|
Treasures of the Church- Holy Sites |
kalwaria zebrzydowska
by SCTJM
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a Benedictine Monastery
located several miles away from Wadowice. It
became one of the places which marked the
spiritual life of Venerable John Paul II. Before
he was even born, his grandfather, as well as
his great-grandfather, worked in this beautiful
place as guides for pilgrims. The monastery has
a way which reminds us of the Via Dolorosa, the
way of Christ to Calvary. The Stations of the
Cross in Kalwaria extend for more than five
miles.
Pope John Paul II was taken to this monastery by
his father, right after his mother died. After
he was ordained a priest, he would be the one
who would bring his students to this place where
they would pray, converse, meditate, and keep
silence. While he was an Archbishop, he would
spent time alone in this sanctuary. When Pope
Paul VI appointed him Cardinal, Wojtyla decided
to go to Kalwaria before leaving for Rome. In
the book where pilgrims write their intentions,
he wrote the following message: “I have come to
Our
Lady of Kalwaria, to whom I have felt very
close, ever since I was very small, with the
sole purpose of placing everything in her
hands”. On June 7, 1979, he came back to this
place, this time as His Holiness Pope John Paul
II.
During his Apostolic Visit to Poland, on August
19th, 2002, the Pope visited this Marian Shrine,
celebrating on that day the IV centenary of the
sanctuary. On this occasion, His Holiness stated
truly moving words, declaring that this place
expresses brilliantly the mysterious bond of
love. This bond that he was referring to is none
other than the union of the Two Hearts.
The story states that at the beginning of the
XVII century, Mikolaj Zebrzydowski, founder of
the sanctuary, laid the foundations to build the
chapel of Golgotha, according to the model of
the Church of the Crucifixion in Jerusalem. In
this manner, he wished above all to bring the
Mystery of the Passion and Death of Christ
closer to himself and to others. Later on,
however, the construction of the streets was
designed according to the streets of the Passion
of Our Lord, from the cenacle to the sepulcher
of Christ. Motivated by his Marian devotion and
the inspiration from God, he wanted to put in
the plan some chapels that would evoke the
events of the life of Mary. This is how other
paths and a new religious practice emerged,
nonetheless as a complement of the Way of the
Cross. The devotion is called the Way of the
Compassion of the Mother of God and of all the
women who suffered together with her. For four
centuries, generations of pilgrims trace the
footprints of our Redeemer and His Mother,
experiencing the abundant love that withstood
sufferings and death and culminated in the Glory
of Heaven.
During this visit, the Pope composed the
following beautiful prayer to the Queen of
Heaven:
“Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes
of mercy towards us, and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb,
Jesus”.
“Turn, Lady of all graces, your gaze and look
upon these people which for centuries have
remained faithful to you and to your Son. Look
upon this nation, which has always placed its
hope in your maternal love. Turn the gaze of
your eyes of mercy towards us, and obtain what
your children most need. Open the hearts of the
prosperous to the needs of the poor and the
suffering. Enable the unemployed to find an
employer. Help those who are poverty-stricken to
find a home. Grant families the love which makes
it possible to surmount all difficulties. Show
young people the way and a horizon for the
future. Cover children with the mantle of your
protection, lest they be scandalized. Confirm
religious communities with the grace of faith,
hope and love. Grant that priests may follow in
the footsteps of your Son, by offering their
lives each day for the sheep. Obtain for Bishops
the light of the Holy Spirit, so that they may
guide the Church to the gates of your Son’s
Kingdom by a single, straight path”.
“Most Holy Mother, our Lady of Calvary, obtain
also for me strength in body and spirit, that I
may carry out to the end the mission given me by
the Risen Lord. To you, I give back all the
fruits of my life and my ministries. To you, I
entrust the future of the Church; to you I offer
my nation; in you do I trust and once more I
declare: Totus Tuus, Maria! Totus Tuus! Amen”.
This page is the work of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and
Mary
Copyright © 2006- SCTJM
