“When I was 7 years old, I lost my mother—then I promised myself that I would never say ‘mom’ to anyone again,” recalls Father Paweł Pleśnierowicz during his sermon in the SMI home chapel at the Brzesko monastery during the January meeting for women from the series “From Word to Word...”, which this time had a special character because we began the new formation year with Our Lady of Guadalupe, standing under her mantle.
It was she who taught Father Paweł to call out “MOM” again—through the path of trust and the Rosary prayer, to the point of becoming the Custodian of the graces that come during prayer under the mantle of the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe.
(….)
"I really wanted to participate in the meeting, I even offered my help, I baked a cake for tea... the closer the meeting time came, the greater the inner struggle I felt... that this was not for me... I succeeded - the battle was won, I ring the doorbell, I am here, peace comes to my heart. But another battle lies ahead of me... the priest's words in his sermon move me deeply. When I was a teenager, my mother died... my world is falling apart... I understand very well what Father Paweł is saying...
I want to be covered with the Cloak, but I'm afraid... I go... The priest lifts the Cloak and says, “...I don't have a mother either” — how does he know that my mother died when I was in the first grade of high school? He blesses me with the Blessed Sacrament and says, “it's a gift from Mary.”
“I haven't felt so loved in a long time. Once again, Mary told me that I am running away, and she is right... but today I felt her gently hugging me,” shares one of the participants of the meeting.
At the end of the meeting, Father Paweł, with joy on his face, informs us that we will return here. He is quite serious, not joking, saying that he is not asking if he can, but informing us that he will. And that's how Sister M. Dulcissima works, inviting us once again to her home and to a closer acquaintance... because she became the Patroness of the Apostolate of the Passion, which is one of the ways of praying for priests in the Divine Project Priesthood, headed by the parish priest from Świerk, Father Paweł.
Expecting the unexpected...
"Listen and take this to heart, my dearest Son/my dearest Daughter, that what you worry about, what troubles you, is nothing. Do not let your face and your heart be saddened. Do not be afraid of any illness or anything that hurts and causes pain. Am I, your Mother, not here? Are you not in my shadow and under my protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not surrounded by my cloak, embraced by my arms? Do you need anything more?" MOM – Mary
(Apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, 1531, to Juan Diego)