Life can be really hard when troubles start piling up. Sometimes, having just dealt with a problem, we have to face another one; sometimes, it feels like we are surrounded by challenges with no obvious solution or way out. Three women in today’s gospel, who have just lost Jesus and barely started mourning Him, wondered how to open up the…
It’s been a rather long story. Its central character was Jesus (obviously), and the main plot was his prolonged suffering, consequently leading to his painful death on the cross. But, honestly, when you temporarily put aside your Christian perspective, the Passion of Jesus isn’t particularly unique. So many people have suffered in many a horrific way; so many have felt…
My restless mind is rarely pleased with the status quo. It’s always looking for learning opportunities, whether new hobbies or skills. Several years ago, inspired by a particularly hot Scottish summer, I became interested in growing trees – not just any trees, mind you. I didn’t own the land, and my residency, by definition, isn’t permanent. Bonsai, the Japanese-style miniature…
It took ten days or so to cover the distance of about 200 miles between my home county and the national Marian shrine of Jasna Góra (The Bright Mount). A walking pilgrimage that was a staple of my summer for eleven years. Except for the very first one, I was involved in organising and running those walking pilgrimages in various…
The three-day-long journey was excruciating and exhausting, not so much physically as mentally. With every step closer to the destination, the weight of the inevitable was getting heavier and heavier. At the same time, there was nobody to share it with, to talk about, despite having his long-expected and dearly loved son as his companion for the journey. Abraham felt…