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Letters from Br. Błażej: Night 238

October 20, 2022 Thursday

We are alive! Thank God. Yesterday lunchtime alarms and air strikes of rockets, kamikaze drones started. The alarms covered all of Ukraine. God protected us. We are alive!

What has the occupier prepared for us today. We are waiting… Time: 10:15 am across Ukraine in alarms.

Word… Often on the Internet there were photos of kneeling soldiers at the Eucharist, at prayer. Important was the comment, under this photo:

“He who kneels before God does not kneel and bow to the enemy.” This is the spirit of the word:
“Brothers: I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, that according to the riches of His glory He may cause in you by His Spirit, that the inner man may be mightily strengthened.”

Our strength, is the Spirit of the Father, who “strengthens” in us and gives us strength…. Heroes do not die! Герої не вмирають !

We live the war, we do not live by war.

I encourage you to listen to the music video “U mnie nie ma domu” (I have no home). Touching:

As Brother Sergei, Superior in Vinnitsa wrote below, we welcomed long-awaited angels who brought gifts for our refugees and displaced persons – Capuchin friars from Poland from Mogilno, gave us gifts in Krasilow, Vinnitsa and Kiev. (Photo)
With gratitude we pray for our brothers and benefactors. I personally thank Br. Luke, the provincial of Warsaw, for the support of our angels, Brothers John and Henry. God bless. God is love.

May God protect us and grant us peace.

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 187

August 30, 2022 Tuesday

At our place, calm. In other areas, very restless. The Ukrainian army, took up the assault near Kherson. God give us peace.

The Word… We have received the Spirit of Jesus, and in this Spirit, we are, as Christians look at the events that are taking place around us. “Well, we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is of God, for the knowledge of the good that God has bestowed upon us.” Christian and war. People die, innocent people and children suffer. We have received the Spirit of Jesus, and in this Spirit we look at war and at our enemies and at the death of our loved ones.

We live the war, we do not live by war.

Krasilow. Retreat house and finished retreat for children.” Oazis.” (photo)

Kiev. God, through the Apostolic Nunciature in Kiev, sent us angels from Hungary, from Transcarpathia, members of the Order of Malta, who gave gifts to our wards. Now it’s time to help our refugees and displaced persons. Sister Bogumila, a Nazareth nun, joined the campaign. Let us pray for our Benefactors. (photo)
In Kiev. The next stage of work on the church square, stairs and parking lot (photo)
Kiev. Meeting of chaplains, Christian Relief Service. (photo)

May God bless us and keep us safe.

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 185

August 28, 2022 – Sunday

God has given us another day, a special one, the Lord’s Day, Sunday. A peaceful night. In areas of warfare, night shelling, explosions, people are killed, including civilians.

God, please give us peace!
The Word… Once again the Word shows me my thinking, mentality. Even though I am in the Order of Friars Minor, by my own strength I am not able to be ” minor”. I am burdened with original sin. I hear in my heart, you will be like God, you will be great…. like God. Today’s Word urges me to pray: God give me a humble heart, the heart of a friar minor.

We live in a war, we do not live by war.

In Stary Konstatnynov, another session of the School of Mary is taking place. Serving at the School are Capuchins, especially Br. Stanislav Manski and postnovitiate Br. Mykola. (photo)

In Krasilow, Brother Matthias leads the Rosary online almost every night, praying with the people for peace and an end to war. To admire and follow. Statue of the Mother of God on the church square in Krasilow. (photo)

Lviv
Another night of vigil. A new Family is forming around the Capuchin Friars. (photo).
May God bless us and grant us peace.

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 184

August 27, 2022 – Saturday. St. Monica

At our place it is calm. In the Dnieper region and especially neighboring areas rocket fire. There are civilian casualties. God give us peace!

The Word… “Look to your vocation, brothers!”. Very specific encouragement, look at yourself as in a mirror. What do you see? “A happy nation chosen by the Lord.” “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

What do you see? You are loved by God. God is love!
We live in war, we do not live by war.

Lviv:
Invitation to another Marian night of vigil. (photo)
“I appoint you a Knight of Mary….”. “Win with love.” (photo)
The National Council of the Secular Franciscan Order held a meeting and prayer at Zoom. (photo). The School of Mary is being held in Starokonstantinov.

Krasilow:
Peace and good! In Krasilow, another funeral for a soldier who died in the war. As you can see, crowds bid farewell to their hero. And in the Krasilov parish and retreat house, life goes on. The children’s oasis continues until Saturday, minor repairs are being done at the monastery (Leonid K. with the carpenter is making a door for a room to protect it from unwanted sounds…). Daily life is going on fairly normally. Greetings to all!

May God protect and bless us.

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 183

August 26, 2022 – Friday. In Poland of Our Lady of Czestochowa.

We have survived. All the time we are warned to be careful. Rocket attacks are possible in all areas of Ukraine. God, we ask you to end the war, for peace.

It has been six months of war in Ukraine, which actually began not on February 24 this year but in 2014, with the annexation of Crimea and the seizure of parts of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces.

The Word… (Readings from the Solemnity of the Mother of God in Poland) The “fullness of time” of which St. Paul speaks is at every Eucharist. God sends through heavenly Mother the Church, as through Mary, the Son, Jesus Christ, so that we, you and I during the same Eucharist become sons and not slaves. “So you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then also an heir by the will of God.” You are a Son….. Listen to the Father and the Mother… “Do whatever He tells you.”

This is the way of happiness, in community, in marriage, where wine (the Holy Spirit) is in abundance. God is love!
We live in war, we do not live by war.

CARITAS of Starykonstantynow celebrates Independence Day. (photo)

The statue of our Padre Pio, took up residence at the Dominicans in Fwastow. The relics, had already been given by br. Roman Rusek and Sergey Kippa from Kiev. (photo)

Georgia:
super photos. (photo) In hospitality at the Benedictine nuns, where brothers Marek and Jacek celebrate the Eucharist. Our brothers live in this area.

May God grant us peace.

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 182

August 25, 2022 – Thursday. St. Louis.

We have survived another night. In our region, as in others, endless alarms. Apparently, the most peaceful Transcarpathia, in Uzhgorod there were alarms as many as 7. Thank God, we are alive. In other areas people are killed, very often civilians. God grant us PEACE.

The Word… The beginning of St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians…. is a Word of peace and grace for us. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!” We experienced Independence Day in Grace and Peace. God is with us. God has not left Ukraine.

“Faithful is God, who has called you to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We live in war, we do not live by war.

Croatia is celebrating with Ukraine. Brother Jure, thank you. (photo)

From Poland motorcyclists, from the Katyn Rally by their presence and more, support us and Ukraine. May God protect you. (photo)

Among the days Rev. Prof. Waldemar Cisło, from the Polish section of “Aid to the Church in Need”. We are more familiar with the organization, our long-time Benefactors from “Kirche in Not”. Let us pray for our Benefactors. Mrs. Magda, we remember.

I invite the Brothers to pray for our Brothers, especially the sick and our Benefactors.

Krasilow:
Peace and good! Greetings to all on Ukraine’s Independence Day! The celebration was disrupted by one alarm but as usual in Krasilow without consequences. At our place life is vibrant. In addition to fraternal, parish and refugee life, we have in the “Retreat House” a retreat of the children’s oasis led by the ministry of the School of Mary Greetings to all!

Kyiv:
On the 23rd of August, three volunteers arrived safely in Malta for receiving an ambulance for the Ukrainian army. On the 24th of August there was a press conference, handing over the keys to the ambulance and a joint dinner to celebrate Ukraine’s Independence Day (see photo). On Thursday, 25.08. early morning departure by land transport to Ukraine.
We thank, on behalf of Brother Philip, the Capuchin Brothers of Malta and all the benefactors of Malta for the donated gifts! May God generously reward.

Starokonstantinov:
Peace. At our house as normal. Alarms, sirens, habit. The School of Evangelization is taking place. There are brothers, Andrew K. Mykola Sh. As always, domestic affairs.
May God bless us and keep us safe

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 181

August 24, 2022 – Wednesday. St. Bartholomew’s Day.

UKRAINE INDEPENDENCE DAY !!!

The Word… To find Jesus, in fact, to let yourself be found by Jesus, is the beginning of Christianity. After that, the Word, dialogue, conversations, prayer and intimacy with God in love, this is the way of each of us who considers himself a Christian.  “Teacher, You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel.” God is love !
We live in war, we don’t live by war.

These days it is difficult not to live a war, because from every side you can expect rockets, diversions, war, in every part of Ukraine. Independence Day, please in your prayers, ask God with us for Ukraine, for its true INDEPENDENCE!

UKRAINE WILL WIN (photo)

Video. 2021 Ukraine Independence Day. Worth seeing. Not the most important, it is in the Ukrainian language which you may not understand. There is also a language, speech, without words. I invite you to watch.

Video. 2022 Independence Day of Ukraine. The beginning of the President’s speech and from about 6 minutes the second part and the same girl, symbolizing Ukraine. I invite you to watch.

May God protect us.

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 179

August 22, 2022 – Monday. Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen.

It’s getting hotter and hotter. The invaders are revving up. State holidays are approaching in Ukraine: August 23, Tuesday, “Flag Day.” August 24, Wednesday, “Independence Day.” Numerous air strikes on cities are announced. In Kharkiv, August 23 and 24, “curfew.” Holidays during the war.

The Word…. another time, and so it will always be: Listen, listen to God, His Word, and not yourself. Listen and follow the Word, that is, the Shepherd, your Shepherd. “My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me.”

Mother of God, of Berdychev our Queen, pray for us, for Ukraine.

We live in war, we do not live by war.

Brothers, please pray for our sick brothers.
Capuchins, Friars Minor, pass through the tight, narrow gate in Israel…. Today’s Gospel, yesterday’s Gospel. (Photo) Archival photos, pre-war.
Man to man has made this fate – Such rockets fly overhead. (photo)

Lviv:
Vigil night (photo). Freshly baked cheese cake which a neighbor brought us in the morning. Tasty. Photos from our Lviv home. (photo)
Fr. Gregory Draus donated to our refectory an oak table made by the displaced persons who live with him. Deo gratias for the good heart and kindness to the Capuchins.

Dnipro:
Franciscan youth with their elder brother. (photo)
History. The old and new parish priest in Dnipro. Mark thank you. Yaroslav of courage…. (Photo) Jurek, you can not be disliked. Wadym, in unity our strength. God loves you !

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 174

August 17, 2022

War night. Standard. Alarms, gunfire, people die. It sounds terrible, but such are the realities of war. A person gets used to all that to survive. God give us peace.

The Word… God gives a powerful Word, especially for me and those who are responsible for the people (the sheep). “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who pasture themselves! Shepherds, repent and listen to the voice of the Lord! Sheep, do not be afraid, God is stronger than the weakness of the shepherds He has chosen. “Behold, I Myself will seek out My sheep and I will take care of them.” God is love!

We live in war, we do not live by war.

Vatican Radio confirmed the above word. “Despite war, Capuchins open new monastery in Lviv”!
https://www.vaticannews.va/pl/kosciol/news/2022-08/pomimo-wojny-kapucyni-otwieraja-nowy-klasztor-we-lwowie.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NewsletterVN-PL

Lviv:
A neighbor across the fence handed us a tasty cake she had baked. We are touched by such a welcome to the people in the new monastery😊 (photo)

And once again and not for the last time we thanked God during the Eucharist for His providence over us and our presence in Lviv. To the religious superiors, brothers: Roberto and Piotr of the General Council. To Provincial Mark and the board of the Krakow Province. I thank the Bishops of Lviv for their openness, invitations and all their help.

To my Custody Councilors for their help in discernment. To the Custody Brothers for their patient love during the three-year discernment process. And finally, but very importantly, a word of THANK YOU, to our Benefactors who assisted us financially with the purchase of the house. To the brothers of the Lvov community, with its guardian Br. Casimir. May God reward you all. May God and St. Francis, through the intercession of Fr. Pio, reward you all.
May God protect and bless us.

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 173

August 16, 2022, Tuesday.

It’s quiet in Lviv. Today, here there is no sign of war. In Kiev, alarms are sounding. In the east, in Kharkov and Kherson, regular war. God give us peace.

The Word… What a great tragedy for modern man is the fact that very often man takes the place of God. In the view of this man, he becomes God.

Today’s Word is explicit: “…. your heart became haughty, you said: I am God, I sit on the divine capital, in the heart of the seas – yet you are only a man, not God…”. You are great in the eyes of God, you are a child of God, but not God. To be a child of God is your greatest wealth. Everything else is transitory. God loves you! You are his child.

We live in war we do not live by war.

Photo from the consecration of the Capuchin house in Lviv, which was done by Bishop Edward Kawa. A historic day for our custody and our presence in Lviv.
Uzhgorod:

Krasilov/Kremenchuky:
Great preparation. Tomorrow there will be a distribution of clothes and provisions to refugees in Kremenchuky in our chapel, and then to poor residents. Before the war there was no shortage of people in extreme poverty, and now there are even more. So we try not only to help the refugees but also the poor locals. (photo)

Dnipro:
There was a storm at night. A moment of uncertainty, whether it was thunder or explosions, because there was an alarm at the same time…. Packing up. Today the new superior brother Yaroslav and brother George are to arrive. Wadym in the Vinnitsa.

May God bless us and may He protect us, may He grant PEACE !

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 172

August 15, 2022, Monday. Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Word…. A word full of hope for our Ukraine. God is the Lord of our history. Not Putin or some other…. God…. “Now has come the salvation, the power and reign of our God and the authority of His Anointed One.”
Finally… “Finally, the end will come, when He will hand over the reign to God and the Father, and when He will overcome all Authority, Power and Might.”
Mary, you did the miracle over the Vistula River (on August 15, 1920, the Poles defeated the Bolsheviks in the Battle of Warsaw – Henryk), please do the miracle over the Dnieper River in the war against the Muscovites.(photo)
We live in war, we do not live by war.

Info from Br. Zbyszek from Lviv.
Vitalik Pasecznik and Natalia adopted three children and baptized them. The godfather is Viktor Poluk a well-known benefactor from Krasilov (photo).
Celebrating the sacrament of Baptism was Br. Volodymyr Procko of Vinnitsa, a Capuchin.

Today, (Monday, August 15), the consecration of our new house in Lviv will take place.
Radio Niezależnist 107.5 featured an interview with Fr. Mariusz about the history of the Capuchins and the present day.

Br. Sergiej teaches on Radio Maryja:
http://radiomaria.org.ua/isus-tebe-zaproshu-v-dorogu-za-soboyu-br.sergii-voronyuk-12062

Krasilov:
Capuchin nuns support Capuchin brothers and together distribute humanitarian aid. (photo)

Dnipro:
Yesterday was a day of meetings at the altar and in the communities. We celebrate the Resurrection and the Assumption. Thank God for His presence among us and in us. (photo)

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 169

August 12, 2022, Fri.

Deo gratias! At all times and for everything, bless God. Deo gratias !

The Word…  “The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house; they have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.”….
Do not be afraid of this Word! Holy Spirit, open our ears and eyes so that we may know in our lives and hear that ….God is love, that ….God loves you.
This is how it was from the beginning, that is, God created us out of love and for love….

We live in war, we do not live by war.

The 28th Youth Meeting in Volchin is over – the words to this year’s hymn were written by our brother Grzegorz Romanowicz

Blazej – vacation: time to return. The direction is clear: cities friendly to my hometown include Korzec and Chocim from Ukraine. (photo)

May God bless you and keep you safe.

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 132

July 6, 2022, Wednesday

We survived. At the front, more than one gave his life for his homeland, for Ukraine. There were alarms in Kiev, fortunately, we could not hear. We slept peacefully! Thank God.

The Word…. Listening to this Word there is anxiety in my heart. I have a somewhat different war on the prospect: “…. the greater the prosperity in the country, the more magnificent altars were built” served other gods. May everyone who reads this letter ask the Holy Spirit to understand this Word.

The answer to this new war and new unrest is the word of Psalm 105: “Always seek God’s face.” Love comes first. There is only the Altar of the Word of God and the Eucharist….depending on the vocation, there may still be an Altar / Table where the family gathers, the community, or in marriage: the altar – the marriage bed. Holy Spirit come! God is love.

We live in the war, we do not live by war.

The community in Dnipro received a new vehicle – a car, among other things, for transporting humanitarian aid. The donors are our Brothers and Benefactors from the Province of Austria. Thank you. The moment of installation of the license plates. (photo)

Some front militaries from Ukraine (photo). A new “Radio Bayraktar” has appeared on the Internet. I invite you )))
https://play.tavr.media/radiobayraktar/
or: Army FM https://www.armyfm.com.ua

After night raids in one village. (photo)

May God bless us and hold His fatherly hand over us….
Brothers of the Custody of Ukraine

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 131

July 5, 2022, Tuesday

Almost all over Ukraine alarms. At our place we could not hear. I slept peacefully. In other places war. People are dying. Civilians are suffering. More evacuations of people from the east.

The Word…. To be mute means not to worship and thank God. A mute person is often also deaf, unable to hear God. Only knowing the true God, who is love, gives freedom, in which worship and joy appear. There is a need for those who proclaim in various ways that God is love, and by such means exorcise the spirit of fear, anxiety, the spirit of war. God is love.

We live in war, but we do not live by war.

Yesterday, with the help of our Benefactors and Brothers from America, we bought in Vinnitsa, the first two apartments for refugees from the East of Ukraine. Thank God for everything and everyone. (photo)

A brother in Lviv cooks a fraternal dinner…. admire and follow. ))) In Uzhgorod, work continues on the facade of the Pastoral Center. (photo) Vinnitsa – some photos of the roof repair. (photo)

God bless us….

Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 130

July 4, 2022, Monday.

I woke up already in Kiev. On the way back from Poland, from Krakow, there was less traffic on Ukrainian roads, similarly on the streets of Kiev. In our area of the city, peace and quiet. In the east, regular war. People are dying, civilians….. God, for peace, please.

The Word… “Thus says the Lord: “I will lure the bride and lead her into the desert, and speak to her heart.” The desert is a place where there is no life, yet people are alive. War, just the same, is a place where there is no life, but people are alive. What do the desert and war have in common? They are places where God especially speaks powerfully to the heart of man. I am a witness to this, and these letters that I have been writing for 130 nights are also a witness to this. “I will marry you to myself through faithfulness, and you will know the Lord.” A place and time where God gives new life. Deo gratias !!!
We live in the war, we do not live by war.

I returned to Kiev in the company of Sr. Veronica, a Nazareth nun who was in Poland for 58 days, helping, ministering to Ukrainian interrogators at the Przemyśl train station and various places where people, women and children from Ukraine were staying. Capuchin friars did similar service. Deo gratias, to the brothers and sisters.

Voronezh (Russia):
Today (Sunday) evening Br. Maxim went to Belarus. Thank you to the brothers of Belarus for their support and help.

Belgorod (Russia):
Things are calm at our place. We could hear explosions, but it’s about 10 km from us. Greetings and a blessed Sunday I wish you.

Dnipro:
At our place the night without alarms. The chaplain and a volunteer stayed overnight tonight. Today we plan to shop for a second guest room in the renovated part. There is a shortage of oil at gas stations. Brother Leonid on vacation, Wadym and I on site.

May God protect us and grant us Peace….
Brothers of the Custody of Ukraine