“Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” (MT 6: 34)

It is so natural for us—“to worry about tomorrow” and to fulfill our plans, projects (how often with tomorrow’s deadline) and so many other things. God’s grace comes to every single moment in our lives, not to our plans for the future. It is Important to be in the here and now, where we can meet God and His will.

“Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.” (MT 6: 19-20)

Our destination is in heaven, and there should be the storage where all our treasures go. Whatever we keep here, we will lose after our death; whatever we send to heaven, we will find later. For Our Lord, treasure is not based on material values but on our heart.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (MT 6: 7-8)

We are used to thinking, that it is so important to communicate our needs because otherwise we do not get what is important to us. We forget that our Father not only “knows what we need,” but He also He knows “before we ask Him.” Our Lord always protects us in advance, looking for the best for us. He said to St. Faustina: “I understand all your troubles and misery (…) no one will understand a soul entirely—that is beyond human ability. Therefore, I have remained on earth to comfort your aching heart and to fortify your soul, so that you will not falter on the way” (Diary, 1487).

“You have received a spirit of adoption as sons through which we cry: Abba! Father!” (Gospel Acclamation)

(1) The whole Program 3 had been offered to Our Lady long before it began

(2) Just before hour zero

(3) Topic 1: “Culture Invited Home”

(4) Workshop summary

(5) Though we talk in foreign languages, the problems are not foreign at all

(6) Paul John, the youngest Coach in this Program

(7) Matthew Spielberg-Cuarón was shooting a film about the Program

(8) Meal time (Marychu & Juan Manuel,  Agnieszka on the far right, first row: Pepe and Armin)

(9) Song of songs festival 😉

(10) Workshop in the English-speaking group

(11) Think-tank with the Coaches of the Polish group – Dosia and  Jarek – before Workshop 6

(12) Workshop-workout: Yes, we can!

(13) Take your time to prepare a good strategy for this one!

(14) The Programs Co-Author, Agnieszka Rogalska, arrived from Warsaw for the Holy Mass

(15) The Mass with the Renewal of Marriage Vows – celebrated by a “Befriended Priest from Poland”

(16) We were joined by our Friends – the Graduates of Programs from Wrocław

(17) Renewed in love

(18) And they lived long and happily ever after

Photos: Małgorzata Rybak (1), (3) and (6), Danusia Opala (16), (17), (18), Beatriz Gonzalez – the remaining ones

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 COR 9: 6-7)

When God gives, He gives without any condition. His gift is always free, creative and joyful. Free, because it is a gift not a transaction, payment or reward. Creative, because He cares and loves us individually. Joyful, because God not only “loves a cheerful giver,” but also is a joyful giver.

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“…Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” (MT 5: 44-45)

Our Lord loves us unconditionally. The only reason for His love is that we are His children. He knows that the only chance for us to love Him is to believe that he loves us no matter what we do; “for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good.”

“I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“…In everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, through much endurance, in afflictions, hardships, constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, vigils, fasts; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech, in the power of God;”… (2 COR 6: 4-7).

Being “ministers of God” is a great honor and huge responsibility. Naturally we think of being a minister as doing something. But being “ministers of God” is first of all becoming similar to Him and experiencing various difficulties like those listed above. Firstly, we are to be like Him; secondly, we are to practice the virtues and learn the other ways we should act: “by purity, knowledge, patience and kindness.” Later, with the help of the Holy Spirit, “in the power of God,” and “in unfeigned love” and “in truthful speech,” we can share with others how much we are loved by God “as ministers of Him.”

“A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away.” (2 COR 5: 9)

For St. Paul, “being at home” means being with Our Lord. He is our homeland, believed in but not seen. Married couples understand this easily. How often they are away because of work,but even when separated, they “aspire to please” their spouses in many ways. All kind of spiritual “phone calls,” “short messages,”  “notes or letters of love” can please Him when we are away. And whenever we are in Church, we should remember that it is like being at home.

“The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower. All who come to him will live forever.” (Gospel Acclamation)

So this has happened at last – we are so happy to be the hosts of the international Program 3 in Poland, near the metropoly of Wroclaw, in a small village named “Krzydlina Mała”, at the retreat center of the Missionaries of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We started today with the Mass on the Feast of Her Immaculate Heart, hoping and believing she is taking us all under her tender and maternal protection: the ones present here, the ones who had enrolled but could not come, the participants and the organizers, and those joining us remotely in their prayers, for which we are so very grateful.

It is also a very special time for me. As a person involved in the “overseas” activity of the Foundation, I have known many of our allies only from correspondence. To meet them in person is a wonderful thing – to which I’d been looking so much forward.

The Program is running in the double, bilingual version: one for the Polish-speaking group, and the other for the English-speaking one. A tough task for Fr. Jay: giving a lecture by lecture, switching languages, with less than one hour break between them (if any). It is also a challenge for my and Andrew’s four-month old son, who is among the youngest coaches of Love and Life Programs 😉

The couples made the effort to come here from Scotland (our Foundation’s IT Team), England, Belgium, and Mexico – and of course Poland. Among nationalities we have also Venezuela and Colombia. It’s so great to see that God works in people’s hearts in such distant parts of the world, and living by the grace of the Programs becomes an everyday reality for so many. When we share our experience during the workshop part, it turns out that our ups and downs, and problems to deal with are the same – like protecting your children in the era of technological revolution or balancing life and work.

We are asking for your support in prayers and offering your acts of love for this event and for all us involved – we count on you as part of the “global parish”, as Beatriz Gonzalez (who coordinates Programs in Latin America) says. Thank you so much for being with us.

Margaret

“Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.” (MT 5: 37)

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, knows the importance of words. The One, who “said and it happened,” invites us to take responsibility for our words. A simple rule, “let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’” directs us to Him; when we mix the meanings of words, we come closer to evil.

“Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees, and favor me with your law.” (Gospel Acclamation)