Sep 23, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Wednesday of week 25 in Ordinary Time
First reading Ezra 9:5-9
Ezra’s prayer acknowledges a profound truth: even in the midst of failure and exile, mercy came from the Lord. His mercy brightened the eyes of His people, gave them relief, and reminded them that they were never abandoned. This passage is a reminder that God’s mercy is not a temporary gesture but a constant presence that restores and sustains us. When we feel crushed by our own sins, or weighed down by circumstances that seem beyond repair, the light of His mercy lifts our eyes from despair to hope. God does not abandon His people, nor does He abandon us. His mercy gives us not only forgiveness but also the strength to rise again and rebuild our lives. The challenge is to recognize this mercy in our daily lives, to see in small moments of kindness, unexpected relief, or inner peace, the hand of God reminding us that His love is always greater than our weakness. Let’s reflect: When I feel weighed down by my own weakness or struggles, do I recognize the mercy of God that brightens my eyes, gives me relief, and assures me that He has never abandoned me?
Don Giorgio
Don Giorgio
Sep 22, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Saint Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), Priest
Tuesday of week 25 in Ordinary Time
First reading Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20
The people of Israel, after years of exile and struggle, finally celebrated the dedication of the rebuilt Temple with joy. Their joy was not merely about stones and walls but about the presence of God dwelling once again in their midst. The Temple was the visible sign of God’s faithfulness, the assurance that His promises endure even after seasons of suffering. On this day, as we remember Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Padre Pio, we see a living “house of God” in his own person. Through his prayer, his sacrificial love, and his bearing of the stigmata, he showed that holiness is not only celebrated in buildings but lived in hearts entirely open to God. Just as Israel rejoiced in the Temple, so too we are called to rejoice that God makes His dwelling within us. Every act of fidelity, every prayer offered with sincerity, is a dedication of our own lives to Him. Joy is the right response, for God’s presence is not distant, it is alive, close, and transforming us into His living temples. Let’s reflect: Do I rejoice, like Israel at the dedication of the Temple, in God’s presence dwelling within me, and do I live each day as a living temple, offering myself to Him with joy as Padre Pio did?
Don Giorgio
Sep 21, 2025 | DAILY BREAD
Monday of week 25 in Ordinary Time
First reading Ezra 1:1-6
The book of Ezra begins with a surprising instrument of God’s plan: Cyrus, the king of Persia, a foreign ruler, is moved by the Lord to allow the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. This passage is a reminder that God’s providence is not confined to the faithful or the expected; He can stir the hearts of anyone, believer or non-believer, to accomplish His will. What matters is not human power but God’s sovereignty. Sometimes, we may be tempted to limit how God can act or through whom He can work, but today’s reading encourages us to look wider, to trust that His Spirit is at work in ways beyond our imagination. The rebuilding of the Temple through Cyrus shows that God can weave even the decisions of kings into His plan for salvation. Our task is to stay attentive and cooperative with His will, recognizing that even unlikely people and unexpected events may carry the fingerprints of God’s guiding hand. Let’s reflect: Do I trust that God can work through anyone and any circumstance, even the most unexpected, to accomplish His plan, and am I attentive enough to recognize His hand at work?
Don Giorgio
Sep 21, 2025 | NEWS
Mary, form my soul into a living Magnificat! – these words of Sister Dulcissima Hoffmann accompanied the participants of the retreat, which took place from September 15 to 18, 2025, at the Retreat Center of the Archdiocese of Katowice in Kokoszyce. Fifty people from various parts of Poland took part in the retreat, wishing to deepen their relationship with Christ and the Blessed Mother.
The retreat in Kokoszyce, conducted in the spirit of the Servant of God Sister Dulcissima Hoffmann, became more than just a time of reflection. It was like a journey—quiet, yet full of light—which the participants took together with Mary and under the guidance of this extraordinary Marian sister.
Dulcissima's words: “Mary, form my soul into a living Magnificat!” returned like a refrain, reminding us that Christianity is not a theory or merely a set of practices, but a song of the heart that allows itself to be shaped by God.
Silence that speaks
In Kokoszyce, silence was not emptiness, but a space for encounter. Sister Dulcissima seemed to suggest today: “The more I remain silent, the louder Jesus speaks in me.” This truth could almost be touched during adoration, when shared silence became unity of hearts in God.
Silence gave birth to prayer, and prayer built community. Invisible bonds united the participants—people from different parts of Poland—in the experience that the Church is truly a family.
The Way of Mary—the way of the heart
A special moment during the retreat was the “Way of Mary” service, celebrated among the forest alleys. Each station — from the Immaculate Conception to glory in heaven — taught that Mary is not a distant figure from the pages of the Gospel, but a close Mother, present in everyday life.
Sister Dulcissima's words became closer: “Just look at her with your heart, and she will teach you how to live ordinary days in an extraordinary way.” This call resonated particularly strongly—because Marian devotion does not end with prayer, but permeates every gesture, every word, every patient “yes” spoken to God's will.
Holiness in simplicity
The joy of the community was expressed during Sister Dulcissima's name day. There was coffee, cake, conversation—and in the background, the awareness that holiness is born in such moments of simplicity. Dulcissima wrote: “Holiness is born in everyday smiles.” And it was clear to see: faith does not take away the ordinariness of life, but makes it a place of God's presence.
The retreat ended with an Act of Entrustment to Mary, which left a deep sense of peace in the hearts of the participants. It was the seal of the retreat — a promise that the journey with Mary does not end in Kokoszyce, but continues into everyday life, into ordinary days that can become a living Magnificat.
Our spiritual renewal in Kokoszyce became a living Magnificat, praise of God together with Mary and under the care of Sister Dulcissima, who shows with her life how suffering can be transformed into a source of hope and peace.
Fr. Przemysław Krakowczyk, SAC, who led our retreat, emphasized:
"The story of Sister Dulcissima shows us that Mary is not a distant, historical figure, but a living presence who accompanies us in both joys and sufferings. Her example teaches us that Marian devotion is not just about saying prayers or wearing a medal, but a deep, personal relationship with the One who most perfectly led us to Christ."
A pilgrimage that does not end the journey
The culmination of the retreat was a trip to Raciborski Brzezie, where Sister Dulcissima is buried. The prayer at her grave was not a farewell, but a beginning. The words of the Servant of God: “I want to be like a seed hidden in the ground, so that only Jesus may grow” reminded us that her life—quiet and hidden—became fertile soil from which the fruits of faith grow.
Sr. M. Małgorzata Cur, SMI
Sep 21, 2025 | NEWS
At our convent in Manila, we have completed another edition of a project aimed at supporting women by teaching them practical skills. Thanks to the financial support of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Philippines, we were able to organize sewing courses that give women a real chance for professional development and improved living conditions.
Another group of graduates
Today, another course came to an end. Eight participants took part in it and learned how to sew school uniforms, dresses, pillowcases, fitted sheets, curtains, and many other items. At the end, each of them received a certificate of completion, as well as a sewing machine and a bale of fabric, so that they could start their own business and provide for their families.
Next steps
Next week, we will welcome ten new participants to the second edition of this year's course at the monastery. We are delighted that our community can be a place where women acquire new skills and hope for a better future.
Mission and support
The project is primarily aimed at single mothers and sole breadwinners. For many of them, the opportunity to learn sewing and start a small business is a step towards independence, stability, and a dignified life.
We are grateful to the Polish Embassy in Manila and to all those who support our missionary work. Thanks to this, we can not only run courses, but also make a real difference in the lives of those who need help the most.
Sr. M. Agata Sobczyk
