A Letter From Therese
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
JMJ
Jezu Ufam Tobie!
On Aug 2nd, David and I embarked on the pilgrimage of a lifetime! We did very little actual day to day planning as the incidentals of the trip seemed to unfold before us. There are so many people to thank, too, for their part in this special gift, from the people who offered their frequent flyer miles, to my in-laws for an early anniversary gift, to my parents' dear friends who prompted going to the tomb and arranging our stay with the Marians in Rome, to my parents themselves who came along and helped with everything, to the Marian Fathers who opened their house and gave of their time, food, and love, to dear old friends in Germany who opened their home to us, to my new Schifferstadt friend who took the day to tour the Olden Wald with us, to faithful prayer warriors who kept vigil for days before, during and after the trip. And to my kids, my friends, my priest, and all the others at home who put in extra duty to help make this trip possible - thank you all!
Our first few days were spent in Germany giving David a taste of the things I had experienced thirty years ago while living in Heidelberg. We also visited the Basilica in Speyer where St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) was Baptized and received into the Church. After venerating her relics, seeing the confessional where she made her First Penance, and visiting the Baptismal Font where she was baptized, we were invited to attend a special Candle Mass. We were actually there on the day at the hour of a once a year celebration held in the Basilica! After the Mass we were off to Ketch for their annual fish fest - something my parents and I loved to do when in Germany thirty years ago. I had a great time prosting with my parents while walking down memory lane.
Then we were off to Italy and had no idea what treats God had in store for us! From the time we arrived, we were taken care of by the dear Marians. On day one, the Feast of the Transfiguration, we were brought to St. Peter's to pray before the tomb of John Paul II. We were given plenty of time to pray for all who made the moment possible, for all who asked for our prayers, and for JPII's intercession for me and my family. Then we spent the rest of the morning in St. Peter's going to Confession and attending Mass. After lunch and a nap, we went to the church of the Divine Mercy for the Chaplet at 3:00 followed by Stations of the Cross and veneration of a relic of St. Faustina. It was awesome to visit this church on the same day as JPII's tomb with his connection to and love of the Divine Mercy devotion.
On our second day we visited St. Paul Basilica which houses the crucifix that St. Bridget was praying in front of when she received the famous fifteen St. Bridget prayers. This was a very special moment for us as we have prayed these powerful prayers (I finished my first year Aug. 15, 1989), and hope to obtain the promises. In the afternoon, we went to Sancta Croce where the True Cross was first brought to Rome by St. Helen. This church was awesome, and contains many relics of Christ's Passion (thorns, a nail, part of the pillar, part of the sign affixed to the Cross, and more). Since the St. Bridget prayers are all about the Passion, it was most appropriate to follow St. Paul's by visiting Sancta Croce!
The third day was the Pope's Wednesday Audience. It was wonderful! Being in a wheelchair, I was able to go right to the front row, and following the audience was brought up to greet Pope Benedict!!! I kissed his ring and shared a long, quiet eye to eye conversation with him. What a moment! (If you'd like to view photos, please follow the link from the Home Page.) Later that day we went to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, but first we went to the Vatican's Foto shop to order the photos for pick up the next day! In Mary Major, I heard one of my favorite songs, "Lord When You Came." It was significant for several reasons, but mostly because of the eye to eye contact I had just experienced!
Day four was also very special. We were able to attend Mass in front of JPII's Tomb with about 40 Polish priests! After receiving Holy Communion, David brought me in front of the tomb to pray, and a friend of mine "caught" it on the live web cam (see link below). No pictures were allowed, so this was a true gift from God. We waited out the crowds by praying a couple of Rosaries, and then asked the guard for the necessary permission to touch the tomb. Our priest received that for us, and I was wheeled in to touch John Paul the Great's tomb -- another moment that was just too special to be able to adequately describe. Our time in Rome was almost unbelievable. There were only two priests in the house while we were there, and they gave us so much of their attention. That was such a major gift and blessing.
When we traveled back to Germany, we had a wonderful time filled with memories of visiting old and new friends, and showing David the sights, sounds and smells I so often talked about! This trip was really about people, the Pope, our Polish heritage (all in the Marian house were Polish including three visiting friends), and prayer. One of the people we spent time with was a new friend who I met through this website. He had sent a spiritual bouquet from a town in Germany very close to where I used to live. A couple of weeks before we left, I emailed him to tell him of our trip, and he offered to spend a day with us showing us special churches and monasteries in the Oden Wald area. It is amazing the gifts we receive when we give of ourselves.
I believe me and my family received so many special spiritual blessings and graces on this pilgrimage to get us through the next months. We continue to pray as we have for God's Holy Will in all things. In this we find and have joy.
~ Thy Will be Done! ~
~ Therese
