Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel….10 September 2017 , 23. Sunday of Ordinary Time.
Limescale !!!
We were getting ready for mass in the yard of one of our houses , but the strange, loud noises coming from next door were totally drowning out the children’s singing. I ask my colleague what the noise was ? “I have no idea came the reply , but since yesterday , today as well when we are outside in the yard the neighbour is continuously beating” a piece of iron with a hammer "!! The altar server turned to me and told me that yesterday the neighbour was the one who came over and cut down a plum tree from our yard….
The holy mass starts and I also feel the tension within myself….having ill-willed neighbours is a curse , what’ll happen if they loose their temper even more ? Even though during the homily I never mentioned the ongoing racket , I talked about peace, tranquility ,compromise , I could hardly wait for the ceremony to be over , so that I could actually see as to what is going on! I went over to the neighbour who welcomed me with great love , and showed me what he was doing : he bought iron pipes from a boiler room , and these pipes became thickly coated by limescale over the years . This was what he was trying to remove from pipes , about as thick as my fist, with a five kilo hammer , that sounded like a mortar in the peaceful country surroundings. He invited me in for a glass of wine , we chatted like good neighbours happily , I never even mentioned the plum tree .When I got home I called the smart altar server and asked him to show me where the tree was removed from? They showed me the stump , that was growing next to the man’s fence in our yard , that , as a good farmer the neighbour fell , I indicated as well I would have done the same with the wildly growing sapling !
I took three pieces of the limescale knocked off the pipes. I showed it to the children and they asked me what was it ? Corpus delicti , of human prejudice, stupidity , the eloquent testimony ! I asked them to keep a couple of pieces for safekeeping and on other occasions before they pronounce judgement , take hold of a piece and knock on the door of the home of the other person and following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ just ask calmly : “ Peter, do you love me ? “
My dear brothers and sisters , I still have pieces of the limescale left , I gladly send some to all who are capable to cripple others’ and their own lives’ with superficial judgements ! It would not hurt to drill a hole into a piece or more and wear it around our necks constantly as a reminder that things are not always as they first appear and we judge accordingly harshly as we seem to think it is !
With love,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18, 15-20
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel….10 September 2017 , 23. Sunday of Ordinary Time.