WEALTH IS NOT IN A BANK BUT IN A CRADLE

Lidia Dudkiewicz, the Editor-in-Chief of ‘Niedziela’

The Day of the Presentation of the Lord, that is, the Day of Our Lady of Graces, celebrated on 2 February, ends the time of singing carols in Polish tradition. So, the concert tour of the music project entitled: ‘Bethlehem in Poland’ reached the last stop. Famous singers and musicians were performing carols with the audience in biggest show halls of 12 Polish cities. The artists were singing about the most important birth in the human history – that God arrived in the world so that the man could deserve Heaven. He became one of us, so he raised humankind to the supreme measure. Whereas in Jasna Góra Bethlehem there was family singing songs with the band ‘Noah’s Ark’. We were delighted not only with singing joyful dancing children. Seeing little singers, people were crossing stiff barriers of shyness and were spontaneously opening their hearts to show God great thanksgiving for His creating us so beautifully. In these little creatures one can see very well that the man is the most wonderful creation.

A lot of clear opinions treating life as a treasure, which must be cared for and protected, were expressed by cardinal Stefan Wyszyńki. He thought that the wealth of the nation is not in a bank but in a cradle, whose guardians are fathers. He deeply understood God’s presence in another man. In ‘ABC of Social Love Crusade’ he expressed in this way: ‘1. Respect every man as Christ live in him. Be sensitive to another man, your brother. 2. Think positively about everybody – do not think badly about anybody. Try to find something good in the worst one. 3. Speak friendly about others – do not speak badly about your neighbor. Make up for a harm done with a word. Do not bring conflicts among people. 4. Talk with every language of love. Do not raise your voice. Do not curse. Do not cause make anybody upset. Do not make anybody cry. Calm down and show your good heart. . forgive everybody everything. Do not hide resentment in your heart. Reach out your hand for agreement. 6. Do everything for the sake of your neighbor. Do everything to others, in the same way you would like to have something done. Do not think what somebody owes to you, but what you owe to somebody. 7. Feel sorry in suffering. Be eager to come with consolation, advice, help, heart. 8. Work reliably as others will use the fruits of your work, like you use work of others. 9. Join social help to your neighbor. Open up to the poor and the ill. Share your things with others. Try to notice those in need around you. 10. Pray for everybody, even your enemies’. The Primate of the Millennium saw Poland as Bethlehem for Europe which is Bethlehem for the world. He said about it in a sermon given in the cathedral in Cologne in 1978: ‘Europe must see again that it is new Bethlehem – for the world, for peoples and nations, from which the King of the world and Prince of Peace comes, the only Redeemer of the human family’.

Recently affirmation of life has been expressed in Poland: it was officially announced that a record number of 830 thousand signatures had been collected under the civilian bill draft ‘Stop abortion’, defending the right for life for ill, still unborn children. It can be called a popular pro-life offensive. So, it is the moment when Poles are showing the world that the human life is valuable. So, Poland is appearing the world as Bethlehem, that is, a place where life is loved.

Translated by Aneta Amrozik

Niedziela 4/2018 (28 I 2018)

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl