Letters from Br. Błażej: Night 307

December 28, 2022

Yesterday in our area a quiet morning. Around lunchtime, all “Ukraine red.” Such is our diet with our neighbors, Russia and Belarus. There are air raid alerts all around Ukraine when fighter planes take off from Belarusian airports.

The Word… The Church’s prayer for today’s Feast Day. “God, our Father, on this day the holy young martyrs proclaimed Your glory not in words but in death,† grant that we may profess faith in You with all our lives,* which we proclaim with our lips. Through Christ our Lord Jesus. Amen.” They proclaimed God’s glory not with words but with death! Jesus Newborn accept to Your glory our Ukrainian children who were killed by modern Herod. Amen. Below is a request from Br. Yaroslav of Dnipro.

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

Italy (Sr. Beniamina, Benedictine):

Христос народився! Славімо Його!
Dear and esteemed Brother Retiree and the community in which you currently live… I wanted to make a tiny wish on the occasion of Christmas—An event beyond all events of “human history”—God with us—is the best wish for our suffering nation! Tiny Jesus in the manger is waiting for me to bend over Him—lowers the bar—makes present every smallness, frailty, weakness—which I, usually put on greatness, power, might, so as not to be left behind. It is not possible to convert “with one’s own hands” to this way of thinking, this must be done by God Himself—overflowing with His love, to the point where we believe that He loves us for free! May this Love, which was revealed in the form of the Divine Child, fill us more and more, and may it overflow from our hearts to everyone who approaches us!
…
See you there… s.b

Vinnytsia:
Bethlehem. Bet Lechem / House of Bread. The real Bread, the Greatest Sacrament, the real Bethlehem. Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. (photo)

Kamianske:
Christmas scene, staged by children, youth, parents of our parish. (photo)

Vinnytsia:
Our church beautifully decorated by Mrs. Ilola. Beautiful photographs taken by a professional, Br. Patrick Jankiewicz. (photo) In a word, everything for the glory of the Newborn Jesus.

Kraków, Poland:
Capuchin Poor Clares, living behind the cloister (in confinement) for years have been praying for us Capuchins, including for us Capuchins in Ukraine. They have been with the Ukrainian people in prayer since the beginning of the war, since 2014. (photo) Dear sisters, we sincerely thank you.

Kyiv:
Drink the love of Saint John. (photo)

News from the brothers:

Kamianske (Br. Vladislav Gmyrko):
An early Christmas meeting of the two communities of Dnipro and Kamianske. (photo) We are not indifferent to help children affected by warfare.

Krasyliv (Br. Maciej Styburski):
Caroling of Krasyliv and Starokostiantyniv fraternities and sisterhoods. (photo)

Sharing the opłatek (Christmas wafer) in Krasyliv town council and caroling in the square. For the first time according to the Gregorian calendar.
Христос народився! Славимо Його! (photo)
Christ is born, glory to Him!

Vinnytsia (Br. Pavel Lasocki):

Kyiv (Br. Adam Wróbel):
A press article about the meeting of the brothers with Cardinal Krajewski.
https://rkc.org.ua/blog/2022/12/27/kardynal-krayevskyj-zavershyv-svij-vizyt-do-ukrayiny/

Jesus is born!