Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel 9 March 2018 Friday….
"you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” ... "You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
Jesus’ words are infinitely simple , yet seeing the world, in many places we are not seeing the ripening fruit of love, but the senseless discord, the hateful avarice, endless passing of judgement tearing families , nations apart.
In the quietness of Lent lets take a look at ourselves with honesty , are we following the way of Christ’s love , or the evil spirits relentless accusation !?
To sit on the side bench and making comments certainly is very easy !! To judge vehemently the players , the judges the organisers without having done anything ourselves is very easy ! The Church herself is condemned by many ! I find it difficult to accept criticism from those who don’t even practice their faith , or perhaps seldom , on the occasion of an important feast do they go near a church, and yet staring from Pope Francis to the last altar server they are calling them to account , condemn them ! The ones passing judgement not only talk of clerics , but people working in the health professions or the education system , not to mention political figures , who at the moment are getting more than their fair share of reprimand , being found guilty. During my travels among people I find it often very disconcerting how easily some people pass judgement ! We could say that scandal-mongering, discrediting became our world’s national costume !! I would not like to put on this sticky, disgusting vestment , this judgemental, belittling habit ! I would not like wear the cast-offs of relentlessness because this is not Christ’s clothes , His wear is love: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
If we do not want to sit on the same bench as those passing judgement lets think about as to from what , from whom does all this criticism come !!
Lets judge ourselves based on our intentions , each other on their deeds carried out ! Having tried out many things I experienced how far is the longed for, dreamt about today , from the today that became a reality !! That is why I find it very difficult to judge , because I am sure the majority of people feel the same way about about this ! When a priest says his first mass , I am sure that he would like to reach out to everybody and sanctify them ! A doctor’s wish is most certainly that he or she could discharge his patients happily in good health, home to their beloved families ! A teacher attends his class hoping he can give good marks to everyone , and that what he himself considers important , nice , true could be passed onto all those for whom he accepted his position in the education system !! Knowing many politicians I know that they started out with the most noble , purest intentions and today as well start out day after day to serve their towns, their people !!
Active love , if honest , knows its own boundaries !! The limits of our desires , dreams unfortunately do not always meet or fall short of our expectations !The sower would like to see the planted seed to grow and bring a produce a hundred, a thousand fold . Unforeseen, conditions independent from him may arise early frosts, windstorms that are capable to destroy the whole crop and the farmer down on his knees beside his land looking at the devastation that became off his tiring work !! A wiseman , consoling himself , asking for pardon for his negligence learns from his mistakes , stands up and again pushing the plough into the ground prepares it again, and asking for the help of God plants the seeds again !
Lets not judge , but love. Lets love God, love each other because we received not the commandment of judgement but of love !!
Repenting for my failures ,
your lesser brother ,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, 'Which commandment is the first of all?' Jesus answered, 'The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." The second is this, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these.' Then the scribe said to him, 'You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that "he is one, and besides him there is no other"; and "to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength", and "to love one's neighbour as oneself",-this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.' When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' After that no one dared to ask him any question.
Mark 12:28-34
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel 9 March 2018 Friday….