| Minute Meditations
Blessed Honoratus Kozminski He was born in Biala Podlaska (Siedlce, Poland) and studied architecture at the School of Fine Arts in Warsaw. When Wenceslaus was almost 16, his father died. Suspected of participating in a rebellious conspiracy, the young man was imprisoned from April 1846 until the following March. In 1848 he received the Capuchin habit and a new name. Four years later he was ordained. In 1855 he helped Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska establish the Felician Sisters. In 180 Honoratus served as guardian in a Warsaw friary. He dedicated his energies to preaching, to giving spiritual direction, and to hearing confessions. He worked tirelessly with the Secular Franciscan Order. The failed 1864 revolt against Czar Alexander III led to the suppression of all religious orders in Poland. The Capuchins were expelled from Warsaw and forced to live in Zakroczym, where Honoratus continued his ministry, and began founding 26 male and female religious congregations, whose members took vows but wore no religious habit and did not live in community. They operated much as today's secular institutes do. Seventeen of these groups still exist as religious congregations. The writings of Father Honoratus are extensive: 42 volumes of sermons, 21 volumes of letters as well as 52 printed works on ascetical theology, Marian devotion, historical writings, pastoral writings--not counting his many writings for the religious congregations he founded. In 1906, various bishops sought the reorganization of these groups under their authority; Honoratus defended their independence but was removed from their direction in 1908. He promptly urged the members of these congregations to obey the Church's decisions regarding their future. He "always walked with God," said a contemporary. In 1895 he was appointed Commissary General of the Capuchins in Poland. Three years earlier, he had come to Nowe Miasto, where he died and was buried. He was beatified in 1988. Comment: The story is told that Francis and Brother Leo, his secretary, were once on a journey and Francis volunteered to tell Leo what perfect joy is. Francis began by saying what it was not: news that the kings of France, England, as well as all the world's bishops and many university professors had decided to become friars, news that the friars had received the gift of tongues and miracles, or news that the friars had converted all the non-Christians in the world. No, perfect joy for them would be to arrive cold and hungry at St. Mary of the Angels, Francis' headquarters outside Assisi, and be mistaken by the porter for thieves and beaten by the same porter and driven back into the cold and rain. Francis said that if, for the love of God, he and Leo could endure such treatment without losing their patience and charity, that would be perfect joy (cited in Francis and Clare: The Complete Works, by Regis Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap., and Ignatius Brady, O.F.M., pages 165-166). Honoratus worked very zealously to serve the Church, partly by establishing a great variety of religious congregations adapted to the special circumstances of Poland in those years. He could have retreated into bitterness and self-pity when the direction of those congregations was taken away from him; that was certainly a "perfect joy" experience. He urged the members of these groups to obey willingly and gladly, placing their gifts at the service of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Quote: When the Church removed Honoratus from the direction of his religious congregations and changed their character, he wrote: "Christ's Vicar himself has revealed God's will to us, and I carry out this order with greatest faith.... Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that you are being given the opportunity to show heroic obedience to the holy Church." Presence I pause for a moment and think of the love and the grace that God showers on me, creating me in his image and likeness, making me his temple.... Freedom If God were trying to tell me something, would I know? Consciousness In God's loving presence I unwind the past day, Thus says the LORD: R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: Conversation What is stirring in me as I pray? Am I consoled, troubled, left cold? I imagine Jesus himself standing or sitting at my side and share my feelings with him. Conclusion Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. He changed his mind and went. (Matthew 21:29) The heroes of the faith make quite a lineup! Moses the murderer, David the adulterer, and Jeremiah the complainer are only the start. There's also Francis the libertine, Ignatius of Loyola the vain soldier of fortune, and Augustine the womanizer. But despite their broad array of vices, all these saints had one thing in common. Like the first son in this parable, they had a change of heart that radically altered their lives. Because their no became a yes, they have left us a legacy of holiness that we can all relate to. It may be tempting to think that all of the saints knew what would happen when they said yes to God's call, but that's probably not what happened. It's more likely that they experienced a gradual softening of their hearts, and with each softening, the yes became more confident and more apparent, leading to dramatic conversions and history-changing events. Every day—many times during the day, in fact—we face the choice of responding to God with a no or a yes. Sometimes, it is a distinct change. Other times, it's more subtle. For example, when we say yes to prayer, to Mass, or to kindness and patience, we are saying yes to the One who has called us. Do we always know the outcome of our response? No. Do we always do it perfectly? No, but the Father isn't looking for perfection. He's looking for soft hearts. One of the best ways to ensure a soft heart is by going to Confession. There is a grace in this beautiful sacrament of mercy that cuts through our excuses and our objections. Through Confession, we find the grace to say yes to the Lord more and more often, simply because we are tasting his love, and that love is changing us. Today, spend a few minutes making a list of the key times when you have said no. Then take that list with you to Confession. Let your Father forgive you. Let him fill you with the grace to make a fresh start. You can become a hero of the faith just like Moses, Augustine, and so many others! "Father, give me a soft heart so that I can hear and answer your call." Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 my2cents: | |||||||
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