We came back from the Mexican village earlier than planned. Everyone wanted to have a moment of rest. The kind hosts probably also enjoyed a moment of peace:) We came back to work, meaning; important meetings, but I’ll come back to it later.

Today I’d like to share with you a unique experience, something I dreamt of ever since I saw for the first time the Cirque de Soleil in San Diego, in the Oceanarium. I didn’t know then that this Cirque was an incredible group touring the world and showing its performances, so I dreamt of seeing them again. For the time being I had to be content myself with watching their shows or fragments thereof on YouTube. I recommend them to you to see in your spare time.

And it turned out that they were here, in Mexico, with the show entitled “Verekai – Wherever”. Good people, when they heard my joy that the Cirque was here, took care of the tickets and so I could see the show live, an unforgettable experience.

This was a mixture of fairytale stories, costumes beyond imagination and choreography with live music played on stage. The actors controlled their bodies perfectly and all this meant that the show was truly unforgettable.

It’s difficult to say what was the most impressive element – acrobats on the rope without any safety measures, flawless jugglery or perfectly supple bodies? Each of these things was extraordinary but for me the most impressive thing were the exploits of acrobats – not only individual performance but team effort – so that one person thrown in the air landed precisely on the arms of colleagues. The joy of people who are happy to go beyond the limits of the possible.

Probably none of the watchers will start practising at home but we will not be able to say so easily that something is impossible because these people show us that if you really want something, it is possible.

Remembering you

Padre J.

„… against Wisdom evil cannot prevail.” (Wisdom 7: 30 )

Lord, You have shown us that love wins over everything. You have learnt us to love our enemies with your life. Nothing could shatter your love and goodness, even death on the cross. Let us also not be overcome by evil. Let us not lose hope in suffering, difficulties and problems. Give us strength to overcome obstacles and let us always trust in your mercy and never give up.

„Let me live that I may praise you,
and may your laws sustain me..” (Psalm 119: 175)

Basia

Our legendary priest from Wawrzyny Student’s Chaplaincy, nicknamed “Walnut” (Fr. Stanisław Orzechowski), from time to time shared with us his idea for a special day spent together with our Lord Jesus, and he encouraged us to try the same. This was a day when he would invite Jesus to be together with him throughout the subsequent ordinary and simple activities of the day, in the dialogue between two loving hearts of most intimate friends. But Fr. Stanisław also suggested to express this “togetherness” by some gestures – for example, to lay the table for two, even if you’re having your meal “alone”.

Our life style, mostly full to the brim with people and scheduled meetings, usually does not give us the opportunity to spend the whole day like that. And yet we have at our disposal at least some more quiet portions of it. On that special day you might try not putting your handbag on the passenger seat in the car, in order to have a greater sense of His presence travelling next to you (surely, we need those gestures more than probably He does 🙂 ). When you remember Him to be near, you can show Him quite honestly your first reactions to different situations – and try to look at them with His eyes. You’ll react to events and people on that day in a little bit different way, too – if you let Him lead you, hour after hour, with His love.

Even if your day was to start with a trip to the hairdresser’s, as mine did yesterday. And indeed – it was no ordinary day.

Margaret

“JC and I” was the title of one of the talks during the QUEST program for teenagers,, which we held many years ago in our city of Wrocław, Poland.

I went for a few days to the Mexican countryside and I stayed for a while in Malinalco – Puebla Magica. It is a place worth visiting. Perhaps one day I shall relate my impressions but today I’d like to share a few images from the visit to the Divino Salvador  church and the Transfiguracion convent, founded by the augustins in 1540. The place is worth visiting not only because of archeological artefacts of the Aztec culture but also to see the black and white frescos made by Indians on all the walls of the viridary.

But I was more attracted to the signs of piety; it is good to entrust the child or someone from the family to Mary, it is worth making a request to San Charbel Makhlouf, the much revered maronite,but it’s also good to make sure that they will remember.

I must say it has touched me deeply. They must have a lot of intentions to attend to so a small mind-jogger will be helpful. I wonder if there is some cleaning done from time to time – there must be room for new intentions.

Remembering you all

Padre J.

You hem me in behind and before, and You lay Your hand upon me.

(Psalm 139:5)

The way we touch God  is often a gesture of testing, checking on Him, putting our fingers into His side, and into His wounds. It is so difficult to believe in good intentions, in the promise, the love which does not dictate any initial conditions. On our part – there’s so much doubt, mistrust, and anxiety.

And yet He lets us do all that, remembering, who we are. And He does let us touch and find Him. But His gestures are so different from ours. He doesn’t check on us, He is not suspicious, He doesn’t keep the distance. “You lay Your hand upon me…” It’s the same gesture with which we calm down our children and express our proximity. Infinite acceptance and the desire to protect them – just because they are there.

Margaret

Photograph: source

It has passed. Thanks to the prayer of so many of you, thanks to your support I have thrown myself in at the deep end and for the first time in my life – not taking into account Holy Masses – I have spoken a conference in English, without a paper, without a crib, using only a presentation prepared by the Boss of our Editorial Team  –  I don’t know how to show it to you, as it’s worth seeing.

I was only paralysed by the awareness that my speech was planed to last an hour. I prevented the organisers that it would be great if I managed to talk for 30, possibly 40 minutes. They told me it was all right – there would be a break, someone could speak about their experiences with the Creighton model, then a NaPro doctor, something about the Programme planned for mid-January and somehow we would make it until noon.

Everything started later. Instead of the planned 10 am we moved on at 10.20. Eloisa said a few words about the speaker, welcomed the viewers in other countries –  the conference was transmitted live – and I took the floor. When I finished speaking it was 12 am. I have never noticed that one hour and a half have passed! When I lacked words, the participants helped me, when I did not know the right word, I used a description; when I made a mistake and noticed it, I corrected myself.. I just shared what I had in my heart. Strangely enough, no-one protested that it took so long, no-one pointed out my mistakes.

I’m writing about all this because we know each other and that I know I can share with you this joy that I have overcome myself and have done something that seemed to me impossible not a long time ago. I wish you the same: the courage to overcame obstacles and the courage to witness. Believe me, when someone who for the whole adult life is a speaker and knows the ropes, feels that they have limitations in a foreign language, it may take the courage away.

Thanks to your support it was possible. Thank you for your being here and your support.

With thankful prayer

Padre J.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HlgRIa70fBc]

Each of us lands in marriage with a suitcase. We unpack it first unconsciously – we show off the rich assortment of responses to situations, habits, values. In this personal luggage we also carry  the incidents of humiliation, labels slapped on us, hurtful words and unfulfilled dreams. The list could be expanded with many items by you and me for sure.

If the unpacking goes together with second thoughts, you can try to do the periodic stocktaking. Happy is the one who can unpack their bundle feeling the safety of being loved – with this luggage, too.  It’s impossible to sort oneself out without love.

The measure of maturity: to create the conditions for the other to unpack, at their own pace – without hurrying them up and judgement. Our stories of pain and hope make us most vulnerable, but also – at the same time – the closest to each other, entrusted to mutual goodwill.

Margaret

When I visited Bishop Carlos Briseno straight after my arrival, we talked about the areas and limits of my involvement so that there was time for everything. Of course I was supposed to support the local church with my knowledge of marriage and family, and offer my assistance in the trainings in NaProTechnology and FertiltyCare led by the Omaha team, as well as through the Programmes. This was clear and the next time we were to talk it over more specifically, with concrete dates.

This time we went to this meeting together:  Eloisa, Beatriz and me (Eloisa started promoting NaPro in Mexico and is the first trainer of the Creighton model and you know Beatriz from Programme 1 that was organised in May). The meeting was beautiful and fruitful, even more than I’d expected. There was only one problem: the Bishop wanted me to start with the information and motivation meetings this Saturday, so I have only this day to think over all the things I’d like to share. Perhaps it would not be so difficult as such but it will be in a language foreign to us all so I hope that Mexicans will forgive me mistakes in English.

So please pray for me to Mary of Guadalupe so that I receive the light and the wisdom and ease of speech and so that I can find the right words. I would like to try for the first time in my life to speak everything from the heart and from from a sheet of paper. I have found out many a time that when you speak from a sheet of paper, the words go also to the sheet of paper when the listeners take notes but if you speak from the heart it is also where the words go. When we speak the grammar is less complex. Please pray so that I can perform my task as the Holy Family wishes. If I survive the meeting, I will let you know what it was like.

Remembering you

Padre J

„ The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?”  (Psalm 27: 1)

“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Łk 15, 2)

„ You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? ” (Rz 14:10)

If I believe in God who is a defender and not an accuser and experience Him, such faith is an obligation for me to learn to see those around me with hope and to give them  safe space and time to grow. I am obliged to be patient and to accept them in the way He accepts us  – with understanding and sympathy, without being judgmental and superioriyu. With hope, because He always is hopeful against us.

Basia

“Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27)

When I walk the crowded street and I pass by hundreds of people – young, elderly, in their prime, some of them smiling, some sad – I understand that each of them bears a cross and none is more important than the other. A cross that seems small may have a knot that rubs so much as to open a never healing wound. And the cross that seems big ma be light. It is of no importance, a cross is a cross.

What is important is to accept the cross and carry it and not to run away pretending that it doesn’t exist.

To understand my cross I had to go to the desert – even though I was at home, at work and had my duties to do. At my own wish I cut off the media and the noise but I was filed with the sense of emptiness and loneliness. I knew that God was with me but I didn’t understand Him at all/ The obligation of prayer helped me stand by Him and later came concrete signs and persons sent by Him to lead me out of the desert.
Thank you, God, for  my cross- the one that I carry and for my brothers and sisters in faith who carry their crosses in trust. Thank you for the grace and strength that you give us so that we can accept and carry our crosses.

Greetings,

Dorota