Whoever listens to God’s will and fulfills it deserves eternal happiness in heaven. He experiences great satisfaction and peace of conscience. But whoever follows his own will earns eternal condemnation, and even in this life suffers from remorse and various temporal punishments." - Father Wenanty Katarzyniec Father Wenanty’s words are simple, yet incredibly demanding. They strike at the very heart of our daily life: Whom do I allow to lead my life - God or myself? A person who seeks and fulfills God’s will may not have an easier life, but he possesses something far greater: peace of conscience. It is a peace the world cannot give, because it is born from obedience to the One who knows our paths better than we do. On the other hand, living according to one’s own preferences, without asking God for direction, brings immediate consequences to the heart: restlessness, chaos, running away from the truth about oneself, and in time - inner wounds. This is not punishment from outside. It is the consequence of a heart distancing itself from its Source. God’s will is not a limitation. It is the most beautiful form of freedom, because it leads to a goal untouched by time: eternal happiness . Father Wenanty reminds us that this choice is not abstract - it happens every day: in words, decisions, relationships, duties, thoughts, desires. Every moment can be a step toward heaven or a step away from it. Reflection for today: Do I ask God for His will each day — or do I choose only what is convenient for me? Do the decisions I make bring peace to my heart, or do they create unrest? In which area of my life do I need to return to obedience to God today?
“There is no denying that our earthly life is accompanied by so many misfortunes, so painful, so bitter and difficult to bear. To endure them bravely and not fall under their weight, we need some comfort that will make these sufferings less bitter and less burdensome. Where will we find this comfort? In the goods of this world? But they do not protect us from all misfortunes. Do the rich and the millionaires not fall ill? Can money buy their way out of disaster? Certainly not. But there is one thing that surely brings relief in suffering: the thought of that blessed place from which, as Scripture says, every pain, sorrow and fear will flee.” Father Wenanty Katarzyniec Every one of us carries within the experience of pain, illness, loss, and hardship. Life on earth has never been and never will be free from suffering. Father Wenanty speaks about this openly: you cannot pass through life without wounds. But he does not leave us in sadness. He asks about the source of consolation - and exposes the illusions: money will not protect from suffering, wealth will not save from death, comfort will not fill the emptiness. There is no earthly power that can stop every misfortune. Yet Christianity offers an answer - the hope of heaven is a consolation that does not fail. Scripture says: “And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 21:4) This is not an escape from reality. It is the truth that allows us to endure it. When a person knows that his story does not end here, that beyond suffering there is Love, even burdens become lighter. It is this very perspective of heaven that gives strength to endure trials courageously. It is what keeps us from falling. Reflection for today: Where do I seek comfort today: in God, or in what passes away? How do I respond to difficulty in my life - with hope or with escape? Do I remember that heaven is a promise of unending joy?
“How much higher are we than flowers and so many plants that blossom and bloom for only one summer, and then frost and winter destroy them forever. Can man be placed on the same level as animals, of which after some decades not even a trace remains, and the earth, the sun, and the stars, although they existed for millions of years before us, yet one day their existence will end, whereas people by God’s eternal decree will never perish, their souls will never cease to live.” Father Wenanty Katarzyniec In a world that speaks so much about passing away, Father Wenanty reminds us of something completely different: there is something immortal in the human being. Everything we see around us, even what seems everlasting - the sun, the stars, the immensity of the universe - has its end. Nature blossoms and dies. Creation has a beginning and an end. But God breathed into man something that no flower, no creature, no earthly thing possesses: an immortal soul. The Catechism teaches: “The human soul is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body.” (CCC 366) This means that human life is something infinitely greater than earthly time. What is ultimate does not happen here - but beyond . Father Wenanty looks at the world the way Christ looked at it: everything we see today will one day pass. But man was not created for one season like a flower, nor for one cycle like a planet. God created us to live forever . This is not a reason for pride but for responsibility - for if the soul is eternal, then it is worth living in such a way that we never extinguish what God has placed within us. Reflection for today: Do I remember that my soul is eternal, even if the world around me fades? Do I live as if life is only a moment - or as if it leads into eternity? How do I care for what is immortal in me, more than for what is temporary?
"If our soul is dear to us, and we desire to attain happiness in heaven, let us abandon this unnecessary concern for the goods of this world. Let us give up these needless worries that make our life so bitter and difficult and snatch the life to come out of our hands." Father Wenanty Katarzyniec Father Wenanty touches a truth close to every human heart: the more tightly we hold on to earthly things, the more our peace slips away. This is not a call to reject the world, but an invitation not to allow earthly worries to rule the soul - because then life becomes a burden rather than a path toward God. Christ speaks clearly: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up treasures in heaven.” (Mt 6:19–20) The Catechism reminds us that the human person is created for happiness in God , and that the goods of this world are only a means, never the goal. Unnecessary anxieties not only exhaust us - they can steal the future from our hands , pulling the heart away from what is eternal. Father Wenanty therefore invites us to interior freedom: not to escape responsibility, but to let go of what is excessive, heavy, and distracting . And this can begin today - with a small step: less fear, more trust. Reflection for today: Which worries do I carry that do not lead me to God but only steal my peace? Does my heart seek earthly goods more than eternal good? From what should I free myself so that my life becomes lighter and more rooted in God?
“A holy person does not feel fear before death, but thinks with joy of the moment when they will be able to throw themselves into the arms of the beloved God. To deserve such a death, I will begin a new life from this very moment and use every means to achieve it.” Father Wenanty Katarzyniec The words of Father Wenanty lead us to a profoundly delicate truth: For a person living in grace, death is not an end but a return. It does not terrify, but becomes a moment of encounter. It does not take away hope – on the contrary, it opens the way to the fullness of love. That is why the saints face it with peace, even with joy – not because they despise life, but because they love God more than anything in this world. Father Wenanty does not romanticize death. He shows a path: to depart in such a way, one must live in such a way. One must begin today—from this very moment. Not tomorrow, not when there is more time. Now. Change your heart, your choices, your desires. Make each day a step toward the Love that nothing can destroy. For reflection today: What in my life needs to change if I truly want to live “as for eternity”? What am I afraid of—and do I entrust these fears to God, or do I carry them alone? What concrete steps can I take today to draw closer to God, rather than move away from Him?
“There is no human being who does not feel this longing. Let him only focus his thoughts for a moment. Let him stop for an hour from bustling about earthly matters and soon the depths of his heart will echo a call - perhaps muffled, faint, not clear enough to hear. A call that says: Man! Remember that you are destined for higher things! Remember that this is not your goal nor your end!” Father Wenanty Katarzyniec Every person, even the most absorbed in the world, carries within a quiet desire for something greater. A moment of silence is enough - a pause in the daily race - and the heart begins to speak a truth we often drown out by noise, duties, and constant movement. Father Wenanty reminds us that the human soul is not created for small things . The world keeps us busy, distracted, overloaded - yet deep inside, a voice persists: You are made for higher things. Your path reaches farther than what you see. This is not your final goal. It is the echo of eternal life God has planted in the human heart. To stop even for a moment is to allow this truth to rise to the surface again. Reflection for Today When was the last time I allowed myself true silence in which God could speak to my heart? What earthly concerns drown out the voice of my higher calling? What should I reorder in my life to move toward what is eternal rather than merely temporary?
“O Merciful God, imprint upon our hearts the thought of the world’s transience. Let this thought never fade, never disappear from the eyes of our soul, so that we may not bury ourselves in the earthly mire and lose the eternal treasures which, in Your kindness, Lord, You have promised us.” Father Wenanty Katarzyniec The words of Father Wenanty Katarzyniec strike at the very core of human experience: it is easy to attach our hearts to earthly things, yet far more difficult to remember that all that is temporal has its end. A person naturally seeks stability, comfort, and security — and yet Christ reminds us: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mt 6:21) This is why Father Wenanty prays for something remarkable: not that the world would disappear, but that the truth of its passing nature would remain alive in our hearts. For if we forget it, we easily become “buried” - in haste, money, people’s opinions, ambitions, comparisons. And then, without noticing, we may lose the greatest treasure: the closeness of God and the eternal life He has promised us. This call is not a rejection of the world, but an invitation to live it wisely and with a free heart - with our eyes fixed on what endures forever. Reflection for Today What binds me too strongly in my life - so much that it steals the freedom of my heart? Do I remember each day that earthly things pass, and eternity lies before us? Which “eternal treasures” do I neglect because of haste, worries, or the distractions of this world?
“Therefore, I must always be prepared for death, and since I do not want to tremble in my final hour, I resolve from now on to live in such a way that I am always ready for death. In every temptation I will think of death and of God’s judgment. I place this resolution in the Sweetest Heart of Jesus. And I beg the Blessed Virgin Mary for her protection—now and always, and especially at the hour of my death.” Father Wenanty Katarzyniec The words of Father Wenanty Katarzyniec lead us to the very heart of Christianity. They are not a call to sadness but to courage and readiness. The Catechism teaches that death ends the earthly pilgrimage of the human person but opens the door to eternal life (CCC 1010–1014). For a believer, it is not a tragedy but the moment of meeting the Love in whom he has trusted throughout his life. Father Wenanty teaches us that living with the thought of death does not take away joy—it purifies it. Whoever remembers God’s judgment does not waste time on what is empty; he seeks goodness, truth, and forgiveness. This is not fear but a conscious decision to live in grace, which brings peace to the heart. Questions for reflection today: Am I living in such a way that I could stand before God at any moment with a clear conscience? How do I respond to temptations—do I remember then that life is short and eternity is real? Do I entrust my life and the hour of my death to the Heart of Jesus and the protection of Mary, as Father Wenanty taught?
"I must strive to do so and actually do it, so that death will not be frightening. Death is near me and approaches swiftly, like a rider on a horse. Today, human life is short, lasting barely a few decades, and those who live several decades are not many. The vast majority die young. The old - ‘old’ in quotation marks - must die; the young can die. End quotation marks. Therefore, hiding behind youth will not help - death easily reaches even the young." Father Wenanty Katarzyniec The words of Father Wenanty Katarzyniec, a simple Franciscan with deep spirituality, remind us of a truth that the modern world often pushes aside: life on earth is short, and death is an inevitable passage to eternity. These are not the words of a pessimist, but of a man who lived in the light of the Gospel - a man who understood that awareness of death does not take away the joy of life, but gives it a deeper meaning. Father Wenanty did not speak of death to instill fear. He spoke of it to teach responsible living, a life that matures every day toward an encounter with God. In the spirit of the Church’s teaching (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1006–1014), death is not the end, but the gateway to eternal life. A Christian, faithful in daily life, prepares for it not through fear, but through love, forgiveness, and service. Wenanty reminds us that youth does not protect against death, and old age is not its only invitation. Therefore, each day of life is an opportunity to draw closer to God and to others. Father Wenanty teaches that true preparation for death consists in living life well—in sanctifying grace, in working on oneself, and in faithfulness to small duties. Whoever lives with God does not fear death, for they know that it is not an end, but an encounter with Love. Perhaps it is worth pausing for a moment today and asking ourselves: Am I living in such a way that I could depart without fear? Does my life lead me toward God, or only toward earthly goals? Do I remember that every moment is a gift and not a possession? May the example of Father Wenanty Katarzyniec remind us that the holiness of everyday life is the best preparation for the hour of meeting God.
