ABC of the Social Crusade of Love

1. Respect every person, because Christ lives in him. Be sensitive toother people, your brothers and sisters.2. Think well of everyone – do not think badly about anyone. Try tofind, even in the worst, something good.3. Always speak kindly of others – do not speak badly about yourneighbors. Repair the harm done with words. Do not create discordbetween people.4. Speak to each person with the language of love. Do not raise yourvoice. Do not swear. Do not hurt anyone. Do not provoke tears. Bereassuring and show goodness.5. Forgive everything, everyone. Do not keep resentment in yourheart. Always be the first to reach out your hand for an agreement.6. Always act in favor of your neighbor. Do unto all people as youwould wish to have done unto you. Do not think about what othersowe you but what you owe to others.7. Be compassionate towards those who suffer. Gladly hurry to helpwith consolation, advice, assistance, your heart.8. Work honestly, because the fruit of your work is used by others,just as you benefit from the work of others.9. Get involved in social assistance rendered to your neighbors.Open up to the poor and the sick. Be generous with what is yours.Try to see the needy around you.10. Pray for everyone, even for your enemies.

ABC of the Social Crusade of Love Read More »

Prayer to Mary, Mother of Hope

In this contemplation, inspired by genuine love, Mary appears to us as a figure of the Church which, nourished by hope, acknowledges the saving and merciful action of God, in whose light she reads her own journey and all of history. Today too Mary helps us to interpret all that happens to us in the light of Jesus her Son. As a new creation moulded by the Holy Spirit, Mary causes the virtue of hope to grow within us. To her, Mother of hope and consolation, we confidently lift up our prayer: to her we entrust the future of the Church in Europe and the future of all the women and men of this continent: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Wiki Mary, Mother of hope, accompany us on our journey! Teach us to proclaim the living God; help us to bear witness to Jesus, the one Saviour; make us kindly towards our neighbours, welcoming to the needy, concerned for justice, impassioned builders of a more just world; intercede for us as we carry out our work in history, certain that the Father’s plan will be fulfilled. Dawn of a new world, show yourself the Mother of hope and watch over us! Watch over the Church in Europe: may she be transparently open to the Gospel; may she be an authentic place of communion; may she carry out fully her mission of proclaiming, celebrating and serving the Gospel of hope for the peace and joy of all. Queen of Peace, Protect the men and women of the third millennium! Watch over all Christians: may they advance confidently on the path of unity, as a leaven of harmony for the continent. Watch over young people: the hope of the future, may they respond with generosity to the call of Jesus. Watch over the leaders of nations: may they be committed to building a common house which respects the dignity and rights of every person. Mary, give us Jesus! Grant that we may follow him and love him! He is the hope of the Church, of Europe and of all humanity! He lives with us, in our midst, in his Church! With you we say: “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20). May the hope of glory which he has poured into our hearts bear fruits of justice and peace! POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION ECCLESIA IN EUROPA OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II

Prayer to Mary, Mother of Hope Read More »

Memorial plaque at the Papstkreuz in Donaupark

Soon, a memorial plaque made of bronze will be placed at the Pope Cross in Vienna (Papstkreuz im Donaupark), commemorating events from 40 years ago: On September 11, 1983, a solemn Mass was held at this location, attended by Pope John Paul II and numerous believers. Symbolically, it commemorates the traces of the Pope who has since been declared a saint. The task of designing this memorial plaque was entrusted by the association “Papstkreuz im Donaupark” to the artistic studio Huber in Graz. The ceremonial dedication of the plaque is planned during the anniversary Mass on September 11, 2023. The “Papstkreuz im Donapark” association requests financial support to cover the necessary costs. Detailed information regarding donations and other organizational details can be found on the association’s website at papstkreuz.at.” Quele: papstkreuz.at

Memorial plaque at the Papstkreuz in Donaupark Read More »

St. Michael Archangel

Saint John Paul II Recommends Praying the St. Michael Prayer. On April 24th 1994, Pope John Paul II recommended the Catholic faithful to continue praying the St. Michael Exorcism prayer: „May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle we are told about in the Letter to the Ephesians: ‚Draw strength from the Lord and from His mighty power‘ (Ephesians 6:10). The Book of Revelation refers to this same battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel (Revelation 12:7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had a very vivid recollection of this scene when, at the end of the last century, he introduced a special prayer to St. Michael throughout the Church. Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world.” „Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the divine power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all evil spirits who wander now throughout your world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen” „Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. ‚Imperet illi Deus‘, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute, in  infernum detrude. Amen.“  

St. Michael Archangel Read More »

St. John Paul II – The Pope of the Family

At the canonization mass for Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, Pope Francis spoke of the latter with these words: “In his own service to the People of God, John Paul II was the pope of the family. We are now in the process of journeying with families towards the Synod on the family. It is a journey which, from his place in heaven, John Paul II guides and sustains.” Karol Wojtyla, marked at an early age by suffering and loss in his own family, would grow up to be a priest, Bishop of Krakow, the Bishop of Rome, a hero and saint for the ages. Throughout his pastoral ministry, he taught the world about the dignity, beauty and sacredness of marriage and family life. St. John Paul II is one of the two patron saints of the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. The World Meeting of Families is the world’s largest Catholic gathering of families. Each one has a theme that energizes and enlivens the event while adding great depth of meaning to our understanding of families. The theme of the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 is “Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive,” emphasizing the impact of the love and life of families on our society. https://www.worldmeeting2015.org https://slmedia.org/

St. John Paul II – The Pope of the Family Read More »

Loving Mother of the Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea

At the end of the daily Liturgy of the Hours, among the invocations addressed to Mary by the Church is the following: “Loving Mother of the Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea, assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again. To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator!” “To the wonderment of nature”! These words of the antiphon express that wonderment of faith which accompanies the mystery of Mary’s divine motherhood. In a sense, it does so in the heart of the whole of creation, and, directly, in the heart of the whole People of God, in the heart of the Church. How wonderfully far God has gone, the Creator and Lord of all things, in the “revelation of himself” to man!147 How clearly he has bridged all the spaces of that infinite “distance” which separates the Creator from the creature! If in himself he remains ineffable and unsearchable, still more ineffable and unsearchable is he in the reality of the Incarnation of the Word, who became man through the Virgin of Nazareth. If he has eternally willed to call man to share in the divine nature (cf. 2 Pt. 1:4), it can be said that he has matched the “divinization” of man to humanity’s historical conditions, so that even after sin he is ready to restore at a great price the eternal plan of his love through the “humanization” of his Son, who is of the same being as himself. The whole of creation, and more directly man himself, cannot fail to be amazed at this gift in which he has become a sharer, in the Holy Spirit: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn. 3:16). At the center of this mystery, in the midst of this wonderment of faith, stands Mary. As the loving Mother of the Redeemer, she was the first to experience it: “To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator”! 52. The words of this liturgical antiphon also express the truth of the “great transformation” which the mystery of the Incarnation establishes for man. It is a transformation which belongs to his entire history, from that beginning which is revealed to us in the first chapters of Genesis until the final end, in the perspective of the end of the world, of which Jesus has revealed to us “neither the day nor the hour” (Mt. 25:13). It is an unending and continuous transformation between falling and rising again, between the man of sin and the man of grace and justice. The Advent liturgy in particular is at the very heart of this transformation and captures its unceasing “here and now” when it exclaims: “Assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again”! These words apply to every individual, every community, to nations and peoples, and to the generations and epochs of human history, to our own epoch, to these years of the Millennium which is drawing to a close: “Assist, yes assist, your people who have fallen”! This is the invocation addressed to Mary, the “loving Mother of the Redeemer,” the invocation addressed to Christ, who through Mary entered human history. Year alter year the antiphon rises to Mary, evoking that moment which saw the accomplishment of this essential historical transformation, which irreversibly continues: the transformation from “falling” to “rising.” Mankind has made wonderful discoveries and achieved extraordinary results in the fields of science and technology. It has made great advances along the path of progress and civilization, and in recent times one could say that it has succeeded in speeding up the pace of history. But the fundamental transformation, the one which can be called “original,” constantly accompanies man’s journey, and through all the events of history accompanies each and every individual. It is the transformation from “falling” to “rising,” from death to life. It is also a constant challenge to people’s consciences, a challenge to man’s whole historical awareness: the challenge to follow the path of “not falling” in ways that are ever old and ever new, and of “rising again” if a fall has occurred. As she goes forward with the whole of humanity towards the frontier between the two Millennia, the Church, for her part, with the whole community of believers and in union with all men and women of good will, takes up the great challenge contained in these words of the Marian antiphon: “the people who have fallen yet strive to rise again,” and she addresses both the Redeemer and his Mother with the plea: “Assist us.” For, as this prayer attests, the Church sees the Blessed Mother of God in the saving mystery of Christ and in her own mystery. She sees Mary deeply rooted in humanity’s history, in man’s eternal vocation according to the providential plan which God has made for him from eternity She sees Mary maternally present and sharing in the many complicated problems which today beset the lives of individuals, families and nations; she sees her helping the Christian people in the constant struggle between good and evil, to ensure that it “does not fall,” or, if it has fallen, that it “rises again.” I hope with all my heart that the reflections contained in the present Encyclical will also serve to renew this vision in the hearts of all believers. As Bishop of Rome, I send to all those to whom these thoughts are addressed the kiss of peace, my greeting and my blessing in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, in the year 1987, the ninth of my Pontificate. John Paul II, Pope Enciclica Redemptoris Matter

Loving Mother of the Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea Read More »

“Rose JP2”: Final

We are nearing the end of our fasting prayer “Rose JP2” for priests, consecrated people, for new holy vocations. Details about our common prayer can be found on the website: Link 58 people took part in the prayer, together almost three full rosaries were prayed every day for all necessary graces for the people who were included in our prayer. The prayer was strengthened by holy masses. We thank everyone for this great gift! We will end our common prayer on Big Thursday, the day on which Jesus himself introduced the Eucharist and the priesthood. We encourage everyone to offer Jesus the gift of their prayers during this service. . With great pleasure we would like to share a blessing for the participants of our initiative: Bishop DDr. Klaus Küng (Wien, 29. März 2021) “I am very pleased that the Rose JP2 initiative came into being. It corresponds to a great and urgent concern. We need holy priests and religious and Christian families who live by faith. May the blessings of Almighty and Merciful God accompany and make your prayers fruitful! Sincerely +Klaus”   We also received a blessing and an assurance of a protective prayer for those praying from Fr. Bernhard Vosicky OCist, Heiligenkreuz Abbey. We will repeat the “Rose JP2” cyclically during the lent Time in the following years as well. We invite you to pray with us. At the same time, we encourage you to continue praying for the above concerns to include in your daily prayers.   Prayer Community of St. John Paul II in Vienna  

“Rose JP2”: Final Read More »

“Towards the future with John Paul II” – International Online Conference

On January 15-17, 2021, an international conference will be held on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of St. John Paul II. There will be some presents delivered by prominent guests, representatives of many countries The lectures are divided into three blocks: 15th of January: “Person – Anthropology and Ethics. What Man?” 16th of January: “Family and Society. Which Family? Which Society? 17th of January : “Faith and life of the Church. What redemption? Which Church? Which redeemer?”   The lectures will be translated into Polish, English and Italian We highly recommend it. PDF Check-in and further information on the organizers’ website: International Symposium on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of JPII (diecezja.pl) Day 1 (15.01.2020)   PL https://youtu.be/hXJ8Y5IB0vM EN https://youtu.be/BaAEMTFCXBw IT https://youtu.be/AT2huols8sA  Day 2 (16.01.2020)   PL https://youtu.be/GB3_WoiDhF8 EN https://youtu.be/Nm0ULiNKJDg IT https://youtu.be/ia05c-iMd3c  Day 3 (17.01.2020)   PL https://youtu.be/4wj5ckQQZWk EN https://youtu.be/lVsyI0pTUDg IT https://youtu.be/agry5FG-1LU The Conference is public so we are grateful if you share information about this Conference. For more information regarding the Conference, it’s programme and objectives please visit: http://conference.diecezja.pl/  

“Towards the future with John Paul II” – International Online Conference Read More »

Spiritual Birthday Bouquet for St. John Paul II celebrated in Kaunas Archdiosese, Lithuania

100×100 JP2 celebrations were held in Kaunas Archcathedral and Šiluva Basilica, the eminent Marian shrine, both places visited by St. John Paul II during his visit in Lithuania in September 1993. The relics of St. John Paul II have been venerated in Kaunas St. Peter and Paul Archcathedral since 2013. Commemorating the 600 anniversary of Kaunas Archcathedral Basilica and the 20th anniversary of the visit of St. John Paul II, the relics of the Great Pope were kindly offered by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz. The side altar of the Archcathedral has been dedicated to St. John Paul II. The statue of Pope John Paul II also marks the place of Mass celebration in Kaunas Santaka Park in 1993. In 2013 the parish dedicated to Blessed John Paul II (actually St. John Paul II parish) was established in Kaunas. On the occasion of 100×100 JP2 celebrations in Santaka Park the statue of St. John Paul II was decorated by Vatican and Lithuanian flags. In the same place, Santaka Park the public Mass was also celebrated by Pope Francis during his visit in 2018. On Sunday, May 17, Cardinal Sigitas Tamkevičius, Archbishop emeritus of Kaunas, Bishop Algirdas Jurevičius, Apostolic administrator of Kaunas Archdiocese, accompanied by the representatives of St. John Paul II Parish and the John Paul II Catholic School laid flowers at the statue of St. John Paul II. The commemoration was followed by common recitation of the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy in the nearby standing Holy Trinity Seminary Church. The participants were blessed with the relic of St.John Paul II. The territory of Archdiocesan Curia (close to Santaka Park) was provided with megaphone sound reproduction system, during several days continuously translating speeches and homilies of Pope John Paul II (being held in Lithaunian language). Many people have visited the territory and enjoyed the remarkable fatherly tone of voice of John Paul II. On Monday, May 18 the commemoration Mass in honor of 100th birthday of St. John Paul II, presided by Cardinal Sigitas Tamkevičius, was celebrated in Kaunas Archcathedral. In his homily the Cardinal emphasized the signs of solidarity shown by the Holy Father towards the „silent Church“ in Eastern Europe during the Communist regime. In Šiluva the commemoration Mass was celebrated in the Basilica of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In his homily the rector of the Sanctuary Rev. Erastas Murauskas highlighted the initiatives of peace and dialogue between nations and religions, offered by Pope John Paul II. In the past centuries Šiluva, famous through the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin in 1608, was also marked by tensions and enmity between Christian confessions. In Šiluva Marian Sanctuary the Square of St. John Paul II in front of the Basilica is also marked by the statue of the Pope. The spiritual retreat Centre in Šiluva is also named after St. John Paul II. The celebrations of 100th birthday of St. John Paul II also took place in other Lithuanian dioceses and numerous parishes, obviously under general public quarantine restrictions.   Deacon Darius Chmieliauskas, head of the Information office of Kaunas‘ Archdiocese [flagallery gid=8]  

Spiritual Birthday Bouquet for St. John Paul II celebrated in Kaunas Archdiosese, Lithuania Read More »

“Spiritual Birthday bouquet for St. John Paul II” – Thanksgiving

Dear Reverend Cardinals, Bishops, Priests and all fellow believers from congregations which joined us spiritually in the Eucharistic celebration of the 100th birthday of St. John Paul II. Restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to change our original plans for celebrating the Saint’s 100th birthday, and we had to downscale the event. The Eucharist nevertheless reunited us, and we celebrated the paschal mystery of Christ’s body and blood with great joy in memory of the Holy Pope. The whole globe participated in our mutual thanksgiving through more than 180 holy masses celebrated by priests and believers from 24 countries around the world. Masses were celebrated with our common intention in small churches in exotic African countries, in huge cathedrals and famous sanctuaries, in parish churches in less known places of the world, and in the St. Sebastian’s chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica (Vatican-Rome) where the remains of St. John Paul II are laid to rest. Each of the holy masses was a unique testimony of the unity of our Catholic faith. It is a great honour and joy for us that Cardinals, Apostolic Nuncios and Bishops were among the priests who celebrated the Eucharistic feast. We were connected through prayer and through one heart that still has room for St. John Paul II. We received a letter from Bishop Klaus Küng for all clergymen and believers who took part in our joint initiative. The letter is given here below: For all who take part in the prayer initiative on the occasion of the 100th birthday of St. Pope John Paul II participated: Dear brothers and sisters, John Paul II brought us together. He is a great role model: he was a man of prayer, friendly to everyone, also humorous, courageous in his commitment to the Triune God and the faith of the Church. At the same time, he announced with love the mercy of the Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us all trust in his intercession and in the intercession of Mary with whom he was intimately connected! May this holy Pope, whom God’s providence has chosen to be, as the successor of St. Peter to initiate the third millennium, help the Holy Father, the bishops and all of us to carry out the mission of the Church in our time and to do everything possible to bring people closer to God today. God’s rich blessings wishes you all + Klaus Küng Vienna, May 19, 2020 Thank you for joining the spiritual birthday bouquet action for John Paul II. Together we want to give it to God as thanks for this great saint of our time. DEO GRATIAS! At the same time, we encourage all of you to send us your own reflections, photos and videos from the birthday fairs. A “Gallery of Hope and Joy John Paul II.” Please send this to us by email at: 100@jp2.at   On behalf of the community of many groups and private individuals who call themselves “Friends of Saint John Paul II”: Czeslaw Ogrodnik Prayer fellowship of John Paul II in Vienna Johannes-Paul-II.-Verein in Österreich

“Spiritual Birthday bouquet for St. John Paul II” – Thanksgiving Read More »

Scroll to Top