Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel 12 August 2018 -19th Sunday of Ordinary time.
By the grace of God I got to the cave of the Great Saint Anthony ! I was sitting in the timeless silence by the light of the flickering candle, my heart was filled by peace , tranquility , the joy of the presence of God ! I thought that I must return back here for weeks, months , to pray in the presence of my beloved God ! My thoughts were disturbed by a clear, forceful voice :” Why would you travel so far for a desert, uninhabited place , when in your surrounding the churches became deserted , empty ?”
I was sitting on the stone in a cave only a few square meters in size, and I shuddered in this realisation ! Yes God’s house, dwelling place , our churches became empty , and Christ sitting enthroned in our midst is waiting lonely for His children ! Unfortunately for very many Christians what is of the highest importance the priests’ homily, the choir, the cantor what sort of show is put on , and not the divine presence filling the church ! When the church is empty and there is no ceremony, liturgy, our Lord Jesus Christ is still awaiting us in the tabernacle in the form of the Holy Eucharist ! In reality this quiet meeting, this dialogue with God is the only means renew, make fertile , joyous our lives ! We tend to criticise the young people in whose ears through earphones the music is blasting away , but am I really capable by becoming quiet , paying attention to my God , spend and hour or so in prayer in a church, chapel nearest to my place of residence ?
Sitting in silence , placing nothing in front of the altar , to let God’s love, goodness , like the warmth of the sunshine to permeate me, to warm up my icy heart . Out of the ten commandments God’s first request : “ Worship your Lord, your God !” The church is God’s house, the meeting place of of the Holy Trinity and man in this world ! In our churches , chapels heaven and earth touch , lets step inside this XXIst century desert, because the Lord of the house is quite certainly waiting us lovingly , whether we come in our wedding robe , but even when we are sneaking in with the prodigal son’s fear into the Father’s house !
The chapel in our house in Csobánka , the quiet mountain in its grounds , are very suitable that either for a day or even for a whole week we humbly retire and spend the time in the adoration of God ! Jesus Christ again and again retired to a lonely place , and following His example we should also step out from the bustle, turmoil of the everyday , and even in Csobánka lets find that desert where God may address us , where worshipping our Creator we can give thanks and praise for everything !
One can knock at the door of Árvai Tamás, who is the caretaker of the house , can provide lodging but quite certainly a slice of bread to the praying man : Tamás Árvai <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
On the eve of a day spent in prayer in Csobánka ,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
John 6:41-51
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel 12 August 2018 -19th Sunday of Ordinary time.