After a sweltering Monday, today brought some relief in the form of a slightly cloudy sky, wind, and even a little rain. We began the day, as usual, with the Eucharist and adoration of the Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We trust that this practice of starting the day in this way will remain with us until the end of our pilgrimage.
Today, in the liturgy, the Church offers us a challenging message. In his homily, Fr. Paweł Jasina, SChr, reminded us that every “woe” spoken by Jesus has salvific value for us. And that Jesus’ rebukes uplift us and give life, not death. Nourished by the Word and the Eucharistic bread, we gathered for breakfast together, after which we set out.
Today’s route led through the picturesque, agricultural landscapes of Upper Austria and wasn’t too long. Along the way, we passed numerous wayside shrines, where, in addition to a statue or image of the Mother of God, one could find many depictions of St. Florian, the patron saint of this region. At one such chapel, a few of us sang the Litany of Loreto. After all, who said that May devotions can’t be held in July? 😉
After arriving in Kallham, we prepared and ate dinner together, and then one of the women from the parish (accompanied by her daughter-in-law, a Polish woman who served as our interpreter) gave us a tour of the local 18th-centuryChurch of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Filled with gratitude, we concluded the day with the Jasna Góra Appeal and Compline, which is part of another good practice we plan to continue until the end of the pilgrimage.
As always, we send you our warmest regards; we keep you in our prayers and commend ourselves to you. 🙂
