#WYD2016

[fromthefriars]

#Repost @high_hope_films_studio ・・・ Today we are filming in the Alps .. #alps #germany #filmproduction #cinematographer #cienematography #work #sky #franciscan #franciszkanie #langustanapalmie #catholicchurch #jezus #rome #nyc #poland #highhopefilms #polska #wiara #wapm #wyd2016 #dominikanie #franciszkanie #franciscanfriarsoftherenewl (at Zugspitze)

[fear-not-beloved]

So I ask you: Are you looking for empty thrills in life, or do you want to feel a power that can give you a lasting sense of life and fulfilment? Empty thrills or the power of grace? To find fulfilment, to gain new strength, there is a way. It is not a thing or an object, but a person, and he is alive. His name is Jesus Christ || Pope Francis, WYD 2016

[johnfrancesf]

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY. Remembering my visit to the Chapel of the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina in Kraków-Łagiewniki in Poland. This small church, consecrated in 1891 has witnessed the revelations of Jesus and the Blessed Mother to St. Faustina. During his papacy, St. John Paul II has institutionalized that the Sunday after Easter Sunday will be the Divine Mercy Sunday. #Poland #DivineMercy #Europe #travel #WYD2016 (at Kraków, Poland) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_JumQ9lBe_/?igshid=1q27h54sdtxgs

[terrestialwolf]

[prayingwithfeet]

Mercy Continues

Even though life has been in the way of updating this blog, that does not mean my thoughts have stopped…nor my experiences as a pilgrim.

My pilgrimage to Assisi, Rome, and Krakow has seemed to have left an indelible mark on my spirit. During my travels, I visited new places and returned to old. I met new people and saw familiar faces in a different light. I tried new things and engaged in the same routine with a renewed vision. I walked through doors of Mercy that have been opened to pilgrims for hundreds of years, strolled down roads in the home town of saints, and stood in silence before the Gates of Hell.  I visited the home town of a beloved pope and listened to the wisdom of another. I found joy in difficult moments and saw hope flourish from the ashes of hate. 

My suitcase didn’t come back heavier with souvenirs. I couldn’t seem to stop for a moment to go shopping because I wanted to experience every movement to it’s fullest. I did end up bringing back with me two things: Mercy and Trust. 

As it was the Year of Mercy, this is a no brainer.  The Divine Mercy Chaplet was said throughout the pilgrimage, we walked the pilgrimage walk of Mercy in Rome, and in every reflection we heard from the Pope, a Cardinal, Bishop, Priest, Deacon, or Lay Person Mercy was in their words.  We were in the chapel where Christ asked us to pray for Divine Mercy and received Mercy through the sacrament of Reconciliation in its shadow.  

In the Field of Mercy pilgrims could receive the sacrament of Reconciliation. In the background is the Shrine of Divine Mercy built next to the small chapel (green roof) where St. Faustina received Jesus’ message to give the Divine Mercy Image to the world along with the Divine Mercy Chaplet. 

Trust was another gift that was given. On pilgrimage, you often have to rely on the goodness and kindness of others. You have to trust others to lead you where you need to go or trust that you can find your own way. You have to trust that you can figure out problems when they arise. You have to trust that you will be able to walk when you feel like your feet cannot carry you any further. The phrase “Jesus, I trust in You,” echoed in my heart with every step I took. When I faltered and failed to trust, those words came back and I literally saw the light (true story: I was looking for a candle during the evening vigil in Campus Misericordiae and started to panic with the thought that I wasn’t going to take part in this important moment. I left my group and found found where they were distributing the candles. Relieved, I came back to my group, only to find that they already received candles. Should have trusted…).  

Me waking up in Campus Misericordae along with a million of my closest friends. 

So why am I writing this now? I’ve been back for six months. Why now?

My beloved country is on the eve of a tradition that has taken place 44 times in its history: the peaceful transition of power from one president to another. There are strong opinions and thoughts on both sides. Celebration and fear. Hope and despair. Optimism and pessimism.  Activism and apathy. Civility and bullying. Pulling each other up while some push others down. We’ve seem to be a country of extremes. 

While I am not happy with the results of the election, as we were reminded while watching “Sherlock” on PBS, “It is what it is.” We can’t change the results of the election. We just can’t. But we can change how we respond. 

My prayer for the United States of America is three fold: One for Mercy, One for Trust, and one for Unity.

Prayer for Mercy: Mercy, as I have come to understand it, is the loving compassion we can show another person, even if we feel like they don’t deserve it. Giving and showing Mercy is one of the strongest things anyone can do. This election cycle has challenged me in this aspect. I am not a fan of the man that was elected president. His words and deeds have hurt me, have marginalized others, and have been against my values (especially on the topics of giving dignity to each human life). And yet I am called to love him as a child of God. I am called to give him Mercy. That does not mean staying silent when his actions will end up hurting others or go against the values of Catholic Social Teaching. It is the duty of every citizen to speak up for the marginalized and give voice to the voiceless.  But we must do it with Mercy. We must speak about our neighbors with compassion and understanding. We must continue to give and be love even if we don’t agree. At the end of the day, our next president is just a human man, with faults and, though this is an assumption, a sad, lonely life. And our neighbors who we disagree with want to find their place in the world as much as we do. Name calling and spewing hate will not win battles. It will only deepen the wound. As St. Faustina wrote, “Be always Merciful.” 

Prayer for Trust: There’s a lot of apprehension and uncertainty within many of my fellow citizens, myself included. Change is scary especially if we didn’t want the kind of change we are receiving. If we are to look to someone’s past as a predictor of what they might do in the future…well, we might have the right to be nervous. Those who depend on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance are right to be concerned that they may loose it. Those who depend on the DREAM act to receive dignity as a worker have a right to be anxious. There is a lot to be uncertain of and we have the duty, the obligation to take action if our neighbor’s dignity is under threat. Even through all of this, we are called to trust. “Jesus, I trust in You,” the saying at the feet of Jesus in the Divine Mercy image, isn’t there because it makes a pretty border.  It’s there because that’s what Christ is asking us to do: trust in Him. Through that trust, mercy can flow. Through that trust, our hearts open to loving others more purely. Through that trust, we find solace and comfort. It’s like when Jesus called Peter to walk out of the boat and into the storm. Peter initially thought that the safest place was where he was standing, on the wooden floor of the boat. When he gave in and allowed himself to fully trust in Jesus he was able to walk out into the raging water and clearly see the face of Christ. We might be walking into a storm of uncertainty and despair right now, but when we trust in God…oh the wonders that we can achieve! Imagine a world of love and forgiveness and mercy. When we open ourselves and listen to what God is calling us to do and to be, we can make something beautiful together!

Prayer for Unity: We can’t do anything alone. That might need to be America’s mantra for the next few years. I can’t do anything alone. When I push people away, I miss out on the opportunity to learn from someone else, even if it is a clearer understanding of what we disagree on. I can’t do my job without interacting with others. I can’t go to the grocery story without realizing that the food I am buying was placed on the shelf by a person, and before that, was packaged by a group of people, and before that was grown by human hands. Everything I own is because of interconnections of our existence. Martin Luther King Jr. once said:  “In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be… This is the inter-related structure of reality.” When my neighbor’s house is on fire, I can’t stand there and watch it burn because my house might catch fire next. In order for me to succeed, my neighbor has to succeed along with me.  On the night I was searching for a candle, Pope Francis was delivering a homily. I remember very clearly hearing Pope Francis call for us the young people of the world, to do one simple task: Build bridges made of living hands reaching out to each other. 

There is so much good in each other that we miss it when we are focusing on our differences. When we are yelling and accusing, we forget to treat the other with love and respect as God has called us to. What would happen if we challenge ourselves to work with or talk to someone whose political background is different than our own? I’m guessing the bridges of prejudice and judgement would disappear and we will instead gain a deeper appreciation for the unique, loved person that they are. We might even find that we share some of the same values. In other words…

Leslie Knope is my spirit animal. I once, unknowingly, ate at the same waffle restaurant in Washington DC as she did in “Parks and Recreation.” When I found out, I about died out of sheer happiness. 

On this inauguration day, I’m going to spend it doing what I always do: go to work, interact with a vast array of people, and help whenever I can. I’ll probably add in there a Divine Mercy Chaplet (or 3). Join me in prayer if you would like. Exercise your constitutional right to express your thoughts and opinions. Be kind to your neighbor. Be Mercy. 

Pax et Bonum  Peace and All Goodness

Vicky

PS: I created a playlist that was inspired by this pilgrimage. Enjoy!

[thejoyofjoy]

It's hard to believe that this was a year ago already! 🎥link in bio #wjd16 #krakow1016 #WYD #Panama2019 #WYD2016 #zomertIJD #youtube #upload #video (at Kraków)

[chinhdoan]

| Reunited with my @worldyouthday2016 pilgrims for the priestly ordinations of two of our fellow travelers! | #blessings #wyd #wyd2016 #wydkrakow #catholics

[jaski-m16-blog]

Not so long ago #summer #memories #poland #photography #nikond3300 #krakov #wyd2016 (at Kraków, Poland)

[invisiblequotes]

“Recordar con nostalgia” ! (en Poznan, Poland)

[letzserve-blog]

Remeniscing great people in my life... #wyd2016🙏🏻 #wydpoland2016 A year ago... My very kind and loving foster parents in Knurow and Katowice Poland <3 Mama and Tata <3 and Mamush and Papush... Extremely blessed to know them.....May GOD bless them in return for such great love, kindness and care they poured unto us delegates and for keeping us like their own. #worldyouthday #worldyouthday2016 (at Poland)

[fromthefriars]

#Repost @high_hope_films_studio ・・・ I stała się rzecz niesłychana.. Jedyny w tej części Europy - ojciec Paulus - franciszkanin Odnowy -pracujący z ubogimi, przybył do Polski. Skończyliśmy właśnie nagranie z DDTVN i wyjątkową Kasią Olubinską. Materiał już niedługo w DDTVN. A Was zapraszamy na pokazy filmu Outcasts Szare Anioły. Lista kolejnych miejsc już w krótce na www.dobrekorzenie.com #warsaw #warszawa #ddtvn #tvn #polska #poland #langustanapalmie #lednica2000 #wiara #jezus #grassrootsfilms #highhopefilms #cracow #wyd2016 #sdm #franciscanfriarsoftherenewal

[thebookofworld-blog]

Krakow

Like I mentioned a little earlier during my winter trip to Europe I visited Krakow, which is my favorite Polish city. Krakow is located in the southern part of the country. I fell in love with the city as a little girl. It was where my grandfather was from. I enjoy being there so much because the of the atmosphere. The city is old and has a lot of culture. You can feel and see the culture around you. As you walk around the city there are beautiful cathedrals, little antique shops and small souvenir shops everywhere. The city has a unique vibe.

The old town in Krakow is absolutely beautiful. There is a tall church in the middle of the square, called St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica. The inside of the church is incredible. During my winter visit in Krakow, when I was walking through the square there were horse carriages parked in front of the church waiting to take tourists on a ride along the city. I captured a photo of it posted below.

Below is a picture of the inside of the St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica posted on: http://beatitudeswyd.wixsite.com/wyd2016/single-post/2016/03/25/The-Wawel-Cathedral-and-St-Marys-Basilica.

Below is a picture of some traditional Polish food we ate in old town in Krakow. This restaurant was called Pod Aniloami. This pictures has white Polish sausage, kluski, potatoes and chicken soup. Delicious!!

Krakow is also known for one the most famous castles in Poalnd. It’s called Wawel Royal Castle. According to: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/poland/articles/the-10-most-beautiful-castles-in-poland/ it is rated the first out of the top 10 most beautiful castles in Poland. This castle was built for King Casimir III the great. It is one of the largest castles in Poland. It has a medieval, renaissance style since it was built in the 13th and 14th century. Here is a link that elaborates on more of the history of Wawel: http://www.wawel.krakow.pl/en/index.php?op=3.

Here is a link to video that takes you on a tour of the castle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYW5u8hUBfE. 

Krakow also carries Wieliczka, a salt mine, which is considered one of the seven wonders of Poland. Wieliczka was created in the 13th century. Now, if you are not up for a long adventure, this is not something for you! It took us three hours to visit the salt mine. A tour guide takes organized groups on tours every few minutes. The tour guides take you 135 meters underground and leads you through windy tunnels. They discuss the history of the salt mine and explain the underground hand-made salt sculptures. The tour guide also leads you to the Chapel of St. Kinga, which is the most beautiful part of the salt mine. This place has so far been visited by forty-one million tourists. If you are up for an adventure this is a great place for you!

Here is a clip that gives more historic background on Wieliczka: http://www.unesco.org/archives/multimedia/?pg=33&s=films_details&id=1285.

Below is a photo I took of the Chapel of St. Kinga.

[johnfrancesf]

ME ON VALENTINE'S DAY. CHAROT. Hahaha. #throwback #Valentines #WYD2016 #Europe #Poland (at Kraków, Poland) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8ivZuxFuVg/?igshid=1bkze6s9k3qzp

[catholicnewsagency]

A year ago! Were you at World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland last summer? What are some of your favorite memories from the trip? The next World Youth Day is set to take place in Panama in 2019! #Catholic #PopeFrancis #wyd2016 #WYDPanama #Panama #joy

http://dlvr.it/PYwq6x

[the-casually-cruelest]

POLSKA

2 years ago i was in poland. how time flies...

[fromthefriars]

#Repost @urban_chronicles ・・・ “We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi #wjtaustria #Krakow2016 #wyd2016 #Krakow #Poland #WorldYouthDay #catholic #Polska #letsgo #gemma #JornadaMundialDaJuventude #Jmj2016 #SDM2016 #igerspoland #visitpoland #passionpassport #Peregrinos #wydkrakow2016 #wyd #wjt #sdm2016 #sdm #wjtösterreich #catholicat #TauronArena #Krakow #Kraków #krakowplaces #franciscanfriarsoftherenewal