(Poland) Over one hundred young people take part every month in their prayerful meetings organized by the Redemptorists for one year in Tuchów, Poland, a place well known to many confreres from other provinces because of our Major Seminary and the Shrine of Our Lady of Tuchów.
Last time, on February 17th, 2017 the meeting for the youth, entitled “Internal way – Level up” gathered not only the young from Tuchów and surrounding towns and villages but also students from Rzeszów (around 100 km from Tuchów), and they arrived with their priest, Fr. Grzegorz Szczygieł (a missionary of La Salette) to pray together, to help the young to discover “the internal way”.
The gathering started with the Mass. The preacher, Fr. Paweł Zyskowski CSsR., marked out strong calling of Jesus to set “level up” in life, what is included in words of Mark’s gospel: “If anyone wants to be my follower, he must forget himself, take up his cross and follow me”. After the Mass Fr. Grzegorz was trying to show features of appropriate worship of God – “it is based on forgetting about myself and focusing only on our God.” Christian life – reminded Fr. Grzegorz – should aim at God and his great love revealed on the Cross.
During the evening we couldn’t forget about time for common meal. This part of our monthly encounters is very valuable: young people may set up new relationships with others and share with one another their experiences. Moreover, this point creates opportunity for youngsters to meet and talk in calm and pleasant atmosphere.
The last part of our meeting is always an adoration of the Blessed Sacrament accompanied by “pray and praise” devotion. The songs of our guests and some reflections contributed to the celebration.
The meetings of the young like theses in Tuchów are one of the methods to attract the young to God and the Church. It is not easy in Poland, too. In our country, like in other countries of the West, the secularism is growing and we, as the young Redemptorists, also try to help the young to follow Jesus on “the internal way” on the right level.
Br. Piotr Mazur CSsR, Province of Warsaw, Major Seminary of the Redemptorists in Tuchów
Our website: wsd.redemptor.pl
