Daily gospel

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel  Tuesday 6 March 2018

Recently I spoke with a man who has diabetes , and the doctors want to amputate his leg ! He hesitated for a long time , finally he agreed crying, that his leg would be amputated from the middle of his thigh , since without the operation he would have died within a few weeks ! I was a witness to this man’s struggle ! He did not want to give up his aching, useless leg and I could deeply sympathise his wrestling with himself  ! I feel that we should also be attached in some ways, like him to each other since we belong , we are one ! It would be so easy to "amputate “ certain mischief-maker children , since they cause pain, bring shame upon us , they do not deserve the care , the work ! It is easy to get offended , to quarrel , turn away from the other but this is not what we learn from our Master !!

One can give up a child’s upbringing in two ways , the first one is if we push them out of our lives , push them away , if we quarrel with them , if we don’t forgive them , fortunately this does not happen often in our houses so I am not going to talk about this just here ! Opposite to a different type of quarrel, giving up on our companion , letting go is very frequent in our world and it’s scary unless we watch out it can raise its head like a virus in our houses too! 

Raising children has its problems , one would have a lot of explaining to do , talk with our children , but we rush about, we have no energy, patience again and again to explain to our child the consequences of one or another decision , the meaning and we rather give them money to look at their phones and do what they want! We give up our pedagogical principles , our notions, we let go of the steering wheel and let the children drift freely ! In one word we throw the minors at the mercy of their own unbridled desires, instincts , and let them lead their lives as they please !

I go around a lot and have been to many homes and I can see that in many places one cannot have a cup of tea or have a quiet discussion , because the family’s pet a dog or a cat knocks everything off , and one has to pay attention to them , take care of them ! Unfortunately in families like this, if there is a child at all , that child also does whatever he or she wants, there are no goals, plans , only vibrating, rummaging , wasted days, weeks , passing higgledy piggledy !

I ask the dear mothers , fathers in the quietness of Lent to sit down , create peace , tranquility in their heart and take count of their parental duties because sooner or later they’ll be called to account! Lets get going and if necessary with a contrite heart work out that pedagogical plan , based on which the mental, physical, spiritual lives of our children can unfold ! What will become of your child to a large extent depends on you ! A parent builds a church , a cathedral not a chicken coop , their children’s future is in their hand ! Just as a mother carries her child in her womb , the same way, anything may happen in a family we have to keep on carrying the child in the pure womb of our love , where the child can keep on growing , become smarter , can unfold the precious talents, good habits that God planted in them !

Did you get tired , do you see it as useless to bring to the surface one or another truth, reasoning ! Smiling you can let go, push away your child from yourself , but this means even if you are kind with them if you give them every possible things means the same as if you would have put them out of your house , since they are drifting freely in your presence !  I advise you that start anew seventy times  seven your work , be a father, a mother , a grandparent and with gentle goodness get going to complete your God given beautiful task !! Ask for wisdom from the Holy Spirit , strong spirituality , but do not look at your child as a stranger , who can do whatever he or she wants in your house  do not let go of the steering wheel neither  with angry shouting nor kindly resignation if you don’t want to see your child’s broken body , spirit !

With love,

Father Csaba

translated by dr k.e. 

Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, 'Pay what you owe.' Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

Matthew 18:21-35