Daily gospel

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Monday 6 August 2018  Feast of the Transfiguration….

‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’

The Heavenly Father speaks rarely , but even then He directs our attention to His beloved , precious Holy Son!! How good it is to see this great , living community of love, the Holy Trinity !  We were  all invited into this community of love , our place is there , as at the bottom of our heart we are all desiring to be loved , so that we ourselves become beloved ,together with our loved ones forming a community with the Holy Trinity  !

The main purpose of our lives , as we teach the children as well in the catechism : to get to know, to get to love and become one with the Holy Trinity !! Yes , our goal is during the course of our earthly life to get to know God better and better and His created world , the creatures, our brethren ! Knowing our Creator we admire Him for His greatness, beauty , wisdom, goodness , and exactly for this we are desiring to touch , become one in love with the Infinity in eternity !!

With love ,

Father Csaba

translated by dr e.k.

Picture: By marrying off our grown-up girls , God’s big family is getting built and getting more beautiful.

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

Matthew 17:1–9

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Friday 3 August 2018

"Prophets are not without honour except in their own country and in their own house.” Matthew 13,54

How much do I honour my teachers, carers, my priest, the one who tries to guide and direct me to goodness , beauty?? Who is my guide, my Master, my teacher ? Is there anybody to whom I can look up to with trust and from whom I ask, accept guidance , advice in my life’s “maze”, labyrinths ?? Do I have a spiritual guide, a father- confessor , a Master ? 

I learn to speak, write , driving a car, or a foreign language , every but everything I learn from someone, then I ask you, can I learn my life-skills , differentiating between good and evil just by myself ?? Perhaps that is why there are so many failures, setbacks , difficulties in my life because I don’t ask for, don’t accept advice, guidance from people who are more experienced, wiser than I am ?

Let’s say a prayer for those , who so far in my life taught me to goodness beauty , educated me !

With love,

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e.

Photo: The superior of our Archdiocese Dr Jakubínyi György in our home in Petrozsény.

Jesus came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?" And they took offence at him. But Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honour except in their own country and in their own house." And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.

Matthew 13:54-58

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Monday 30 July 2018 

Mustard seed !? The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in Fatima over a hundred years ago on 13 May 1917 , to three uneducated little village children. She greeted them and encouraged them to pray  and these days the 13 May in Portugal is the feast of the family, a big national feast ! This year as well more than a million people gathered to greet our Heavenly Mother on this beautiful day !!  The little mustard seed became a large , spreading tree , many people know the story of these three children all over the world ! We should also say upon the request of our Blessed Lady of Fatima after each decade of the rosary the prayer :”Oh my Jesus, pardon us, and save us from the fire of hell; draw all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need.”.

Lets plant with love our little mustard seeds , lets trust in the Lord , because He is the only one who can grant us the growth !!

With love ,

Father Csaba translated by dr k.e.

Picture : The cathedral in Fatima at the site of the apparitions .

He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’ He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’ Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet: ‘I will open my mouth to speak in parables'.

Matthew 13:31-35

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Saturday 21 July 2018

How many comfortable , nice holiday places are there, many people can afford to draw back and live , enjoy their lives in a peaceful, calm surrounding , enjoying life far from the “maddening world”! Many such people staying away from the world , living for their own harmless pleasure live today in the Carpathian basin! They do not harm anybody, they are kind, and thy live in their treasure trove of their experiences, knowledge , many of them may even think that the world has no need for them , in fact by keeping quiet they are doing a service for the world !

The Csiilagösvény around the Balaton is organised by a dear friend Barna Tamás and his dear wife Kata !. After many years of hard work they retired to Austria, but moved back to Siófok but consciously they stood by our children, and amidst many other good deeds they organise the summer concert tour of the Marosszéki Kodály Zoltán children’s choir from Szováta along the shores of the lake Balaton. It is the 6th year that they welcome 50-60 young people they organise everything on the 5-6 different locations from advertising, food and accomodation , the daily ice creams, to the bathing! They take care that at the different venues the children’s beautiful performances , their wonderful Székely outfits reaches as many people as possible! This missionary concert without their experiences gained in the western world , their enduring work we could not possibly achieve from Erdély and make it come true at this level.Gratitude and thanks to them for every minute they spent, for us and with us !

Jesus Christ could have also sat around in His perfect , peaceful heavenly holiday place , But He emptied Himself , became man and came among us !The world always needed and still needs today the wisdom, wise advices of mature adults guidance along their tried scale of values , showing the way and their organising skills ! This is why I address the people who reached the age of retirement : My dear Brethren ! You can afford to retire , you have the right to it as well , you would deserve it , but you were born that all the experiences that you posses , your goodness may bear fruit in this world and not that you dose off quietly, in a peaceful retirement….You have to get back on your feet and you have to go out onto the field, saying, doing the good that our creator God prompts us to do even if our efforts are not appreciated by everyone ! May the barren fig tree be the example in front of you ! Jesus does not ask , how old the tree is, how much fruit did it bear during the past years , but whether this year did you bear your own fruit?! Jesus Christ said it clearly : “ I want you to produce fruit , lasting fruit !”John 15, 16. We should look for and find that task , work that we can do after retirement for the benefit of the community !

With love,

Father Csaba

translated by dr k.e.

Photo : Barna Tamás listening to the performance of our daughter Kata.

The Pharisees went out and conspired against Jesus, how to destroy him. When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, and he ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smouldering wick until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."

Matthew 12:14-21

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel, Wednesday 18 July 2018

"you have revealed them to the childlike.”..Matthew 11, 25

The blessed Virgin Mother’s  wonderfully composed thanksgiving hymn about God’s love for the little ones."He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.” Luke 1,57

God’s love for the little ones is miraculous for me ! It is a joy for me to see , that how important  humbleness, humility , unpretentiousness is for God . The Church always looked at insignificance , littleness the queen of all virtues . The theologians, the saints of the Church   formulated often , in different ways that humility is the gate of the kingdom of heaven , because we can be smart , wise rich in every other virtues , in fact no matter how much good we do , if we are haughty, conceited , if arrogantly we look down on our brethren then as the blessed Virgin Mary sings in the Magnificat "he has brought down the mighty from their thrones”.

Humility does not mean that I  give up on myself , I draw back into idleness , but that knowing my own insignificance but trusting in God’s mercy, strength I get going ! How beautiful is Saint Peter’s speech when he performed a miracle with the lame: “Gold, silver I have none but in the name of Jesus Christ I tell you get up and walk.” Saint Peter clearly knows that he cannot perform a miracle , cannot solve big problems , but Jesus Christ is great, powerful enough that even through Him as well he can solve problems, difficulties ! Christ does not want us that in the knowledge of our smallness, insignificance we hide in a mouse- hole, but that following in His footsteps , carrying out the spiritual and physical good deeds of  mercy , with humility, humbly , wisely we build the Kingdom of God !

Lets dare to be small and dare to undertake big things in the name of Jesus Christ !

With love ,

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e.

Our children from Gálospetri reciting a poem in the church.

At that time Jesus exclaimed: 

“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for although you have hidden these things

from the wise and the learned

you have revealed them to the childlike.

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

No one knows the Son except the Father,

and no one knows the Father except the Son

and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Matthew 11, 25-27

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Wednesday 11 July 2018 the feast of Saint Benedict , the Abbot , Patron Saint of Europe .

" everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19, 29

Today nobody wants to give up anything , in fact we do not even understand the meaning of sacrifice ! Many are asking when is Pope Francis going to abolish the out of date celibacy ?

Big question : if we do not set out on the way of the enduring, sweaty, honest work , then as being the barren fig tree ,we can count on Jesus’ judgement , the divine curse meaning destruction, ruin ?I think that "yes ", because without sacrifice there is no life ! If in spring you do not sow the precious seeds into the ground then there will be no harvest in autumn, if with enduring hard studies you don’t make a sacrifice there will be no successful result, knowledge, diploma ! If you do not place on the altar of marriage your faithfulness that can cut you to the bone , then as a totally burnt up sacrifice you drift away from your family ! 

The priest does not step towards the altar with the blood of the rams or bulls, but his own bridled blood ! This is the infinite sacrifice that Christ places on the altar with great humility ! For a priest to give up, renounce from making a sacrifice is the same as if the ploughman saves on sowing the seeds in the spring, or the student instead of studying chooses to have a good time, or the married person to become unfaithful. ! We can say anything , but we Roman Catholic priests feel that the one who gives up celibacy , that person also gives up, renounces the priesthood ! Anybody can do anything in secret , but we cannot lie to ourselves !

With love ,

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e. 

Photo: The Franciscan monks of Damascus in the shadow of martyrdom

Then Peter said, "Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life."

Matthew 19:27-29

Father Csaba's reflection on the gospel Tuesday 10 July 2018

"'The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’ Matthew 9, 38

Not only in the days of Christ , but unfortunately even today there are not enough people for the harvest ! But today, not only by the altar , the pulpit are there few “labourers” but everywhere ! Day after day I am getting calls , that they are looking for young people, grown-ups for all sorts of work there is a demand but no takers ! Unless we can make our children, young people to like, undertake honest work, then slowly the Carpathian -basin will become depopulated !

For years now I am trying to draw attention , that our schools for incredible amounts of money are producing from year to year , half-baked , good- for-nothing school-leavers ! Father Pap László for over two decades declared in open forums that our schools are are like “ slave markets wrapped in tissue paper “ , where they are only getting generations ready , how they can buy themselves the tickets setting out for the western world , so that there they can sell to people “smarter” than themselves their physical, mental capabilities ! 

For the parents, the schools, the whole of society, but even for the Church their most important task is : to prepare our children that grown up , in their homeland to join forces and out of honest work to ensure for themselves , their families a proper standard of living ! The commandment of self-preservation , self-sufficiency is the first and most important commandment , it lays a heavy, unavoidable burden on us , that we have to prepare every child, young person for! Everything else is just secondary to this ! To sustain our common existence , life is our goal, if we cannot achieve this , then we have not achieved anything and our society built on welfare,consumption has failed it will collapse ! 

Perceiving the worries , the opportunities , paying attention to our conscience , God , using our physical ,mental capabilities , in the creative work , by becoming our Creator’s companions , with our honest work lets ensure a proper standard of living for ourselves and our families !

With love,

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e 

Picture: The cows are waiting for an industrious farmer.

After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, 'Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.' But the Pharisees said, 'By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons.' Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.'

Matthew 9:32-38

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel….Monday 9 July 2018

"lay your hand on her, and she will live..”Matthew 9, 18

The man from Capharnaum believed that Jesus was capable to resurrect his daughter ! He believed that there was a solution to the troubles, worries, he believed that the present task can also be solved !!I believe in the power of prayer and that the persevering work will bring its own fruit , that it is worthwhile to set our goals, because we can achieve them here in this world!?

Thank God we have many wonderful carers , but perhaps one of the most successful one out of them is the carer Krisztina , today I would like to praise her publicly also !! Years ago she took Ádi in from a fallen-apart Roma family from Szászváros ! Like every other boy he was also much more interested in soccer, friends then studying ! But Krisztina heard the lesson every day from the boy who was getting a  head taller than her ! There was the devil and hell to pay if she caught him idle instead of getting ready for his exams. “You did not go to school for 12 years -said the carer- that now getting near the end you give up and you don’t succeed in your exams !” During the last two months neither the carer nor Ádi went anywhere , only studying, every night sport , running , rest and in the morning it started all over again !! Poor Ádi was just blinking and studied . In the exams he got good marks for everything , but in maths he was just a few percent under a five !! There was great sadness !! Unfortunately in Déva this year nobody was successful in their matriculation, “ not even Ádi “ a few remarked , perhaps with a pinch of gloating ! Krisztina did not say anything , because she believed in their work  but went to contest the result, and asked them to remark  the written exam !! They went to pray every day , waited and based on the decision of an independent commission the pass mark was granted !! Great ! 

I would also like to praise Ádi publicly for trustingly taking his carer’s hand  and staying away from his contemporaries’ having fun, he settled down to study , fight , believing that together with his carer he is capable to break free from the slums, poverty, and being the first one from his big family with honesty, successfully pass his life’s first important exam !! I thank the carer Krisztina for not looking at the colour of the skin , background of the children entrusted to her , she took Ádi in into her small 3 room apartment with nine other boys !! I thank her that for not sparing herself often holding the hand , at times the ear of the child in her care lead him to the gate of life written in capital letters !! It was a work well done you both deserve the  well-earned vacation !!

With love,

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e.

Picture of Krisztina with the two “big boys” in final year. Ádi is on the right hand side !

While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’ And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute-players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.

Matthew 9:18–26

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel …14th Sunday of Ordinary Time   8 July 2018

Faith is needed for accepting children , for raising young people ! 

Jesus was surprised by their unbelief . He could not perform any miracles there…Do I believe in myself, my dear family , my work , my only homeland?? How do I look at my loved ones , my everyday tasks , my own life ? With faith , trust,, love , or apathetic, disillusioned indifference ? If I cannot believe in myself , that I am also capable and it’s worth to carry out my task nicely, well , whether then can Jesus perform a miracle in my life ?? If I don’t believe in the children entrusted in my care , if I don’t believe that they are capable to advance, study , matriculate , achieve results , then whether is Christ capable to perform a miracle in their lives ?? If I don’t believe that it’s worthwhile staying in my homeland , working honestly , to persevere , and if I fall a thousand times to get back on my feet , whether will there be miracles in me and around me ?? 

I humbly get on my knees before You my Lord and I profess my unbelief ! I ask You humbly , that grant me to see  myself through Your eyes , my beloved family, my fellow human beings , as You saw us so beautiful, good that You accepted for us on Good Friday the sacrifice on the cross !! Grant me that I take on the work entrusted to me with faith, and there where I was given to live to help, to be a diligent , cheerful , lesser brother of all !

Father Csaba

translated by dr k.e.

Photo : Faith is needed to sow such a large field with wheat !

Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honour, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.

Mark 6:1-6

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel..Friday 6 July 2018

God and man sit at the one table !! The Infinite  and the speck of dust  looking into each other’s eye merrily sharing a glass of wine ! This is so nice it’s hard to believe !! God does not peep at us from far away clouds, but wants to be part of our everyday lives !! After His resurrection He asks for baked fish and eats together with His stunned disciples !! Informality, simplicity, reachability availability  many beautiful graces are the beautiful traits of our friendly God !! I should try to put into practice these beautiful features of Christ, leisurely sit down at the one table with the people living around me !! My brethren, we will be together in eternal life as well , God is not going to prepare a seperate table in the kingdom of heaven for everyone !!

With love,

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e. 

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

Matthew 9:9-13