Make Time For What You Love

Winter Pilgrimage To Mariazell Shrine In Austria - Photos

Continuing with my recovery program after the surgery on January 13 this year, I am deeply grateful to my classmate and best friend - Fr. Wiesław, pastor of Ulmerfeld-Hausmenning-Neufurth parish in St. Pölten diocese in Austria, for his invitation to come for one week to his place to rest and visit our common friends, especially from the Mission Team. Yesterday I had opportunity to see Linz and the area with our dear friends - Maria, Herbert, Maria and Brigitte. Today another dear friend - Franz - took me to Mariazell for prayer and Holy Mass. I am so happy and grateful to him personally, to his wife Brigitte for a lovely welcome at their house, for breakfast and lunch and good chat, same as I was grateful to Fantastic Four yesterday on the way from Linz and in Maria's house. Here are some images I took on my mobile on the way, in and back from Mariazell. Austria is magnificent in winter! It is such a blessed time here in Ulmerfeld. Deo gratias! Thank you, Wiesiek! Thank you, Mission Team! God bless you much!

The Week

Last week, the Week, the time we have been waiting for and talking about for a very very long time. The last week of the Year of Faith, the last week of the current liturgical year, the week of my silver jubilee celebration in Kiabakari on coming Thursday, the week of the blessing of our three development projects, the week of the official opening of the said projects, the week of the fourth graduation in our pre-school.

The air in Kiabakari is ripe with anticipation. The church for the past two Sunday is fully packed, parishioners who grace our parochial church usually on major solemnities come to attend the Masses. People listen eagerly and attentively to announcements at the end of the Mass wanting to get the full picture of the coming celebrations.

Although I feel weariness and tiredness after many months of hard work on projects and other celebrations of the Year of Faith, adrenaline keeps me going. And the last Thursday recollection day in Bunda Carmel, filled with silence, prayer and the Holy Mass to Holy Spirit filled my heart and soul with calmness, inner joy, resolve, gratitude and spiritual power.

I enjoy phone calls, emails and messages I receive these days from well wishers and people willing to contribute towards the expenses of the celebrations. This spirit of togetherness, friendship and love is what makes these days so special.

Thank  you, Lord!

Divine Mercy Hill dressed for the upcoming celebrations

Disappointment

I can only imagine how God must feel when any of his children chooses to go his/her own way till the end of life and refuse to be saved and go to heaven. There must be an inexplicable disappointment of Our Father. To choose darkness and hell, rejecting patient love, tenderness and open arms of God... This we may never understand. How and why this happens. But it does happen...