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Leicester, 21st July 2013
I’d like to say just three words.
1. Firstly, Martha didn’t do any wrong things. After all, somebody had to prepare something to eat. Somebody had to set the table. As Abraham at the Oak of Mamre. Did Martha do anything wrong?
The same is with the Church.
When I was studying in Rome and Jerusalem I used to spend summers in different countries and different parishes. In 8 years I’ve been to Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Israel, Ireland, USA. In England I covered priests in Leicester, Skegness, Louth, Kirkham, Maidstone, Scunthorpe. And after all these experiences I can honestly say that the Catholic Church is very similar to Martha. We do a lot of things. We are distracted with all the serving. We worry and fret about so many things: church services, meetings, pilgrimages, booklets, schools, people visiting, etc. How many priests are doing things that have nothing common with priesthood….? God knows alone. And what is amazing all these things are not wrong things. So where is the problem?
The problem is that we chose too often a good part instead of a better one.
Jesus says:
"I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and what you are to wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body more than clothing!" (Mat 6:25)
2. Secondly, what is the better part?
The better part is to sit down at the Lord's feet and listen to God speaking.
Last year I attended Jesuits spiritual exercises in Warsaw. It was amazing to notice that after 6 days I felt better, happier, freer. What did we do? Nothing special. We just meditated. We just listened to God.
It’s incredible how much time we spend to chat with our friends, to check news or to make shopping and how little we sit down only to listed to God speaking.
I don’t want to complain. I’d like only to encourage you and myself to listen to God.
"Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one, only Lord" (Mar 12:29)
"It is in that way faith comes, from hearing, and that means hearing the word of Christ" (Rom 10:17)
How can the people believe if they not hear God?
How can they love God if they don’t speak with him?
How can we be strong and free if we are not close to God?
It is not true that the times changed.
It is not true that in the modern world it is more difficult to believe in God.
What we need only is to listen to God.
Nothing else. Nothing more.
3. Lastly, it’s very difficult to sit beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
It’s very difficult because sometimes we don’t know where are the feet of the Lord.
It’s very difficult because we are not sure if this is really Jesus who speaks.
It’s easier to do a lot of things that are more specific, more visible, more tangible.
It’s easier to say the mass than to listen to the Lord.
It’s easier to read the reading than to listen to God.
It’s easier to clean the church than to listen to what I have to clean in my life.
It’s easier to prepare a lunch than to listen to what I should eat every day.
However, we are not the people who want to take life easy.
Let us think where the feet of the Lord are!
Let us listen to him!
Because this is the better part and it will not be taken from us.
Scunthorpe, 25th July 2012
Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom (Mt 20:20)
Jesus didn’t answer: Mom, go home!
Jesus didn’t say: Your request is silly!
Jesus didn’t imply that a good disciples should be the lowest of the low.
To want to be great is not a sin.
To want to be great is not a lack of humility.
To want to be great is a human sign, a Christian mark and a challenge for all.
So where was the problem?
Where IS the problem?
Right aim - wrong means.
A wonderful destination - a blind alley.
The way to greatness is the only one.
Friends in high places?
Strong backing?
Money?
Skill?
Hits and visitors?
The way to greatness is the only one.
The way of service.
Maidstone, 28th August 2011
Dear disciples of Jesus Christ.
Probably only once in the history of the church the pope was called Satan. By God. In today’s Gospel Jesus said to Simon Peter: “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mt 16:23). Thinking about this, I’d like to say just three words concerning criticism.
1. Firstly: God is not afraid of criticism.
In the first reading prophet Jeremiah says:
You have seduced me, Lord and I have let myself be seduced; you have overpowered me: you were the stronger. (Jer 20:7 NJB). Inanother translationwe read: You deceived me, LORD, and I was deceive (NIV).
Why did God allow these words to be written?
In The Book of Psalms we read: Why do you reject my soul, LORD, and hide your face from me? (Ps 88:15) or Awake! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Rise up! Do not reject us forever! (Ps 44:24)
In the Bible we find a lot of similar words. The people were not afraid to accuse God or to criticize him. Why did God allow these words to be written? Because God is not afraid of criticism. Because God prefers sincerity to hypocrisy.
2. Secondly: God is not afraid of saying difficult things.
Ha said through the prophet Isaiah:
Your meetings I utterly detest; to me they are a burden I am tired of bearing. When you stretch out your hands I turn my eyes away. You may multiply your prayers, I shall not be listening. (Isa 1:15-16)
Ha said through the prophet Malachi:
'And now, priests, iIf you will not listen, if you will not sincerely resolve to glorify my name, says Yahweh Sabaoth, I shall certainly lay a curse on you and I shall curse your blessing. (Mal 2:1-2)
Even in the Gospel we can read:
Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of corruption.
God is not afraid of saying difficult things. God is not afraid to criticize. Why? What for? Because God prefers to save people even by hard means than to be polite at any price. Because God is like a doctor who tells patients the truth even though they don’t like it.
3. Lastly: God teaches how to criticize constructively.
Jesus said:
Why do you observe the splinter in your brother's eye and never notice the great log in your own? […] Take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother's eye. (Mat 7:3.5)
This is the first rule. If you want to criticize others, start by criticizing yourself.
The second rule is:
If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. (Mat 18:15).
The third rule is: If we wish to criticize publicly we must keep it generally. Jesus criticized the scribes and Pharisees without singling out any individual. Jesus criticized them generally knowing that not all were wrong.
The fourth rule is: If the evil is public we can react publicly. And criticize even by name. Saint Paul wrote in his letter to Galatians:
When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong. For, until some people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to draw back and separated himself, because he was afraid of the circumcised. (Gal 2:11-12).
The fifth rule is: Temper any criticism with love. If you don’t love, don’t criticize. Sometimes God says hard things but he loves people more than anyone. Sometime parents are forced to criticized the child but it is done with love. Saint Paul criticized Peter not because he didn’t love him or because he wanted to destroy him. Paul loved Peter, the church and the truth.
Dear disciples of Jesus Christ.
If God is not afraid of criticism why should we be? If Saint Peter was not afraid of criticism why should we be? The truth is not afraid of anything, neither the truth nor the lie.
We know that the issue of criticism is delicate. But we cannot forget that criticism is a good step towards development. Anyone who is afraid of criticism will never progress.
Maidstone, 21st August 2011
Let me put two questions.
1. The first: “Who are you?” Who do people say you are?
What does your family say about you? Are you a rock?
What does your friends say about you? Are you a light?
What does your church say about you? Are you a support?
What does your country say about you? Are you a son?
Who are you for yourself?
In today’s readings Shebna is the master of the palace but he will be dismissed from his office.
Eliakim is going to be a father for to the inhabitations of Jerusalem.
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Peter is a rock and on this rock Jesus will build the Church.
Everybody is somebody but what is interesting and intriguing that in all these cases the position of the persons depends on the relationship with God.
Do you know? Do I know?
My and your position depends on relationship with God.
“Who you are” depends on “who God is to you”.
“Who I am” depends on “who God is to me”.
We depend on God so Jesus is asking today: “Who do you say I am?”
2. The second question is: “Who is God?”.
For Shebna God was a cruel lord who removed him from his office.
For Eliakim was a surprising giver.
For Psalmist God was wonderful so he said: “I thank you for your faithfulness and love. Your Love, o Lord, is eternal”.
For Paul God was unfathomable: “How rich are the depths of God, how deep his wisdom and knowledge”.
Some people say Jesus was John the Baptist, some Elijah and others he was one of the prophets. For Peter Jesus was the Christ.
Who is God? Who is Jesus?
In all these cases the answer depended on the people. In a certain way we can say that God depends on people, depends on who speaks about him.
Let me show one example from the papal visit to Spain. In Thursday we could read in “The Telegraph”:
“Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Madrid to protest against a four-day visit by Pope Benedict. Participants expressed discontent over the costs of his third trip to a country struggling to exit a recession”.
And that’s all. Nothing about who really pays for the papal visit. Nothing about money brought to Spain by million young people from all over the world. Nothing about Spain’s government spokesman Jose Blanco who rejected criticism of the cost of the pope's visit. The same manipulated news I heard on BBC4 and read in London Evening Standard.
And the same kind of manipulation we see when people speak about God. Conscious or unconscious.
So where is the truth? Who is God? Who is Jesus Christ?
If we ask today: “Who is God?” we know that the answer depends on the people.
But it doesn’t mean that the Truth is relative. Not. Not at all. It means the Truth is humble.
It doesn’t mean that the Truth is uncertain. Not. Not at all. It means the Truth is challenging.
It doesn’t mean that the Truth is just for me but not necessarily for anyone else. Not. Not at all. It means we are responsible for the Truth. We are responsible for God who depends on us.
We are the window of God!
We are the Jesus Christ’s face.
We are the gate and the door of our Lord.
We are the mouth of the everlasting Word.
We are the hands of the Almighty One.
We are the feet of the messenger of good news.
God relies on us so Jesus is asking today: “Who do you say I am?”
[post_title] => Who depends on who? (21A) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 429-who-depends-on-who-21a [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-08-20 15:26:31 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-08-20 13:26:31 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2011/08/20/429-who-depends-on-who-21a/ [menu_order] => 4079 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4842 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2011-08-18 22:04:18 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-08-18 20:04:18 [post_content] =>Leicester, 25th August, 2002
My brothers and sisters.
Where is the true Church?
When we see a lot of Churches,
when everybody says: "our Church is true!",
when the people think: "it doesn't matter which Church",
we must ask: Where is the true Church?
You heard today's gospel.
Jesus put this question to his disciples: "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" And they said: "Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But you" - he said - "who do you say I am?" Then Simon Peter spoke up: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God".
There were a lot of answers, but only one was true - the Peter's answer and on this answer, on this faith in Christ, Jesus built the true Church.
We can't say: every Church is true.
We can't say: every faith is true.
Jesus is the Son of God, he is not John the Baptist.
Where there is the true faith in Christ, there is the true Church.
Sons of Peter's faith,
Where is the true Church?
You heard today's gospel.
Jesus said: "Simon of Jonah, you are a happy man! You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church."
'Petros' - this Greek word means 'a rock' and on this rock, on this man Jesus built the true Church. Jesus didn't build Church on John or on Andrew. He built the Church on Simon who called Peter.
How can there be the true Church without a Petrine ministry? It is so contrary to Scripture to lack a Peter. The Gospels and Acts are impregnated with the role of Peter as head of the Apostles and steward of the divine household. Like Hilkiah in Isaiah 22, the keyholder of the House of David.
We can't say: every Church is true.
We can't say: every faith is true.
Christians are saying since the second century:
Ubi Petrus, ibi ecclesia - Where there is Peter, there is the Church.
Sons of Peter's faith,
Where is the true Church?
You heard today's gospel.
Jesus said: Peter, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, whatever you bind on earth, shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.
The people say often: Peter died and now we can decide what we want: the ordination of women, contraception, abortion. Now we can decide that there is no purgatory and hell doesn't exist, either.
No, my brothers and sisters. Not this way...
Jesus said once for all: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, whatever you bind… whatever you loose…
Not anyone, not anybody, but you - Peter.
Did Jesus think only about Simon of Jonah? Did Jesus say it only to Simon of Jonah?
It is impossible! Because the Church lives after the Peter's death and the Church must answer to several question because the world is changing.
The Church has always believed that the bishop of Rome is Peter.
So in the name of the truth we must ask the other Churches:
Where have you got Peter?
Where is your Peter?
Where is the man who has got the keys of the kingdom of heaven?
We can't say: every Church is true.
Ubi Patrus, ibi ecclesia - Where there is the Pope, there is the true Church.
Sons of Peter's faith,
There are many Churches and maybe it is no so easy as I said,
but honestly speaking everybody can hear today's gospel.
Jesus said: Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man!
Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.
The true faith of Peter was a grace.
To be in the true Church is a grace.
We believe in Jesus, the Son of God.
We were born in Church which has got Peter.
We can say: our Church is the true Church, but we can't forget this is a grace not a merit.
We must love the other people, we should pray for and with non-Catholics, we must be good to all.
But in the name of the truth, in the name of today's gospel we, who live in saint Peter's parish,
we must know and we have to say:
Ubi Patrus, ibi Ecclesia!
Where there is Peter, there is the true Church.
Kirkham, 25th July 2006
Who is the most important person in this country?
Who is the greatest in England?
Queen?
Prime minister?
Archbishop of Canterbury?
The Gospel is unmistakable:
Anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant.
Anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave.
It is no sin to want to be great. Not even small.
A big sin is to think that people who don’t serve are more important than slave.
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 18th January 2007
“He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him.”
It was a very good logic of the sick.
If my body is ill, I have to touch the body of the wealthy one.
If I am weak, I have to touch the strong body.
If I am sinner, I have to touch the body of the holy one.
It was a very good logic.
The body can be healed by the body.
We also have body and we also have different diseases.
Let us try to be in touch with Jesus.
Use your eyes to see the Blessed Sacrament.
Touch with your finger the Bible.
Put your foot on the floor in the church.
Prick up your ears to hears the voice of the prayer.
Sit down next to the people who receive Holy Communion.
Look in this world for the Body of Christ, because the Word became flesh.
Louth, 10th July 2009
Jesus said: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore I used to think: I am a sheep and the people who are against the Gospel are wolves. Yes. They are wolves. The people who laugh over God and church, who mock the commandments, who constantly speak against and against. I thought so.
But is it true? Maybe not.
Maybe I’m not a sheep, may be it is me who is a wolf, and the wolf among sheep. Maybe I want to tear apart the people who has different lifestyle, maybe I want to devour the others only because they don’t share my religious beliefs, maybe I want to destroy them showing that they are on a wrong way only because I need to be sure that I am on a right path.
Who am I?
Jesus says: You will be hated by all men, and not: You will hate.
How do I behave towards the people who are far away from my Christian life?
Who am I for them?
Sheep among wolves or wolf among sheep?
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 26th November 2006
Dear Christians,
The truth about Christ the King is from one side very evident.
This is the side of the Bible, The Bible understood as The Old and New Testament.
We have read a reading from the book of the Prophet Daniel. He describes a Son of man who received dominion, glory and kingship. All peoples and nations serve him and his kingship shall not be destroyed.
The prophet Daniel didn’t know yet who was a Son of Man. This question was for the saint John just resolved. He writes in the book of Revelation that Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.
Jesus himself didn’t want to say directly to Pilate: Yes, I am king. But he said it in other words: “My kingdom does not belong to this world”, “My kingdom is not here”, “You say I am a king”.
So, everybody who reads the Bible, especially the New Testament he is sure: Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.
This is the side of the Bible. From this point of view the truth about Christ the King is evident and without doubts.
But there is the other side. The side that we can call Pilate’s side. This is the point of view of Jews, Muslims, Atheists, generally all who are not Christians. They see Jesus like Pilate, it means they see Jesus bound, week, strange, incomprehensible, They can not believe how this man can be king of kings, because there is no evidence for it. Half of all evidence come from the resurrection of Christ, but they don’t believe in the resurrection of Christ. Half of all evidence will come after our resurrection, but we still live.
We can not say: they are not intelligent. We can not say they are stupid. We can say they have the other eyes than we have and the other hearts than we have.
But there is also the third side in the thinking about Christ the King. This is mine and your point of view. All we know Jesus is King, but how somebody can be a King if he can not govern? Does Jesus rules over your decisions? Does Jesus govern your life? Am I really his servant or maybe I am rather his adviser? My and your heart is the field of the fight over the kingship of Christ. We decide in every moment of our daily life who is right: Pilate or Christ.
Dear Christians,
If we are not convinced that Jesus is really King of kings it is not because the Bible is wrong or because non-believers are right. It is because we speak like Jesus but we life like Pilate.
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 5th November 2006
This is true.
It is love who is the most important and most beautiful in our religion.
We have believed in the Gospel because we believe in the love.
We know very well how wonderful is to be loved by Jesus Christ.
We know by experience how marvellous is to love the others, to dedicate our time, strength, feelings, dreams, money, patience…
What is life without love?
It is...
Tea without water.
Wallet without money.
Spring without flowers.
Job without earnings.
Sunset without horizon.
Prayer without God.
What is life without love?
Life without love it is not life. It is only vegetation….
God be praised for love that he gave us!
He knows very well what is the most important for a human heart.
Dear brother and sister.
We read in today’s gospel that to love God is the first commandment”.
More or less we know what it means to love. But do we know who our God is?
Who is One for you?
Who is Lord alone?
Who is so important that there is no other than he?
Who is your and my God?
Who do you love with all your heart?
Who do you love with all your soul?
Who do you love with all your mind?
Who do you love with all your strength?
Who?
This question is very important.
Because where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
Sometimes we deify what we love instead of loving our God.
Dear Beloved.
The last question is about yourself.
Jesus says: “you shall love your neighbour as yourself”. We know very well the first part of this sentence, but we forget very often the second part of it: “as yourself”,
Do you like yourself?
Do you love yourself?
We can not love neighbour if we don’t love ourselves!
Maybe our neighbour is very difficult, very strange, rude and annoying so that it’s hard to love him. But maybe we are not satisfied with our live, job, family, face or character, maybe we don’t love ourselves so that we are unable to love to others.
Don’t forget, my brothers!
If Jesus shed his precious blood for you it means your are precious. You are valuable.
Nobody sheds blood for nothing. Nobody pays so much for nothing.
Believe in your worth and price. Love yourself.
It will be easier to love your neighbour and to love your God.
New York, St. Margaret, 16th September 2007
The first question God asked a human being in the Bible was: Where are you?
The Bible is a mirror, in which we can see what is invisible without it: we can see our own face.
Let us read once again today’s parable about two sons putting to ourselves the first divine question: “Where are you?”
Maybe you are in this part of the story when the younger son wants to leave his father. Perhaps he is bored to live at home. Perhaps he wants to experience something new. Maybe he wants to bee free from father’s commandments and father’s presence.
Are you in this part of the story?
Do you really want to leave God, faith and the church?
Maybe you are further. The son is just in a distant country. He spends money. He is very well. He finally feels what does mean to be free, to be a lord of own life. “Now I am the Great!. My stupid brother has to work with my father and I can do what I want. How life is beautiful!”
Are you in this part of the Gospel?
Do you really feel better without God?
Perhaps you are further. The son spent everything. He has no money, no home, no father, no brother. Even ha has no hope. Not yet. He is thinking: “I’ve lost my life! Nothing does make sense.”
Are you in this part of the Gospel?
Do you see yourselves broken, finished, without any perspective?
But maybe you are the older son. All life faithful to God, to church, to commandments: the exemplary father, the impeccable wife, the outstanding woman, the excellent worker, the brilliant parishioner. And now after many years you can not understand how God can be more pleased with the sinners than with you. Maybe you think in the deep of your heart: “With this logic it is better to use life, to be a sinner and at the end to come back to God.” You are a good son but, deep down, you envy people who are far from God.
Are you in this part of the parable?
Don’t you really understand that God wants to save all people?
Don’t you understand that a physician must take care of the sick people more than of the healthy one?
Man: Where are you?
Human being: Where are you?
The Gospel is a mirror in which I can see what is invisible without it - I can see my own face.
What I see?
Where am I?
Where are you?
Probably we know the answer, but wherever we are, we have to remember: God is waiting for us with open arms. For faithful who are angry and for sinners who are too far and too weak. God has open arms.
The cross shows it in the best way.
Can you see it?
God has opened his arms to all mankind in his Son and he never will change it. Because the infinite love has nailed arms to the cross once and for all - to be open to everybody now and forever.
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 5th June 2007
In the time of Saint Boniface the church was growing.
Every year the number of Christians was larger.
Every century a new nation decided to receive the baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity.
In that time, in that context perhaps was easier to believe that the truth wins and the truth belongs to the Church.
Nowadays on the earth where saint Boniface founded the churches, the churches are going to be sold. This fact can be very sad, very upset.
Quite every place where the apostles founded the community of Christians nowadays is in a state of ruin. It’s enough to think about Christianity in Turkey, Syria or even here, in the Holy Land. This fact can be very sad, very upset.
But despite all things and despite all circumstances we can not lose our spirit of faith, we cannot think, that believing in Christ we are going to lose our life. On the contrary.
We have only to remember, that faith is never given for ever, never linked with any place or with any nation. We have to do everything that my country, my city, my home will never change in the place where God has no bench to seat on it.
Leicester, 18th July 2007
Dear Brother and Sisters!
It’s quite hard for me to say something proper during this homily because I haven’t had this grace to get to know Mrs Mary Agnes Haw. Nonetheless I’ve heard from Fr. Eddy, your parish priest, a lot of good words about her. And not only from him, but also from different people who are coming to say the words of praise and commendation. She was a great woman! I’m sure that all of you, and especially her children, Mary and Michel can say more words and more accurate words on the occasion of Mary’s funeral.
What I can do is to read the Gospel before the coffin and to try to catch the truth about death and life.
The first and last Jesus’ word is: “Do not let your hearts be troubled!” Don’t be afraid!
Somebody can say: We are not afraid. Mary had a long life, a good life. What can we afraid about? But Jesus knows very well our hearts and says: “Do not let your hearts be troubled!” Because even we belief in resurrection there is always a small question: “What is after the death”? Is it. really true that we are going to meet each other? Maybe it is only the tradition and nothing more... Perhaps our life finishes with the sprinkling the body with holy water...
If Jesus says: “Do not let your hearts be troubled!”, it means, Jesus knows that sometimes we let our hearts be troubled”. It means: it is nothing strange when the people are afraid. It means Jesus understands all feelings: The feelings of those who are in the tombs and of those who are walking still on the surface of the earth.
Yes, Jesus understands it, but against all doubts and all feelings Jesus, who takes Mary today in his arms, he is speaking to the whole world: “Do not let your hearts be troubled” There are many rooms in my father’s house; if there were not, I should have told you.” And not only Jesus. The Book of Wisdom is sure: “The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God. In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die, but they are in the peace. The Song from the Book of Psalms repeats: “If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear”. And still in our hearts we remember the Gospel’s words: “I’m the resurrection and the life. They who come to me shall never die”.
The resurrection is the fact. It is not only a matter of faith. How the sun rises despite the clouds, despite the blindness of the people, despite we are look at it or not, despite we know what the sun is or not, so the same with the resurrection. We don’t have to believe in Mary’s afterlife. Despite our faith our doubts she’s just begun a new life, the life better then our, happier than our and without end. The new life with God, whom she dedicated her life, with all saints to whom she prayed and in the celestial sanctuary because she knew take care about the terrestrial one.
The first and the last truth about death and life is: Jesus is right.
And Mary knew it form the beginning until the death.
New York, St. Margaret, 5th August 2007
Dear Brother and Sisters! Dear Family!
I would like to say just one word.
In the name of Jesus Christ and his gospel, in the name of our faith.
Be sure: our sister has not finished her life. She didn’t die. Not at all. What we see is only an appearance of the end. What we see is only the necessity of our body. If we want to live for ever we must leave this earthly body. If we want to live in the heaven we have to leave the house on the earth.
Jesus says: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?”
Jesus says: “I am the resurrection and the life whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die”.
Jesus says: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever”.
It’s nothing strange that we are sad, we cry, that we let our hearts be troubled. Even Jesus cried when he saw the death of his friend Lazarus.
Jesus understands our feelings, but against all doubts and all feelings Jesus, who takes today our sister in his arms, he is speaking to us: “I’m the resurrection and the life. They who come to me shall never die”.
Dear Sister.
We thank you today for your life.
We thank you for your faith. We thank you and we pray for you.
If you need our prayer so that Jesus can purify you from all your sins, accept this gift from us.
If you are just purified, pray for us, so that we never cease to believe in Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life.
Jerusalem, Nore Dame, 20th March 2007
In today’s gospel we have two necessary conditions to be healed by Jesus.
Do you want to be well? - Jesus asks - Do you want to be well?
In parish where I was born there was an assistant priest who he liked repeat: We won't convert the whole world to the Christianity. But it would be great to do something so that the people want more, just to cause willingness to the gospel.
If somebody doesn’t want we can not do anything.
Do you want to be well?
But the sick mad didn’t answer: Yes, I want to be well. He answered: “I have no one”.
The Greek says more dramatically: "I have no man, I have no human being".
That was very sad answer: he has been for 38 years sick and he hasn't found anybody who would help him.
To want sometimes is not enough. Sometimes or maybe very often we need the others to be healed from any kind of sickness.
Let us pray for the people that they want to want.
Let us for the people that they find people.
Jerusalem, Nore Dame, 6th March 2007
Just three questions and three answers.
1. About whom is Jesus saying in today’s gospel?
It’s quite obvious that today’s gospel is speaking about priests. The Bible doesn’t want to speak about the people in the past, because it is the book of life. From the point of view of unbeliever the gospel speaks only about scribes and Pharisees. But if we belief in the living gospel we see in those scribes and Pharisees everybody who preach Gospel nowadays and speaks about God.
2. How should we treat priests who don’t live according their teaching?
We should treat them as a road sign. A road sing shows for instance how can we get the city, in which direction must we turn. We have to be grateful that the sign shows us the truth. But what is very sad, that this road sign never will go to the city and never will be happy, that the true life is more wonderful than speaking about it.
I beg you for pardon, that sometimes we don’t live as we teach. Don’t lose courage! Don’t be angry with the road sign who doesn’t go in the direction that shows! But you go and thank God that you know the direction! And please, pray for us…
3. How should we understand a ban, prohibition to call Rabbi, Muster, Father?
Usually we say: it is only metaphor. Don’t take it literally! And we try to explain Jesus’ words in another way. I think it would be easier just to put Jesus’ words into practice and to live at least one month without calling anybody father, rabbi or muster. There are a lot of different names to call the people we know. So you can call me in this month “brother Wojciech” or just Wojciech so we will put at least a piece of the Gospel into practice.
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 10th Ocober 2006
It’s very difficult to sit beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
It’s very difficult because sometimes we don’t know where are the feet of the Lord.
It’s very difficult because we are not sure if this is really Jesus who speaks.
It’s easier to do a lot of things that are more specific, more visible, more tangible.
It’s easier to say the mass than to listen to the Lord.
It’s easier to read the reading than to listen to God.
It’s easier to clean the church than to listen to what I have to clean in my life.
It’s easier to prepare a lunch than to listen to what I should eat every day.
However, we are not the people who want to take life easy.
Let us think where are the feet of the Lord!
Let us listen to him!
Because this is the better part and it will not be taken from us.
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 22nd November 2006
Business is very trendy.
Do you do a lot of business? You are good!
Are you successful in business? You are top man!
A nobleman in today’s gospel uses the word that occurs in New Testament only once: “do business”.
A nobleman, who is God’s image, gave gold coins to his servants and said: “Engage in trade” – “do business”. And they did - something or nothing.
What about business in my life?
What do I do with the coins that God gave me?
How many did I multiply the gifts I received from God?
Let us learn from the people of business how increase our spiritual gifts!
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 6th June 2007
Today‘s gospel is very a good example for discussion: science and faith.
Sadducees were well educated people in the time of Jesus. And they didn’t believe in the resurrection and they had a logical argumentation. They thought: “We are right! Jesus is wrong! The resurrection is illogical!”
Jesus believed in resurrection and he had also a logical argumentation. And more: He said to them “You are greatly misled”.
So we have problem. On the one hand Sadducees: “we are right”. On the other hand: Jesus: “You are greatly misled”. Where is the truth?
The Sadducees didn’t believe in the argumentation of Jesus. In the Act o Apostles we read they still don’t believe in the resurrection. So even Jesus didn’t convince them of the life after death.
But what is important Sadducees didn’t have more arguments, or better arguments. They only didn’t have courage to confess that the faith is a matter of grace and not a matter of argumentation.
The same problem we have nowadays. A lot of people - especially scientists - have a lot arguments against our faith. And we have a lot arguments in favour of our faith. And we can repeat with Jesus "You are greatly misled". But what we don’t like it and it is not fair, when the people abuse the scientific authority to say something against God, church and faith. Science and logic are never against God because he is the master of the universe. So we ask: “Dear scientist. Don’t say: it’s against science or logic. Be honest, please. Just say: I don’t have a grace to believe in God”.
[post_title] => Science and faith (Wed/9/I) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 422-science-and-faith-we-9-i [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-08-17 22:35:01 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-08-17 20:35:01 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2011/08/17/422-science-and-faith-we-9-i/ [menu_order] => 4094 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [19] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4941 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2011-08-17 22:24:28 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-08-17 20:24:28 [post_content] =>Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 15th January 2007
Today’s gospel gives two very important suggestions concerning the law.
It is not enough to say: it is lawful or it is unlawful.
It is not enough to say that the law is in effect or in binding.
The law should be first of all for man.
This is the first suggestion.
The Sabbath was made for the man, not man for the Sabbath.
If the law is inhuman or against man, this kind of law is not binding and nobody has to respect it.
But we can ask: What is good for man? How can we know that what is good for me is good for you?
So we need the second indication.
And Jesus says: “The Son of Man is lord even the Sabbath”.
If God is the lord of the law, we can sleep tranquilly.
The law should respect God.
This is the second suggestion.
If the law is not against man and not against God, this law is valid, binding and in effect.
[post_title] => About law (Tue/2/I) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 421-about-law-tu-2-i [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-08-17 22:24:28 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-08-17 20:24:28 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2011/08/17/421-about-law-tu-2-i/ [menu_order] => 4095 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [20] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4940 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2011-08-17 22:14:20 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-08-17 20:14:20 [post_content] =>
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 7th November 2006
We can draw at least 3 conclusions from today’s gospel.
The first:
We are the people who were invited at the beginning. By the baptism, by the faith, by the fact, that we are today in the church. We are the first invited.
The second:
Everything is now ready. We don’t wait for another revelation, or another God. The dinner of the Kingdom of God is next to me and to you: just ready.
The third:
We can lose it.
We can find a lot of excuses. Sometimes very important and evocative. But if I avoid this chance and opportunity to be closer to God, the same situation will never repeated.
Jesus tells: “None of those men who were invited will taste my dinner”.
Let us take opportunity today to be closer to God, because nobody can say anything about tomorrow.
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 9th November 2006
The feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
Jesus speaks about the temple of his body.
Saint Paul speaks about human beings who are the temple of God.
In both cases the holiness of these temples is priceless.
You are God’s building. You are the temple of God!
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person.
Look at the mirror! You see the temple of God.
Look at your neighbour! You see the God’s temple.
If we kneel in the church, we should kneel before human being.
If Jesus can destroy the Jerusalem temple to raise up the temple of his body it means that one human being is more important than holiest place in Jerusalem.
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person.
Saint Paul doesn’t frighten us. Saint Paul only reminds about the worth of human being.
This is a good news. The Lateran Basilica even though is beautiful and great is less precious than one man even he is dying on AIDS.
Jerusalem, Nore Dame, 12th October 2006
Ask and you will receive.
I have asked God for one grace since 1986. Over 20 years. Almost every day. I have been asking and I didn’t receive. Not yet. Does Jesus say the truth?
“Ask and you will receive”.
Yes. I am sure.
Jesus said nothing about “how long” should I ask, seek and knock. Jesus said: You will receive, you will find, the door will be opened.
God knows the time and the place.
[post_title] => How long? (Th/27/II) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 417-how-long-th-27-ii [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-08-17 21:37:03 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-08-17 19:37:03 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2011/08/17/417-how-long-th-27-ii/ [menu_order] => 4098 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [23] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4935 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2011-08-17 21:00:34 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-08-17 19:00:34 [post_content] =>Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 11st November 2006
Listening to today’s gospel we can learn some practical truths.
The first is about difficulty of the Scriptures.
The difficult places in the gospel, like today’s gospel, remind us the rule of saint Augustyn: If you have understood something in the Bible, put it into practice, if not, teach yourselves humility, and learn more about it. And if you learn more and you don’t understand yet, don’t lose courage! There will be always something too difficult for us, because God is greater than man.
The second is about consequence of the choice.
“No servant can serve two masters.” Jesus doesn’t speak theoretically. The Pharisees sneered at Jesus. Why? Saint Luke says: They loved money. So it was logically that if they loved money they had to sneer at Jesus, because its impossible to serve God and mammon. This rule works also nowadays. If we see that the people don’t serve God, we know they have to serve somebody else or something different. We can serve Mammon. There is no anthropological problem. A lot of people serve Mammon and live more or less well. But if we decide to serve the things are not God, we decide to live far from God. We can say. We are free in our choices, but we don’t have any influence on the consequences of the choice.
The last practical truth from today’s gospel is as follows.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones. Just one example. I can not understand why a lot of priests and nuns have illegal computer software. In Rom at Pontifical Biblical Institute study about 400 students, the majority are priests and the majority have got one very important program - Bible Works. It costs about 300$. I didn’t make accurate research, but I know only 3 students who bought this program. The others just copied it. For me they are simple thieves. They say: “Not. We don’t steal, we just don’t waste money”.
I don’t want to discuss with this kind of stupidity. What I want is to find small things in which we are dishonest. If we find it, we understand, why we have problems with the great mysteries of our life.
[post_title] => Some practical truths (St/31/II) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 415-some-practical-truths [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-08-17 21:00:34 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-08-17 19:00:34 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2011/08/17/415-some-practical-truths/ [menu_order] => 4099 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [24] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4933 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2011-08-17 20:21:29 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-08-17 18:21:29 [post_content] =>Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 26th October 2006
In today’s readings we have two words that speak about prison and prisoner.
Saint Paul says: “I, a prisoner for the Lord”. In Greek we read desmios – somebody who is bound.
Jesus says: “Make an effort to settle the matter on the way: otherwise the constable throw you into prison”. In Greek we read fylake -the place where guarding is done, prison.
We have two prisons, and two kinds of prisoners – to be bound for Christ or to be bound by the people.
We can say, if we are not bound for Christ, we are bound by the people, by the world, by ourselves.
Everybody cries nowadays: I’m free! I want to be independent! No restrictions! No limits!
Actually, there is no problem of the freedom, because everybody is prisoner.
Whose prisoner are you? That is the question!
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 16th March 2007
Why is so important to know which is the first of all commandments?
Why one of the scribes wanted to know which is the greatest?
At first glance it is only a matter of curiosity or a matter of knowledge. But Jesus says to the scribe: You are not far from the Kingdom of God. Why? What did the scribe do to be not far from the Kingdom? He had knowledge of what is the most important.
We must say that it is very important to know the truth, to know what should I do today? What is the most important? What is the first? What is necessary? What is the greatest?
Maybe we are far from the Kingdom of God not because of our sins but because of our crummy knowledge. Not because we do wrongly, but because we know wrongly. Not because of our hands, but because of our head. I don’t think that the problem of the modern world is in the heart, because it seems that our ancestors were crueller than us. But they had probably better heads. That’s the reason why should we learn, why should we think, why should we meditate, why should we ask, why should we seek. Because we have to know not only the values but also the hierarchy of values.
Now when we know which is the first of all the commandments for Jesus, there is only one question:
Do you know which is the first of all the commandments for you?
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 26th January 2007
What is common in today’s two parables?
Both are speaking about the Kingdom of Heaven and both are speaking about the progress.
The land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. A mustard seed is the smallest. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants.
I think in these parables we have one of the keys why the people leave the Church, God and faith.
The human being like progress. Yesterday I had 20 $ and today I have 40. So I see it works. It is a progress. My job yields a specific fruit. 6 years ago I knew two languages. Today I speak 4. So I see it works. My study is useful.
The people work when they see any progress.
If somebody has belived in God and after 10, 20, 40 years he doesn’t see any fruits he can say: It is senseless! It doesn’t work! Something is wrong! And he can stop to believe or to practice the faith.
Jesus says today: In the true Kingdom of God there is specific, real and visible progress.
If in my faith I don’t see any fruits surely there is not problem of the Gospel.
Kirkham, 16th July 2006
Mt 28: 18-20
Brothers and sisters in Christ! Dear Caitlin!
I would to say just some words, because this day - we can say without exaggeration - this day is maybe the most important in Caitlin’s life. Why?
At first, because the baptism removes the original sin and open the way to the salvation. Through the baptism we are sure to stay in the hands of God, to be cuddled to God’s heart, to be taken under God’s wing.
Secondly, the baptism opens the door of the church. Caitlin, you will never be alone. You will have not only mother and father, family and friends. A milliard Christians in the world are becoming today your friends, yours brothers and your sisters. Anywhere you will live, you can say to the other Christian in the name of Jesus Christ: “You are my relative, because in my and your body is the same blood, the blood of Jesus Christ, that he shed for us”.
Next, the baptism is the gate to the other sacraments. Caitlin, today you are about to get the key to the house, in which you will get great and wonderful gifts: Eucharist, reconciliation, confirmation, and not only these.
And the last word, Caitlin, the most important gift you are getting is the gift of the new life. Today you are starting adventure with Jesus, Mary, Angels and saint patrons. This is the adventure of faith, mystery, prayer, the beautiful and great traditions of the Church. This is the adventure to live in Christ.
Dear Caitlin’s parents, friends, brothers and sister!
The church is giving today the great gift to Caitlin.
We wish that she will discover this gift, will take it into her heart and never will regret this holy moment.
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 19th November 2006
It’s very difficult to explain all details of today’s gospel.
What can we say about the sun that will be darkened or about the moon that will not give its light?
In theory it’s easy. The sun still shines and the stars are still in the sky, so it is not yet the time of the Son of Man. But why does Jesus say “this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place”? The generation of the time of Jesus passed away and the sun still shines. Should we understand “this generation” means the history of all humankind? Or rather we should interpret the great sings in another way. But in witch way?
Jesus says: “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When you see these things happening, know that he is near”.But how can we learn from the fig tree, if we don’t understand properly what kind of these things Jesus is speaking about?
Today’s gospel becomes clear on the pragmatic level.
If you see great sings like earthquake, typhoon, a volcanic eruption or flood, try to see the Son of Man in these events! Because God is near, God is at the gates of all kind of troubles. He doesn’t leave man in the disaster.
If you don’t see great signs, try to see God in the small things!
If you don’t see the Son of Man coming in the clouds, try to see him on earth!
If you don’t see Jesus at the gates, try to see him in the inside of house!
If you don’t know that he is near, go and look for him there where he is always!
And where is he always?
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”. The Greek verb that describes “pass away” it’s verb that means “to come to an end and so no longer be there” or pass away in the sense lose force, become invalid. If the words of Jesus will not pass away, it means that his word are here, have force and are valid.
And if his words are here, we can find Jesus, because who speaks is near his own words.
The task for everybody is very clear.
Listen to the words of Jesus so that you can find himself.
Hear the words of Christ until you meet him.
Those who listen to the word of the Lord without meeting him are like donkeys: they carrie wine but drink water.
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 21st October 2006
1. Are you honest with yourselves?
Do you have courage to say: This is my wish?
What is your wish? What is your deepest dream?
Love? Money? Faith? Power? Sex? Chastity? Freedom? Knowledge? What is my deepest dream? Am I honest with myself? Or maybe I don’t speak frankly about my wish, because I’m ashamed of it.
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, they are speaking very frankly about their wish: “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left”. No hypocrisy. No simulation of personal holiness. No worry about reputation. Just the honesty: We want you to do for us whatever we ask for you”. And Jesus was not scandalized and not surprised. He asked. He listened to them. He explained.
Honesty. Don’t be afraid be honest with yourselves! Do not be afraid be honest with Jesus! God understands every wish and he can purify, ennoble, and improve every dream.
This is amazing in the Gospel! The great but sincere sinner is better than Pharisee, a person of high moral and hypocritical standard.
2. The second word is about service.
“Whoever wishes to be great among you will by your servant”
What does mean “to serve”?
In Collins Dictionary we can read: if you serve your country, an organization or a person you do useful work for them.
Useful work. Was it useful work to ask Jesus about places in his glory? Was it useful work discuss about authority and power?
I don’t think so. The problem of the apostles and the problem of priests nowadays is the same. We love to do a lot of useless work.
I'm sorry for me and for my brothers in priesthood that we do so many things in our life that are no connection with the care of the people.
I'm sorry that we are looking for the first place not only in the kingdom of God in heaven, but also in the kingdom of people on earth.
I'm sorry because very often we don’t serve you but we wait to be served, to be exalted, to be greeted, and to be respected.
Help us, please, to be your servants, help us to be your slave, help us to understand the Gospel fo Christ.
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 8th October 2006
Dear brothers and sisters.
I would to say just two words.
The first word is about “will”.
What do you want?
Do you want to divorce?
Do you want to leave your wife, your husband?
Would you like to marry another person?
Would you like to look at the new face, see the new smile and listen to the new words?
What do I want exactly?
Would I like to leave my priesthood or my monastic life?
Did I find somebody or something more interesting, more amazing, more gorgeous or more charming?
What is my will? What is your true will?
They are married because they wanted to be together.
They are going to divorce, because they want to be separated.
Always my “will”. Always your will.
Jesus reminds in today’s gospel: It is man who leaves his father and mother but it is God who joins together”. What God has joined together, no human being must separate.
My life is not only my will, unless I want to complicate life.
This is a good news! If God wants my marriage, my priesthood, nobody and nothing can destroy it.
The second word is about hardness of heart.
Moses permitted to write a bill of divorce because of the hardness of the hearts.
In the Bible is one person who is very famous because of the hardness of his heart. It is Pharaoh who didn’t want to let the people go. The Scriptures say about twelve times that pharaoh was obstinate and would not listen to Moses, would not listen to the miracles, would not listen to God. To have a hard heart is to be closed from God, from his voice, from his signs.
The conclusion is maybe surprised but is very true. If I have troubles with my fidelity, with my marriage or my vocation I have to open my heart to God and for God. If I have some problems with my life I don’t need any divorce, I need rather the faith, the faith in God who can crush the hardest heart and who can open the best fortified stronghold.
Dear friends.
I wanted to say just two words. About will and about hardness of heart.
Let us pray never with hypocrisy: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven".
Let us pray always: “My delight is to do your will; your law, my God, is deep in my heart.” (Ps 40:9)
Kirkham, 24th July 2007
The prophet Micah remind of what is really good for man and what the Lord asks of us:
No holocaust, no calves one year old, no rams.
Only this: to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.
Notice that all these things are not something concrete and obvious.
They require thinking and constant cooperation with God.
I have to act justly, but what does it mean?
I have to love tenderly, but what does it mean?
I have to walk humbly with God, but what does it mean?
God wants in man an intelligent partner and not a mindless robot.
[post_title] => A mindless robot [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 403-a-mindless-robot [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-08-17 14:46:50 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-08-17 12:46:50 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2011/08/17/403-a-mindless-robot/ [menu_order] => 4107 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [32] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4922 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2011-08-17 14:31:11 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-08-17 12:31:11 [post_content] =>New York, St. Margaret, 2nd September 2007
Let me say two words.
The first about banquet.
Jesus very often took opportunity to say something important, something deeper, something more spiritual. He was invited to dinner but he didn’t want only to dine. He uses this opportunity to speak about invitation.
Did he want to offence the host?
Not. He didn’t.
Did he want to say that if we hold a lunch or a dinner and we invite our friends or our relatives it doesn’t make sense?
Not. He didn’t.
Jesus doesn’t forbid to invite friends. Jesus uses the word “rather”. “Rather, if you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind”.
By the way, I’m 34 years old and I’ve never hold banquet or dinner only for the poor. It’s a shame. When I read today’s gospel I mind there are still a lot of things that I should do in my life to be a disciple of Christ. I mind that the longest way in life is from the understanding of the Gospel until to put it into practise.
Now let we say one word about value.
It’s interesting to see in the Gospel how often Jesus focus his attention on the poor. We read in today’s gospel that Jesus told a parable noticing how the people were choosing the places of honor at the table. Jesus saw it and understood that we - the people - we like the places of honor, we like saying “I’m better”. Jesus knew and knows that there is no equality on the earth.
The French revolution with slogans "freedom, equality, brotherhood" it is only an ideal and not the reality. The so-called democracy even in our country is maybe good, but not the best. The is no equality before the justice or before the law. If you don’t have money or if you have no connections is pretty hard to do something.
Do you believe that the president of USA has the same value as a beggar?
Do you believe that the pope is not more precious than a terrorist?
Do you believe that one disabled has the same beauty as the most beautiful actress from Hollywood?
Even we say "Everybody is equal", we feel that it is not true.
Even on cemetery. There are bigger and smaller gravestones and headstones.
Jesus saw that the people like to make themselves greater so he reminds: don’t forget about the poor. They are the same people as you. They are created in God’s image like you.
This is humility: to understand that everybody is equal before God, because for everybody Jesus shed the same quantity of his precious blood.
New York, St. Margaret, 19th August 2007
Dear Friends in Faith.
That seems to be a contradiction!
Jesus is saying in today’s gospel: Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. But in another place of the gospel, Jesus says: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
It’s a contradiction! Isn’t it? Is Jesus going to give a peace or rather division? Can we say with honesty that we are religion of peace?
1. First of all, we have to notice a little difference between two quotations of Jesus. In today’s gospel, Jesus is speaking about peace on the earth. In another place he speaks about peace that he leaves with the apostles: “Peace I give to you”. What more! Jesus adds: “Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”
We can say: Jesus gives peace. That’s true. But his peace is peace for us, not peace on the earth. That’s a point of departure for our question. And a point of arrival is: If we believe in Christ we have peace in our heart, we are peaceful, we are not afraid. It doesn’t mean that around us is peaceful and there is no war.
2. The first reading is a good example for the question of peace. It was about 600 years B.C. The king of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem. Prophet Jeremiah was convinced: it doesn’t make sense to put up any resistance, because God has just decided to deliver over this city to king of Babylon. Jeremiah was speaking to the all the people: Thus says the LORD: This city shall certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon; he shall capture it.
The king and the princes of Jerusalem didn’t believe these words. Jeremiah was calm, he had peace in his heart, because he knew the truth, but the peace of Jeremiah wasn’t the peace of the princes of Jerusalem. They put him in a cistern. The peace of the prophet didn’t cause peace in the city. On the contrary! His words brought a division and a confusion, but not because the prophet was wrong, but because the rulers didn’t want to believe in the words of God.
3. But maybe we don’t have to come back to the first reading to understand the problem of the peace. Let us think in a practical way!
If I believe in Christ, and if I want to put into practice all his commandments, I have peace in my heart. I’m sure that my life has a deep sense. I am glad that somebody loves me and he leads me not only here, but also after my death. But if the people with whom I live don’t have the same faith, it will cause some divisions and tensions.
For instance, if I don’t want to use contraceptive pills and my wife doesn’t have the same opinion, it will cause maybe not only a division but even a war. If I give up, I will have no peace in my heart, because I want to keep commandments. If I not give up I will have peace in my heart but surely not in my home.
If I know that a Sunday mass is very important to me and it’s impossible to be a good Christian without the Church, I go to church. But if my friends want to make an excursion into the country, just on Sunday, it complicates the question. I can go with them but if I want to be a Christian, I will have no peace in my heart. If I will not go, maybe I will loose my friends. The peace of the Christ sometimes is impossible to reconcile with the peace of this world.
The last example. If I want to be honest with the teaching of the Catholic Church, I have to say, that everybody who didn’t go to church for the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary, it means last Tuesday evening or last Wednesday, he committed a mortal sin, because this feast was obligatory for people who could come. But if I tell it, people can be against me. Somebody can say: What do you want from us? Come back to your country!” But If I want to have the peace of Christ in my heart and If I want to be faithful to the teaching of the Catholic Church I have to add: What more! If somebody didn’t go to church for the feast of the Assumption and if he didn’t confess this sin, he must not receive the Holy Communion, because Saint Paul says: “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.” But If I tell it, I’m sure that somebody will have less peace after this mass than he had it before he came in the church.
These were just 3 instances. Maybe to hard, but I hope these instances are very clear to understand that if we want to be faithful to Christ we will have peace in our heart, but if we live with the people who don’t have the same faith, we have to be ready to face divisions and tensions.
Our religion is a religion of peace but not a religion of a pacifism. We don’t want to hurt anybody. We don’t want to exclude anybody. We want to live in peace with everybody. But we know, if we want to be honest with Christ, we have to be ready to live in a divided house and in the world full of tension.
[post_title] => War and peace (20C) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 401-war-and-peace-20c [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-08-17 14:20:50 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-08-17 12:20:50 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2011/08/17/401-war-and-peace-20c/ [menu_order] => 4109 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [34] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4920 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2011-08-17 14:01:28 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-08-17 12:01:28 [post_content] =>Skegness, 20th August 2006
Everybody is right.
Do you think so?
Every religion is the same.
Do you agree?
Everybody can do what he wants.
Do you mind?
It has the same value to be homosexual or heterosexual, to get married four times or to be faithful until the death, to go to church or to pray at home, to have sex before the marriage or to be a virgin, to cheat the state or to be honest, to look after the parents or to accept euthanasia, to use contraceptives or natural methods of birth control, to be generous or to be greedy, to dedicate your free time for a parish or to spend it only in the casino, bingo, pub, restaurants… et cetera. It has the same value.
Do you believe so?
Look at today’s first reading.
There are the wisdom and the foolishness. The wisdom says to the fool:
“Leave you folly and you will live. Walk in the ways of perception”.
The ways of perception are not the same as the ways of ignorance.
Let us look at the responsorial Psalm.
The Psalmist says:
“Keep your tongue from evil, turn aside from evil and do good, seek and strive after peace.”
To do good and to do wrong it isn’t the same.
May we look at the second reading.
Saint Paul says:
“Be careful about the sort of lives you lead, like intelligent and not like senseless people”.
“Do not be thoughtless but recognise what is the will of the Lord.”
“Do not drug yourselves with vine, be fill with the Spirit”.
To be intelligent and to be senseless it is not the same.
Look at the Gospel, please.
Jesus says:
“If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you”.
“This is the bread come down from heaven; not like the bread our ancestors ate, they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will for ever.”
To eat the bread of Jesus and the bread that Jews ate is not the same.
To have life and to not have life it is not the same.
Dear friends!
Pluralism doesn’t mean equivalence.
A diversity of opinions doesn’t mean that all have equal value.
I know the Bible speaks the different language as the modern world, but it is our chance and choice to think, agree, mind and believe in God and not in current opinions.
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 8th Febraury 2007
It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.
What do you feel when Jesus is speaking about dogs?
I don’t feel English language, but to say in Polish you are dog, or you dog is very offensive. So we are confused when we are reading this gospel. But to be honest, Jesus didn’t use the word “dog”. The word "dog" (in Greek "kyon") we find in the Bible over 40 times but not in today’s gospel. In today’s gospel Jesus used word "kynarion" and this is a diminutive of "kyon" and means little dog, whelp.
Now we can explain the picture from the Gospel.
There are children around the table and small dogs under the table. There is difference between them but all live in the same house. Jesus is saying to the woman:
Do you want that pagans receive the good things instead of Israel? It is not good, because Israel is a chosen nation. We can not make impression that God’s choice is not important.
The woman explained immediately:
No. I don’t want to take away the good things from Israel. I understand that it would be not fair to feed little dogs and not the children. I don’t want to say: we need God more; we deserve God more. I wanted just to say: The mercy of God is so great, that it is enough for Israel and for us.
And Jesus healed her daughter, because she understood two things:
1) Divine Mercy is enough for everybody,
2) It is not the same to be or not to be the chosen people.
Skegness, 27th August 2006
One polish prisoner escaped from the camp in Siberia. He was struggling trough the taiga, in winter, a hard frost, his hands grew numb with a cold. After two weeks the food was finished. Exhausted, frozen, hungry, he was thinking: “It’s just the end”.
But on the horizon he saw the little house. He crawled towards this house and knocked the door. When the host opened the door, the poor escapee asked: “Sir! I’ve escaped from Siberia. Is it far to Poland?”
“O dear man!” - the house owner answered. "It’s not that direction!"
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem to say them: “Choose today your direction!” “Choose today whom you wish to serve!”
And the people answered: “We have no intention of deserting the Lord. We will serve the Lord, for he is our God”. It is our direction.
After hearing Jesus, many of his followers said: "This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?" And many of his disciples went away and accompanied him no more. Then Jesus said to the Twelve: "What about you, do you want to go away too?". What about your direction? Where do you want to go?
Then Simon Peter answered: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life".
Dear Friends.
We have been living for 10, 20, 40, 60 years.
We have heard about a lot directions.
We have seen a lot of ways.
Where are we going exactly?
Where are you going?
What is your direction?
It must be the greatest tragedy to say after 80 years: "O My God! I’ve wasted my life!"
Therefore Jesus asks today:
"What about you, do you want to go away?"
To go away from the right way?
Kirkham, 22nd July 2006
“Why are you weeping?” - Two angels asked Mary of Magdala.
“Why are you weeping?”- Jesus asked Mary of Magdala.
“They have taken my Lord away” – answered Mary of Magdala.
Mary, the sinful woman in the city, knew very well what does mean the life without God.
“Have ever you wept?” - Jesus asks me today - "Why?"
Whatever I say, I know, there are no more beautiful tears than those shed because of the lack of God.
Tears of love.
[post_title] => Tears of love [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 396-tears [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-08-16 20:56:04 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-08-16 18:56:04 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2011/08/16/396-tears/ [menu_order] => 4113 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [38] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4915 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2011-08-16 20:43:24 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-08-16 18:43:24 [post_content] =>Kirkham, 21st July 2006
The disciples were doing something that was forbidden on the Sabbath.
It wasn’t normal.
David and his followers ate the loaves of offering.
It wasn’t normal.
God added to Hezekiah fifteen years of life.
It wasn’t normal.
All these cases are an exception to rule.
But in all these cases they were near God.
David. Hezekiah. Disciples.
God is master of the Sabbath, is master of all things.
Be near him. That's is the only rule.
Without exception.
Kirkham, 20th July 2006
End of Scholl Year Mass
You are at home.
Alone.
It is a heavy night.
A storm has broken. There is thunder and lightning and torrential rain.
The door creaks.
You are afraid.
But in the same night your father or mother comes to you and takes you in arms, raises you to cheek.
You are not afraid. Despite the same storm, thunder, lightning and torrential rain.
We are all the children of God.
Today, Jesus Christ, the master and the king of all storm is taking everyone in his arms and is speaking to us:
I leave you peace, my own peace I give you.
This the last lesson of the school year.
And there is only one homework. Just one.
Believe, Jesus raises you to his cheek and gives you peace.
Kirkham, 19th July 2006
Very often we say: "I did it. I am clever. I have ability to do something".
However, what did we do to be born? to be man or woman? to have these and not the other capabilities?
God says today: “Does the axe claim more credit than the man who wields it?”
It is God who revealed the hiding things to mere children.
It is God who sent a godless nation.
It is God who spoke against Assyria: “By the strength of my own arm I have done this and by my own intelligence”.
God makes in our life more things that we suppose. So maybe we should say today:
“Lord, we want to be your axe even though we think to be woodcutters".
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 8th October 2006
Jesus said: “do this and you will live”.
If Jesus said: “you will live”, it means that the scholar of the law didn’t live.
Maybe he existed, but he didn’t live.
Maybe he vegetated, but he didn’t live.
There are people who live and there are people who only exist.
To inherit eternal life means to live really…
The scholar of the law didn’t live really so he asked about eternal life.
He didn’t live really so Jesus said to him: “Do this and you will live”.
The true and sensible life depends on what I am doing.
What do you do in your life that you only exist?
What am I doing that I only vegetate?
The problem of Christianity is not caused by Muslims or by Jews or by the modern society.
My and your problem is as follows: we do a lot of things in our life that have nothing common with the true life.
Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 24th November 2006
The psalmist said today:
How sweet to my palate are your promises!
And we repeated:
How sweet to my taste is your promise!
However, the Book of Revelation shows us the other side. John swallowed the scroll and in his mouth it was like sweet honey, but when he had eaten it, his stomach turned sour.
Sweet or sour? Probably both. And despite todays Psalm there are a lot of people who say: "God’s commandments are not tasty".
There is a roman proverb: De gustibus non disputanduum est - "there is not to be discussion regarding tastes". We don’t want to discuss about the taste of God’s promises. We know it is sweet and it is sour. What we want and what we can is just to pray:
“O, Lord, sweeten your decrees so that we can gasp with open mouth in our yearning for you commands.”
New York, St. Margaret, 31st July 2007
It’s amazing how much one human being can do!
Saint Ignatius Loyola was just one person. But if we think about the history of the Church, and especially of the Jesuits, if we think about hundreds thousands of people who decided to live as Saint Ignatius, we can shout out: It’s amazing how much one human being can do!
Usually we say: "I can’t do anything. I’m alone. The majority has a different opinion". Usually we believe in democracy and a power of the people as a community.
But when I think about prophet Elisha who was one true prophet against of 450 false prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Ashera and he won... He was right... If we think about saint Francis of Assisi, Padre Pio, about the great popes as John Paul II or about great people from the civil history as Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela, we begin to believe that one human being can do much more than the common people think.
Let us pray to saint Ignatius that we never stop to believe in the force of the individual.
[post_title] => The force of the individual (31.07) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 390-the-force-of-the-individual-3107 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-08-16 16:47:33 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-08-16 14:47:33 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2011/08/16/390-the-force-of-the-individual-3107/ [menu_order] => 4119 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [44] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4909 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2011-08-16 13:31:02 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-08-16 11:31:02 [post_content] =>Kirkham, 23rd July 2006
Dear sheep.
I would to say you two words.
1. The first word is about shepherd.
Who is really your shepherd?
Money?
Fame?
Celebrity?
Neighbour?
Government?
Queen?
Television?
Who is my shepherd?
Who do I trust in?
Who or what does me guide in my life?
Maybe the problem of the faith is not that the bishops and the priests destroy the people and don’t take care of them.
The problem of the faith is that both priests and the laypersons maybe have found the other shepherds.
Who can say without hypocrisy: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want?
2. The second word is about priesthood.
Prophet Jeremiah says a lot of bad words about the shepherds. And there is God who is speaking through him.
Saint Mark speaks in his gospel very good about disciples, who had no time even to eat.
We think there are priests who could be called shepherds, specially we call so our bishops. And they are really shepherds. But today’s readings show us that there are good and bad shepherds. That’s true. And if the flock of the Lord is destroyed and scattered we are responsible for it. If the flock of the Lord go wandering and doesn’t have fresh and green pastures we are blame for it.
I’ve been a priest only for 8 years, but I know we don’t take enough care of the people of God. I want to say “sorry” for me and for my brothers in priesthood that we do so many things in our life that are no connection with the care of the people.
I want to say “sorry” that we don’t celebrate the Eucharist so that you could believe better.
I want to say “sorry” that we don’t look for the sheep, but only we wait for them.
I want to say “sorry” that we don’t keep the commandments better than you.
I know - to say “sorry” isn’t enough. “Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be destroyed and scattered” says the Lord.
Dear sheep, pray for your shepherds, help your shepherds, because our ministry is your life!
Dear Brother and Sister.
To speak about shepherd and sheep in England is not strange. Black sheep, mountain sheep, domestic sheep, merino sheep, Romney sheep, Lincoln sheep, Swaledale sheep, manned sheep. You know more.
But when today God is speaking about sheep and shepherds he wants to say once again that without him and without good shepherds the sheep cannot survive, because the sheep was created to live from a good pasture.
Kirkham, 16th July 2006
Dear Brothers and Sisters. I wanted to say just 3 words.
1. The first is about prophecy.
Am I prophet?
Can I say that God told me: “Go, prophesy to my people”?
Am I apostle?
Did I set off to preach repentance?
If “not”, why am I speaking to you?
If “yes”, why we aren’t sure, that God is speaking to us?
What can I do to convince you and myself, that powerful and merciful God is speaking to his people?
What can we do to believe that we are not alone, and God lives forever and for everybody?
If we don’t believe that God is speaking today, let we change the church into a cinema or into a museum.
2. The second word is about power.
It is hard to believe, but this is true.
The apostles cast out many devils, anointed many sick people with oil and cured them. They had power. Where is this power nowadays.
Where are miraculous nowadays?
Me and you, we are the Christians and we are set off like apostles. But can we say as they said: “I have no bread, no haversack, no coppers and no spare tunic…”?
Probably where is a sacrifice there is a power.
3. The last word is about God’s gift.
We can say: "I gave 2 pounds my neighbour. My mother gave the bread her friend. My cousin gave car his son". But can we say: "What has God given us?"
The prophet Amos says: “The Lord has given me vocation”. He took me from herding the flock”.
The Psalmist says: “God gave us peace, mercy, justice, help”.
Saint Paul says: “God has blessed us, he chose us. Through his blood we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins”.
The apostles says: “God gave us the power to cast out many devils”.
And you? What has God given you?
Louth, 22th August 2010
I’d like to say just two words, both about heaven.
1. The first word is “where”: Where is heaven?
Some people point at the sky and say: “it should be up there”. But we know, that the Earth rotes around its own axis and what we want now to be heaven in 12 hours can be hell.
So where is heaven?
Last Sunday Pope Benedict said “Heaven is not a location in the cosmos, but a place within God where those who believe in him will enjoy his love forever”.
Despite being convinced not to locate heaven in the cosmos, most people are quite sure that heaven should be far away. I’d like to emphasize this simply fact. If I point my finger at the sky to say “it should be up there”, I’m saying consciously or unconsciously “Heaven is not here”. Even I’m saying heaven is in God, most probably I make simple equation: “in God or prepared by God equals not here”.
Is it true? Where finally is heaven? Where finally is God?
I think it would be good idea to follow the intuition of Saint Augustine. He spent a dozen years to find the truth and eventually he said: “Noli ire foras. In interiore hominis habitat veritas” it means: “Return to within yourself. Truth dwells in the inner man”. The same we can say about heaven.
So, it would be better to point my finger at my mind or at my heart and say: “Heaven is here and could be only here”. In practice, it means I don’t seek heaven in the universe, I subject heaven neither to other people, nor to good times. I know, heaven is in me, could be only in me, and depends only on me.
We’ve heard the second reading. Somebody wrote to the Hebrews: “The Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons”. Do we think so? Do we agree? Usually we think: “They are lucky because they don’t suffer”, or “They are unhappy because they have to bear a lot of suffering”. Gospel’s point of view is quite different. Heaven and Happiness doesn’t depend on the external conditions, it depends only on your mind. It doesn’t depend on the world but it depends on your attitude to the world.
Just two examples:
My former parish priest in Cracow talked me about one alcoholic. He was our parishioner. One day the priest met him on the street and asked him: “What happened with you?” Why are you drinking”. He answered: “something broke down in my mind”.
The second example comes from Fr. Garry, who was here two weeks ago. One thought stroke me. When we were discussing about the people in Africa, he said: “I met a lot of people in Sudan who were happier than the people in West Europe.
A lot of things, I dare to say, everything depends on our minds. And frankly speaking that is a Good News!!! Saint Paul says:
Do not think in your heart, 'Who will go up to heaven? that is to bring Christ down; or 'Who will go down to the depths?' -- that is to bring Christ back from the dead. What does it say, then? The word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.
2. The second word is one Greek verb: agonidzomai.
In today’s gospel Jesus trying to answer the question: “will there be only few saved” said: “Try your best to enter by the narrow door”. The Greek verb ἀγωνίζεσθε was translated “Try your best”, but if we want to be precise, we see the Greek verb reflects the language of struggle or contest and it means ‘to fight/struggle/make every effort/strive/ strain every nerve’. The English words ‘agony’ and ‘agonize’ come from the seam Greek root.
Why is it important?
Let us come back to some alcoholics and not only to them but generally speaking to the people who are addicted. They struggle and make every effort to get aim. I think all these people are not only poor people. They are also an outstanding example for us how we should fight for heaven. And personally I admire them, because they have more courage to struggle for a beer than I have to struggle for heaven.
Don’t take heaven for granted because you are nice.
Don’t think” heaven is surely for you because you pray rosary every day. Don’t calculate: “I’m better than my neighbor so it couldn’t be bad”.
You know how to struggle for money and health, for friendship and for rightness.
Try your best it means struggle for heaven.
Because is not far from you.
Try to fight for heaven.
Now it is the time.
Louth, 15th August 2010
Today we are celebrating the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For some of us this is a great feast and a great mystery. But maybe some find it strange, odd, old-fashioned, mythical or even fabled, like news about UFO or like interesting episode from star wars: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It’s not easy to say a good sermon about Mary, mother of Jesus, but let me put one question: “What is saint Mary for?” and let me say 10 reasons for making a special place for her in our religion and in our life.
1. First of all, Mary, Anna’s and Joachim’s daughter, born probably in Jerusalem, married to Joseph, is mother of Jesus Christ, who has brought us salvation and established the Church. Even if some don’t believe in God he must to admit that for 2 billion people she is the mother of the most important person in their life. Even if some don’t believe in Church, they have to acknowledge that she is the mother of somebody who founded the greatest and the oldest organization in the world.
2. Secondly, as a mother of Christ, Mary is a subject, topic and theme of uncountable number of songs, poems, films, paintings, sculptures, booklet, book, and dissertations.
3. Thirdly, approximately, one billion people pray every day Hail Mary calling her intercession and help. I don’t know how many people pray to President Obama…
4. Fourthly, Mary was present in most outstanding and intriguing revelations in the history: Lourdes, Fatima, La Salette, Guadalupe, Medjougoure, even the last is not yet confirmed. We may not believe such a thing, but it’s enough to go to those places to see what the Mother of God can do for the people and with the people.
5. Fifthly, Mary shows us how to answer God’s word. In Nazareth, where the angel Gabriel announced her that she would be a mother of Jesus, even though she was virgin, she said: “I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”. She is a model and pattern of how we should hear and receive the word of the God.
6. Sixthly, her Son was crucified and she was there: present and suffering. Saint Mary, she is a solace and a support to the people who lost children. No revenge, no vengeance, no hate, but only tears, pray and forgiveness. She is the best friend to the people who cannot forgive.
7. Seventhly, she is the mother of the believers. Jesus said from the Cross: “Woman, this is your Son”. Then to the disciple he said: “This is your mother”. And the whole tradition of the Church sees in this act the beginning of the special relationship between Mother of God and the people who believe in him. If you believe in your hart you are sure, you are not alone, especially in those moments of life when God seems to be a long way.
8. Eighthly, according to Church, Mary intercedes between God and us and there is something special in her intercession. There are a lot of sanctuaries in the world when the people received miracles and other graces praying to Mother of God. They are some people who are so convinced of her help that they dare to say as saint Bernard: “Remember, o most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing unheard of, that anyone ever had recourse to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, and was left forsaken” or as one polish cardinal in the time of Communism: “If will the victory come, it will come only through saint Mary”.
9. Ninthly, Saint Mary, after she died, was taken into the heaven with the soul and body. The Church has believed it quite since the beginning of his history, but it was announced solemnly only in 1950. What for? Not only to say the truth about the Mother of God but also to say truth about our end and our destiny. This is wonderful we will meet together. It’s only the matter of time. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary says to us: “Don’t be afraid of your life and of your problems”. Your future is in heaven. With saint Mary, with God, with your ancestors and your family. It doesn’t depend on the faith. It depends only on the time.
10. The last reason for celebrating saint Mary, I’d like to leave for you. Try to find, please, your reason, cause and ground to make a special place for Mary in your life. Maybe this feast is a good opportunity to speak about Mother of Jesus in your family, at home, and to revalue, to think over and to have a rethink about the women, who all generations call blessed.
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My brothers and sisters!
The world is our home.
The church is a cradle.
Mary is our mother.
We are the children and like children we afraid of many things in this world.
Today in this solemn day, the day of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Holy Mother comes to us and says: "Baby! Do not be afraid!"
The first fear is the fear of evil.
Sometimes we cry:
"Mum, I'm afraid of Satan. He appear in the sky of my life, like a huge red dragon in the first reading. He is very intelligent - he has seven heads. He is very strong - he has ten horns - the symbol of power. He seems to be a king with a coronet. He stops in front of my life and he want to destroy Jesus, who is born in my heart by Holy Baptism, by sincere Confession, by His Holy Body in the Sacrament of Altar. He want to destroy my husband, my wife, my children, my neighbour. He laughs at the people because they say: "Satan? Impossible! That is only fable!"
Mum, I'm afraid of Satan who destroys my world."
"Baby!" - says Mary - "do not be afraid of Satan!
God is stronger than Satan. In the first reading "the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had made a place of safety ready."
Do not be afraid of the devil, but only be closer to Jesus!"
The second fear is the fear of death. We cry again:
"Mum, I'm afraid of death. I'm afraid of dying! I'm not sure, what will be after the death. I'm not sure, will I meet my family yet? will I meet my friends yet? I'm weak and I don't want to suffer. Mum, I'm afraid of death."
"Baby!" - says Mary - "do no be afraid of the death!
Death came through one man but in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ: Christ as the first-fruits and then those who belong to him, who belong to him!
Do no be afraid of the death, but only be closer to Jesus because he is "the resurrection and the life. He who believes in him will live, even though he dies".
The third fear is the fear of people. We cry again:
"Mum! I'm afraid of people!
The world changes own face. The people become jealous, greedy, unfaithful, proud, arrogant, thinking only about money. I'm afraid of the people who I meet, with who I speak, with who I work!"
"Baby!" - says Mary - "do not be afraid of the people!
Look at the Gospel. Perhaps not all people are so good as Elizabeth as Zechariah, but don't forget: You must be good! You should be good! You must love! You should forgive!
"God look upon the lowly and exalt their.
The hungry God fills with good things.
He has come to the help of Israel."
He will come to the help of you.
Your life may be is not easy but remember the word of the Lord:
"Do no be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul."
My brothers and sisters!
The world is our home.
The church is a cradle.
Mary is our Mother.
We are the children.
Today, when we are celebrating the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Lady, she says from heaven:
"Look at me! And do no be afraid.
My Son is with you always, to the end of time!"
Louth, 15th August 2009
Dear Christians.
Today the whole church raises eyes from the daily troubles and looks at her, at Mary assumed into heaven.
Today all children on earth gaze at the holiest mother.
Today every baby stare at the womb that bore Jesus and at the breasts he sucked.
What for?
Why?
To what purpose?
1. First of all, because we love her.
It is love for Mary, Mother of God, that forces us to fix eyes on her.
It is love for her, because she gave us Jesus Christ.
It is love for her, because she didn’t abort foetus even though she was young and unmarried.
It is love for her, because of Nazarteht, Bethlehem, swaddling clothes, a manger.
It is love for her, because the sword pierced her soul.
2. We look at Mary, first of all, because we love her. But we look today at Mother of God to believe again.
To believe that our place is next to her.
God doesn’t forget about his relatives. In our body runs the same blood as in the body of Mother of God. The blood of the people redeemed by Jesus Christ.
Don’t be afraid! Your aim, destination, end is there, next to Mary assumed into heaven. Don’t be afraid. There are only 5, 10 maybe 50 years left, maybe one day.
3. But when we are looking at Mary, and we are impressed by her, Jesus reminds us:
“Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it”.
What does it mean? It means that we can be happier than mother of baby. Even she was the mother of God.
Today we look at Mary to remember the most essential truth: “To hear the word of God and keep it” this is the key to happiness.
We can be sceptic. The people can be doubter.
But they can’t change the key to happiness.
Mary, Mother of God. Today we are looking today at you.
Look at us, and give us the key to happiness.
The key to your kingdom. Amen
New York, St. Margaret, 12th August 2007
Dear Friends in Faith.
Last Sunday we spoke about money.
Jesus said: Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.
Jesus warned about money. But if not money what else?
Today’s second reading has no doubt.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land.
By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age.
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac.
Today’s second reading is only an abridgement of the eleventh chapter from the letter to the Hebrews. If we go there we can read more:
By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain's.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death.
By faith Noah built an ark for the salvation of his household.
By faith Joseph, near the end of his life, spoke of the Exodus of the Israelites.
By Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king's fury.
By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell.
What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders.
By faith.
If not money what else?
Only faith. Nothing else.
By faith I’m not afraid of the death. I know the afterlife is better than now.
By faith I’m not afraid to be alone. I know who believes is never alone.
By faith I’m not afraid of any man. Jesus says to me:
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more.
By faith I’m not afraid to lose anything. Saint Paul says to me:
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need.
By faith I’m not afraid of the hate:
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you.
By faith.
I believe in God, because he says to me:
Though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken, My love shall never leave you.
I believe in God, because he says to me:
Can a mother forget her infant? Even should she forget.... I will never forget you”.
I believe in God, because he never lies, he never exploits me, gives me power and joy, and certainty my life is not gong to be wasted.
I believe in God because even though I’m not better than unbelievers, he forgives me all my sins and give me peace in my heart.
I believe in God because I can’t believe in myself.
I promise in every confession that I will improve and I don’t.
I want to be a good Christian and still I do a lot of things against my faith.
I believe in God and I trust him.
That’s my life, my money, my fame.
That’s my world.
I agree with the today’s second reading.
Everything by faith.
I agree.
And you?
What about you?
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 28th January 2007
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
There are two pillars of our faith: The truth and the love.
The truth even against everybody and the love above all.
God says to prophet Jeremiah:
“I have made you a fortified city: against the whole land; against kings and princes, against priests and people”.
Prophet Jeremiah can be sure: Lord is with him. The truth is with him.
Jesus is not afraid to say in the synagogue:
“No prophet is accepted in his own native place”.
His is not afraid to say very strong and hard words about his nation.
“There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, but it was to none of these that Elijah was sent”.
“There were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed”.
The power comes from the truth.
Jesus is not political correct, because he is not going to became a president but the saviour. And the saviour has to tell the truth. Despite any consequences.
What I like in Jesus and in prophets is the courage to tell the truth, to be honest with the people and with God.
But this is only first part. The second is love.
The truth without love is only fundamentalism.
So Jesus used to say not only the truth but died for us because he loves us. St. Paul writes:
“Faith, hope, love remain, these three, but the greatest of these is love”
and
“If I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing”.
I don’t want today to discus with the Judaism or with the Islam. What I like in my faith is not only the truth because all religions claim to know the true revelation. What I like in my faith is the love. We Christians, we don’t know the truth without the love and the love without the truth. We know that the love without the truth is immaturity and blindness. We know that the truth without the love leads only to the quarrels and wars.
I like to be a Christian because my faith says me: love everybody! Love the Jews! Love the Muslims! Love atheists! Love your enemies! And I know: love is good! And I know: I liked to be loved!
I like to be Christian because my faith says me: Get know the truth! Don’t be afraid to say the truth! Don’t be afraid even of presidents, even of bishops, even of consequences! And I know: the truth is good. It gives the power and freedom.
This is, my beloved, a good news of Christianity for the modern world!
The truth and the love! Never separated. Always together.
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 18th February 2007
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
What kind of comment can I do after this Gospel?
Should I say: Don’t take Jesus’ words in the literal sense?
O maybe I should explain what does mean: do not withhold your tunic or give to everyone who asks of you, orsomething else?
I was thinking a lot about today’s Gospel, but I couldn’t find any interesting topic.
I think we have two great problems with today’s gospel.
The first: it’s the problem of our faith.
Do you believe in Jesus’ words? Do I believe that what Jesus said is true? Can you say with honesty: Yes, I agree! I should bless those who curse me. I should pray for those who mistreat me. I should offer the other cheek, when the person strikes me on one cheek. Do you agree?
This is the first problem of this gospel. Maybe we don’t believe in the deep of our hearts in these words, perhaps we don’t agree with Jesus and we want to cry: O, Lord! It’s impossible to live in that way!
If we don’t believe in these Jesus words we have to pray: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to believe in you, to believe in what you are saying, to believe that only you are right, only you know what is the best for me and for my life.
The second problem is to put these Jesus’ words into practise. Maybe we believe that Jesus is right, that it would be great to live as Jesus taught us, but we don’t have any force to love those who are against us.
In this case it would be very usefully to choose one of Jesus words and focus all you desire and all your faith to put only this one suggestion into practice.
Stop judging!
Give everyone who asks of you!
Do to others as you would have them to do you!
Lend expecting nothing back!
Stop condemning!
Bless those who curse you!
Pray for those who mistreat you!
Forgive!
Which of these words is the most important and the most needed now in your life?
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
The Lent is coming. So let us do something to believe and to put into practise at least one of Jesus’ words. Because the one who will not follow Jesus’ difficult steps, will never find the tomb of the resurrection, either in this life or in the life to come.
Lord, Jesus Christ!
Help us to love our enemies.
Give us the grace to be kind to everybody.
Strengthen us, when we are too weak to put your words into practise. And never allow us to lose the faith that only with you the live is everlasting resurrection. Amen.
Jerusalem, Notre-Dame, April 2007
Everybody has heard the first reading.
God is very clear.
Somebody will be responsible for the death of the wicked.
Or the wicked or the wicked and me.
Or the wicked or the wicked and you.
If I don’t warn my family and my friends to renounce their evil ways, we shall die both.
God is very clear.
I can’t say: I believe and it’s enough.
There is no faith only for me.
There is no philosophy: Nobody can tell me what shall I do.
God is very clear.
We won’t be saved if we are silent.
The heaven is for the disciples of the truth and not for the sons of the silence.
Does it seem to be unjust or too hard?
Maybe.
But how can Father be happy with the son who doesn’t want to help his own brother?
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 14th January 2007
Dear Brothers and Sisters.
We have read about the wedding at Cana and we see it very well: the guests, the lack of wine and the joy because somebody is able to resolve the human troubles.
But we don’t want only to look at the miracles. We don’t want to be simple spectators. Because we know: Cana is happening today. So we ask: Who are we at this wedding? Who are you at this wedding?
1. Maybe you are Mary.
Maybe it is you who know the problems of your friends. Maybe you understand better than the others what does need your mother, father, brother or somebody in your job. Maybe it is you who can speak with Jesus about it, who can ask Jesus, because it is you who believe in him.
Maybe you are Mary... Aren’t you?
2. Who are you at Cana?
Maybe you are Jesus who has the power to do something good. Maybe you think it is not yet the time, perhaps later. Maybe the people ask you to do something. And you can. Because you have today time, because you have today money, or because you have today a good heart.
Maybe you are Jesus.. Aren’t you?
3. Who are you at Cana?
Maybe you are one of the server. You don’t understand why you have to do an extraordinary work. Maybe you are doing today a lot of things you don’t understand. Perhaps you are angry or annoyed because of some difficult demand. But you are doing it. In silent. You don’t say anything. You are suffering.
Maybe you are a server.. Aren’t you?
4. Who are you at Cana?
Are you a bridegroom?
You began a new life. You started to do something special, maybe school, work, relationship or something else, and immediately you see that something is wrong, you feel that the people will not be satisfied with you. You are afraid that all will finish badly. You don’t understand that in the moment of your trouble it is Jesus and Mary who are speaking how improve this unpleasant situation. You are thinking only: what a shame! I will lose it like a bridegroom was about to lose wine.
Maybe you are a bridegroom.. Aren’t you?
Dear Brothers and Sisters.
The wedding at Cana hasn’t finished. Today we are invited at this weeding. We are invited in this world where God is still doing the incredible and impossible miracles.
Whoever we are at Cana of the modern world, let us remember, we are witnesses of the powerful and ever-loving God.
New York, St. Margaret, 5th August 2007
Today we have to talk about money.
This is not the first time and not the last time when we speak about it. This is just the proper time.
So let me tell three words: a question, a truth and a duty.
1. The question is:
“What do you gather in your life?”
Can you say: I am richer than 20 years ago?
Can you say: I have more money than 40 years ago?
Jesus didn’t say: You must not gather money.
Jesus didn’t say: It is a sin to be rich.
Jesus said: “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
So the question is:
“What do you gather, what do you amass in your life?”
Can you say: I am holier than 20 years ago?
Can you say: I pray better then 10 years ago?
Can you say: I know God better than when I was child?
Can you say: Now, I love more my wife than in the day of our wedding ceremony?
“What do you gather, what do you amass in your life?”
I hope, you agree - It would be very sad, even tragic to die with the full stomach and an empty heart.
2. The second word is truth.
Is it truth that money is the most important?
Is it truth that richer people are happier?
Is it truth that you are zero, total nonentity, if you are poor?
I thank God, every day, that he loves me not because of my pocket or position.
I thank God, that every human being has the same value in his eyes: that the president of USA or the pope are not more valuable than the starving people”.
I thank God that he says to the people who think only about money: “You fool”.
I thank God that he says very strongly because there is no place for nicely speaking when the man is terminally ill.
3. The last word about money is duty.
I don’t know your society very well, but I’m convinced that not only in USA but in every corner of the earth we, the Christians, we have to show people the proper attitude to money. We must do it, because it is the matter of the life and the death. That’s our duty.
We don’t envy people who are richer than us.
We are not worry about cash.
We don’t complain that we have to few money.
We are not going mad for dough.
We don’t cheat in job.
We don’t steal.
We pay taxes.
We are not slave of Dollar.
We are just happy to have money.
But we are happier to have God, family, love and faith.
We are just happier to have things that never pass away.
Leicester, 15th July 2007
Dear Brother and Sisters.
Let me say just three words.
1. The first word is about way.
Why “a man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho”?
Didn’t he know that this way was very dangerous?
Couldn’t he predict the consequences of that journey?
Why he decided to choose so unsafe path?
If you were in the Holy Land you know that there is no another way to go from Jerusalem to Jericho. There is no other possibility to get Jerusalem from Jericho. If that man lived in Jericho he had to go to Jerusalem and come back because it was impossible to be a true Jew and to not visit the Jerusalem temple at least once a year.
What does it mean for us?
Don’t complain about your life!
Don’t grumble: This way is very dangerous!
Don’t gripe: My Christian’s life costs me too much.
There are ways we should take if we want to be true Christians, even at any price.
2. The second word is about duty.
Yesterday I was passing through the subway next to De Montfort University when I met a man who was begging. I was not the first person who was asked for money. He was not the first person begging who has received quite nothing from me. Just one smile and “God bless you”.
More than from the priest from today’s gospel. Less than from the Samaritan.
We can find a lot of excuses to justify our laziness but none of these justifications can help the people who are in need.
If Jesus has chosen priest and Levite to present his parable he wanted to say to all Christians: “Be attentive!” It’s very easy to bypass the people if anyone seems to be closer to God.
3. The last word is about mercy.
Since the Beginning of the Church the Saint Fathers saw in the Good Samaritan the figure of Jesus Christ. He is the one who sees the misery of the humankind, the humankind beaten by the sins and foolishness. He is the one who is treated by many people as a stranger and an enemy. Even though, Jesus Christ come to you and to me, because he was been moved with compassion seeing our troubles. He bandages our wounds with the love, pours oil of the Holy Spirit and wine of the Eucharist and he carries us to the church to tell to all of the world. “Look after him” “Look after the man who is poor, beaten and wounded. Look after the man who needs your help. I will repay you on my way back when I come at the end of the ages. Look after the man because I’m looking after you”.
Just three words: way, duty and mercy.
I suppose it is not so difficult to understand the gospel even it was written in Greek and to understand the homily even it was said by a polish priest. The problem is the same as 2000 years ago:To be a man when you see a man...
Chicago, St. Camillus, 26th August 2007
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (Phl 2:12)
Dear friends of the same faith.
I would like to say just two words.
1. The first word is about hell.
Do you believe in hell? Do you believe that it is possible to be condemned for ever? Do you believe it is possible not only to waste life but even eternity?
I don't know about you, but I have impression that nowadays the faith in hell is not common. Even though we have heard about heaven, purgatory and hell, we think: ‘God is love so everybody will be saved. Maybe Hitler, Stalin, maybe Osama Bin Laden are in danger, but not us.
Somebody once asked the pope John Paul II: "His Holiness, Have you heard that about 50% of bishops don't believe in Satan? The pope wasn't surprised. He just answered: If it is true, 50% of bishops don't believe in the Gospel".
Do you believe in hell...?
I don't want to scare you. I'm just reading with you today's gospel and I see:
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough."
I'm reading today's gospel and I see:
"I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!"
I'm reading today's gospel and I see:
"There will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see [... ] yourselves cast out.”
Saint Paul understood this passage of the Gospel very well since he wrote: "work out your salvation with fear and trembling." (Phl 2:12)
2. The second word is about ‘what is possible‘.
If we take seriously the Gospel about salvation and condemnation, we probably begin to ask: ‘Is my father who died last year in heaven?’ ‘What about my cousin who has never attended mass?’ ‘What about my children who say: ‘we don’t believe in God‘. These questions are like the question from today’s gospel: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
Jesus didn’t answer this question. Or better to say: Jesus answered in another dimension. He changed the perspective: “You, strive to enter through the narrow gate”. He changed the theoretical question in a concrete challenge.
It was 3 years ago. I was then in Traunstein, in Germany. I used to say Mass for 4 weeks in a convent of German sisters. And there was one, very old sister who used to go every day to the chapel after listening to the news on TV. I asked her: ‘Sister, I admire you. First, because you listen to the news every day, and second because afterwards you always go to the chapel. Why do you do it?’ “Father“, - she answered - “I listen to the news because I want to know if people have problems and I go to the chapel because they do. I am just old, so all that I can do is to pray.
If we take seriously the Gospel we probably begin to ask: “What about my salvation, what about my friends and my family?”. But if we really take the Gospel seriously we should do what is possible to save ourselves and those whom we love. We should rather do something than ask for everything.
Dear brothers and sisters.
I wanted to say just two words: about ‘hell’ and about ‘what is possible’. Not because you are going to go to hell and not because you do nothing for your friends’ salvation. I did it because you have the right to know more today than yesterday.
It is true: God loves everybody.
It is true: God wants to save all people.
But it is also true: God says: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough."
Skegness, 6th August 2006
The Feast of the Transfiguration
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
I would like to say just two words.
1. The first word is about election.
Do you feel chosen?
Do you feel selected?
Do you feel to be set apart?
Today’s gospel says us that Jesus took with him only Peter, James and John and let them up a high mountain. There were the other apostles, but Jesus took only those three. There were thousands of mans in the Holy Land, but Jesus took only those three. We don’t know “why”. But we know that Jesus took the same apostles in the garden of Gethsemane.
Who will see the suffer shall see the glory.
Dou you feel chosen?
There are thousands of man in Skegness, but only you have come in the church.
Do you feel selected?
There are hundreds of Catholics in Skegness, but only you have the faith in the value of the Eucharist.
Do you feel to be set apart?
There are many style of living in your job, but perhaps only you have decided to live according to the Gospel.
We are elected, my brothers.
We are set apart, my sisters.
There is no pure chance or coincidence, that we are here, close to the Christ.
God has chosen us and set us apart because he loves us.
Go home and remember!
I am chosen, I am beloved.
Am I? Yes. I am.
2. The second word is about imitation.
Who do you imitate?
Who do you follow in?
Who is your idol? Patron? Hero?
Who do you listen to?
Who is your God, guide, shepherd?
Radio? Television? Neighbours? Queen? Body? Desires? Science? Habit? Your children?
Who do you listen to?
When Peter said about three tents, then there came a voice from the cloud: “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him”. Peter’s suggestion maybe wasn’t so silly. Maybe it was a practical and rational idea, but it wasn’t God’s will. “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.”
In my life I have to make a lot of decision. A lot of ideas come to my mind. But I can’t forget: “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.”
I have to ask every day: “God, tell me, please, what is your will”.
I should ask every day: “Jesus, explain me, what are you thinking about it?”.
I must repeat every day: “Father, thy will be done!”
I am not Christian, if I don’t listen to Christ.
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
I wanted to say just two words.
The first about election, the second about imitation.
The first is a grace, the second is a task.
Keep it in your hearts, and you will see the wonders of the transfiguration.
Leicester, 4th August 2002
My brothers and sisters!
What do you eat every day? What do you eat?
God says today:
"Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty:
Buy corn without money, and eat,
And at no cost, wine and milk".
And you? What do you eat every day?
God says today:
"Listen, listen to me and you will have good things to eat,
listen, and your soul will live".
And you? What do you eat every day?
Psalmist says today:
"The hand of the Lord feeds us:
he answers all our needs".
And you? What do you eat every day?
Psalmist says today:
"The eyes of all creatures look to you
And you give them their food in due time".
And you? What do you eat every day?
Jesus says today:
"No one lives on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God".
And you? What do you eat every day?
Dear friends!
It is impossible to live without daily bread.
It is impossible to be a Christian without daily God's word.
How many times did you eat the word of the Lord last week?
How many times will you eat the word of the Lord next week?
My brothers and sisters.
Is it not the greatest tragedy to die with the full stomach and the empty heart?
PS. This is the first sermon I preached in English
[post_title] => What do you eat every day? (18A) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 368-what-do-you-eat-every-day [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-08-11 16:25:14 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-08-11 14:25:14 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2011/08/11/368-what-do-you-eat-every-day/ [menu_order] => 4143 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [60] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4881 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2011-08-07 07:22:54 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-08-07 05:22:54 [post_content] =>Maidstone, 7th August 2011
Dear Catholics of St. Francis Parish in Maidstone.
We have holidays so I’d like to say only two words.
The first about success.
Last Sunday Jesus made a huge success. He has fed the five thousand.
Bo what did he do after that?
Did he say: „Does anybody want my autograph?”
Did he say: „We won. Let’s celebrate!”?
Did he say: „Come to me to shake my hand!”?
Not. Not at all.
“After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone”.
The winner alone. The miracle-worker only with God.
The real success never moves away from God.
The real success never moves away from family.
Never moves away from friends.
If your success moves you away from God, people or values you are not worthy to be successful.
The success was made for man not man for the success.
We say: “When in fear, God is dear”.
With today’s Gospel we should say:
“When in luck, God is back”.
The second word is about a ghost.
“When the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. It’s a ghost, they said and cried out in fear.”
It’s a ghost…
What does God look like?
What kind of face shall we look out?”
How does God reveal himself?
The questions are crucial.
Because how can I pray if I don’t know who I pray to?
How can I be faithful to him, If I’m not sure who should I be faithful to?
Who are you, my God? Who are you, our Father?
In Elijah’s meeting with God, God came with the sound of the gentle breeze. In today’s gospel he came as a ghost. Yesterday we read that his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. On Easter Sunday Jesus came through the closed door. In the Book of Revelation we read about “a Lamb standing that seemed to have been sacrificed”.
Does God have many faces? Probably he does. So how can we be sure about him?
When Jesus said: “It is I. Do not be afraid”, Peter wasn’t sure about him. He said: “If it is you, tell me to come to you”. “If it is” doesn’t mean “it is”. And only Jesus word made him sure, so he got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus. Only Jesus word made him sure.
Dear Christians,
The Bible says:
“Seek out the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near”.
We are made not to wait for God but to look for him.
Let us go out of the boat! May we follow Jesus’ words, seek God and look for Him.
It is he who said: “Everyone who searches finds”.
Leicester, 27th July 2008
Dear brothers and sisters,
Where is your treasure?
Hidden in a field?
In the market?
In the sea?
Where is my treasure?
To know where my treasure is, I have to know what my treasure is.
So… what is my treasure?
Faith in God is my treasure.
The feeling that he is next to me is my treasure.
The conviction that he will never abandon me is my treasure.
The belief that he can everything is my treasure.
The experience that he helps me is my treasure.
The certainty that with him every cross has meaning is my treasure.
The sureness that only following him I will be happy is my treasure.
The credence that he forgives me all my sins is my treasure.
The certitude that only he loves me infinitely, faithfully and for free that is my treasure.
Faith in God is my treasure.
Jesus says:
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field
is like merchant looking for fine pearls
is like a dragnet cast into the sea.
What is the kingdom of heaven?
Is it not the life where God is king?
Is it not the life when the earth becomes heaven?
That is the kingdom of Heaven.
Saint Paul wrote: “The kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Dear brothers and sisters.
Actually we have two problems:
The first: the treasure is hidden.
In all three parables the treasure is hidden.
In the field, in the see, in the market.
What does mean?
If something is hidden it means that there are people who don’t see it.
There are people who say: “there is no God”.
There are people who have never met him, never felt him.
There are people who don’t see the actions of God, don’t see the meaning of the teaching of the Church, who don’t see the meaning of some commandments. There are such people and there will be forever because the treasure is hidden. This is the first problem, because if you meet a lot of people who don’t see any treasure you can think, “maybe they are right?”
The second problem is: “There is no treasure without sacrifice”.
The man in the gospel sells everything he owns to buy the field with the treasure.
The same the merchant looking for fine pearls.
Both dedicated their time and money, everything they owned.
There is no treasure without sacrifice.
This is the second problem. Because we don’t like sacrifices. The modern world doesn’t like sacrifices. And this is one of the reason why a lot of people will never find the hidden treasure.
Dear brothers and sisters.
This is my last Sunday homily.
I would like to leave you, to leave Leicester with this message: Faith in God is a treasure. Maybe hidden, maybe too expensive, but who find it, will never regret.
Leicester, 20th July 2008
Dear brothers and sisters,
Are you farmers?
Probably not.
But all of you have a field.
Are you landowners?
Presumable not.
But all of you have a field.
Your soul is your field.
My field is my soul.
The question for today is:
“Who is sowing my field?”
“Who is sowing in your field?”
In today’s gospel Jesus said:
A man sowed a good seed in his field.
But also his enemy came and sowed darnel.
Who is sowing your field and what is sowing in your field?
This question is very important:
Who sows in you depression?:
You’re clown, you’re fool, you’re nonentity, zero, null.
Who sows in you the feeling of value?
You’re great! Come on! You can do it! You’re very good! Don’t take a dislike!
Who sows in you jealousy, envy?
He is better than you! She likes him more than you! Grandmother gave me more money than you gave me!
Who sows in you faith?
You are not alone. God is with you. God wants to help you. He died for you! He must love you so much…
Who sows in you doubts?
Don’t trust in people. They are hopeless. Don’t listen to the Church. They are old-fashioned. Don’t believe in God. Did anybody see him?
Who is sowing your field and what is sowing in your field?
This question is very important, sometimes even crucial.
Because we hear a lot of words, a lot of seeds are coming in our field, in our souls. And sometimes is so difficult to distinguish between them. What is good? What is fatal? Who is sowing in me good seed and who is sowing in me darnel?
It matters who I meet with.
It matters what channel I watch.
It matters what station I listen to.
It matters what kind of newspaper I read.
It does matter.
We are free. That’s true.
But my field depends on the seed that fall on.
We are free.
But if I see in my field only bushes, shrubs, thorns, thickets, I should know where they come from.
So today’s question is: Who is sowing your field?
A liar sows lie.
A scoffer sows indignity.
An ambitious sows competition.
A skeptic sows doubt.
A jealous man sows anxiety.
Who is sowing your field?
The disciples asked Jesus: “Do you want us to go and weed the darnel out?
Jesus answered: “No. Let them both grow till the harvest”.
It’s impossible to live hearing only good words.
It’s impossible to live speaking only with friends.
But if I want to have a good harvest from my field I should think about this question:
Who is sowing my field?
Louth, 13rd July 2008
Dear borthers and sisters,
Let me tell a word about patience.
There are probably a lot of good people in your and in my life who are sowing good things in us.
It is God himself who is sowing through the people less or more effectively in our life.
But sometimes we can have an impression that our life doesn’t improve.
Sometimes we fell we are worse than 5 years ago.
Sometimes we see we are not better then our friends who don’t believe in God.
And we ask: is this seed really one good?
Dear friends,
Despite all feelings and all facts, in the name of the word of God I'd like to say:
Be patient!
The prophet Isaiah says in the name of God:
“As the rain and snow come down from the heavens and do not return there… so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty”.
Be patient!
Jesus says:
“The one who received the seed in rich soil is the man hears the word and understands it, he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty now thirty”.
Be patient!
If you sow today, probably you won’t see harvest tomorrow, not tomorrow.
Be patient!
The fact that you are here, in the church, praying to God and listening to his word, this reality is just a kind of fruit. And your parents, grandparents, friends and relatives, saints and angels are looking from heaven and they are saying today:
“It was worthy to be patient. Our seed fell very well.”
Louth, 6th July 2008
Dear brothers and sisters.
I'd like to say just two words.
1. The first word is “who?”.
Who is coming to Jerusalem in the first reading?
Who is victorious?
Who is triumphant and humble?
Who will banish chariots of the enemies and the bow of war?
Who will proclaim peace for the nations?
Who is your king coming to Zion?
Who?
Who is prophet Zechariah speaking about?
The answer is only one! Only one…
And you know it very well.
2. The second word is "where?".
Where am I going if I am in trouble?
- to my family?
Where if I am sick?
- to the doctor?
Where am I taking a step being tired?
- to holiday?
Where if I’m in need?
- to financial assistance?
Where if I am alone?
- to my friends?
Where?
Where am I going?
Where are you going?
Two thousand years ago, three thousand miles from Louth, one man from Galilee, the son of Mary from Nazareth said without any doubts:
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
Come to me, shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
Come to me, my yoke is easy and my burden light.
Come to me…
We need people.
That’s true.
We need bread. We need water.
Money, holiday, toys and tools.
But first of all and above all we need Jesus Christ.
Do we believe it?
If "yes", we understand the first word: "who?".
If "not", we should repeat the second word: "where?"
- where are we going in our life?
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 16th May 2007
Just two words.
The first: St. Paul reports Jesus’ word not written in the gospel: “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving”.
That’s true. When I was an assistant priest in a parish I felt more happier than now. Probably because I was giving more than now. Now I’m studing - it means: I receive more. It means: I give less. It means also: I am less happy.
Are you not happy?
Maybe you should give more...
The second: Jesus prays: “Father, Consecrate them in the truth”.
To consecrate means not only to make holy but also “to take out of the sphere of the profane and place in the sphere of the divine”.
It is truth that makes us holy.
It is truth that takes us out of this world and put us closer to God.
It means: it is not unimportant what you believe.
It means: What is your truth, such is your holiness.
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 13rd May 2007
Dear Christians,
I would like to focus your attention to three problems, we can discern in today’s gospel.
1. The first is a problem of love.
Jesus says: “If anyone loves me he will keep my word”.
We understand it very well. If we love somebody we keep his words, imagines, we remember, we want to be closer. That’s the law of love.
To keep Jesus’ word means to keep Jesus, to take care of him, to stay in a good relationship with him. And if we have problems with it, it’s not a matter of our weakness or malice. It’s first of all a matter of love. To keep Jesus word without love is impossible, to keep Jesus word without love is pure masochism.
So the question is not: Do you keep Jesus commandments?
The question is: Do you love Jesus?
2. The second problem is the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says: “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you.”
About the practical importance of the Holy Spirit we could hear in the first reading. The leaders of the young church wrote: “It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves”. The Holy Spirit was and is necessary to understand Jesus will, He is our teacher. And if we don’t take lessons in the Holy Spirit, we cannot remember what Jesus said, we cannot be disciples, we cannot love, because the Holy Spirit is the love of the Father and the Son of God. So we have to ask in this special Easter Time:
Come Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your Divine Love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth.
3. The third problem is a peace.
Jesus says: “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.”
According to these words the world can give a peace. Jesus doesn’t say: the world doesn’t give a peace, but the world gives a different kind of peace. The world cannot give the peace of Jesus.
Very often we look for peace in the world, we hope to receive peace from the world and in the world. But only in a peace of Jesus we can say “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” If we battle for a peace in the world we should battle more and more for Jesus’ peace.
Let us be honest with ourselves: what kind of peace we are looking for?
Dear Christians,
May Merciful God send us in this week Love, the Holy Spirit and Peace.
Pray for it.
Amen.
Jerusalem (Notre Dame), 14th May 2007
Let we think about the way of choice St. Matthias as an apostle in place of Judas.
It’s very interesting, amazing and intriguing.
The apostles prayed: “Lord, you can read everyone’s heart”.
That seems be normal.
They said: “Lord show us therefore which of these two you have chosen”. It’s a high consciousness that it is God who chooses not the people.
That’s not so usual.
But the greatest surprise for us is what happens now.
“They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles”.
They didn’t think: "To draw lots is a superstition".
They didn’t think: "It’s a big risk".
They trusted in God because he is even the Lord of drawing lots.
Do you ask about God’s will by drawing lots?
[post_title] => The Lord of drawing lots (Mon/6/Easter) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 311-the-lord-of-drawing-lots [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-05-13 10:52:49 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-05-13 08:52:49 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2011/05/13/311-the-lord-of-drawing-lots/ [menu_order] => 4195 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [68] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4860 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2011-05-13 10:34:51 [post_date_gmt] => 2011-05-13 08:34:51 [post_content] =>Jerusalem, Notre Dame, 24th April 2007
What can you do?
The crowd said to Jesus:
The crowd said to Jesus:
What can you do?
The crowd asked because they wanted to know:
Is Jesus greater than Moses?
Can Jesus give them the bread of life?
Is Jesus credible?
What can you do?
We know the answer.
After the resurrection we know very well. Jesus can everything.
We know it and we have to know it because without this knowledge it’s impossible to trust in Jesus.
But it is not only the crowd who is asking Jesus.
Today it is Jesus himself who is asking:
What can you do?
Man,
Woman,
Hey You!
What can you do that I may see and believe in you?
Jerusalem (Notre Dame), 21st March 2007
Zion said: The Lord has forsaken me.
God says: Can a mother forget her infant? Even should she forget.... I will never forget you.
The Psalmist said: How long, LORD? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me?
God says: Though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken, My love shall never leave you nor my covenant of peace be shaken.
Jesus said: My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
God says: For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will take you back.
The Psalmist said: Why, LORD, do you stand at a distance and pay no heed to these troubled times?
The word of God says: Even if my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me in.
Who is right? The human feelings or the word of God?
Probably both. But the word of God will never change.
It’s stronger than mother’s feeling. It’s longer than human life.
It’s surer than foundations of earth.
I will never forget you.
Never ever...
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 25th February 2007
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
The temptation of Christ is so rich and deep in meaning, that it’s impossible to present even the half of its treasure during one homily. So let me focus only on three different kinds of temptation.
1.The first temptation is “to have what we really need at any price.”
Jesus needed bread. He was hungry. And the problem wasn’t in the stone, because for this stone was indifferent if it would become bred or remain stone. If Jesus could change water in wine, why not stone in bread? If he said: “God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones”, so he could do this miracles.
The problem didn’t lie in the aim, but in means.
We have in our life a wide range of the basic needs: to eat, to drink, to breath, to have money, maybe to have sex...
The problem is not that we want it, but how we want it? What kind of price can we pay and which means we choose to gain what we need?
Jesus is saying today: Never by means of Devil.
2. The second temptation is: “to have power at any price”.
Jesus came to this world to become Lord. We read in the book of Psalms:
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD, who said to me, "You are my son; today I am your father. Only ask it of me, and I will make your inheritance the nations, your possession the ends of the earth.
Or in the gospel of John:
Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son…And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
Or in the letter of saint Paul:
God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
Again the problem didn’t lie in the aim, but in means.
Also we, we are created to have power on the earth. The Psalm number eight says:
What are humans that you are mindful of them, mere mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made them little less than a god, crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them rule over the works of your hands, put all things at their feet:
All sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
This is no problem if we want to have power, the problem is how we want it?
Jesus is saying today: Never by means of Devil.
3. The third temptation is: “to live at any price”.
Jesus is Lord of the death and the life. He came to this world to win the death. And he lives for ever and ever. He could say: “OK, Devil. I will show you, I am the Lord of the death. If will show that even after throwing myself from the temple I will survive.”
Jesus could, but Jesus didn’t. He knew, the life is not the greatest gift and grace. The greatest grace is to be obedient to heavenly Father.
Once more again: the problem didn’t lie in the aim, but in means.
We want to live: it’s normal. We want to survive: it’s normal. The question is always: What kind of price can we pay to keep us alive? Killing of others because we need some organ to survive? To let die hundred of poor people, because we need money to extend our life by 1 year more?
The problem is not what we want, but how we want.
Jesus is saying today: Never by means of Devil.
Dear Brothers and Sisters.
We live in a specific generation.
When a child is asking: “Mum, Dad, buy me this toy! I want it!”, usually parents buy it, because they can afford it and because their child wants it.
The problem of all temptation is not if we want it or if we can do it.
The problem is much greater: is it Jesus or is it devil who is saying in our heart “I WANT IT”?
Let us pay attention...
Any mistake will cost too much...
New York, St. Margaret, 29th July 2007
I’d like to say just three words about prayer, it means about me, sincerity and patience.
1. The first: about me.
The disciple of Jesus didn’t ask: “Lord, teach the Pharisees to pray because they are bad people” or “Lord, teach pagans to pray because they don’t pray properly”. The disciple of Jesus asked: “Lord, teach us to pray”.
The same with Abraham. He didn’t say: “It’s not my business to pray for the people of Sodoma” or “I’m not interesting in any intercession for the people of Gomorrah”. Not at all. His prayer is a beautiful example to be persistent in front of God.
What does mean for us? What does mean for me?
I can’t say: "You must pray".
You can’t say: "The prayer is a duty for priests and nouns".
We can’t complain: “Why don’t people pray?” Why my children don’t go to the church?” “Why the majority is not interesting in the matter of the faith?”.
We must understand that prayer is first of all our business. If I pray better you will pray better, If I am holier, you will be holier, If I celebrate the mass better, you will participate in it better; If I am closer to God, people will be closer to God.
I have to start from me so I ask with the disciples:“Lord, teach us to pray”.
2. The second: about sincerity.
When you pray, what do you say?
Are you sincere with God?
It’s amazing to see how the people used to pray sometimes in the Bible.
We read in the Book of Psalms:
I say to God, "My rock, why do you forget me?
Awake! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Rise up! Do not reject us forever!
Why do you hide your face; why forget our pain and misery?
Why, God, have you cast us off forever?
Why, LORD, do you stand at a distance and pay no heed to these troubled times?
How long, LORD? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me?
It was the Bible.
And we?
What do we say when we pray?
Do we tell about all our feelings?
3. The last word: about patience.
Jesus said: “Ask and you shall receive”.
I have asked God for one grace since 1986. Over 20 years. Almost every day. I have been asking and I didn’t receive. Not yet...
“Ask and you shall receive”. Does Jesus tell the truth? Yes. I’m sure. He does.
But Jesus said nothing about “how long” should I ask, seek and knock. Jesus said: You shall receive, you shall find, the door shall be opened.
Don’t be discouraged! Don’t take a dislike! God knows the time and the place.
Instead of complaining about money, job, kids, neighbours, strangers, politics, husband or mother-in-law etc., start today to pray for it, al least 20 years, al least once a day.
Who knows? Maybe it is what Jesus is asking today from you... and first of all from me...
Jerusalem, 1st Febraury 2007
They had no food and no sack.
We have.
They had a walking stick.
We have cars.
They had no money in their belts.
We have.
The didn’t have more than one tunics.
We have more.
They preached repentance.
We preach humanism.
They shook the dust off their feet in testimony against the people who didn’t welcome them.
We smile and speak: everyone is free so everybody can reject the Gospel and Christ.
They drove out many demons.
We do not.
They anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
We only anoint with oil.
Are we still disciples of Christ?
Yes! Of course! We are!
Why?
This is the question to answer…
Leicester, 18th August, 2002
Prophet Isaiah, what do you want to say in Leicester?
What do you want to say today?
Dear Christians,
I want to say the main truth of the faith.
I want to say the most important thing in life.
God is love!
He said: My salvation will come and my integrity be manifest.
Only love wants for us the wonderful future.
God said: All foreigners who observe the Sabbath and cling to my covenant, these I will bring to my holy mountain.
Only love doesn't despise man, don't despise the foreigners and the poor.
God said: I will make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Only love wants to comfort and wipe every tear from our eyes.
God is love - says the prophet Isaiah today.
Psalmist, what do you want to say in Leicester today?
What do you want to say?
Dear Christians,
I want to say the main truth of the faith.
I want to say the most important thing in life.
God is love!
Holy Spirit said through me: All nations will learn God's saving help.
Only love wants to help.
Holy Spirit said through me: God, you rule the world with justice. With fairness you rule the peoples.
Only love doesn't swindle, only love can rule.
God is love - says the Psalmist today.
Saint Paul, what do you want to say in Leicester today?
What do you want to say?
Dear Christians,
I want to say the main truth of the faith.
I want to say the most important thing in life.
God is love!
God never takes back his gift or revokes his choice.
Only love can forgive. Only love never says: "never!"
God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind.
Only love can turn the evil to good.
God is love - says saint Paul today.
Holy Gospel, what do you want to say in Leicester today?
What do you want to say?
Dear Christians,
I want to say the main truth of the faith.
I want to say the most important thing in life.
God is love!
Jesus preached the Good News of the kingdom.
Only love says the good news, not terrible, not about death, not about disaster, not about theft, not about violence.
Jesus healed all who were sick.
Only love remember the sick men.
Only love doesn't want to think about euthanasia.
Jesus said: I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
Only love thinks more about family than the other.
Jesus said: Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.
Only love listens the wise wishes.
God is love - says the Gospel of the Lord today.
Dear Christians,
My brothers and sisters.
Today Pope John Paul II consecrated Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Cracow Lagiewniki.
Today he reminded all the world of God who is merciful.
You can forget that when you miss the Sunday mass or the solemn mass like The Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary you can't receive Holy Communion.
You can forget daily prayers.
You can forget that Christians can't have sex before marriage.
You can forget that divorce is sin.
You can forget that contraception is sin.
You can forget that you must pay taxes.
You can forget that theft is sin.
You can forget that abortion is sin.
You can forget that euthanasia is sin.
But you can't forget that GOD IS MERCIFUL LOVE.
This is the main truth of our faith.
This is the most important thing in life.
This is THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD.
Jerusalem, 27th November 2006
A poor widow.
She didn’t think I don’t have money.
She didn’t think: The others have more.
She didn’t think: It’s a shame to put in two small coins when the others put in more.
She didn’t think: Two small coins is nothing for the temple.
She didn’t think: I don’t give money for the temple, because those who live in the temple are richer than me.
She didn’t think: I prefer rather to give God spiritual gifts.
She didn’t think: I will not give money for God who has taken my husband.
She didn’t think so.
A poor widow.
She "has offered her whole livelihood".
Why?
Jerusalem, 12th October 2006
Who is my God?
If he is only the distant mystery, I can’t begin to pray saying: “Father!”
I should rather to say: “O my distant mystery!”
Who is my God?
If he is only a box for my dreams, I can’t begin to pray saying: “Father!”.
I should rather to say: “O my box for my dreams!”
Who is my God?
Maybe it's me. I am God. I know what is the best for me and I want to govern my life.
So I can’t begin to pray saying: “Father!”.
I should rather stay before the mirror and say “you, ..., man!”.
Who is your and my God?
If he is father for you and for me, we will begin to pray saying: “Father, Dad!”,
and like children
we will pick some flowers for him,
we will fall into his arms,
we will prepare a cup of tea for him,
we will sing to him,
we will smile seeing him...
Who is my God?
This is the key of my prayer.
Because
What my God such my prayer.
Jerusalem-Notre Dame, 3rd November 2006
Jesus says:
Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
Look at the fig tree and indeed every tree.
Think of the fig tree.
Jesus doesn’t say:
Look at the teachers.
Look at the scientists.
Look at the Bible.
Look at the apostles.
Jesus says:
Look at the fig tree.
The fig tree doesn’t think.
The fig tree doesn’t have power.
The fig tree is almost nothing.
It lives today, but tomorrow can be cut down.
But even though the fig tree is only fig tree it can be a good teacher.
Jesus says: Look at the fig tree and learn how to recognize that the Kingdom of God is near.
We have a lot of teachers. We try to recognize what God is saying trough the Pope, the bishops, through the confessors, trough our friends and relatives, trough the Bible. And that is good. But we have to remember that sometimes God says the great things through small things. He uses the fig tree to speak about the end of times.
Who is your fig tree?
What is your fig tree?
Let us be opened for everybody and everything,
because the God’s teaching can come from the side that we have never expected.
Louth, 11th July 2009
Memory of St. Benedict
What is good? What is tasty? What is wonderful?
Each of us knows a lot of admirable things, things we desire, things we look for:
I like so much potatoes cakes. I don’t know why, but I can’t stop eating it.
Others like seafood, especially in Italy I’ve found plenty of people who are funs of lobsters, mussels and crabs.
Somebody likes sunset,
someone loves classical music,
one longs for fashionable clothes,
others are dying for overseas travels.
Everybody has at least one dream and everyone know what is good and tasty for him.
The psalmist says today: Taste and see that the Lord is good.
We have tasted in our life hundreds of titbits.
Have you ever tasted that God is good?
[post_title] => Have you ever tasted God? (11.07) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => 197-have-you-tasted-god [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2010-12-09 23:18:07 [post_modified_gmt] => 2010-12-09 22:18:07 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://wegrzyniak.kei.pl/2010/12/09/197-have-you-tasted-god/ [menu_order] => 4302 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 78 [current_post] => -1 [before_loop] => 1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5031 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2013-07-20 08:31:24 [post_date_gmt] => 2013-07-20 06:31:24 [post_content] =>Leicester, 21st July 2013
I’d like to say just three words.
1. Firstly, Martha didn’t do any wrong things. After all, somebody had to prepare something to eat. Somebody had to set the table. As Abraham at the Oak of Mamre. Did Martha do anything wrong?
The same is with the Church.
When I was studying in Rome and Jerusalem I used to spend summers in different countries and different parishes. In 8 years I’ve been to Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Israel, Ireland, USA. In England I covered priests in Leicester, Skegness, Louth, Kirkham, Maidstone, Scunthorpe. And after all these experiences I can honestly say that the Catholic Church is very similar to Martha. We do a lot of things. We are distracted with all the serving. We worry and fret about so many things: church services, meetings, pilgrimages, booklets, schools, people visiting, etc. How many priests are doing things that have nothing common with priesthood….? God knows alone. And what is amazing all these things are not wrong things. So where is the problem?
The problem is that we chose too often a good part instead of a better one.
Jesus says:
"I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and what you are to wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body more than clothing!" (Mat 6:25)
2. Secondly, what is the better part?
The better part is to sit down at the Lord's feet and listen to God speaking.
Last year I attended Jesuits spiritual exercises in Warsaw. It was amazing to notice that after 6 days I felt better, happier, freer. What did we do? Nothing special. We just meditated. We just listened to God.
It’s incredible how much time we spend to chat with our friends, to check news or to make shopping and how little we sit down only to listed to God speaking.
I don’t want to complain. I’d like only to encourage you and myself to listen to God.
"Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one, only Lord" (Mar 12:29)
"It is in that way faith comes, from hearing, and that means hearing the word of Christ" (Rom 10:17)
How can the people believe if they not hear God?
How can they love God if they don’t speak with him?
How can we be strong and free if we are not close to God?
It is not true that the times changed.
It is not true that in the modern world it is more difficult to believe in God.
What we need only is to listen to God.
Nothing else. Nothing more.
3. Lastly, it’s very difficult to sit beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
It’s very difficult because sometimes we don’t know where are the feet of the Lord.
It’s very difficult because we are not sure if this is really Jesus who speaks.
It’s easier to do a lot of things that are more specific, more visible, more tangible.
It’s easier to say the mass than to listen to the Lord.
It’s easier to read the reading than to listen to God.
It’s easier to clean the church than to listen to what I have to clean in my life.
It’s easier to prepare a lunch than to listen to what I should eat every day.
However, we are not the people who want to take life easy.
Let us think where the feet of the Lord are!
Let us listen to him!
Because this is the better part and it will not be taken from us.