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Further preparation: 18 May (fiftieth birthday); 2 July: Kalwaria Zebrzydowska – meditation along the Little Ways

4 November

In the evening: The Little Hours; Vespers

Meditation 1: An outline of the topic: episcopacy: rootedness – (episkopein [to view, to consider]) = an all-embracing view. Leadership; (Rosary).

Meditation 2: The outline of the topic cont.: ‘matters’.

Matins; Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; Compline

Reading: Fr Stefan Schudy, ‘The Priesthood of Jesus Christ’ (Coll. Theol.)¹

5 November

Lauds; (Prime); Mass – concelebration (conversation with Fr Augustyn); Thanksgiving; The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary

Reading: Fr H. de Lubac, La foi chrétienne. Essai sur la structure du Symbole des Apôtres²

The Way of the Cross: association with the Gospel of Cana of Galilee

Meditation: On rootedness. The fundamental reality of revelation and faith is the Son of God’s ‘rootedness’ in human nature, in humankind, in the human family, in every human being. This rootedness takes place through the Church, which is the Bride and the ‘Lamb’s Spouse’. In this relationship the Church ‘enables’ her Bridegroom to take root in humankind ever anew, in the course of generations – and in this way she constantly ‘gives birth’ to new people for God by way of the supernatural likeness to Christ. This fundamental process of Christ’s taking root in people through the Church is fulfilled by the power of the Holy Spirit, who acts in the human soul in His own particular way. The holy sacraments serve to signify and realise simultaneously Christ’s rootedness in man. In the sacraments Christ receives us – it happens so even in the Eucharist, when we receive Him, and in baptism, when Christ receives us for the first time. Christ’s ‘taking root’ in man constitutes the ground for the justification and the union. Christ is ‘Consubstantialis’ [‘consubstantial’] and ‘Missus’ [‘sent’] at the same time: remaining consubstantial with the Father in accordance with His deity, He is simultaneously sent: the Father ‘gave’ Him. His mission is still ongoing: He continues it, taking root in humankind and in every human being. This rootedness constitutes the ‘ontological’ ground for man’s justification before God and the union with God for every human being. It is also the primary reality; whenever we think of our rootedness in Christ. Because the latter is only secondary and derivative. We take root in Christ according to the principle of His ‘taking of root’ in human nature, in humankind, in the human family and in every human being.

Our rootedness in Him takes place ex opere operato [by the work performed] (that is, by the power of His actions in the Church, outside the Church and through the Church).³ At the same time, however, a broad perspective for ‘opus operantis’ [‘the efficacy of the agent’] opens up. One needs to ‘carry out’ thoroughly one’s rootedness in Christ through one’s entire consciousness and attitude. Rootedness through baptism, through priesthood and episcopacy. It is simultaneously a participation in Christ’s vocation, in His mission. Because Christ is ‘Consubstantialis’ and ‘Missus’.

The Little Hours; ‘Matters’; Vespers

Meditation: Lumen gentium emphatically teaches how Christ, glorified in heaven, is simultaneously present in the bishops of His Church and acts through them to lead people to truth and salvation. Christ’s ‘rootedness’ needs to be conceived through all forms and levels of the Church community, including the bishops’ community: ‘communio Ecclesiarum – communio episcoporum’ [‘the communion of Churches – the communion of bishops’], as last year’s Council reminded us. While acting towards this end, forming the right attitude, becoming involved and accepting involvement – one needs to take care of:

1. The intention with which one undertakes tasks (Cons. de Laicis, Congr. pro clero, Congr. pro Eccles. Orient., Congr. Pro Cultu Div. – Synod [the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Congregation for the Clergy, Congregation for the Oriental Churches, Congregation for Divine Worship – the Synod])

2. The Bishops’ Conference, Province: complementarity which is being thoroughly and laboriously developed – the Synod: the preparation of the subject matter, the attitude to D. K. (H. B.). The Commission of the Bishops’ Conference

3. The Chapter: The Commission of the Bishops’ Conference

4. Diocese: the steps taken are probably right and necessary: thoroughness and gradation.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: ‘apart from me you can do nothing’;⁴ Eucharist = ‘With Me’; ‘Matters’; Fr Augustyn’s talk on the topic of ‘immersion in Christ’s death’ according to St Paul; Rosary; Matins; Holy Hour as a ‘priestly hour’; Compline

Reading: Fr H. de Lubac (cont.)

6 November

Lauds (Prime); Holy Mass – concelebration; Thanksgiving; ‘Matters’

Reading: Fr H. de Lubac (cont.)

Meditation: ‘Seeing – episkopein’.

The basis for this is faith in its supernatural essence: participation in the knowledge which God Himself has. One must ask to partake in this, since it is a gift given by the Person to a person.

One must ask for it and deepen it by oneself (the issue of the increase of faith) in two directions: (1) in the direction of eschatological fulfilment, so that this perspective never gets weaker (different current events point to it). Faith is the primary result of Christ’s rootedness in us – and the expression of our rootedness in Him. Hence the relationship: rootedness–seeing. (2) One must ask to see the universal Church and its issues and the ‘local’ Church through the lens of faith. This is a special meaning of ‘episkopein’, the seeing in faith of the universal–local Church as that part of the people of God whom Christ leads to the Father through the bishop. This in turn results in seeing individual people from this perspective.

The Way of the Cross: Reference to yesterday’s talk: participation in Christ’s death and resurrection: only Christ’s resurrection has an eschatological meaning – ‘Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again.’⁵ The death of Adam’s descendant; the birth in Christ.

The Little Hours; Rosary

(During the morning Mass I was nourished by the spirit of trust in God’s work during the retreat, despite all human shortcomings and obstacles.)

Vespers; Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (following the Friday custom)

Meditation (pract.):

(a)‘Experience’ has a certain communal sense: there is a force in man that directs his feelings in a given domain. The matter at stake is man’s ability to control his feelings by himself and by virtue of this force. This is also a type of a ‘test of grace’, because it is only with the help of grace that man can achieve that. At the same time, it is about the correct interpretation of values: the objective side of ‘experience’. The margin of error or fault? imperfection? peccatum leve [venial sin]?

(b) Question: Can the misfortunes that recently befell people close to me be considered a punishment? (marginal thoughts) May they be considered a sign? What are they supposed to signify?

(c) Multidirectional work, in particular creative work: intensive, the issue of necessity.

Many thoughts on the topic of grace and its proper meaning and interpretation.

With reference to (a), (b), (c) it is important that grace is included in it:

1. grace in its objective meaning = the good willed by God

2. grace as help.

Reading: Fr de Lubac (cont.)

Litany of the Saints; Penitential psalms

Consideration: (a) occasione anniv. [illegible] [on the occasion of the anniversary […]]

= Episcopus debet esse ‘homo videns’? [The bishop should be the ‘man who sees’?]

(b) videns in multis [who sees in many matters] (‘matters’)

(c) the need for increased eschatological awareness – in the course of years – with the simultaneous growth of the involvement in the Church.

Rosary; Anticipated Matins; Compline

7 November

(From the Saturday office of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Holy Mass in the afternoon); Lauds; Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Meditation: during the concelebrated Holy Mass in which I participated. Topic: the Mother of God: quem totus non capit orbis, in Tua se clausit viscera, factus homo – lumen aeternum mundo effudit [He, whom the whole world cannot hold, enclosed Himself in Thy womb, being made man – gave forth to the world the everlasting light].⁶

The Holy Mass revealed itself to me as Sacramentum Messiae [the sacrament of the Messiah], an act of redemption, in which He is alone with the Father and before the Father. At the same time, the Mother makes this act possible – She, so to speak, creates a space in which this act is fulfilled. She also participates in it most completely from the first ‘fiat’ [‘let it be’]. She complements it to the fullest and draws from it to the utmost. Totus Tuus [Entirely Yours]. Mary can lead us into participation in the act of redemption, Sacramentum Messiae, in the simplest and most mature way.

Totus Tuus.

Rosary; Petitionary prayers; Conversation with the Prior

Two Letters – two problems: (a) to W.; (b) for the Solemnity of Christ the King as a celebration of social charity

Rosary

Meditation: Leadership. The bishop has to lead his Church. This is a separate task which cannot be undertaken without ‘rootedness’ and ‘seeing’. The completion of this task enters the dimension in which Christ – the Good Shepherd – is the foundation, the beginning and the end. In this meditation the question is only briefly raised and outlined. I will have to return to it. The bishop’s leadership over the Church needs to be embedded in Christ as the Good ‘Shepherd’.

This is not an easy task. It rests on the office and spiritual gifts of episcopacy. This issue will have to be elaborated on too. The following profiles can be outlined: leadership through thought; leadership through example – role model; leadership through heart – and the humble pursuit of all matters with prayer.

The Little Hours; The Way of the Cross: following Marian themes and the text of the Magnificat; Rosary, until Vespers

Completion: 19 December [probably 1970]

In the morning: Matins; Lauds; Prime

Meditation: Reflection on the entire topic of rootedness – seeing – leadership: esp. that last topic. The leadership of thought, example, command and above all the leading of matters and people with prayer.

Reflections on ‘borderline’ matters

Rosary; The Way of the Cross (Advent); Reading

Adoration: The need for a more complete expression of my consecration to God has grown over the last few months, which were full of human experiences.*

^* response (T. to (b)) only as a sign that one must always be ready.

The framework for this consecration has been formed by the consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the act of ‘holy slavery’: ‘… my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to Thee (Mother) the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity …’⁷

Within this fundamental act of consecration and the entrusting of myself, I wish: (1) to be at Lord Jesus’ complete disposal when it comes to the service and ways of serving the people of God in the Church; (2) to accept all experiences, which according to His thought and will belong to the entirety of my earthly path; (3) asking only for grace, so that I could always live up to the task: so that I could accept, undertake, serve.