Jesus tells us, ““You are the light of the world.” And further, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14,16).

But now and again, I think to myself, “How can I be a light when there are times that I feel like I don’t have that light in me?” Such days do happen, and they feel horrible. But there is no excuse since God is asking me to be a light for others! But how?

Ever since I was a little girl, I had always been extremely fascinated by the moon.  It is always so amazing to me when there are nights with a full moon and it illuminates everything so well.

You might stop me here and say, “Hey, what has the moon anything to do with this?” Actually, in my opinion, it has a lot to do with this. Just hear me out.

When I was about 12 or 13 years old, I remember sitting outside gazing at the moon and the moonlit surroundings. Taking in the amazing sight, I remember thinking about how the moon actually has no light of its own, but that it only reflects the light of the sun and in turn illuminates the nights for us. And how if the earth got in its way, it reflects less light, like when a half moon occurs.

For some reason, I had quickly compared it to Jesus, His Light, and me. If Jesus is the Sun, the source of The Light, He is calling me to be an extension of His Light for the world. So just like the moon! I can be like the moon if I stand in “direct view” of Jesus and let His Light “reflect” off of me and illuminate the world in it’s “darkness”. That’s it! And the more “in line” I am with Jesus, without the world, the “earth”, getting in the way, the brighter I can reflect His Light. So yes, it is true; I do not have Light of my own to shine in this world. But I can reflect His Light to others and it’s up to me how much of His Light I will allow to reflect off of me.

So spending time with Jesus in prayer, during Mass, and throughout the day will bring me more “in line” with His Light. Now the other part is the reflection. I can’t just stay in the Adoration Chapel 24/7! I have to then go out and do whatever it is I do at home, at work, with friends, on the street, but with Jesus and His Light in heart and mind. Then automatically, I will start reflecting that Light to others.

God Bless and Shine Bright!!!

Marta Sniezko

Our spiritual health is just as, or even more important than our physical health. It has to do with our soul. It might just be a perfect time to reflect on the health of my soul; examine it for any deficiencies or what junk I have to get rid of. These can become lofty goals for this new year.

Maybe it is spending more time in prayer? Be specific. “I will say the rosary every day.” Or, “ I will sign up for an hour per week  of Adoration at my closest Adoration Chapel.” Or maybe it is something that I need to get rid of? Like not watching 3 hours of TV series, but instead spending that time with my family or loved ones. Think about it.

What will bring me closer to my Creator and beautify my soul which will live forever, unlike my body which will one day perish? Once I focus on my spiritual health, taking care of my physical body will follow. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Wishing you all the blessings and strength of Our Lord for this new year and for the successful completion of our New Year Resolutions.

Happy New Year 2020!

Marta Sniezko

The history of the chosen people, can be called a great Advent, full of expectation and longing. Each chapter and verse of the Holy Scriptures echoes this yearning and waiting. The best proof is found in the Advent readings: the longing of a nation deprived of its homeland, sent to captivity, is a symbol of the spiritual longing of the heart away from the source of love, peace and security. This cry for the Savior, for deliverance from the oppression of sin, is a plea for a Guide who will lead you safely to Heaven’s gates. The Advent prayer should be imbued with a spirit of deep faith. It is the main note of liturgical and life Advent, faith in the coming of Christ and his presence among us.

In the first letter of St. Peter, we read: “Watch! Your adversary, the devil, roars like a roaring lion, seeking someone whom to devour. Be strong in faith, resist him.” The evil spirit during our Advent life does everything to dissuade us from salvation, vigilance and faith. Sometimes you can hear the explanation: I don’t have time for faith, for prayer, for God … As if God was an addition to our lives; as if He was an “addition” to pre-Christmas shopping. As if the soul is an addition to our existence … when it is the essence of our person, and nothing else but the union of the soul with God in love is the meaning of our life. Jesus is life itself! So you must have time for him – anytime, anywhere! Since Advent is the start of the new church year. He tells us – Stop! It compels us to stop and reflect, to faith and vigilance, to prayer and spiritual preparation, to be ready not only for a proper Christmas experience, but to someday stand up “before the Son of Man”.

I understood this only after I looked at what this “New Evangelization” was proposed to be. Many of us are still convinced that proclaiming the Gospel is basically telling colorful stories about Jesus. But the Gospel is not just a story. Jesus is the person in whom we “live, move in and are”. During one of his homilies, Bishop Carlos Talavar said the following: “To evangelize does not mean talking about Jesus without letting him act upon revealing His salvation to the world. To evangelize means to spread Jesus’ saving power. It’s not enough for the world to chat about Jesus. It needs to see Him in action, otherwise it will not believe in Him.”

Who should evangelize then? Obviously everyone who admits to being Christ, especially those who teach in His Name. In today’s church, however, there is large amount of people who should be called practitioners rather than believers. In spite of this, we need to ask ourselves – why is our teaching lacking in the power of faith of the apostles? Shouldn’t we change the strategies of our teaching?

How few of us understand that Christ has commanded us to recruit students (literally, “Go and make disciples from all nations) Mt. 28.19. Unfortunately, you can teach your whole life without seeing that the words preached do not change listeners into Christ’s disciples.

In the New Evangelization, a new strategy is needed, or rather, realizing the common goal and unity that he asked in the priestly prayer “Father, let them be one, let the world believe” (Jn 17:21)

Unity is therefore an imperative that must stand above many matters, and above all the prestige of persons. However, too many of us care for this prestige. For these people it is worth recalling that even Simon Peter was not able to catch a single fish himself, although he worked all night, but when he cast the net at the call of Christ, he could not even bear its weight. And he was the first fisherman! Too many people want to “fish on their own”, they care more about how to “lure more new ones” into a group, maybe a single parish or person, and do not notice that when fishing in the name of Christ another problem will arise – how to pull the net so that it does not break! It should be pulled together, just as Peter did – he invited companions from the other boat to help!

However, whoever wants to do it on his own is in danger of breaking the network. And that means empty parishes, deadness and stagnation.

At the beginning, however, we must remember that Evangelization, or “catching” Christ’s new disciples means understanding that the Gospel should reach the whole person, that is: soul, spirit and body. Two ways can be noticed. The path of paralysis – God first forgives his sin and then heals, and the path of the blind man from birth: heals him first, and then transforms him internally.

Most important, however, is to understand that although the Holy Spirit can use anyone, the first “Evangelizer” is Himself! He instills in us God’s life. Evangelization leads us to a personal encounter with Jesus. Such a meeting occurs when we understand that we are not learning doctrine in religion, but are learning to be with a LIVING PERSON !!! The basis of Christianity is Jesus Christ, and everything else is built later, even if it is morality, catechesis or theology. Unfortunately, in our teachings we often start from this second stage, and no one notices that it is like building on sand. The first should be to focus our efforts on proclaiming Jesus as Savior, Lord and Messiah – begin with the Foundation.

Roman Harmata

Saying thank you is the easiest way to show gratitude. We probably say it many times each day if we learned our manners correctly. Every time someone opens the door for us, hands us a cup of coffee, says “Bless you” when we sneeze, we usually reply, “thank you”. Some of us say it so often it has become a daily routine. These two simple words mean so much.

Thankfulness is very important in our human lives. It shows that we are aware of others and their care for us, whether in small or big things. Showing gratitude is a way of showing that we love them in return, that we appreciate the love shown to us. Friends, family, loved ones, and many others are often people we thank and we should be thankful for. But what about thanking the One who gave us those precious people in our lives?

Our God is the Giver of All Good Gifts. He is the ultimate One who has provided us with everything we need, even though at times we may think we may need more or need something different. But He knows best. We may not understand why God put that hard-to-listen-to aunt or annoying brother in our lives, but God has a purpose for everything. And whether we will find out why in this life, or in the next, we still must thank our Lord and trust that He is doing it all for our good. And that is exactly why we must thank Him.

When is the last time I thanked my God for my mom? What about for my boss? How about for the last person to whom I said, “thank you” to? All these people were put there in my life by God whether I like them or not. God gave me these people to aid me in my life in one way or another. I must be thankful to God for each and everyone of them, and if there is an occasion, tell them “thank you” too!

This Thanksgiving let us remember that God is the ultimate designer of our lives and gives us the people we need in our lives and when we need them. Let us not forget to thank our Lord for these people and for His Great Love towards us that He takes care of us through the hands of other people around us.

Marta Sniezko

Part 1

Part 2

Reading the bible, or even watching the film titled, “Moses,” shows us the mistakes that the Israelites made, but we often do not understand their stubborn conduct against the recommendations of their guide. Still, we do not realize that our life is similar to their misconduct, but we do not see our sins because they are somewhat hidden, as we can read about in Scripture in the chapter Mat. 7.3. We see the splinter in the eye of our brother, while the beams in our own eye we do not perceive. This is because we often do not respond to the remarks of our spiritual advisors – the priests who sometimes preach their homilies in a way that we do not understand. At times, we are more focused on what is happening around us and we get distracted from the present moment. We can see an example in the gospel of Luke 8.4-8 in the parable about the sower who sows the seed.

Thus, we can discuss the negative experiences that come enter our hearts through out senses from the times of our youth. The senses tend to play an enormous role here. For instance, we can consider the sense of taste, as we consume food excessively, simply for our own pleasure. Can we not change something here? Satisfying our hunger is essential, yet gluttony us just pleasurable, but overindulging further can harm our health causing not only weight gain but also significant health problems stemming from obesity. In this case, prudence and carefulness are needed during a meal as to determine where pleasure begins to ensure that greed does not take over and cause sin. This does not yet touch on fasting, which Jesus highly recommends for our spiritual growth.  The sense of touch could also have positive or negative effects. A sense of sexual implications can likewise be disorderly, excessive, or can foreshadow immoral action. Let us also consider the sense of smell, could only a positive sense of smell have a negative effect? As far as our sense of hearing, or even our sense of sight, we can be blessed with a ton of good streaming from these two senses but also a significant amount of evil. Richness – in regard to the senses – allows us to understand another human being in a way that grants us the ability to distinguish them and then choose to utilize these senses in positive or negative deeds.

Joanna M. Maj

Everyone needs a break from time to time. There are times we need a pause to refocus, a stop to take a breath, a step back to regain perspective. That’s just how our human nature is. Even the Lord Himself needed a “vacation” after He was done with Creation in the Book of Genesis 2:2, “On the seventh day God completed the work He had been doing; He rested on the seventh day from all the work He had undertaken.”

And so we have “vacations”. It brings a lot of different things to our minds. It may be time off work, school being out of session, a trip to a new place, the beach, a family barbeque, and so on. But if you really look at why we take these “vacations”, it’s a very interesting aspect. It’s because we need a break from the usual, to take a breath, look at the past, look into the future, put things in perspective, refocus, and start up again.

That’s what the Good Lord taught us in His Seventh Day of rest, which we celebrate every Sunday. Every week, we are called to refocus spiritually on what matters most, so that we can go through the usual week with our eyes refocused and our strength renewed. And so not only spiritually, but also in our everyday earthly lives, we need those “vacations” to pause, renew, refocus, and move on with a better purpose.

May these summer months truly inspire us to reevaluate ourselves and our lives, and to start up once again as better people that we were before!

They had moods, too – like you and me

In the month of June, we have many feast days, one of which is of two very great saints: St Peter and St Paul. Most likely, a fact we all know about St Peter is that he was the first pope, and that St Paul fell off a horse. We know that they were great and important leaders in faith and therefore we venerate them both much now. But is there something more that we can see from Holy Scripture that can show us who these famous men were? Was there a human, everyday side of them that maybe we can all relate too?

We were all called to holiness. It’s our ultimate goal of this earthly life. Becoming a saint is attainable for each one of us. And if we look at both holy men, who journeyed through life trying to reach this same goal, we will see that they were completely human with human nature just like us. They laughed, they cried, they stumbled. They were as human as humans can get.

St Peter, for example, was a simple fisherman. Not much out of the ordinary those days, with probably no formal education, trying to lead a regular life by sustaining his family through his trade of fishing. Once Jesus called him and put him as the head of His Church, St Peter gave his all, even though he may have stumbled at times, he persevered in his faith. St Paul, on the other hand, was a very highly educated and elite citizen of his time. His story of persecuting Christians, because he was a fervent Jew, shows that he believed in certain values he was taught. Once God opened his eyes, and threw him off the horse, he completely dedicated his life to Christ using his life as an example of God’s Great Mercy. They both went through life, the same hard and trying life that we all must go through. But life is full of joys and sorrows, ups and downs, good days and bad days. We can very much see this in the Scriptures that show us different sides of these strivers for sanctity.

St Paul is very well known for his joyful phrases when he had times, he could not contain his happiness because of God, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) Peter also had his days when he was enthusiastic about faith. “Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’” (Matthew 17:4) I know I can relate to this, when everything just seems to be going very well, and everyone around me is in a good state of mind. Then I am all about keeping the current mood and doing anything to keep it that way. But like St Peter was brought back to reality by God Himself, so I must remember too, that life is more than just those good times. “Life is a bowl of cherries” a good friend once told me. “You have the sweet cherry flesh, and then there are the pits.” So true! You can’t have life with just all the sweets and none of the hard pits. But even when we hit a “pit”, I should still thank God for that “pit” in my life.

The pits; the times when we feel low, sorry, and disgusted with ourselves. St Peter went through that too! “He fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, ‘Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’” (Luke 5:8) St Paul also had his hard days when he writes that “there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me”.(2 Corinthians 12:7) Even though he doesn’t exactly say what that thorn was, I believe we can relate and realize we are not the only ones with thorns in our sides in this life. But we must stay strong, and keep going since, as St Paul says, God gives us the strength to carry on. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Just like us, they had their mood swings, their ups and downs. When St Peter was courageous and “high” on faith, he would give up everything for Christ: “Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.’” (Matthew 26:35) I’m sure we can relate to a day in our life when we were on this same “high” of faith, where we believe that nothing will stop us. Then, the first test comes, and we fall straight on our face. Do we then give up? Do we go and despair? No. St Peter shows us that he got up and came back to Jesus. Yes, he failed horribly. He denied Christ. Not once! Three times! I’m sure we can say that we have failed Christ on more than several occasions as well. But that is not the end. St Paul says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

There is where our hope lies. And that’s what these two great and holy men show us. We were not born saints, and neither were any of the ones who already are saints. We were all born sinners. But Christ died for Peter, for Paul, for you, and for me even when we were all still sinners, to show us His Love and give us a reason to strive to become His saints. What better way to repay God for all the Love He has shown us than by becoming holy? Becoming holy in the everyday things we go through, just doing them the best way we can with God.

Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us!

On May 1, 2019, the Polish President, Andrzej Duda, quoted a quote from the Pope John Paul II. on Twitter: “Entering the EU structures on an equal footing with other states is for our nation an expression of a certain historical justice. And on the other hand, it is the enrichment of Europe. Europe needs Poland. (…) Poland needs Europe “- Saint. Pope John Paul II

The above quotation reminds us that the Christian heritage of our nation and the establishment of the Polish State at the time of Baptism is a spiritual and historical reference point for every Pole, of which everyone should be proud, and which places us Poles in a family of nations sharing a common Christian tradition. The Holy Father John Paul II reminded us about this during his pilgrimage to his homeland in 2003.
“Poland has always been an important part of Europe, and today can not be excluded from this community – said the Pope. He strongly emphasized that “Europe needs Poland” and “Poland needs Europe,” and “can enrich Europe.” He appealed for “active building of a spiritual community based on the values that have allowed it to survive the decades of institutional atheism”. ”The Polish nation was shaped on the basis of God’s commandments. ” „I do not stop praying for it, “he said.
Let us also remind you that the Pope spoke about the “spiritual unity of Christian Europe” in 1979, when nobody dreamed of the vision of a united Europe in its present shape, and the doctrine of the Cold War and division of the continent with the Iron Curtain into two hostile camps caused many journalists to think that these were the messianic dreams of the Slavic Pope. In the American Newsweek, the papal vision of a united Europe was called a dream of a Slavic pope.
Eighteen years later in 1997, in a changed Europe, John Paul II has returned to this subject again: “There will be no unity in Europe until it is a community of spirit. This deep foundation of spirit brought Europe unity and for centuries it strengthened Christianity with its Gospel, with its understanding of man and contribution to the development of the history of peoples and nations. This is not an illicit appropriation or wrong grasp of history. The history of Europe is like a great river, into which numerous tributaries and streams fall, and the diversity of traditions and cultures that create it is as great wealth. The framework of European identity is built on Christianity. “
When today we look at what the discussion about the unity of Europe looks like, the most common questions are whether it will pay off. Who will receive subsidies, who will occupy what positions? Economy and politics dominate – unfortunately of a too liberal sort. The exception in the discussion about the future of Europe were the words of John Paul II, who first put spiritual issues and cultural and civilizational heritage, and he asked not about power and profit, but about what we can give of ourselves, and with what we can enrich others.
The Pope urged us not to be afraid to show our heritage, to face challenges, and not to be ashamed of their identity and not reject their Christian roots. He called us to give testimony.
He said to the bishops of our nation in 1997: “The Church in Poland can offer a unifying Europe its attachment to faith, its religious inspired custom, the pastoral effort of bishops and priests, and probably many other values that would make Europe a unified organism  pulsing with not only high economic achievement, but also the depth of spiritual life. “
These words take on a special expression before the upcoming elections to the European Parliament. They should take these words to heart both as candidates for EU positions as well as voters. The future of Europe also depends on us.

 Fr Thomas Koys, M.A.,S.T.L.

Fr. Lawrence Malcolm (Pastor of St. Gerald Parish, Oak Lawn, Illinois)

World Youth Day 2018 represents another step in preparation for the international WYD due to take place in Panama in January 2019. This new stage of our pilgrimage falls in the same year that the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will meet on the theme: Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment. This is a happy coincidence. The focus, prayer and reflection of the Church will turn to you young people, with the desire to receive and, above all, to embrace the precious gift that you are to God, to the Church and to the world.

As you already know, we have chosen to be accompanied on this journey by the example and intercession of Mary, the young woman of Nazareth whom God chose as the Mother of his Son. She walks with us towards the Synod and towards the WYD in Panama. If last year we were guided by the words of her canticle of praise – “The Almighty has done great things for me” (Lk 1:49) – teaching us to remember the past, this year we seek, together with her, to listen to the voice of God who inspires courage and bestows the grace needed to respond to his call: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God” (Lk 1:30). These are the words addressed by God’s messenger, the Archangel Gabriel, to Mary, an ordinary girl from a small village in Galilee.

1. Do not be afraid!

As is understandable, the sudden appearance of the angel and his mysterious greeting: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Lk 1:28), strongly disturbed Mary, who was surprised by this first revelation of her identity and her vocation, as yet unknown to her. Mary, like others in the Sacred Scriptures, trembles before the mystery of God’s call, who in a moment places before her the immensity of his own plan and makes her feel all her smallness as a humble creature. The angel, seeing the depths of her heart, says: “Do not be afraid”! God also reads our inmost heart. He knows well the challenges we must confront in life, especially when we are faced with the fundamental choices on which depend who we will be and what we will do in this world. It is the “shudder” that we feel when faced with decisions about our future, our state of life, our vocation. In these moments we are troubled and seized by so many fears.

And you young people, what are your fears? What worries you most deeply? An “underlying” fear that many of you have is that of not being loved, well-liked or accepted for who you are. Today, there are many young people who feel the need to be different from who they really are, in an attempt to adapt to an often artificial and unattainable standard. They continuously “photo-shop” their images, hiding behind masks and false identities, almost becoming fake selves. Many are obsessed by receiving as many “likes” as possible. Multiple fears and uncertainties emerge from this sense of inadequacy. Others fear that they will not be able to find an emotional security and that they will remain alone. Many, faced with the uncertainty of work, fear not being able to find a satisfactory professional position, or to fulfil their dreams. Today a large number of young people are full of fear, both believers and non-believers. Indeed, those who have accepted the gift of faith and seek their vocation seriously are not exempt from fears. Some think: perhaps God is asking or will ask too much of me; perhaps, by following the road he has marked out for me, I will not be truly happy, or I will not be able to do what he asks of me. Others think: if I follow the path that God shows me, who can guarantee that I will be able to follow it through? Will I become discouraged? Will I lose my enthusiasm? Will I be able to persevere for the whole of my life?

In moments when doubts and fears flood our hearts, discernment becomes necessary. It allows us to bring order to the confusion of our thoughts and feelings, to act in a just and prudent way. In this process, the first step in overcoming fears is to identify them clearly, so as not to find yourself wasting time and energy by being gripped by empty and faceless ghosts. And so, I invite all of you to look within yourselves and to “name” your fears. Ask yourselves: what upsets me, what do I fear most in this specific moment of my life today? What blocks me and prevents me from moving forward? Why do I lack the courage to make the important choices I need to make? Do not be afraid to face your fears honestly, to recognize them for what they are and to come to terms with them. The Bible does not ignore the human experience of fear nor its many causes. Abraham was afraid (cf. Gen 12:10ff), Jacob was afraid (cf. Gen 31:31; 32:7), and so were Moses (cf. Ex 2:14; 17:4), Peter (cf. Mt 26:69ff) and the Apostles (cf. Mk 4:38-40; Mt 26:56). Jesus himself, albeit in an incomparable way, experienced fear and anguish (cf. Mt 26:37; Lk 22:44).

“Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” (Mk 4:40). In admonishing his disciples Jesus helps us to understand how the obstacle to faith is often not scepticism but fear. Thus understood, the work of discernment identifies our fears and can then help us to overcome them, opening us to life and helping us to calmly face the challenges that come our way. For us Christians in particular, fear must never have the last word but rather should be an occasion to make an act of faith in God… and in life! This means believing in the fundamental goodness of the existence that God has given us and trusting that he will lead us to a good end, even through circumstances and vicissitudes which often bewilder us. Yet if we harbour fears, we will become inward-looking and closed off to defend ourselves from everything and everyone, and we will remain paralyzed. We have to act! Never close yourself in! In the Sacred Scriptures the expression “do not be afraid” is repeated 365 times with different variations, as if to tell us that the Lord wants us to be free from fear, every day of the year.

Discernment is indispensable when searching for one’s vocation in life. More often than not our vocation is not obvious or evident at first but rather something we come to understand gradually. Discernment, in this case, should not be seen as an individual effort at introspection, with the aim of better understanding our interior make-up so as to strengthen us and acquire some balance. In such instances the person can become stronger, but is still confined to the limited horizon of his or her possibilities and perspectives. Vocation, however, is a call from above, and discernment in this context principally means opening ourselves to the Other who calls. Prayerful silence is therefore required in order to hear the voice of God that resounds within our conscience. God knocks at the door of our hearts, as he did with Mary; he longs to establish friendship with us through prayer, to speak with us through the Sacred Scriptures, to offer us mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and to be one with us in the Eucharist.

It is also important to dialogue with and encounter others, our brothers and sisters in the faith who have more experience, for they help us to see better and to choose wisely from the various possibilities. When the young Samuel hears the voice of the Lord, he does not recognize it immediately. Three times he runs to Eli, the older priest, who in the end proposes the right response to give to the Lord’s call: “If he calls you, you shall say: ‘Speak Lord, for your servant hears.’” (1 Sam 3:9). In your doubts know that you can rely on the Church. I know that there are very good priests, consecrated men and woman and lay faithful, many of whom are also young, who can support you like older brothers and sisters in the faith. Enlivened by the Holy Spirit, they will help you to make sense of your doubts and understand the plan of your own vocation. The other is not only a spiritual guide, but also the person who helps us open ourselves to the infinite riches of the life that God has given us. It is important to create spaces in our cities and communities to grow, to dream and to look at new horizons! Never lose the enthusiasm of enjoying others’ company and friendship, as well as the pleasure of dreaming together, of walking together. Authentic Christians are not afraid to open themselves to others and share with them their own important spaces, making them spaces of fraternity. Dear young people, do not allow the spark of youth to be extinguished in the darkness of a closed room in which the only window to the outside world is a computer and smartphone. Open wide the doors of your life! May your time and space be filled with meaningful relationships, real people, with whom to share your authentic and concrete experiences of daily life.

2. Mary!

“I have called you by name” (Is 43:1). The first reason not to fear is the fact that God has called us by name. The angel, God’s messenger, called Mary by name. To God belongs the power to give names. In the work of creation, he calls into existence every creature by name. There is an identity behind a name, that which is unique in every single thing, in every single person; that intimate essence that only God truly knows. This divine prerogative was shared with man when God invited him to name the animals, the birds and also his own offspring (Gen 2:19-21; 4:1). Many cultures share this profound biblical vision; they recognize in a name the revelation of the profound mystery of life and the meaning of existence.

When God calls someone by name, he also reveals to the person his vocation, his plan of holiness and fulfilment, through which the person becomes a gift to others and is made unique. And when God wants to expand the horizons of life, he gives a new name to the person he is calling, as he did with Simon, whom he called “Peter”. From here comes the custom of taking a new name when entering a religious congregation, to indicate a new identity and mission. Since the divine call is unique and personal, we need the courage to disentangle ourselves from the pressure of being shaped by conforming patterns, so that our life can truly become an authentic and irreplaceable gift to God, to the Church and to all.

Dear young people, to be called by name is therefore a sign of our great dignity in the eyes of God and a sign of his love for us. God calls each one of you by name. All of you are the “you” of God, precious in his eyes, worthy of respect and loved (cf. Is 43:4). Welcome with joy this dialogue that God offers you, this appeal he makes to you, calling you by name.

3. You have found favour with God

The main reason why Mary need not be afraid is that she has found favour with God. The word “grace” speaks of love freely given, not owed. How much we are encouraged to know that we do not have to earn the closeness and help of God, by presenting a “Curriculum Vitae of excellence”, full of merits and successes! The angel says to Mary that she has already found favour with God, not that she will obtain it in the future. And the same formulation of the angel’s words helps us understand that divine grace is continuous, not something passing or fleeting; for this reason, it will never fail. Even in the future, the grace of God will always be there to sustain us, especially in moments of trial and darkness.

The continuous presence of divine grace encourages us to embrace our vocation with confidence; our vocation demands a commitment of faithfulness that needs to be renewed each day. Our vocational path is not without its crosses: not only our initial doubts, but also the frequent temptations that crop up along the way. The feeling of inadequacy accompanies Christ’s disciple to the end. Yet he or she knows the help of God’s grace.

The Angel’s words descend upon our human fears, dissolving them with the power of the Good News of which we are heralds: our life is not pure chance or a mere struggle for survival, rather each of us is a cherished story loved by God. That we have “found grace in his eyes” means that the Creator sees a unique beauty in our being and that he has a magnificent plan for our lives. The awareness of this certainty, of course, does not resolve all our problems nor does it take away life’s uncertainties. But it does have the power to transform our life deeply. The unknown that tomorrow holds for us is not a dark threat we need to overcome, but a favourable time given to us for living out the uniqueness of our personal vocation, and for sharing it with our brothers and sisters in the Church and in the world.

4. Courage in the present moment

From the certainty that God’s grace is with us comes the strength to take courage in the present moment: the courage to carry forward what God asks of us here and now, in every area of our lives; courage to embrace the vocation which God reveals to us; courage to live out our faith without hiding or diminishing it.

Yes, when we open ourselves to God’s grace, the impossible becomes a reality. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31). God’s grace touches the “now” of your lives, “takes hold” of you as you are, with all your fears and limits, but it also reveals his marvellous plans! You young people need to know that someone truly believes in you: please know that the Pope has confidence in you, that the Church has confidence in you! For your part, have confidence in the Church!

To the young Mary was entrusted an important task, precisely because she was young. You young people have strength as you go through a phase of your lives where energy is not lacking. Make use of this strength and this energy to improve the world, beginning with the realities closest to you. I want important responsibilities to be given to you within the Church; that there may be the courage to make space for you; and that you may be prepared to take on these responsibilities.

I invite you once again to contemplate Mary’s love: a caring, dynamic and concrete love. A love full of boldness and focused completely on the gift of self. A Church permeated by these Marian qualities will always be a Church going forth, one that goes beyond her own limits and boundaries to let the grace she has received overflow. If we allow ourselves to be truly touched by Mary’s example, we will live out authentically that charity which urges us to love God above all else and above ourselves, to love those with whom we share our daily life. And we will also love those who may seem hardly lovable in themselves. It is a love that is service and dedication, above all towards the weakest and poorest, love that transforms our faces and fills us with joy.

I would like to end with the beautiful words Saint Bernard used in a famous homily on the mystery of the Annunciation, words that express the anticipation of all humanity for Mary’s response: “You have heard, O Virgin that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer… We too, O Lady, are waiting for your word of compassion… In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life… This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet… Answer quickly, O Virgin” (Sermon 4, 8-9; Opera Omnia).

Dear young people, the Lord, the Church, the world are waiting for your answer to the unique call that each one receives in this life! As World Youth Day in Panama draws closer, I invite you to prepare yourselves for our gathering with the joy and enthusiasm of those who wish to participate in such a great adventure. WYD is for the courageous! Not for young people who are searching only for comfort and who withdraw whenever difficulties arise. Do you accept the challenge?

From the Vatican, 11 February 2018

VI Sunday of Ordinary Time
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes

A common expression by people who say they don’t agree with “everything” the Church says goes something like this: “The church doesn’t belong in the bedroom.”  But the bedroom is one of the most wonderful places that men who love women spend their time.  So let’s talk turkey here.  What this saying is saying, is: “The church is ok when it’s raising money for the poor or when it’s building community amidst diverse peoples or even when it is providing beautiful music to touch our hearts.  But the church need not teach, preach or make reference to anything that has to do with this most intimate and blessed part of life.”   It’s a very tempting conclusion to make because that time for kisses and hugs is all about being time for just the “two of us”.  Having the Pope or an invisible God in the bedroom brings new meaning to the saying: “Three’s a crowd”.

A great many people have no idea what Pope John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” is. But there are more and more people who are getting hooked on these biblical meditations.  If you are positive that religion and hence God, should have nothing to say about the details or the generalities of that part of our lives we usually refer to as “romance”, then nothing I can say will get you to study the Theology of the Body.   But, if you see romance in life is intimately connected to the concept of love AND if your concept of God has anything to do with true love, I believe you will join that growing crowd of believers who can’t get enough of “T o B”.   What follows is a series of short reflections about romance, about God and yes about morality.  The genius of the Theology of the Body is that it ties these three things together in a way that makes sense to young and old, to Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Now, be honest.  The idea of a Pope talking about romance is not the first thing you think about when you realize it’s time to go to church.  Right?  But when you think about it, if religion is about love and people’s romantic relationships is where they learn about love on a new level, then isn’t it logical that your religion should be able to make the romance of your life a lot better?  This is a major theme of “T o B” because Pope John Paul II realized that male female intimacy was from the beginning of time, from the get go, long before any psychologist or song writer spoke a word, God’s first great invention.  In fact, you can say it was God’s master idea.  There’s a reason the bible begins with the story of Adam and Eve because this first marriage tells us that marriage as such is fundamental in understanding the meaning of life.

Saying this might surprise some people.  They might be surprised, not because they haven’t said this to themselves before, but because they haven’t heard a priest, let alone a pope talk this way before.  In fact, coming to realize the beauty of the marital bond doesn’t take a great philosopher or theologian.  In fact, it only takes a kiss or even a wink.  This is why nobody seems to be upset at the Church when the Church becomes an integral part of what those two people call their Wedding day.  It’s a no brainer, it’s obvious; the Church needs to be involved in the most romantic day of young lover’s lives.  The beautiful dress, family all around and the rushing off to a romantic place for just the two of you….  Of course,  God is in the air.  God is a part of this romance.

But then why has it become so fashionable to say that God has no place in the bedroom?  What happens between the bliss of young love and today’s constant criticism and dissent against Catholic teachings?  I’ll tell you what happens, or should I say, I’ll tell you what Pope John Paul II has said happens.  First, we ourselves fail to live up to our own vows, our own idealism.  The “till death do we part” turns into “until we can’t stand each other anymore.”   And what’s more, the spirit of God who we felt to be so present at our Wedding days, turned out to be a false god or the true God, only partially appreciated, only immaturely understood.  Getting to know God in the fullness of His divinity forces upon us a number of do’s and don’ts, in other words moral principles.  Getting to know God, especially in His Trinitarian nature, in His roll as master designer AND finally in His roll as “incarnate redeemer” of His fallen children turns the universal experience of youthful romance into one of the human race’s most serious endeavors to make the world a better place.

Before you throw this introductory offer to the side and abandon all thoughts of reading more I ask you one question.  If the world is full of hatred and wars, and love is such a wonderful and yet deadly force in people’s lives, doesn’t it make sense that the problems that we need to fix regarding love must be very subtle, and must be flying below the radar screen undetected by the general public?  If the problems of love were so obvious wouldn’t most people be able to correct them and thereby increase the love in the world?  Ok, that was two questions.  But they are intimately linked.  The fact that so many people reject the Catholic teachings on marriage today is not a reason to consider the Church wrong.  Rather, it makes all the sense in the world that the Church is right and the masses are wrong.  Why? Because love between spouses, love within families and even love between nations is so easily spoiled.  And can I add, just because your love life maybe just fine, that doesn’t mean your love is apart of God’s love.  Just as a single teenager can be selfish, so a couple can be selfish.

If you have read this whole sheet, God love you.  That means you’re interested in love and what the Catholic faith has to say about it.  Now, pray to God to help you read the next one, and the next and the next….

 I met with them pretty frequently, therefore, I was stunned to see sadness on the face of the young gentleman, who to my surprise told me that his girlfriend had left him. They separated in pain, because they ‘went too far’. They hurt each other. Too fascinated with their bodies, they left Their Creator off to the side, far from their relationship, and they allowed themselves to be taken over by destructive passions. The truth of the conscience cannot be hidden, it returns with the echo of the Gospel teachings. They were unable to uncover True Love together.

 Engagement is a special gift from God. It is he who created in us ability to strongly experience falling in love. It is He who gave us feelings, emotions, and the ability to become fascinated with and desire the closeness of another person. All of that is His doing! However, this intensity, if directed in the wrong way, can be blinding. It is not right to accept a gift, but distance oneself from the Giver. Only in Him are there hidden Love and a guarantee of its growth and discovery. Engagement is an invitation to uncover what will be given to a truly loving heart!

 If you have the intention of going on this journey together, prepare yourselves for many discoveries…

 Before any journey, one has to sufficiently prepare for it. How much more should one prepare oneself for a journey of one’s whole life! There are certain requirements that must be fulfilled. God searches for those who will find themselves worthy of His true Gift. “Being in love’ is only a beautiful step that encourages one to prepare him or herself to set out on the waters of sacramental grace, in which both partners much learn to row in one direction – after Christ. He calls: Follow me! And His conditions are clear: “Those who are engaged to marry are called to live chastely in continence. They should see in this time of testing a discovery of mutual respect, an apprenticeship in fidelity, and the hope of receiving one another from God. They should reserve for marriage the expressions of affections that belong to married love. They will help each other grow in chastity.” (CCC 2350)

 If they do not do so, they are putting their greatest calling in peril – the calling of one’s salvation. They may separate themselves from the Eternal Love, as:“His power, put to the proof, rebukes the foolhardy; Because into a soul that plots evil wisdom does not enter, nor does she swell in a body under debt of sin. For the Holy Spirit of discipline flees deceit and withdraws from senseless counsels and is rebuked with unrighteousness occurs.” (Wisdom 1: 3b-5)

 Engaged couples must learn how to carry themselves with a special “spiritual astrolabe”,  like sailors, passing through shoals of ideas, sailing from a feral world, mounds of temptations, behind which evil prowls, and worst of all, fighting the promptings of one’s own ego. This is not all simple and idyllic. It is a learning of acceptance of the daily cross, which is a tool used to chisel away pride and to teach trust in God. There is only one way to make all of this easier. It is safest when Christ boards the boat of life with you, the couple.

 How to begin? By together inviting Christ into your engagement, so He can direct your steps in learning to sail. From meditative prayer, which allows both of you to discover your personal royal dignity: “But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

 Such a beginning guarantees a safe start and a stable journey. The deeper you walk together, the more Christ will allow you to uncover the next step in the expansion of your love. And every one of those steps is a gift from Him.

 Roman Harmata