Pope Francis often invites the Church, and religious families, to go forth to the peripheries in order to reach out to those who live on the margins of society. It is not always easy to get out of our friaries and approach those who are distant from God. We need to be very grateful toward the people who do not regularly attend our churches, but occasionally participate in our pastoral initiatives.
Each year, on the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, the friars at the friary in Schwarzenberg invite the faithful to celebrate a Mass for bikers in the friary garden. On May 9, 2024, almost three hundred people participated. Many of them arrived on motorcycles and do not usually attend Sunday Mass.
During the homily, the participants were encouraged to reflect on their lives: “Regardless of whether we are very devout or not, whether we feel far from God or close to Him, whether the Church is important to us or is no longer important, today let’s experience a moment of silence and to look up to heaven. What if God is really there? What if He really cares about us and wants what’s best for us? My answer is: ‘Then I always want Him. Then I always want to be close to Him. Then I cannot imagine life without Him. Only through faith can I be victorious.’”
After the Mass, the motorcycles were blessed. May everyone always be safe and cautious on the road!
Friar Mateusz KOTYŁO
