First
Day
The good intention – source of
strength for the apostolate
“The Lord is with me as my helper; I can look in triumph on
my enemies (Ps118:7)
“As long as you remain in me and I in you, you bear much fruit;
but apart from me you can do nothing.”
(Jn.15: 5)
Thoughts from the notes of blessed Sister Zdenka:
“In the morning I resolve to forget myself all day long, and
to think more of others. This thought is a source of strength for me. It
is not the external activities that make my apostolate effective, but the
measure of holiness that I strive to attain.”
“I am seeking sincerely nothing else but what I can give to
God; thus, I want to love him more and more. My gifts to him would have little
value if he could not find my own self in the gifts.”
“With all my soul I will strive for an attitude that has
Jesus alone as the object of love.
I do not want to conquer others for God, unless he has first
fully conquered me. I wish to be always united with him, for all my interest is
in living for him alone.”
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, you have given Sr. Zdenka the grace to live for
others rather than for herself. She knew she could not serve others
effectively, unless you had first fully penetrated her life. By her
intercession, give us the grace to live in humble dependence on your grace, and
to bear all the difficulties of life in union with you and in the strength of
your grace. You who live and reign forever. Amen.
Glory be to the Father …
Blessed Sister Zdenka, pray for us!
Second
Day
The sacrifice of daily duty
“We know that by turning everything to their good, God
cooperates with all those who love him.”
(Rom.
8: 28a)
“Work for your salvation in fear and trembling! It is God
who, for his own loving purpose, puts both the will and the action into you.” (Phil,
2:12b-13)
Thoughts
from the notes of blessed Sr. Zdenka:
My sacrifice, my holy Mass, begins in daily life.
From the altar of the Lord I go to the altar of my work. I
must be able to continue the sacrifice of the altar in every situation.
Joyfully and without fear I fulfill my duties for God, the joy of my youth.
What a joy to sing ‘Gloria’, to proclaim Christ, more with my example than with
my words. It is Christ whom we must proclaim through our lives, to him we offer
the sacrifice of our own will.”
“I fill every hour of my life with the readiness to accept
God’s action and his graces.
The first sacrifice on the altar was bloody and painful.
My sacrifice, too, will cost me much, but I want to be
generous. I will not do anything without Jesus in my heart, and everything only
through him.”
Let us pray:
Jesus, eternal High Priest, Sr. Zdenka united her daily life
with your sacrifice and was eager to grow constantly in the spirit of
sacrifice. Therefore you accepted her longing to offer herself for the release
of priests.
Help us, at her intercession, to give witness to our faith
and to the church, to support the sacramental activity of priests through our
prayer and sacrifice, for yours is the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Glory be to the Father …
Blessed Sister Zdenka, pray for us!
Third Day
Desire for recognition, confidence and love
“Remain
in my love.” (Jn:15, 9)
“I
have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already.”
(Lk. 12: 49)
From
the notes of blessed Sister Zdenka:
“We come to know Jesus in the measure in which we desire to
belong to him.”
“Perfection proceeds from love, and goes hand in hand with
giving up all that is transitory.”
“Living in love means casting off all fear as well as the
memory of sin. I fail to understand those who are afraid of so tender a friend.
Those who love God have neither gloom nor turmoil within themselves. God knows
my weakness, of what then shall I be afraid? My sins are immediately destroyed,
if I but cast them trustfully into the fire of his love.”
“I know how one can become happy even if one feels
miserable, and how one can benefit from one’s need. I will go even further in
my security. In addition to being pardoned, I even expect to be rewarded by
God.”
“Should the fire of my love ever grow dim and be in danger
of dying, I will throw in some blades of straw and I am sure the flame will
flare up again. Jesus can do anything. Trust in him works wonders.”
Let us pray:
God of Mercy, you have formed the heart of Sister Zdenka to
live a life of love and complete trust. She knew how to be happy in the
awareness of her poverty. Help us, at her intercession, that our sins and
weaknesses may never dishearten us. Strengthen our trust in your goodness and
mercy, for you are the God of Mercy forever.
Amen.
Glory be to the Father …
Blessed Sister Zdenka, pray for us!
Fourth
Day
Devotion
to the Eucharist
“I am the living bread that has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall
give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (Jn.6:51)
“For my flesh is real food, and my blood is read
drink.” (Jn. 6: 55)
Thoughts from the notes of Sr. Zdenka:
“In the Sacred Host, Jesus is present in his divine poverty,
for there he hides not only his divinity, but also his humanity. In the Sacred
Host the Word is silent. See here the climax of self-emptying: Christ; for the
measure of divine gifts is humility. God gives himself in unbroken communion to
the soul that does his will.”
“Jesus, now I can see how you give yourself entirely in the
Sacred Host. And I also know how humbly you place yourself into the hands of
your priests. You make no difference between those who love you, and those who
celebrate the holy sacrifice unworthily.”
“I beg of you, let my life be entirely like yours in the
Blessed Sacrament. For there you emptied yourself completely, and even now, in
a mysterious way, you obey the words of the priest.”
“Sacred Heart of Jesus, your precious Blood is the life of
my soul. May it no longer be I who live, but you yourself living in me.”
Let us pray:
Jesus, present in the holy Eucharist, you have drawn Sr.
Zdenka’s heart to your heart. Give us, at her intercession, a living faith in
your sacramental presence in the Eucharist, and a sense of respect for those
who administer your mysteries. For you are the God who deserves all love,
thanksgiving and honor for all eternity. Amen.
Glory be to the Father …
Blessed Sister Zdenka, pray for us!
Fifth
Day
Surrender in suffering
“You
have been given the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering
for him as well.” (Phil. 1:29)
“There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One
who gives me strength.” (Phil.4: 13)
Thoughts from the notes of blessed Sister Zdenka:
“In suffering our senses are opened to the will of God.”
“Suffering in the state of grace is the starting point of
great deeds. For this reason I will prostrate myself with all my shortcomings
before the door of the divine majesty, through which God is pouring out his
graces. In this humble state I will love him dearly and live for him alone.”
“Every person has to open the shackles of suffering, for as
long as we remain tied to ourselves we are unable to move. Once we have let go
of everything, there will be no shackles any more. The one who loves does not
suffer any longer.
Most likely, however, we will suffer as long as we live; yet
our sufferings will diminish as our love of God increases.”
“Absolutely nothing, not even the purest love for the most
gifted of all God’s creatures, can replace the love of God.”
“Silent and hidden suffering! Silence is the atmosphere that
surrounds pain – there was silence on Calvary. When we complain, when we seek
relief and consolation, we lose what makes suffering most valuable.”
Let us pray:
Merciful Jesus, Sister Zdenka did not lose the inner
security of you presence in the midst of pain. For that reason she was able to
bear human torture heroically. Help us, at her intercession, to bear the
sufferings and burdens of life with loving surrender, and in the hope of
meeting you in glory.
You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Glory be to the Father …
Blessed Sister Zdenka, pray for us!
Sixth Day
Love
of Mary
“I am the handmaid of the Lord; let, what you have said, be
done to me.” (Lk. 1: 38)
“See, your Mother! And from that moment the disciple made a
place for her in his home.”
(Jn.19: 27)
Thoughts from the notes of blessed Sister Zdenka:
“After the example of Mary you are to be a daily and
uninterrupted FIAT, so as to renew and to carry in your heart the incarnation
of God’s Son.”
“A person who lives by God has received and brought forth
his Word in faith, and enlivens it through good works. Our great task in life
is to let God be formed in us and become visible through us. How valuable is a
person who lives in the spirit of faith! Such an attitude sanctifies imperfect
works, too. Life takes on a new meaning if it becomes a total Yes of loving
surrender to God. Such a Yes binds us fully to God.”
“Great simplicity is more deeply impressive and convincing
than something that is artificial and affected.”
“Mary, Mother of fair love, teach me to love Jesus.”
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, Sister Zdenka was wholly convinced by your
Mother’s sacrificial attitude. For this reason she asked you sincerely to
support her efforts to follow your Mother in the unconditional fulfillment of
your will.
Give us, at Sr.Zdenka’s intercession, a deep love and trust
in your holy Mother, for she is a reliable way to you, who live and reign
forever and ever. Amen.
Glory be to the Father …
Blessed Sister Zdenka, pray for us!
Seventh
Day
The celebration of Sunday
“Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.”
(Ex. 20:8)
“Those who keep the Sabbath unprofaned and remain faithful
to my covenant, I will bring to my holy mountain; I will give them joy in my
house of prayer.” (Is, 56: 6-7)
Thoughts from the notes of blessed Sister Zdenka:
“The world claims its rights – how much more has God the
right do so. All our striving and our efforts are to be God-oriented. To him I
will pray, to him I express my trust. For him alone I long. He is my eternal
light and my love, for ever new.”
“Sunday offers me the opportunity to bring the cares and
troubles and the humdrum of the past week before God. I can lay my head into
his hand and receive a wealth of graces and blessings. Sunday is to be
totally dedicated to God, with all my heart, will and thoughts.”
“The people I encounter must be able to sense: Here is God!”
Dear God, do not allow my heart to turn to worldly things.
Lead me ever higher, towards the sun, into ever brighter light.”
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, blessed Sr. Zdenka accepted and ex-
perienced Sunday as a grace and a blessing, as a gift to
strengthen her life of faith.
Help and protect us Lord, that we may not get trapped in the
mentality of our time. Give us the strength to protect Sunday as a holy day.
May those who get in touch with our families and with our communities feel:
Here is God.
For this grace we ask through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Glory be to the Father …
Blessed Sister Zdenka, pray for us!
Eight
Day
Joy
in the Lord
“Be
always happy in the Lord! (Phil.4: 4)
“The
joy of the Lord is our strength!” (Neh. 8: 10)
Thoughts
from the notes of blessed Sister Zdenka:
“Smile!
Pluck the flowers of pain with a smile, share your words with a smile. Help
others with a smile, accept injustice with a smile, and bear what is untrue
about you with a smile! Spread a smile over everything that hurts you; go about
with a smile on your lips even when you are sad.
Go to Golgotha with a smile; there you will find him who
knew about every lie, malice, falsehood and human error long before you ever
got to now about it. He lets you walk in his footsteps.
How ungrateful you would be if you were not to meet
everything with a smile.”
Let
us pray:
God
of love, Sister Zdenka loved people and was ever ready to help. She forgave
those who hurt her, for she found her joy in you.
Enable us, Lord, at her intercession, to rise above the
humiliations and adversities of life. This we ask of you, who are our joy and
our hope for all eternity.
Amen.
Glory
be to the Father …
Blessed
Sister Zdenka, pray for us!
Ninth Day
Readiness
for sacrifice
“Gather
before me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” (Ps.
50: 5)
“There
is no greater love than this, to give one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn.
15: 13)
Thoughts
from the notes of blessed Sister Zdenka:
“To love the sacrificial wood of the cross, I must acquire
the habit of doing everything joyfully, to make thousands of little sacrifices
every day, to learn to die daily in my heart, to let it bleed drop by drop in
the midst of daily incidents, also under the burden of adversities, sufferings
and sacrifices of every kind.
I wish to place myself on the cross, simply and bravely,
forgetting myself.”
“I am aware that I am slowly shedding my blood for him, whom
I love. Yes, I will always repeat the sacrifice of Christ for someone, first of
all for those who wander through life on hidden ways of darkness.
For them I have to stand even more firmly in my place.”
“To console Jesus for the indifference of this world, for
the ingratitude of people – this shall be my daily task. I want to do
everything for him alone. I give him my smile, too, for only when I am offering
him everything without reserve can I truly say that I love him.”
Let
us pray:
Lord
Jesus, Sr. Zdenka’s heart was full of love and of readiness to offer herself
for the good of others. She united herself with your sacrifice. Fill us, at her
intercession, with the spirit of penance and sacrificial love for others: this
we ask of you, who are the source of our peace and of our joy for all eternity.
Amen.
Glory
be to the Father …
Blessed
Sister Zdenka, pray for us!
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