Back Home

Landed in Kraków airport close to midnight last night, then a taxi to St. Kazimierz parish where I stay. It took a while to get some sleep, things to do first, laundry and so forth, but managed to wake up on time and go to Sisters' convent a few hundred meters away from the parish for the 6.45am Holy Mass.

Now waiting for the funeral Mass of Sr. Aniela, one of my favorite sisters, who suffered immensely in her long illness, whom I have always knows as jovial, full of life and energy person. May Lord grant her eternal peace.

I still feel a bit dizzy having covered yesterday a distance from Fatima by bus to Lisbon, visiting St. Anthony church built on his birthplace in Lisbon there, long wait at the airport and four hours flight to Warsaw, another wait for the connection to Krakow, and from the Balice airport to my ghetto.

My personal pilgrimage to Fatima was a must for me this time when I am in Europe. Long due after the last one I did my my fellow missionary, Fr. Piotr, back in 2001. I had a truckload of reasons to go there - to praise the Lord with Our Lady, to thank Merciful God, Our Lady, St. Joseph, Fatima seers, to ask for forgiveness for our sins and failures, to commit myself and ourselves in Kiabakari, family, foundation and friends anew to Our Lady and her maternal protection and intercession. So many intentions to present to Our Lady - my personal and others.

I feel in peace now and happy, hopeful and focused, totally surrendered to God and His Will under protection of Our Lady of Fatima.

May Lord's Will be done. Amen.

Choose Wisely

This morning I read one my favorite passages from the Sacred Scripture in today's Gospel:

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.

The Abyss Of Silence

My blogging has become more and more difficult to me these days. No wonder why the pace of updating you with my life, work, thoughts, reflection, narration of the daily life in Kiabakari - has become a trickle instead of a river like steady flow of communication. It is not that I have run out of ideas or inspiration. Not at all. The real problem, as I see it and as I would like to phrase it, would be a growing need of silence in me. The more I get involved in the daily struggle in Kiabakari, parochial and spiritual life of my community, demands of various projects and challenges at hand, needs of my volunteers, groups, movements, parochial institutions and individuals - the more I desire to dive deeper into the abyss of silence and pure presence of the Real One. I know that I cannot completely detach myself from the demands of my active life, my duties and responsibilities, not yet at least, but the thought I had in me, persistent to the extent of consulting my spiritual director in my first year in the seminary to discern this spirit if it was good or bad (and he said it came from the evil spirit, because I was destined to the active service in the Church), is coming back to me in full force, thirty years after, pushing me to desire contemplative life in all its fullness and uncompromising nature. For some time, let's say - four years - this thought is ever present in me. And I wonder, if this is what will happen to me in the future, living the last part of my life in total seclusion and silence. I don't know, I will need real discernment and help from professionals in these matters, but I do not say 'no' upfront to it. I accept this notion and if God wants me there, I guess I will be ready. Please, pray for me so His Will be done, not mine.