Father Gabriel Bartoszewski OFMCap chaired the nationwide celebrations in honor of 108 blessed martyrs of World War II. Holy Mass at. At noon, celebrated in front of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Licheń, concelebrated by: Fr. Bogusław Binda, MIC, superior of the Lichen community of Marian priests and brothers, Fr. Janusz Kumala, MIC, the curator of the Lichen sanctuary, and also Fr. Msgr. Tomasz Kaczmarek, general postulator for the cause of canonization of 108 blessed martyrs, who during the Eucharist gave a commemorative homily.
Rozważania ks. Tomasz Kaczmarek rozpoczął od przypomnienia kim byli i dlaczego zginęli z rąk oprawców wspomniani dziś w liturgii Kościoła męczennicy: – „In our prayers, we try to “stop in reflection from those who, out of the greatest love, sacrificed their lives for faith, for the Church, for their brothers and sisters, to listen to what they want to say to us today and to learn from them the love of the Church. By worshiping them, we give glory to God who has shown in them the power of his love. "
The homily pointed out that from the very beginning the Gospel has met the blind resistance of an evil, dark force that constantly says "no" to good, love, truth, beauty and life. According to the priest, "it is Satan's reaction to God's love, that man finds God, his purpose, and accepts His loveex. "
Throughout history, the blood of martyrs has always flowed. - "Various people handed them over to death: rulers, officials, mindless people. They were tortured, tormented, punished, like the greatest criminals. And they, even in the face of death, said: "we should obey God rather than people, because God's Law is holy and we must not trample it at any cost, because the boundaries between good and evil are lost - and then the ruin will only progress. humanity. ”- said Fr. Tomasz Kaczmarek.
The priest noted that in the 20th century, the number of martyrs of the Catholic Church amounted to approx. 3 million people, of which, in Russia alone, about half a million lost their lives due to their faith in Jesus Christ.
Fr. In his homily, Kaczmarek also referred to the words of St. John Paul II included in the exhortation Ecclesia in Europain which the Polish Pope spoke of martyrs for the faith: "They confirm the vitality of the Church; they appear as a light for the Church and for humanity, because they let the light of Christ shine in the darkness".
Later in the word, Fr. Kaczmarek recalled the figures of several of the 108 blessed martyrs: Fr. Hilary Paweł Januszewski, Fr. Emil Szramka, Natalia Tułasiewicz, Fr. Michał Piaszczyński and Fr. Jerzy Kaszyra, MIC, a Marian, who was burned alive with his parishioners in the village of Rosica (today's Belarus).
Concluding his considerations, the priest stated that the sacrifice of the 108 blessed martyrs of World War II was not in vain, because "the blood of the martyrs became the seed of new believers". They are the best allies on our paths to God. Saints are a great gift of the Church. - "Blessed martyrs, be with us on our paths of life. Lead us to God. Blessed martyrs, pray for us. Amen. "
He elevated 108 blessed martyrs of World War II to the altars of St. John Paul II on June 13, 1999 in Warsaw during his seventh pilgrimage to his homeland. The Polish place of worship of the blessed is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń, where in the lower part of the basilica there is a chapel dedicated to them, in which there is a painting from the beatification Mass and portraits of all martyrs.
The Day of Prayers with Bl. Marianna Biernacka, the patron of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, one of 108 martyrs, who gave her life for a daughter-in-law who was expecting a child.
