Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel….Monday 25 February 2019
I like very much following the Master whilst reading the gospel. Today’s passage of the holy scriptures places Christ in front of us as He is coming down from Mount Tabor . There is a big argument , noise Jesus asks from the apostles :" ‘What are you arguing about with them?’” Mark 9, 14.
Then when He finds out that His disciples could not, dared not , neither wanted to help a child in trouble then He chides the ones standing around Him: 17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”Matthew 17, 17- then nicely , calmly solves the problem . Jesus is not saying to the father that :yes my disciples are too insignificant they have not learned this yet, please do not be angry with them ! But neither is He saying to the apostles , that it does not matter, no problems, you just sit back in awe ! But says angrily : How much longer should I stay with you, when will you finally learn to be good to each other, help with faith the ones in trouble ? It seems that Jesus expects that the apostles following in His footsteps for years , can solve the father’s problem without Him as well . Jesus speaks clearly, He does not want us to be shrugging our shoulders indifferently and just say , we don’t know how to go about it , we are too small for this , but He wants that we act in His name to produce fruit , lasting fruit .
It is worthwhile think about it where our boundaries , limits are ? I wonder that “how big am I “ on my own in my own eyes , and by bravely taking hold of the blessed hand of God then how “big do I become “? According to our school children 2-3 km is a lot, yet with the same children if we set out on a pilgrimage , we easily do 20 kms singing, praying . To lear a poem 2-3 paragraphs long and learning some mathematical or physics formulae at school, according to the children is very difficult , but those children get happily ready for the performance of a play lasting 2 hours.Our students last Saturday in Budapest at a Teacher’s Expo in front of 2000 teachers presented a gala performance , at the end of which the teachers were clapping standing up . I ask you in reality “how big are we “ ? How far are we willing to go ?How long should Jesus put up with our going around in circles , our writhing like a lame duck ? Why do we condemn ourselves looking at it from a mental, physical, spiritual aspect to become puny dwarfs ? Why don’t we dare to spread our wings and get going with our faith devoted in God , to make our most beautiful dreams come true ?
Upon the encouragement of our Lord Jesus Christ following the example of Saint Peter with prayer and love row out into the deep , cast the net , because it is quite certain that the Father of mercy is going to fill it my tossing boat with His grace and all that I have need for.
With love ,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Photo: The carer Páll Éva is teaching our children successful performances .
The Word of God
When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with awe, and they ran forward to greet him. He asked them, ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ Someone from the crowd answered him, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.’ He answered them, ‘You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.’ And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’ When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘You spirit that keep this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!’ After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand. When he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ He said to them, ‘This kind can come out only through prayer.
Mark 9:14-29
