Through Mary To Jesus

"Through Mary to Jesus". This is a motto of the Sisters of the Congregation of Little Servants of Mary Immaculate (In Polish - Służebniczki Starowiejskie) which I am so familiar since the beginning of my priestly formation in Major Seminary in Kraków. The vicinity of our family apartment to the provincial house of the Sisters in Kraków-Grzegórzki made me a frequent visitor in their chapel.

Today, on the Solemnity of Holy Mary, Mother of God, I felt it was crucial to make my personal pilgrimage together with my Little Servants from Kiabakari to Cloistered Carmelite Sisters Monastery in Bunda to say Mass in honor of Our Lady at the beginning of the New Year in the initial stages of the Jubilee Year of Mercy and to commit myself to her maternal guidance and intercession in the School of Love of Jesus where She is a Head Teacher. May She lead us, may She lead me to Jesus, the King of Mercy and teach me how to listen to Him, how to follow Him, how to love Him, how to become a vessel and a tool of His Mercy.

I felt I need to empty myself completely on the Holy Mountain of Carmel in the presence of God to be filled anew with only this what is needed to become a true Missionary of Mercy in this Jubilee Year and beyond.

I came back home with my Sisters and finalize the pilgrimage passing through the Door of Mercy in Kiabakari Shrine.

"Through Mary to Jesus". This is the only proper and shortest way to learn and love Jesus and to acquire a comprehensive grasp of what really matters in our lives.

Full of Divine Mercy New Year, all my friends!

TJ

TJ - a very pleasant abbreviation. TJ - Tumbo Juu - means in kiswahili 'belly up', resting, unwinding, lying down... This is what I've been doing for the last half an hour or so already as all guests left the house and I'm alone, happy and satisfied that today's blessing and opening of St. Gemma Galgani convent in my mission went well, with no glitches nor problems. Everybody is happy and me as well! Here are some pictures from today...

Closer

Getting real close now to the moment my sisters will move to their new convent. It will be the very day they will spend outside of my rectory since they came on January 3, 2010. The very first day and the very first night in their new house. It took us fifteen months to accomplish this task. A huge relief to them and to me as well. Today we finish all construction works outside the house, in their plot (mainly in the gates and fabricating spare keys to all doors so I keep spares at home, as this is my policy in this mission that every door in all buildings must have its spare key in my safe), do the general cleaning of the house and put all things that are ready to go (most of the donated by me and my foundation Kiabakari) - like set of sofas, gas stove, automatic washing machine, deep freezer etc. Once Tanesco fix the service line to the convent, the house will become fully operational. This - I hope - will be done in a couple of days, so before we open the house on next Sunday, sisters will there already. My mood is more and more jovial!

Mistake

Yes, I have to admit, I made a mistake in preparing the inscription on the entrance wall at the main gate of the new sisters' convent in Kiabakari. I feel bad about it, to be honest. Just one word in wrong place, but to repair the mistake we have to take off the whole plastered piece on which we put the complete text as any attempts to change the sequence of words will destroy the balance and centrality of the inscription... aaaahhh!

No Sign

Looks like there is no sign of crisis in the Congregation of Little Servants of Blessed Virgin Mary Conceived Immaculate. Neither in local vocations in Africa, nor in their financial wellbeing. Tomorrow three young women will participate in a thanksgiving Mass in their home parish in Shirati in the northwestern part of diocese of Musoma, as they are the very first Tanzanian women who entered that congregation and just recenty made their first vows in Kasisi, Lusaka, Zambia - the headquarters of the African Province of the Congregation...

Pure Coincidence?

Was it a pure coincidence that so long awaited Sisters from the Congregation of Little Servants of Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate Conceived who I was asking patiently to come for some 17 years in a row in vain, conceded to my relentless petitioning and came at last to Kiabakari on January 3, 2010, on the first anniversary of the death of my Mum?

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam

Today the liturgy celebrates commemoration of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (a religious order of Jesuits). The motto of Ignatius and Jesuits alike - 'Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam' (For the Greater Glory of God) resounds in the Holy Mother Church for the past five centuries and thousands followed its challenging message...