Bon Jour,
Today is our last full day in Krakow and tomorrow night we will be on a layover at the airport in Paris.
I woke up this morning with the sniffles…….great! More fallout from the caves.
We had breakfast in the apartment, since we had so much food, and re-planned our day. Mass at noon at the Saint John Paul II shrine was perfect and gave us a chance to relax. That’s why we like Father Brian’s noon mass and we can understand him too. Well…… most of the time.
Today, we would leave all the intentions that you had asked to be left here or at the Divine Mercy Chapel and that’s what we did. We did part of the rosary at Saint John Paul II’s and finished in the Divine Mercy chapel, along with the chaplet. All the rest of the intentions would be delivered to Our Lady of Sorrows on Sunday in Prado Nuevo, Spain.
The sniffles began to increase and I knew that this sinusitis had the chance to become a full-fledged cold, so we went back to the apartment when we were done and I started the Z-Pack that I had gotten from my doctor for the just-in-case bag, along with a nasal spray.
We had an 8:00 PM dinner planned with Fr. Tomasz, but we decided it was not smart to go and take the chance of getting him sick……. with his busy schedule, he would have infected half of Krakow. I think he was grateful and we planned to see him in the morning at 9:00 AM. We did sneak out for a quick bite around 5:30 and had the best Hungarian Goulash ever.
Bed time was early, since we had to get up at 5 AM for Mass that the Cardinal invited us to. We had mass at the Chapel in the residence where St. John Paul II was ordained and spent much time in prayer, celebration masses and work, at the desk he had in there, so that he could think and write before the Blessed Sacrament.
Mass was at 6:30 AM and the Cardinal celebrated along with two other priests for the nine Sisters plus Susan and I. This is a place where sanctity seems, not something passing or short lived, but a quality of real people, lives not unlike our own in their challenges, and meeting those challenges through the grace that makes heroic virtue possible.
We had a brief moment with the Cardinal before and after mass and later Father Tomasz told us he had told him that I did look a little under the weather and that we were a very pious couple, even though I did snap a couple pictures.
After mass we had a quick cappuccino, bought some chocolates for the Cardinal and staff and then we went to Saint Francisco across the street and sat in Saint John Paul II’s seat and prayed our rosary. It was a strange feeling being in that pew where he prayed the rosary every day. I hope some of it rubs off, God knows I can use it.
I did feel better today, so before leaving we went to the cemetery where the Saint’s parents and brother were buried. The Cardinal just dedicated a statue of him next to their graves. Now this cemetery is huge by any standards and only polish people come here and they don’t speak English, so needless to say, we didn’t find it after 40 minutes of walking around. We went back to the apartment and loaded the car and headed for the airport, sorry that we didn’t have more time.
The flight to Paris went well, other than waiting 40 minutes for the hotel shuttle in the damp rain. The restaurant was closed, so we walked to the village and picked up some bread, cheese, sardines (this was a no meat day) and a bottle of wine and dined in.
To bed early, since tomorrow we have a 3:30 AM wake up
call. See you in Madrid.
Bon Soir,
May God bless all of you,
Love
Susan & Tom
PRAYER TO SAINT JOHN PAUL II THE GREAT
Oh, Saint John Paul II the Great, bestow from Heaven your Blessing upon
us.
Bless the Church you loved, served and guided so well, by courageously
leading Her through the pathways of this world, by bringing Jesus to everyone
and everyone to Jesus.
Bless the Youth, who were at the center of your caring love. Lead them to
dream once again, lead them to look above to find the light that will
enlighten the paths of life here on earth.
Bless the families … bless each family! You were aware of Satan’s
assault against this precious and indispensable spark of Heaven that God has
ignited on earth. Oh, Saint John Paul II the Great, with your Prayers,
protect every family … and every life that blossoms in the family.
Pray for the whole world still marred by tensions, wars and injustices.
You have opposed war by invoking dialogue and by sowing love. Pray for us,
Saint John Paul II the Great, so that we may become tireless sowers of
peace.
Oh, Saint John Paul II the Great, from Heaven’s window, where we see you
next to Mary, Our Mother, send down upon all of us God’s Blessings.
Amen.
Morning Consecration to Mary
My Queen, My Mother, I offer
myself entirely to thee.
And to show my devotion to thee,
I offer thee this day, my eyes,
my ears, my mouth, my heart,
my whole being without reserve.
Wherefore, good Mother, as I am thine own, keep me, guard me as thy
property and possession.
Amen.
Tom & Susan Melillo
E-Mail: _TSMelillo13@aol.com_ (mailto:TSMelillo13@aol.com)
Prayer for the Intercession of Saint John Paul II The Great
for Thomas F. Melillo
O Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the Church with
Saint John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your fatherly care,
the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendor of the Spirit of love to
shine through him.
Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of
Mary,
He has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd.
He has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary
Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you.
Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we
implore …
Especially the Healing of Liver Cancer for Tom Melillo, through Christ our
Lord.
Amen.
