With three short notes, the trembita sounds off to mark the beginning of the mass, and with it the beginning of this year’s, the 33rd edition of the FESTIVAL OF THE CHILDREN OF MOUNTAINS. Jerzy Jurkiewicz, the parish priest, welcomes all the ensembles, mentioning the countries they have come from, and their names – as if addressing them by name, because that is, after all, how we were all invited here: “By our names.”
Father Stanisław Kowalik, the Festival chaplain, addresses the organisers and the participants with a few words of his own, wishing us not only joy, but also remembrance of all those who have been part of this Festival so far. Here, the memory of the late Aleksandra Szurmiak-Bogucka, the long-serving chair of the Artistic Committee, and an indomitable guardian of the historical integrity of the tradition, echoed with special nostalgia.
Have a little rest – is how Fr. Kowalik begins his homily. We come here to abide by goodness. Because even though we have sown good seed, we need to keep an eye on what’s going on around us. Jesus left Himself with us in the sacraments so that we may reveal the goodness that lies within us. Children have a way of bringing out the good in us when we watch their performances, their comradeship and today’s prayer. These rites contain elements of the struggle between good and evil. Of a battle in which good triumphs. In their performances we will see the hard work. We must, however, remember that hardship strengthens our hearts. The reverend also refers to The Little Prince, in which the Fox shows that the Prince's Rose is not like any other; she is the most important one in the world, because she is the only one he has looked after and argued with. Here, the ensembles are our roses, each and every little one from the ensembles is a rose. Some people devote their whole lives to taming these roses. They pass on both tradition and faith… The Fox also revealed a simple secret about seeing with one's heart rather than with one’s eyes. We cannot see the spirit of these ensembles, but we can see their beauty and the hard work they put in. The time you have devoted to the flower is what makes it so special. Father Stanisław expresses his gratitude for the time devoted to that which is invisible to the eye but perceptible to the heart. He pays tribute to the music that has been passed down through the generations, ever since children used to go barefoot. The chaplain also urges us to be vigilant, and to protect the treasure that is in the vessels, as Jesus says, and our vessels are our ensembles.
And now the children from each of these groups - in a remarkable display of unity - recite the Prayer of the Faithful in all the languages of the Festival, and then bring the gifts to the altar, as if from all over the world. And during the Mass, the notes and lyrics of the hymns soar up at the appropriate moments. This Mass has always been, as it were, co-celebrated by those in attendance – by the children from all the mountains of the world.
Kamil Cyganik
