Artur Hanula
The preacher recalled Jesus’ command to go and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. “We come to this place, special for the Church and for our Homeland, to discover as disciples and missionaries that this mission has also been entrusted to us,” said Archbishop Zieliński. He emphasized that before “we become those who go and proclaim,” we first discover “the joy of proclaiming the Word of God,” Vatican News reports.
God’s Unceasing Love and Human Ingratitude
Archbishop Zbigniew Zieliński also pointed to God’s words from the Book of the Prophet Hosea, where He speaks of the great love with which He loved Israel, not only when they were obedient to God, but even during their falls and unfaithfulness. At the same time, God complains that “this does not at all go hand in hand with reciprocated love. Israel grows in prosperity, but does not grow in what some today would call well-being. It does not develop spiritually. It becomes increasingly materially wealthy and increasingly spiritually poor.”
Freedom vs. License
In this context, the Metropolitan of Poznań pointed to the situation in Poland. “We are a country,” he said, “that enjoys freedom, that still remembers somewhat how recently this freedom cost us a lot and was, for many, only a dream.” Meanwhile, “today we experience it fully, but we also experience what becomes a problem when we discover both the joy of freedom and the sorrow of license.” In this, we are similar to biblical Israel.
Important Questions
As Poles, we can draw “from the treasury of wisdom of our Homeland and the Polish Church,” as the preacher noted, while “keeping our eyes open to the experience of today, we notice how much spiritual inadequacy there is.” Archbishop Zieliński posed several important questions: “What is the shape of our Homeland? What is the respect for the law? What is the shape of our families?”
Serious Problems of the Nation
He recalled several disturbing facts. “The very fact that for several years every second child in Poland is born outside of any union shows the scale of the problem we are talking about. Added to this is the closing off to life. We are a dying nation,” he said. “These are facts that even more strongly prompt us to accept the words heard today, which flow from the mouth of God: I loved you even when you betrayed me. I loved you. I showered you with gifts. God fights for each of us,” added the hierarch.
Evangelical Challenge
All Christians have been entrusted with the task of proclaiming that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. “We can do this only and exclusively when we ourselves are open to the truth that the Kingdom of God is among us,” noted Archbishop Zieliński.
“So let this biblical instruction become a signpost for us: Seek what is good, and not what is evil, and you will have life. We came here to have life. May this desire go hand in hand with seeking and fulfilling what is good in our lives,” concluded the Metropolitan of Poznań.
Demanding Message
Today’s Holy Mass at the tomb of St. John Paul II was concelebrated by about 70 priests. As every week, Poles from Rome and the surrounding area, as well as pilgrims from Poland and other countries, were present.
“Let us discover this gift of God’s love and realize it. When we have to realize it in a world that says – do what you want – let especially from this place even more demanding, but fruitful words flow: You must demand of yourselves, even if others do not demand of you,” said Archbishop Zbigniew Zieliński at the end of the Holy Mass, referring to the message of St. John Paul II, to whose intercession the Poles gathered at Thursday’s Holy Mass once again entrusted their Homeland and all compatriots.
