Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel…..
Friday 28 April 2017
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
John 6, 15
Nowadays everybody wants to be king !! Our Lord Jesus Christ not only teaches us, that whoever wants to be the greatest among us to be the servant of all , but He himself bends down and lovingly, mercifully washes His disciples’ feet!!
The real greatness is not in ruling over others , but on that simple road that Jesus walked , that He also points out to us with His serving love !! If we accept Jesus’ invitation , and volunteer to be the saving fishers of souls, the missionaries of our times , then for this we do not need a throne , crown but mercy and goodness, gentle ingenious love , a great heart that accommodates everybody !
With love,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
You can find out more about Karcsi who appears on the photo on his own Facebook page: karcsi.alkot
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
"Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little."
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?"
Jesus said, "Have the people recline."
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted."
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
"This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
John 6, 1-15
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel….
Thursday 27 April 2017
"The one who comes from heaven is above all.” John 3, 32
Many wonderful people live in this world , many-many wise, clever, valuable tasks were formulated , created by them and for this they deserve respect! Our Lord Jesus Christ is not one of them, because He is God incarnate , the real, living God who enthroned in the holy Eucharist is still present among us ! Our Creator revealed His magnificent face in Jesus Christ , making it visible to all people ! Jesus’ personality, His life , teaching is the kind-hearted introduction of God the Son of the Holy Trinity! We can be grateful, for everything that we know about God, to our Lord Jesus Christ , we would not be Christians , good brethren to each other if Jesus would not have come among us !
God’s belief is His incarnation , as His coming among us is a proof of His trust in us -man is good- as He dares to entrust His dream to Mary and Saint Joseph! And we could go on enumerating the great treasures of the revelation : God dares, can be a child , in fact He also encourages us to dare to be cheerful, to be children ! Without the testimony of Jesus Christ we would not know anything about the mystery of the Holy Trinity , God is three consubstantial persons ! That God who can, who wants to with us ordinary human beings , as a kind-hearted , merciful person to start a dialogue , continue it, give wise answers to our questions , in a few words by the example of His life show us the way could have only been attained after the incarnation of the second person of the Holy Trinity !
This is why I am saying with the apostle that every knee should bend on this earth in front of our Saviour and proclaim that He is the Lord, He is the true God, our Redeemer , our Master , Jesus Christ !
On my knees,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God[a]gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
John 3, 31-36
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel
Wednesday 26 April 2017
I bow my head in front of Zoltán and Károly !!!! With their lives , their activity they proved again -and by watching this film it will prove not only for me- that God does not create inferior goods! Even in a wounded, damaged body our Creator’s wonderful child is shining , the immortal man, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross !Yes God loves every single person so much that He gave His only Son for us !!He did not only die for the sound, healthy , rich but for all of us on the cross ! The reason for our earthly life is for us to submerge , bathe in God’s infinite love and try to reciprocate God's infinite goodness, , mercy with which our Creator called us into existence , keeps us in existence with songs, dance, our writings , our work , our whole lives !
I recommend with love and respect for your consideration this short report made with two artists of the Never Give Up ensemble !
With love,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’*
John 3, 16-21
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel….
Tuesday 26 April 2017
Our Lord Jesus Christ regards people beautiful, good , even Nicodemus and this creative, kind-hearted look is capable to transform not only Nicodemus , but all of us even our mischievous children as well !
Not long ago I visited our house in Petrozsény and I could see that our children transformed a lot , became more beautiful. I am truely grateful to my colleagues in Petrozsény especially to Andrea , who is in charge of the home, that they love our children and this way slowly they also can experience , that how good it is to be good , live in love and harmony like angels! This trust that Jesus endows us with is very important that we parents, pedagogues have to pass onto our children! If our children get a solid foundation , then even as adults , should they wonder off this Christian path , the memories of these happy years , like a strong spring will pull them back on the path of brotherly love !
Would you like to live amongst angels ? Know, dare to see your children , family as angels and then I believe that nice and slowly we not only will become better , but we’ll become blessed angels for each other !
With love ,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Picture: The angels of Petrozsény.
Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."
Nicode'mus said to him, "How can this be?"
Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?
Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony.
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
John 3, 7-15
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel…
Monday 24 April 2017
Our Lord Jesus Christ is calling not only the young and healthy to build His Kingdom but the elderly , the infirm,the simple folk as well. This week we are on a long trip with the Never Give Up gospel choir visiting our child protection homes . The last couple of days they performed in Déva and Petrozsény with incredible might. A blind girl of a Roma background the way she stood there , as she is lead to the stage by the hand , receiving the microphone into her trembling hand and starts singing in a sonorous voice , to praise the Lord , to proclaim His greatness makes you think hard. But even the other performers, whose disabilities are clearly visible ,sing about how good it is to live because life is beautiful , a gift from God , an unbelievably strong testimony . I found it awesome as a young man, trembling, gets up from his wheelchair then with stumbling steps gets going , even though not one of his limbs are are sound , yet to the singing of his disabled companion, smiling dances in front of the altar . At the end of the performance of the Never Give Up ensemble the love for our Creator soars with an elementary force from our hearts . This is why I encourage you don’t consider your age or how deeply, painfully life wounded you, do not look for what you have not got but dare to proclaim , glorify your Lord God who loves you .
Proclaiming the greatness of God,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
John 3, 1-8
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel….
Saturday 22 April 2017
Did you show up to someone today with attentive, caring love ?? In this instance do not think of the people drifting by you in the city or shops, however search for such faces in your memory , whom today , whether even with a pierced heart you looked up, greeted , and talked to them about important, relevant issues in their lives !?
That day, when following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ you did not call on your brethren is lost for ever , is a worthless burden that will pull you down at the last judgement! That day when you did not pay attention to the child who represents the tomorrow , is lost for ever ! If you only have time to pay attention just to yourself , and you won’t have the time or strength to embrace a child , to speak to your sister or brother with attentive love , then you yourself are lost regardless of how wealthy , famous , successful you are !!
I encourage you lovingly , get out even from your grave, if need be, following the example of Christ and humbly do a good deed for your brethren , do not let selfishness be your pitfall and be the cause your downfall !
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Photo: Lajcsi in Székelyhíd has turned 6 years old!!
Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.*15And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news* to the whole creation.
Mark 16, 9-15
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel
Friday 21 April 2017
For me it is so great that in our Lord Jesus Christ such a God revealed His face , with whom we can have a dialogue , One who for His faint-hearted, helpless apostles , after Holy Thursday, Good Friday , on the shore of the sea of Galilee bakes fish on the blazing, crackling fire for breakfast . Who not only loves us but despite all our weaknesses , fallibility expects us to love Him . The God of the Christian churches is not a super power standing over the world , a blind law or a merciless force but a wise , merciful, forgiving , kind-hearted God, capable of love and also expecting love .A Christian does not have to loose his personality , his individuality does not have to dissolve in some big world-awarness but on the contrary , he’s got to worship with a burning love his living God calling him by his name . For a Christian because of this, life after death is not a pink fog , but a personal meeting with the Lord of Life, his loved ones , in the company of the saints . In the light of Easter may the desire rise in our hearts and lets do everything in our power. that we may meet , with our Lord Jesus Christ, who was prepared to cook fish on the charcoal fire for His slightly undeserving apostles . It is quite certain that He is not going to question us either as to where we have been and what did we do till now , but with open arms the same what He asked from Peter as well : do you love me ?
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Later on, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, 'I'm going fishing.' They replied, 'We'll come with you.' They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night. When it was already light, there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, 'Haven't you caught anything, friends?' And when they answered, 'No,' he said, 'Throw the net out to starboard and you'll find something.' So they threw the net out and could not haul it in because of the quantity of fish.
The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord.' At these words, 'It is the Lord,' Simon Peter tied his outer garment round him (for he had nothing on) and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net with the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.
As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, 'Bring some of the fish you have just caught.' Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, 'Who are you?'. They knew quite well it was the Lord.
Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.
John 21, 1-14
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel….
Tuesday 18 April 2017
“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
How much naivety , simplicity and at the same time so much love, devotion is in this woman’s only sentence ! Early in the morning she is there at the grave and weeping looking for her Master ! She is rattling, knocking searching , not even giving a thought how much sense her words make , she simply just wants to see, find Christ !! For her it’s unimportant that on Holy Thursday He was betrayed , on Good Friday Christ was humiliated, broken, killed , she loves the “Rabbouni" and is attached to Him, even like this she would like to find Him, embrace Him !!
How great it would be if we also would love , search for our Lord Jesus Christ with this blazing love !! How great it would be if in my thoughts, words, deeds this great love of God would lead me !! Jesus from His flame gives every candle just the same amount of light , but the candle that has a larger wick is capable of accepting , carrying more flame , it glows more , it radiates more light into the world !! God loves all of us the same , but He certainly can, wants to give more to the ones who have in their hearts more longing , devotion towards Him. Let us open our hearts wider , nourish within ourselves with prayerful love an unquenchable love towards God and then it is certain , that our relationship with our Master will deepen, will be fulfilled and magnificent !!
May God’s love like the big rivers’ rising current fill our entire lives!
With love,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20, 11-18
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel..
Holy Thursday, 13 April 2017
Jesus established the holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday !! I ask you lovingly to listen the performance of one of the greatest artist of our times , Eperjes Károly a poem by Babits Mihály’s amazing profession of faith!! In this poem the most beautiful gift of our existence , God’s offering of Himself to us, the mystery of the blessed Eucharist is greeted humbly with great , concise artistic force !!
On bended knees,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him,
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God,
4 rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel.
5 Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.
6 He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?"
7 Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand."
8 Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me."
9 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"
10 Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not every one of you."
11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "You are not all clean."
12 When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?
13 You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.
John 13, 1-15
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel,,
12 April 2017 Wednesday of Holy Week
" alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Matthew 26
Unfortunately not only 2000 years ago were there traitors , Judases , but even today there are those alive ,who for money are causing misery to others!In the Ukraine and in other countries unfortunate young people were persuaded, conned with money, treachery that they topple their own lawfully elected governments and by serving foreign interests they really push their own people into chaos.
Lets play with the idea ….how different would have everything been if on Palm Sunday the community of the pharisees , the chief council would have been there beside the choir of children shouting hosanna , how different would the world have been, if on Good Friday the contemporaries of Jesus would not have chosen the murderer Barabbas but the Lord of life , Christ!? Most probably our Lord Jesus christ would have sent His disciples in pairs, triumphantly to spread the commandment of love throughout the whole world and this way how much sorrow and suffering could have been spared….But this is not how it has happened ….unfortunately , two thousand years ago mean, selfish people , they even found traitors among the apostles , who naively, foolishly , for illusory money they betrayed their Redeemer!!In the stillness of Wednesday of Holy Week I ask You my Lord with prayerful love, to help us break the reign of sin , give us strength that today’s man decides to be by Your side , by peaceful, hardworking love and such a tomorrow where people are not lead by greedy desire for power but by love of justice and fair play !
With hope , that can never die ,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, 'What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?' They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from then onwards he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, 'Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?' He said, 'Go to a certain man in the city and say to him, "The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples." ' The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover.
When evening came he was at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating he said, 'In truth I tell you, one of you is about to betray me.' They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, 'Not me, Lord, surely?' He answered, 'Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me will betray me. The Son of man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!' Judas, who was to betray him, asked in his turn, 'Not me, Rabbi, surely?' Jesus answered, 'It is you who say it.’
Matthew 26, 14-25
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel
Tuesday of Holy Week 11 April 2017 The Day of the Hungarian poetry.
The poem by József Attila- the Ode is similar to the declaration of love in the Song of Songs or to the poetry of the great mystiques of the middle ages searching for God ! A person with a heart of gold tries in vain to silence his soul thirsting for infinity with earthly love , with earthly goals. He remains unsettled , and this is how it should be , because as even Saint Augustine said it "people are restless until they rest in God in you my God !”How could our needs towards infinity be satisfied by a similar stumbling, finite person? Even if I love her with pure love, she can only be my companion in the wandering, roaming , discovering of the world, that like two butterflies , hand in hand we fall giddily into the all consuming fire of passion , into the embracing arms of the infinite God ! The tragedy of today’s man : by the denial of his true faith , is looking for nice, attractive idols and when those cannot return their blazing adoration , thirsting for the infinity, then disillusioned they discard them, break them ! That is why there are so many quarrels, divorces , that is why people keep changing their countries, trades, professions, friends everything, because they are driven by the unquenchable hunger, they are searching, exploring , they travel this world's horizon , but they do not raise their heads up even though above with outstretched arms the living God is glowing ! The man of the XXI.century will either be a mystique , or will take one’s own life in murderous wars! It is so simple : We only have one principal calling according to our Lord Jesus Christ’s chief commandments : "30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[a] 31 ...‘Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Mark 12,30-31)
With love,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Having said this, Jesus was deeply disturbed and declared, 'In all truth I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.' The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he meant. The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and said, 'Ask who it is he means,' so leaning back close to Jesus' chest he said, 'Who is it, Lord?' Jesus answered, 'It is the one to whom I give the piece of bread that I dip in the dish.' And when he had dipped the piece of bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, 'What you are going to do, do quickly.'
None of the others at table understood why he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, 'Buy what we need for the festival,' or telling him to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. It was night. When he had gone, Jesus said: Now has the Son of man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified. If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon. Little children, I shall be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come.
Simon Peter said, 'Lord, where are you going?' Jesus replied, 'Now you cannot follow me where I am going, but later you shall follow me.' Peter said to him, 'Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.' 'Lay down your life for me?' answered Jesus. 'In all truth I tell you, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’
John 13, 21-33.36-38
