SALVAGE FOR THE SICK:
People often have a superstitious fear of the holy oils. When a priest visits a sick person – some people treat it as a sign of inevitable death (…) The relatives of the sick person instantly break down in tears, hope fades away from their souls. It is sad to think that this is the way many Catholics think about the holy Sacrament, instituted by our Lord Jesus
Is our Lord Jesus a messenger of death? Does He bring, through His representatives, death and despair into our homes?
The fear, I openly admit, is natural to some extent. We call the priest only for those sick whose life is in danger. Thus, the fear is justified, but only the fear of death, not of the priest and the holy Sacraments. Quite the opposite, if any salvage is left for the sick, it is in the Holy Anointing. The crying relatives should calm down when the priest comes in, and new hope should embrace the soul.
THE QUESTOR OF WIELICZKA
Saint Aloysius, the Questor of Wieliczka, I see you praying before the miraculous image of the Holy Lady of Grace. Please, help me see Jesus Christ in the elderly, the lonely, the homeless, the crippled, those who gave in to the temptation and people despise them and avoid them begging in the streets. Oh, let me learn how to console them, give them hope and dry their suffering eyes. Let me be brave enough to give my own life for them, for the peace on Earth, if God demands such a sacrifice from me.
Mark-Care company
Fr. Marek
HEART FOR THE SICK
We all want our life to be smooth and peaceful, we want to be safe and enjoy the sunshine. Jesus has promised the reward for the poor in spirit, but we want to be happy here and now. When are we really happy, not according to the secular, but to the evangelical criteria?
GIFT OF LOVE
Jesus was good to people, tender, patient, understanding, sympathetic and supportive for those experiencing difficulties. The Mark-Care company is available for its clients all the time, 24/7, like the emergency care
The Heart of Jesus pierced with the soldier’s spear is the sign that Jesus has been always that way, and He is now, serving us in the Eucharist. He is present in the tabernacle, in His Word, in holy Sacraments. He talks to us, He listens to our confessions, our cries and wails, He uplifts and strengthens us. Love towards your neighbours is the proof of your love towards God. Happiness is in the love of God and of your neighbour, selflessness, throwing aside you egoism, whims and laziness for the sake of your neighbours. It is not the wealth, fame and plaudit that make us happy, but sharing our love like sharing bread. Love is a gift, it cannot be bought. St. Therese of Lisieux said that she wanted to stand before God with empty hands, and to reach her hands out towards Him, begging for love.
SHARE YOUR HEART
Please, my Lord, help my legs be merciful, always running to help my neighbours. Please, my Lord, help my heart be merciful, to sympathise with all my neighbours’ sufferings, I shall never refuse my heart to anyone. I shall commune wholeheartedly even with those who exploit my kindness, and I shall shelter myself in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I shall be silent about my own pain. Let Your mercy rest in me, my Lord. I am spreading my prayer even there where I cannot reach physically. Oh, Jesus, please turn me into You, as you can do everything.
BEING A TOOL OF GOD AND RUNNING A BUSINESS
– Where is the source of the sensitivity to the needs of other people?
– I have never wondered why I serve my Brothers and Sisters. Uncharted are the ways through which my Lord leads me. I know, however, that if it is the will of God, He shall open people’s souls to various works made for His glory.
– Many people think that trusting God’s will is beyond their abilities…
– It may seem like this, but everyone is called to help others. This is the result of the deepest foundation of the love of your neighbour. Once we understand it, fulfilling the God’s will shall be easier for us.
– And what about those who are not resourceful, or receive only a small pension, or their income is barely enough for meeting their own needs? Are there any other forms of charity?
– I’am very glad to answer this question. Is everything about money? God has put us in many places in the world, with various stories of lives, with different sensitivities, social status, wealth and spiritual awareness, even with different levels of physical capability. Thanks to those beautiful and underestimated gifts, we have so many ways to help. Sometimes, wealthy people use prayer only in the cases where money is not engaged. Very often, a sincere prayer is more difficult that making a bank transfer. Dear Sister, dear Brother, if God has put you in the place where you barely make ends meet, it means that you are exactly where God wants you to be. And you have many opportunities to help indeed: prayer, active service; you can share your time with your relative or your neighbour, or engage in charitable work in your company. We must not turn a blind eye to people in need. Please, think about the gospel scene about the poor widow. It is our intention that counts for God. The one who has a good will, has everything. And the assessment of the results of our actions is not our job. Jesus knows what He is doing.
– Does charity depend on age (too young/too old?) When did it begin in my company and in me?
– Charity, understood as acting with money and long-term involvement, requires a certain system of values, one that is received as a gift from God. It is Him – as it was in my case – that throws away the thick curtains of pain and self-mindedness.
On the day of my Father’s death, a very hard day for me, I read an article about brother Damian, who built wells and devoted his poor missionary life to serve others. In a flash, I felt that I wanted to help people. This was the way my conversion occurred. Growing in charity, my soul was nurtured by Jesus. My real turn-away from material goods was given to me by Virgin Mary through the Rosary, which strengthens me every day. I live simple and modest life, and I thank to my Lord for this immense grace.
– What do I consider crucial for my activity?
– The heart open to the needs of others – those who cross the street and those who build care homes, who care for the elderly, who build a shelter for the victims of human trafficking in Kenya. We tend to assume the perspective of scale, but charity towards other people is something that escapes comparisons. It is not about “who gives more”. The inner peace of soul is also important, because without it no work can be completed. Moreover, the awareness that the most important truth, which makes Christianity different from other creeds, is giving without expecting anything in return – total selflessness.
– What is my biggest joy in my work for the company?
– A handshake with a simultaneous deep look into the joyful eyes. The fact that I can do something good for my Brothers and Sisters, and if it is our Lord’s will, tomorrow I will still be honoured to be His tool.
Please, support the purchase of the House for the immigrants in need. Thank you for your kind heart