Immersed in the Ocean of His Mercy ( 2 of 3)

Part II: Experiencing His Mercy…

My mother has often said that a harder a pilgrimage is, the mother blessings you get. However, she hoped the Holy Trinity would be clement with me; I smiled suspecting our good Lord and Saviour would do the complete opposite, and so it was. Whether I was able to offer the Lord a little or a bit, He would take it all. I was emptied in every way spiritually, emotionally, physically, intellectually, and you name it. Our journey began in the diocese of Warsaw in the small village outside of Warsaw called Podkowa-Lesna at the parish of St Christopher. The parishioners had prepared themselves so well to welcome us only the Lord had to cause disturbances to their plans at time . Obviously I stayed in a host family and was paired with two other sisters in Christ from the same group.

Warsaw Uprising Museum

Sanctuary of JPII Entrance, Lagewniki, Krakow

The highlights of our intense missionary days there were our visit at the tomb of Blessed Jerzy Popielusko, the bike ride, my discovery of a little chapel in the museum of Warsaw where I paused and prayed, and the Sendoff mass in Warsaw. The lessons drawn from these were that you may not be going at the pace of everyone else. The pains you are experiencing and your sufferings may cause you to desire to quit, but God will get you where you ought to be in the fullness of his time. The gift given to me by the Holy Spirit  to enter the stadium for the sendoff mass from Warsaw to Krakow taught me that I must not rely on what I see, but trust that God will make a Way where there seem to be no way. These I’ve come to call the parables of my pilgrimage.
Then, our team headed to Krakow. The pilgrimage spirit was beyond intense, so much so that I was no longer waiting to find myself in churches to offer the prayer requests entrusted to me. It became an ongoing exercise during our daily walks over kms that ruined one of the two pairs of shoes I brought. From intense catecheses to the discovery of the many saints and blessed Poland gave the church such as St John Cantius, Blessed Mother Sophie, and more. Praising and worshipping the Lord was a highlight just as praying as a group, on while walking in the rain with other pilgrims to Blonia field or the largest field called Campus Misericordia was enriching.
 Our steps took us to Lagewniki where was erected the sanctuary of St John Paul II, and from there, we walked to the Shrine of Divine Mercy. New and holy friendships were formed during that week, even after the week our good Lord blessed the plans I had to further stay in Krakow by successfully allowing to see the home of St John Paul II in Wadowicie, the salts mine in Wielicka and increase the lessons of patience and mercy by uniting me to the face of the suffering in the concentrations camps of Auschwitz.

Auschwitz II

  Auschwitz was indeed the peak of mercy; I gave thanks to the Lord for that privilege. Auschwitz was the peak of mercy; a friend there said every leader should be taken to Auschwitz to understand the impact of their every decision. The long awaited trip to Czestochowa during which I thank our Blessed Mother for saving my life, and entrusted myself wholly to her again took place. I was in Czestochowa for four days, and it indeed took me that time to see the whole monastery of Jasna Gora. Not only she led me there safe by leading me to the right train and sent people to bless to take the right transportation, but I was privileged through the encouragement of a Brother from the order of St Paul to kneel right at the feet of the miraculous image of our Lady. What a moment I will forever cherish!
Thank you Poland for time spent with you in growing spiritually. It will probably take the next three years to unpack all I experienced. It will probably take pages to journal more of how the Holy Trinity stripped me to pour anew within me, but until then I was excited about the last stop of this pilgrimage; Prague. I was about to stay in the land of the Infant Jesus.

(Infant Jesus) Prague, Czech Republic

Prague, O dear Prague. You nurtured me. It was so cold I had to get myself a sweater after resting for few days. Under the patronage of St Ignatius of Loyola, I was well hosted in one of the Jesuits accommodation. Miracles happened one after the other that helped tremendously with both my recovery and my stay there. God sent friendships bloomed my way. I was privileged to visit the monastery Our Lady Victorious where the Infant Jesus resides. Oh how, I knelt at his feet moved deep from within. Our good Lord when I look back was ensuring that I taste every aspect of his mercy. At my surprise, when visiting an old historical site, Vyserhad, I discovered there was a cemetery and I was blessed to pray there with the friends that accompanied me. At that moment, I thought to myself, Lord, I should include in my pilgrimages from now on a visit to the faithful departed if possible. The planned visits to local monasteries and other local sites, churches, bridges were a gift within this pilgrimage that sealed itself with time in creation by thanking God for sites such as Karlovy Vary (reputed for its mineral waters) and the Zoo of Prague, and with the opportunity to practice different types of almsgiving.
Alas, my pilgrimage ended with a special blessing from St Ignatius of Loyola who spoiled me with gifts through the organizers of the retreat House.

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