“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom.”(Luke 12:32) I’d like to comment on God’s word by first recalling an event that happened to me when I was 29… I had undergone knee surgery. On my third night of hospitalization, while the pain was still acute, the nurse informed me that…
The Role of the Chronicler The role of a chronicler, as I understand it, is to tell stories in such a way that readers can understand, at least to some extent, what the writer has seen and experienced. During Mass at the Divine Mercy shrine today, just before visiting the former concentration camp at Auschwitz, the preacher, Brother Christopher Fadok,…
Decision-Making Under Pressure “Should we act now? Should we wait?”This question recurs in the life of everyone who has to make decisions, let alone in the life of a superior such as a provincial, who is responsible for the brothers, for the structures, for the mission. “Should we act? Should we do it now? Is now the right time? Sometimes…
A Welcome for Servants “‘Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.’ What a marvellous text for a General Chapter of Provincials. Welcome, slaves!” With these words, the former Master of the Order of Preachers, Brother Timothy Radcliffe, began his homily today. Three Chapters, One Mission…
“On the day I called, you answered me; you increased the strength of my soul.”(Psalm 138:3) “The humiliation of humanity.” These are the words I recall our brother Łukasz Wiśniewski using to describe the 20th century, when he preached for the Mass of the Holy Spirit, beginning our general chapter. He was describing such places of 20th-century humiliation as the…
“Let them both grow together until the harvest.”(Matthew 13:30) Under the sign of patience. If we are to remember Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, we must – if we are to believe the proto-gospel of James – remember two great figures of patience. Patient – perhaps even resigned – weary of waiting for the child who does not come, yet…
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”(Matthew 5:9) Dear brothers and sisters!I come from a country where the war has been going on for many years and there is no end in sight.This war affects many nations, so praying together for peace,when representatives of the Order from all over the world gathered here, – is…
The Power of Stories in Preaching Among the friars, there’s a well-known anecdote – told in many versions – about a time when someone asked a Jesuit, “Is it true you always answer a question with another question?” The Jesuit simply smiled and replied, “Who says that?” A similar story could easily be told about the Dominicans, with the claim…
“We carry this treasure in jars of clay, to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”—2 Corinthians 4:7 St James the Apostle: Krakow 2025 ‘Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.’ What a marvellous text for a General Chapter of…
The Gift of Perspective When I caught one of the brothers at the monastery gate and asked him how he was dealing with the heat, which can be truly unbearable here — when the sun heats the walls until nightfall, and the concrete gives off the heat it has absorbed throughout the day, warming up the already scorching city —…
