Welcome to our daily rosary meditation.

Let's begin in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for.

Today we meditate on the life of venerable Jan Tirinowski,

the spiritual mentor of St. John Paul II.

Jan was born in 1900 and grew up in the suburbs of Krakow, Poland.

His father wanted him to be an accountant,

for which Jan obtained a degree and began working professionally as such,

but by 1930 the stress of the position led to such serious and chronic stomach problems

that were so debilitating that Jan had to leave accounting and began to work in the family

business as a tailor. See, Jan was extremely introverted. He loved being hidden and alone, and it worked

really well for him to create or mend suits in the solitude of the back room of the family tailor shop.

But then came the moment that changed his life. In 1935, Jan heard a sermon in which the priest said,

It is not difficult to be a saint.

This struck Jan as true.

So he committed himself to three things.

To meditate on the Word of God each day in the Rosary and to spend time with Jesus in solitude and silence, concluding every meditation with a concrete resolution.

Second, to receive Jesus as often as he could in the Eucharist and in frequent confession.

And third, to study and learn the Catholic faith, especially the teachings of Teresa Vavila and John of the Cross.

Then he created a strategy around these things to reach the goal of life, intimacy with Jesus.

Because if you want to reach your destination, you're going to need a map or a plan.

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