Universalis

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ, I've just received a message that my Dad passed away. Please, keep Him and our Family in your prayers - + Jan Drabik RIP. ... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago

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Our condolences to you and your family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

May he rest in peace. Thoughts and prayers with you and your family Father.

I'm so sorry for your loss Father Marcin. Our prayers and thoughts are with you! God bless you and your family.

Our condolences Father and family, you are in our prayers.

So sorry to hear Fr. Marcin and so sorry for your loss. Our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.

Our deepest condolences Father. Our prayers for you and your whole family. May your dad rest in peace.

May the Lord take him into Paradise! Thank you for you for bringing your wonderful son into the world!! May the Lord be with your Mum at this sad time!

I am so sorry to hear about the lost of your father. Be sure of our prayers 🙏🏻💕

So sorry to hear about your Dad Father Marcin ..My and sylwia prayers and thoughts are with you at this time

May he Rest in Peace. My sincere condolences Fr. Marcin. X

RIP Condolences to friends and especially family.

Such sad news Fr Marcin - thinking of you and keeping your family in our thoughts and prayers. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. 🙏 Mo & David

We are so sorry for your loss Fr Marcin, you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. Clare & Nathan X

So sorry to hear of your sad loss. You and your family are in my prayers. May he rest in peace.

We will pray very hard for you and your family. Love and may God be with you all.

Dear Fr Marcin My deepest sympathy to you on the sudden death of your beloved father. May his soul rest in peace. Assurance of my prayers for you and your family. God bless

My sincere condolences Father my prayers and thoughts are with you and your family

So sorry Father. Will keep your dad and family in my thoughts and prayers.

😥 Dear Father, your family are in our thoughts, hearts and prayers... “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2

So sorry for your loss Father, you are in our thoughts and prayers

Our thoughts and prayers are with you

So sorry to hear this news. I will keep him and your family in my thoughts and prayers. 🙏

Our sincere condolences Fr. Our prayers with you and family .

Sorry to hear about your loss Fr. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family !

So sorry to hear your sad news. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

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'Father, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.' [J 17, 15] ... See MoreSee Less

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CHRISTIAN MORNING MEDITATION:Lectio Divina: Matthew 7:15-20Wednesday, June 26, 2019Ordinary Time1) Opening prayerFather,guide and protector of Your people,grant us an unfailing respect for Your name,and keep us always in Your love.We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever. Amen.2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 7:15-20Jesus said to his disciples: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them."3) Reflection• We are reaching the final recommendations of the Sermon on the Mount. Comparing the Gospel of Matthew with that of Mark, one perceives a great difference in the way in which they present the teaching of Jesus. Matthew insists more on the content of the teaching and organizes it into five great discourses, of which the first one is the Sermon of the Mount (Mt 5 to 7). Mark says over fifteen times that Jesus taught, but he rarely says what He taught. In spite of this difference, both agree on a point: Jesus taught very much. To teach was what Jesus did the most (Mk 2:13; 4:1-2; 6:34). He does it always (Mk 10:1). Matthew is interested in the content. To teach is not only a way of communicating a truth in such a way that people learn it. The content is not limited to words, but it is also composed of gestures and in the way Jesus related Himself with people. The content is never separated from the person who communicates it. The person, in fact, is the origin of the content. Good content without intrinsic goodness is like milk spilled on the ground. It does not convince and conversion does not take place.• The final recommendations and the result of the Sermon on the Mount in the conscience of the people are the points of the Gospel of today (Mt 7:15-20) and of tomorrow (Mt 7:21-29). (The sequence of the Gospel of the days of the week are not always the same as that of the Gospels).Matthew 7:13-14: Choose the sure way.Matthew 7:15-20: The prophet is known by the fruits.Matthew 7:21-23: Not only speak, but act.Matthew 7:24-27: Construct the house on rock.Matthew 7:28-29: The new conscience of the people.• Matthew 7:15-16ª: Beware of false prophets. In the time of Jesus, there were prophets of all types, people who announced apocalyptic messages to involve people in different movements of that time: Essenes, Pharisees, Zealots, and others (cf. Ac 5:36-37). When Matthew writes there were also prophets who announced messages different from the one proclaimed by the community. The letters of Paul mention these movements and tendencies (cf. 1 Co 12:3; Gal 1:7-9; 2:11-14; 6:12). It must not have been easy for the community to make a discernment of spirits. This marks the importance of the words of Jesus on false prophets. The warning of Jesus is very strong: “Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves”. The same image is used when Jesus sends the disciples on mission: “I am sending you out as sheep among wolves” (Mt 10:16 and Lc 10:3). The opposition between the ravenous wolf and the meek sheep is irreconcilable, unless the wolf is converted and looses its aggressiveness as the prophet Isaiah suggests (Is 11:6; 65:25). What is important here in our text is the gift of discernment. It is not easy to discern spirits. Sometimes it happens that personal interests or the interests of a group lead one to proclaim as false those prophets who announce the disturbing truth. That happened with Jesus. He was eliminated and put to death, considered a false prophet by the religious authorities of that time. Every so often, the same thing has happened and continues to happen in Christianity.In our society today we experience false prophets in many ways. First, there are the obvious ones who proclaim ridiculous things in order to have some fame. There are others who use Christianity for personal gain. Those who get on television, or the Internet, or in a community and suggest that filling their bank account with money from the community members is what God wants. There are others who distort the word of God, or add to it or remove parts, in order to form their own separate community or beliefs. There are those that claim a personal revelation from God that is not consistent with Church teaching. Some claim to be God. The list can go on… Jesus warns us to not be misled. It is a wide road that carries all of these false prophets and teachers and their followers.• Matthew 7:16b-20: The comparison of the tree and of its fruits. To help to discern spirits, Jesus uses the comparison of fruit: “You will be able to tell them by their fruits”. A similar criteria had been suggested in the book of Deuteronomy (Dt 18:21-22). Jesus adds: “Can you pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way a sound tree produces good fruit, but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. In the Gospel of John, Jesus completes the comparison: “Every branch in me that bears no fruit, he cuts away. Every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes to make it bear even more. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, unless it remains part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in Me. Those branches will be cut off and thrown into the fire to be burnt” (Jn 15:2,4,6).Some preach that believing in God will make you wealthy and give you the easy life. This is not Jesus’ message. When the person saying this has used the charity of the community and the people to build a huge mansion for themselves and very little goes to the poor, this is contrary to Jesus’ teaching. This is a lack of the fruit of good works that Jesus talks about, so it is easy to discern if one looks. This form of teaching does not produce good works. The same applies to those who preach violence, retribution, and even death for others. This is not consistent with Jesus’ teaching. He does not advocate killing, nor does He ever suggest “getting even”. In fact, He teaches the opposite, no matter what the offense. This is another fruit that can be used to discern the truth.A false prophet does not even have to claim to be a prophet. The culture of death through abortion is one example. The fruit of abortion is innocent death. It is even possible that those teaching the truth are labeled as false teachers by others. We can see this in the arguments among some in the Church and with various ecclesial communities.4) Personal questions• Do you know any case in which a good and honest person who proclaimed a truth was condemned as a false prophet?• How do the fruits of your actions reveal yourself to others?• Can we use the same criteria, fruits or results, to discern the truth from the collective efforts of groups as well? Are there groups within Christianity or the Church that are so closed in on themselves that they produce little good fruit? Are there groups in Christianity or the Church that end up distorting truth or doctrine in their zeal or confusion? Can you identify some?5) Concluding PrayerYahweh, look at my suffering and rescue me,for I do not forget Your Law.Plead my cause and defend me;as You promised, give me life. (Ps 119:153-154)dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-26062019 ... See MoreSee Less

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CHRISTIAN MORNING MEDITATION:Lectio Divina: Matthew 7:6,12-14Tuesday, June 25, 2019Ordinary Time1) Opening prayerFather,guide and protector of Your people,grant us an unfailing respect for Your name,and keep us always in Your love.We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever. Amen.2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 7:6,12-14Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets. "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."3) Reflection• Discernment and prudence in offering things of value. In relationships with others Jesus, warns about certain dangerous attitudes. The first one of these is to not judge (7:1-5): it is a true and proper prohibition, “do not judge”. It is an action that influences and drives contempt or condemnation of others. The last judgment is the exclusive competence of God. Our figures of measure and our criteria are relative and they are conditioned by our subjectivity. Any condemnation of others becomes a condemnation of oneself, in so far as it places us under the judgment of God and we exclude ourselves from pardon. If your eye is pure, that is to say, is free from every judgment of the brothers, then you can relate with them in a true way before God. Now we consider the words of Jesus offered to us by the liturgical text: “Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces” (Mt 7:6). At first sight, this “saying” of Jesus sounds strange to the sensibility of today’s reader. It may represent a true enigma. But it is a way of saying in a Semitic language that has to be interpreted. At the time of Jesus, just as in ancient culture, dogs were not greatly appreciated because they were considered somewhat savage and wild. But let us now consider the positive and didactic-wisdom aspect of the words of Jesus: do not profane holy things. In the last instance, it is an invitation to use prudence and discernment. In the Old Testament, the holy things are the meat for the sacrifice (Lv 22:14; Ex 29:33 ff; Nb 18:8-19). The act of throwing pearls to the pigs is incomprehensible. For the Hebrews, the pigs are impure animals, the quintessence of repugnance. On the contrary, the pearls are the most precious things that can exist. The warning of Jesus refers to those who feed the stray dogs with consecrated meat destined to the sacrifice. Such behavior is evil and imprudent because those dogs were usually not fed and therefore, because of their insatiable hunger, they could turn back and attack their “benefactors”.The pearls at the metaphoric level could indicate the teachings of the wise or the interpretation of the Torah. In Matthew’s Gospel the pearl is the image of the kingdom of God (Mt 13:45ff). The interpretation which the evangelist gives is above all theological. Surely, this is the interpretation which seems to be more in harmony with the text and with the ecclesial reading of the words of Jesus: a warning to the Christian missionaries not to preach the Gospel to just anybody.• To follow a path. In the final part of the discourse (7:13-27), Matthew includes, among the others, an admonition of Jesus who invites us to make a choice in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven: through the narrow door (7:13-14). The word of Jesus is not only something to be understood and to interpret, but above all, it should become life. Now, to enter into the kingdom of Heaven it is necessary to follow a path and to enter into the fullness of life through a “door”. The theme of the “path, the way” is very dear to the Old Testament (Dt 11:26-28; 30, 15-20; Jr 21:8; Ps 1:6; Ps 118:29-30; Ps 138:4; Ws 5:6-7 etc.). The road represented by two doors leads to different goals. A significance that is consistent with the admonishments of Jesus would be that the wide door is joined to the wide path which leads to perdition or damnation, that is to say, to walk on a wide road is something pleasant, and capable of handling a great many travelers, but this is not said in our text. Rather it seems that Matthew agrees with the Jewish conception of the “road”; on the trail of Dt 30:19 and Jr 21:8 there are two roads that are in counter-position, that of death and that of life. To know how to choose among the many ways of life is decisive for entering into the kingdom of Heaven. Anyone who chooses the narrow road, that of life, should know that it is full of afflictions; narrow means tried by suffering for the sake of faith. Narrow paths, especially with a cart, are tricky and tough to travel. It is also less traveled. Matthew is telling his readers that most may not choose this path, so don’t expect it to be the way of the majority. Christianity was a new way, a new path, and many of the people of that time may not want to travel that path.4) Personal questions • Examine your day today. Are there instances where you did not treat a brother or sister as you would want to be treated? Do you make excuses as you ask yourself, saying “oh, it wouldn’t matter to me if he did that” rather than taking responsibility?• The word of Jesus, or rather, Jesus Himself, is the door who makes us enter into the filial and fraternal life. Do you allow yourself to be guided and attracted by the narrow and demanding path of the Gospel? Or do you follow the wide and easy road that consists in doing what pleases or that leads you to satisfy all your desires, neglecting the needs of others?5) Concluding PrayerWe reflect on Your faithful love, God,in Your temple!Both Your name and Your praise, God,are over the whole wide world.Your right hand is full of saving justice. (Ps 48:9-10)dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-25062019 ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

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THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE, WHO HAVE MADE THE LAST TWO DAYS SO HOLY, SO MEANINGFUL AND SO POWERFUL. ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

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Fabulous! That reminds me on my 1st Holy Communion 🙏🏻

Always lovely to see little ones having their first communion.

Thank you Fr Marcin for such a special celebration. I could feel God’s presence among us yesterday 🙏🙏 Fabiana said that yesterday was the best day of her life. Thank you 🙏

God bless dear Fr Marcin 🙏🙏

Amen

Precious.

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