Several hundred of the faithful at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń celebrated the Ascension of Our Lord and prayed to all mothers on the occasion of Mother's Day on May 26.
- Today the whole Church looks to heaven, looks at Christ who returns to the Father's House and assures: "And here I am with you all the days, until the end of the world" - said Fr. Janusz Kumala, MIC, custodian of the Lichen sanctuary, welcomes the faithful during the noon Eucharist in the basilica in front of Our Lady of Lichen, Patroness of family happiness. - Let us hope that the gift of motherhood, which God grants to women, be accepted by them and respected by everyone, so that we can go to heaven together - he emphasized.
The celebrant emphasized in the homily that we cannot live without encountering Christ. At some point, questions about the meaning of life arise. - If we do not look at the sky, at the goal of our wandering, our everyday life can overwhelm us. The Ascension ceremony reminds us that we are pilgrims in life, said the Marian. This dimension of life is also indicated by the sanctuary and temple. - The altar and the Eucharist celebrated on it make present the transfiguration of Christ, the sacrifice and the feast of the resurrection. It is also a symbol of the Ascension - he stressed. Referring to the Gospel read according to St. Mateusz, Fr. Kumala explained that Christ did not reprimand his disciples when he doubted, but walked closer to them and wanted to establish a deeper relationship with them. - He knows that when he comes closer, he will help the disciples, overcome our doubts and entrust the mission: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations." Students are not allowed to stand still. They are to go and proclaim the truth about Christ - he emphasized.
Mother's Day is an event that reminds us that the people present in our lives are signs of God's presence and action, the curator admitted. - A mother's great joy when she learns about the new life that she carries under her heart and accepts with love is a sign of God's creative love at the beginning of our life. The joy and disinterested love of God are revealed in the attitude of a loving mother - said Fr. Kumala. - The essence of motherhood is love, from the beginning to the infinite. Life does not end, maternal love, which is unconditional, remains for all eternity. Therefore, the greatest suffering of a mother is the rejection of God by her children when their salvation is threatened - said the Marian. The custodian of the Lichen shrine sensitized the faithful to the different faces of motherhood: single mothers, those who are victims of domestic violence or who were unable to fulfill their maternal mission. - Or is it time to forgive a mother who has hurt us in some way? Or say "I'm sorry" if we ourselves have failed in respecting her? There are different stories of mothers' lives, let us embrace them all with prayer, love and help - he ordered.
Mothers, also with their families, were actively involved in the Eucharist. They took part in the liturgy of the words, carried gifts to the altar and read, together with the custodian priest, the Act of entrusting mothers to Our Lady of Licheń. After the Holy Mass. Mothers present at the Eucharist received a folder with their mother's daily prayer to Our Lady of Licheń.
