Letter from Br. Błażej: Night 198

September 10, 2022

Last night was peaceful at our place. Deo gratias !!!

The Word… The first words of today’s readings, from St. Paul’s letter, are very simple and blunt: “My beloved ones, avoid idolatry.” They strike me very much. They remind me of the suffering at the beginning of my years in the Order. I suffered like the proverbial dog, not knowing, not being aware that the god I was praying to was not the true God, who, among other things, was revealed to me in the Word and in the story of my life. I did not see the true God, I did not hear the true God. I saw and listened to myself. This was the source of my suffering.

Years later God sent me an angel named Br. Thaddeus S., who showed me the Word and said, “Seek the true God here, the Father who loves you”… It worked. I encourage you, let’s go together looking for the true God who loves us. God is love!!!

This is the rock on which you can build a life, a home that will not fall, a home that may have been ruined by war, but which still lasts. God loves you.

We live in a war, we don’t live by the war.

Retreat:
Yesterday, after lunch, together with Br. Paul P. and Br. Casimir, we visited Staryi Ostropil, a small town 25 km from Starokostantyniv, where Franciscan School of Evangelization Center is located. Its founder was the aforementioned Br. Casimir. The School’s convention is being held today. (photo)

Brother Paul sat on a bench where the Venerable Servant of God Fr. Seraphim Kashuba, a Capuchin, liked to sit. (photo) Brother Paul looks at Fr. Seraphim’s memorabilia. (photo) Memorial plaque of Fr. Hilary Wilk (pol. wolf). (photo) Photo from our refectory, Wolf with a lamb. (photo)

We’ve finished our retreat. Thanks be to God. We give our heartfelt thanks to brothers Thomas and Paul .

Icons made by Br. Sergey G. will remind the retreat directors about us. (photo)

The friars listened to talks with supernatural concentration. Under a tree in the monastery choir—that’s a good place to listen too.(photo)

May God protect and bless us.