On Some Great Gift

When confronted with the reality of their particular cross, one can either get angry or remain faithful. Please look at the two thieves that were crucified along with Jesus. The good one knew that, although heavy and burdensome, some crosses are needed. Due to the said knowledge(combined, undoubtedly, with the power of God's Mercy), not only he had been privileged with the agony in closeness to Christ, but also – just a few moments after his death – partook in His Master's Life.
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Tomasz, Racibórz +

Some Question (not Only) for Today

Many people are obsessed with the issue of control: What will I do after my graduation?, what will my work and family look like?, what to do with X, Y, Z? These, among many other questions, preoccupy our minds.  Still, regardless of how detailed our plans and problems may be, they will not stand against the test of time.

God, not we, is in control and His projects, not ours, guarantee us everlasting joy. It is because of His infinite Love, the One that never sets limits, and always sets free.

Trust me and in the times of trouble, instead of worrying about some temporary stuff, ask God, His Mother, and your neighbour the following question:

 Am I growing in love?

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 Tomasz, Racibórz +

The Hope Is Not Only For You

All we have is given to us by Jesus; still there are many divine gifts that may be experienced, understood, and accepted better through the gentlest hands of Mary. One of them, not surprisingly, is our ability to stand at the given crosses. 

Whenever you are in pain, tell Mary about your experience, share it with her:

By doing so, not only would you be protected from any form of despair; in addition–being first perfectly consoled by Jesus–

you may be able to co-spread the world-changing hope of His Mother.    
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 Tomasz, Racibórz +

The Fullness of Love

The symbol of French royalists(used by them during the war in the Vendée) . Of course hearts of us all shall be moulded after the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Sometimes love, this most beautiful of interpersonal relations,  is symbolized in the arts by the heart alone. Undoubtedly, such depiction refers to the romantic situation that may, at least to some extent, unite two people.  Still the symbol of a cross mounted on a heart seems to serve better as a sign of the genuine love:

The sole heart often seeks only its own pleasure, whereas  the cross enables people to love each other in season and out of season, binding the same heart tightly with its duty.

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Tomasz, Racibórz

PS Please pray for the Italian girl, Melissa, who has been killed in recent bomb attack. And do not forget about her killers...

Between Cross and Resurrection

Some people are either hostile toward Jesus or do not understand Him at all. Both His Cross and His Glory seem to be incomprehensible to them, so-called "all-knowing" men.
In the past, however, neither the Blessed Virgin Mary nor Our Lord's disciples treated Him and His redemptive Mission in this way.
Despite of the blasphemous voices such as:  "Why won't You get down from your Cross", and "He is not risen, this could not be the case, even if somebody says so" there was unceasing hope in Mary and followers of Jesus. They knew well that any pain or unbelievable surprise may be accepted with trust if only
experienced in closeness to the Messiah, the One who -- no matter of what -- was, still is, and always will be the Ultimate Reason, Hope, and Strength for us all.

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Tomasz, Racibórz

PS. Thanks for your prayers - they are very helpful, appreciated, and...still needed!

The Genuflections

Sometimes wheelchairs users may feel uncomfortable. Pavements, thresholds and closed hearts are among many barriers that they have to encounter and overcome. Still there is at least one situation of advantage, the greatest honour that just-mentioned, "disabled" people are exclusively blessed with.
Handicapped Catholics, men and women alike, are able to genuflect before the Eucharist,and they do it even if it is not explicitly required of them; during the Holy Mass, adoration,or ordinary prayer - because of their "lowered positions" - they are bowing down before the Lord virtually all the time. As the result, and I am almost sure of it, He may grant them with His constant, consoling and holy presence, just as He did for His Mother - the first believer courageous enough to praise God even at the foot of the Cross.
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Tomasz, Racibórz

Living with...Jesus

Living with a disability - whatever this could mean for you - may be a hard task, yet it is never meaningless. In fact, it may be your blessing...if only your cross is taken up with Christ-like acceptance. If you are His true follower
then, on your difficult path, you will find the flowers of grace; you can even meet a Son of God himself: The One who has never thrown His Cross away... let Him go with you,
look at Him and realize that He can transform everything just as He once did from His Cross... by the great power of His Love, every act of your obedience, acceptance, or even dependency - may become a precious gift for your and your family, namely: your key to heaven.
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Tomasz, Racibórz

You can't have one...

There are two realities that must not be seen separately by any Catholic: these are Christ's holy Life, and His holy Cross.

"Cross without Christ" is a mere absurdity - if you had implemented such concept then you life would have been pointless. Only disapointments, pain, death...

No more sense get we be seeing Jesus without His Cross, since we all know that "no cross means no crown of our Salvation".

Life of Christ has been spanned between pain of His earthly Life and joy of heaven to remind us all that He is both God and human...All of that have a great meaning for us, who He loves so much, since His human nature makes our suffering bearable, and His divinity makes it worth of bearing.


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Tomasz, Racibórz

The Cross and the Ball

I like Chestertonian idea of a cross being superior to the ideal ball.

Such comparison  reminds me that any disability, illness, suffering -- unaccepted by so-called perfect world,  

can only be dignified by and get sense in the Cross of Jesus. 

The one that provides us with so many graces, making even our bodily and mental imperfections worthy of the infinite Heaven.

Please pray for me!

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Tomasz, Racibórz

Ave Crux, Spes unica

The 3rd part of Chapter III (named: At the Foot of the Cross) from the Collected Works of bl. Edith Stein( Vol. IV) begins with words "Hail, Cross, our only hope!''.

This great Carmelite nun is also widely known for Her work Science of the Cross.

You may ask: where exactly these hope and wisdom can be traced? And why are they coming from the cross? Isn't it an absurd? For nobody  likes to suffer, moreover one's suffering seems to be pointless.

Above-mentioned gifts come directly from Jesus. Without His transforming power the cross would have no meaning at all, or rather would be a scandal(as it was stated in Ancient Times). But Jesus' Cross gives us the real hope and the real wisdom: the first one tells us that our pain is useful; the second teaches us how to use it, and what is more important – why to use it.

St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us!

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Tomasz, Racibórz