In God’s Hands: The Spiritual Diaries of Pope St John Paul II

31 August

Talk: The retreat moves on to focus on the most sacred humanity of Christ (ergo: Mater Eius [that is: His Mother]) = sileant doctores … unus est magister: Christ … recedant creaturae … Tu mihi loquere solus [let the scholars be silent … there is one teacher: Christ … let the creatures depart … Let only You speak to me]. Indeed, I wish for and fervently beg for answers on various matters. Finally: for a ‘kenosis’, that is, for the destruction of self-love as a condition for listening to (in a way, a participatory dialogue in) this retreat.

1 September

Matins; Lauds; Prime

Participation in Holy Mass: with a meditation on the topic of ‘humilis Tuae Crucis Sequela’ [‘humble imitation of Your Cross’] (Bl. Bronisława).

Talk: Mission and adoration, or rather the mission to adore God. The foundation for this adoration [is] in the order of creation (creation ex nihilo [out of nothing] and creation ad Deum [towards God]): ‘You are she who is not’;

and furthermore: the foundation in the order of grace, which is entirely and exclusively ex benevolentia et misericordia Divina [out of God’s benevolence and mercy]. Therefore, man, and even more so the priest/bishop, is ‘doulos’, God’s slave.

An analysis of the attitude to atheism: Cardinal Mercier’s suggestive statement on Kant: ‘le plus grand malfaiteur du monde contemporain’ [‘the greatest malefactor of the contemporary world’] (since he maintains that the phenomena and noumena do not tell us anything about God). The attitude grounded in Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Ecclesiam suam

(a dialogue with atheism) = atheism and its alternations: statolatry, materialism and the worship of one’s self (idols).

Talk: The retreat leader called the moment when Plato formulated the term ‘participatio’ (participation) one of the happiest moments of the human mind. With the help of this term, human thought, inspired by the revelation, could reach the reality of God and the mystery of God. For God is the One who gives Himself (the antithesis of the ‘clenched fist’). The retreat leader speaks beautifully about all the material creatures’ participation in being, and how their wealth becomes more and more visible to man – next, the living creatures’ participation in being: vegetation, sensual–affective life, spiritual life – stages, or rather incomparable domains. Even higher there is the supernatural life: grace.

Now we will move on to the participation that we, priests, have in what is most personal to Christ: in His priesthood. And in an even more complete way in episcopacy: we offer all natural and supernatural concerns of all the members of our dioceses. The retreat leader speaks in an especially beautiful way of how episcopacy should bring about the union of fatherhood and motherhood: the participation of the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary. It finds expression in the care for those who are in the greatest spiritual and corporal need.

Spiritual reading: (the encyclical Ecclesiam suam)

Talk: The bishop participates in Christ’s authority. What is at stake is how to use this authority. There is a way of using authority that the Master describes as appropriate for the ‘kings of this world’: they rule in such a way that their subjects can feel their authority and, what is more, they have to consider such rulers their benefactors.

‘But not so with you’ says Christ.

The proper mode of wielding authority in the Church must be pastoral, which was emphasised so much by John XXIII. ‘Caritatem facientes in veritate’ [‘Enacting love in truth’].

There must be a close relation between truth and love, just like between the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity veritas praecedit [the truth comes first].

On the topic of the importance of truth in the life and work of the bishop: the truth of the spoken word, the truth of judgements made about others: audiatur et altera pars [let the other side be heard as well]. The issue of advisors.

V. interesting sentence: atheism gives birth to satellites. God’s love seeks brotherhood.

On the topic of charity: it has to be universal, it cannot be particular and it cannot create divisions. Next: it has to be servile; servitude perhaps best expresses love. Finally: it has to be forgiving. All this needs to be learnt beside the Heart of Jesus through the Heart of Mary.

Anticipated Matins (memorial of St Stephen); Adoration; (Evening) Mass, 7.00 p.m.; Litany of the Saints; Benediction; Compline

2 September

Rosary; Meditation; Morning Mass, 7.30 a.m.; Lauds; Prime

Talk: On sanctity and love, based on the calling and life of St John the Evangelist. The exegesis of some passages in his Gospel, in particular the reassurance given by the Redeemer (love opens itself up, and this opening inspires others). It is this fire, this apostolic zeal, that it is mostly about. Have I inspired anybody?

Much on the attitude to the Eucharist: to protect it with utmost care (it was also mentioned in yesterday’s Benediction), but also to make it accessible as widely as possible.

Love is kindled by the Heart of the Lord Jesus and enters it together with others. The sanctity of an open heart.

(The Little Hours)

Now the example of St Peter, who both was v. imperfect and considered himself such, ‘for I am a sinful man’.

Each of us is a sinful man too, but also bishops as a group (the times of Arianism, the French Revolution, d’Herbigny).

To dispose of the ‘acceptatio personae propriae’ [‘acceptance of oneself’] and then to stand before Christ the Lord. Since we are called to greater love, sin becomes a greater burden for us, and it can, above all, ‘break’ the entire Church, particularly one’s own diocese. Therefore odium peccati [the hatred of sin] is necessary. This is also fire: and here one needs to call good what is good, and evil what is evil. When it comes to one’s own and others’ struggle against sin, it is not enough to reproach and destroy, but one has to always introduce positive ideals.

Question: How do we benefit from our own confession? The choice of the right confessor, not necessarily one, who is our forgiving Christ. In addition to that, to value those who reproach us. Away with flatterers. And not to break down in the face of persecution: because sin enters this way. To avoid occasions for sin. Not to undertake to solve ‘satanic’ problems (the temptation of the Lord Jesus: apage satanas [go away, Satan]). A discussion with Satan is possible only when we are very much united with Christ and ‘deep in the Mother of God’. Each victory over Satan should be a stimulus for even greater humility and alertness.

The attitude of the bishop to the sinner: an open heart, to accept humiliation even from the mouths of sinners, and when the time comes – fortiter agere [to act firmly]. And, finally, to believe in the victory of grace over sin (ubi abundavit delictum, superabundavit gratia [where sin grew bigger, grace was even more abundant]). Our task is to bring down grace. Not to surrender before any sin (delictum). Misericordia = summa christianitas [Mercy = the highest form of Christianity].

The Way of the Cross [illegible]; Rosary (together); Vespers

Talk: We follow St Paul, ‘douloi Jesu Christi’:

Christ’s slaves – not to weaken it! The retreat leader speaks about the rhythm of inner life: between the periods of dullness, when one needs to keep the lamp of faith and love always burning, and the periods of growth. It is about constant obedience to Jesus and Mary. It should move forward in uniform acceleration. Growth in wisdom and charity, which is related to the cross (stultitia crucis [the foolishness of the cross]).

Not to be discouraged by crosses. The cross is our dowry – above all, it was Mary’s dowry. The Lord Jesus underwent passion three times: in the sacramental, spiritual and bloody ways (the first holy hour of Christ’s Mother during the agony and in Gethsemane), and then Her presence under the cross. When we celebrate the Holy Mass, we are ‘en Christo’ [‘in Christ’] – and at the same time we receive the Mother from Christ – ‘this is your Mother’ … The influence of Mary’s motherhood through the Holy Mass. Celebrating the Holy Mass, we can be ‘en Christo’, enter into Him together with the Mother of God as His slaves. The happiness derived from celebrating the Holy Mass: here we are at the roots of the priestly vocation. Jesus never denies the sufficient number of priestly vocations to the Church. If this number falters, the cause must lie within us – not Christ. Our death is the completion of our sacrifice ‘en Christo’, a participation in the Lord Jesus’ resurrection along the entire path of our inner life. We have to change in the hands of the Mother of God in such a way as to raise the level of the Church in Poland for ages to come.

We follow Our Lady of the Rosary. Joyful Mysteries.

Sorrowful Mysteries.

Glorious Mysteries.

Adoration; Matins; Benediction [illegible]; Penitential psalms; Compline

3 September

Laudes (St Pius X); Rosary; The Way of the Cross; Prime; Holy Mass

Meditation: ‘instaurare omnia in Christo’ [‘to unite all things in Christ’].

‘Terrena non metuit’ [‘He feared no earthly powers’] (St Pius).

Talk: Faith. Jesus demands faith in Him, in His person (in Me veritas [truth is in Me]). He demands strong faith (resilient and exultant), unconditional faith (modicae fidei [of little faith]). Faith comes from the Father (Pater revelavit [the Father revealed]), it is the divine light and divine truth instilled in our minds. An example of faith: the annunciation to Zechariah versus the annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary (a very beautiful analysis). How much of the ‘flesh and blood’

is still in our theological virtue of faith? The example of the Mother of God. St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort says the Mother of God’s faith is preserved in the holy Church. Participation in Mary’s faith is the only way against perils and threats to faith.

Faith makes use and should make use of reason ‘to ponder and treasure God’s truth in one’s heart’.

It is the function of the depth: ‘ancilla’ [‘servant’].

The greatness of Mary’s faith throughout Her entire life (thirty years, Calvary, Pentecost). The apostles were sustained by Mary’s faith. Let us be so too – in order to provide sustenance to others. To do so, we need to be ‘douloi’ [‘slaves’].

Does everything in me ‘live out of faith’? One needs to believe in an episcopal way. The example of the Holy Father Paul VI: the way he speaks about the Mother of God! Building the Church through universal faith, but at the same time with our own local contribution.

Talk (final): St Paul as the model of Christian hope, though he was a Roman citizen. It was different with ‘Ancilla’ (Virgo Marya [Virgin Mary]), no human connections, no human support. And therefore Her hope is the greatest. At all stages of Her life. Under the cross, and especially later: She supported the early Church with this hope of Hers. And Her hope is kept within the holy Church. To what extent do we participate in Mary’s hope? The Church in Poland is in the position of ‘ancilla’, that is a servant.