embracing this reality, we participate more fully in the presence of God in us and around us, embracing the hope and transformative power of the kingdom of God. Let’s reflect: In what ways am I recognizing and welcoming the presence of God's kingdom in my daily life?
Don Giorgio
