Author Archives: frtomaszshrewsbury

Do you know the roots of the word Catholic? Its comes from the Greek katholike, and means – for all. I’m sure that you remember the great rallying cry of the French guards known as the “Musketeers”. They used to cry: All for one, and one for all! That loyalty tied the Musketeers together. TheContinue reading ““May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you”…”

The famous Italian composer Giacomo Puccini wrote: “La Boheme”, “Madama Butterfly” and “Tosca”. It was during his battle with terminal cancer in 1922 that he began to write “Turandot”, which many now consider his best work. He worked on the score day and night, despite his friends’ advice to rest, and to save his energy.Continue reading “I want you to finish my work!”

After attending a convention led by Billy Graham a woman wrote to him: Dear Sir, I feel that God is calling me to preach the Gospel. But the trouble is that I have twelve children. What shall I do? The televangelist replied: Dear Madam, I am delighted to hear that God has called you toContinue reading “Be my witness!”

Here is the true story from my life. In the time 2001-2002 I was curate in a little town beside the border with Germany – Mieszkowice (Poland). I remember me, one day I was stopped for speeding and for lack of lights. In Poland you have to drive with lights on 24 hours. I wasContinue reading “There was no penalty to pay…”

Jesus said to his disciples in the upper room (last supper): A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. Well, for many, many years I thought Jesus was wrong when He told this to his disciples. Especially anytime I’ve been in front of the Holy Sacrament (Exposition),Continue reading “Jesus said: ‘A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends’. Tomasz said: Really?”

In the first reading today I saw the situation: ‘When Paul and Barnabas preached the Good News, a man sat there who had never walked in his life, because his feet were crippled from birth; and as he listened to Paul preaching, he managed to catch his eye. Seeing that the man had the faithContinue reading “Do we really need any commandments?”

I remember travelling as a pilgrim to Mexico and of course to Guadalupe, and visiting an amazing market in the local town square. It was filled with vendors selling their wares of every kind. As I navigated the various pathways between vendors, the numbers of designer items for sale intrigued me. Can you imagine, thereContinue reading “I am the TRUTH, I am the WAY, and I am the LIFE…”

In period 2003 – 2005 I was Spiritual Director in a very good Catholic Secondary School in Szczecin. One of my duties was recruiting new candidates to our school. You know… you have papers all candidates, you have to meet them face to face, you have to speak with them and make a right decisionContinue reading “No servant is greater than his master…”

Do you remember Beethoven? After a particularly brilliant concert, he was in the centre of congratulating friends and admirers, who praised his piano magic. One unusually enthusiastic woman exclaimed: Oh, sir, if God had only given me the gift of genius! But Beethoven replied: It is not genius, madam, nor magic. All you have toContinue reading “Are you among my sheep?”

Someone told me this story: In the beginning of World War II, the Nazis commissioned a massive battleship named the Bismarck. It was the biggest fighting vessel the world had seen up to that time. With the Bismarck the Germans had the opportunity to dominate the seas. Very soon after it was commissioned, the BismarckContinue reading “…and they will hear my voice.”