Daily gospel

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel

Thursday 23 March 2017

Often I am amazed , how bravely or rather how boldly  carelessly we live our lives ?! We act as though neither our body , nor our spirit would not be exposed to any danger , even though the holy scripture warns us :8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” Peter 5, 8-9

Unfortunately visiting the hospitals , prisons , slums I can see how easily man can get on the slippery side , easily endangering their body and soul ! By getting to know the parents , relatives of the needy  children i , unfortunately I saw many, many suffering , sorrow , human tragedy!! Based on the teaching of our Mother the Church I believe and profess that the evil Satan exists , knowingly wanting to cause us harm and unfortunately if we don’t look out for ourselves and others then it can cause us harm, immeasurable pain , destroying us for ever !!

I say it with the apostle :”Therefore, my dear friends, ...--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” Philippians 2,12

With love,

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e.

He was driving out a devil and it was dumb; and it happened that when the devil had gone out the dumb man spoke, and the people were amazed. But some of them said, 'It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he drives devils out.'

Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, 'Any kingdom which is divided against itself is heading for ruin, and house collapses against house. So, too, with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? - since you claim that it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I drive devils out, through whom do your own sons drive them out? They shall be your judges, then. But if it is through the finger of God that I drive devils out, then the kingdom of God has indeed caught you unawares. So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own home, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than himself attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil.

'Anyone who is not with me is against me; and anyone who does not gather in with me throws away.

Luke 11, 14-23

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel,

20 March 2017 Monday- The feast of Saint of Saint Joseph the betrothed of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

So many valuable ,glittering treasures are spinning, swirling around us , trying to catch our eyes , advertised in a noisy cacophony , I wonder which one should I grab !  

Saint Joseph had to make decisions as well several times and he always decided in favour of the life conceived ,the Child that was born , by Jesus Christ , because his family, the protection , service of his adopted child is  more important than anything else for him!! When they flee to Egypt , he is capable of leaving everything behind : home, friends, “work” , because the Child, the Life are in danger they set out , because for Saint Joseph the most important treasure is his beloved family !!!!

May Saint Joseph be our role model , lets dare with a silent stubbornness to decide in favour of life , the acceptance of a child , should be in all our decisions , our family with immortal souls , also heading towards eternal life with us be the first !!

Serving life,

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e.

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. 

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit.

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Mt 1,16.18-21.24a

3rd Sunday of Lent  19 March 2017

‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me ..”John 4,40

The most important thing in this life is my personal relation with God !! This connection is more important than the food we eat , as like a car driver is directed by the GPS on the road, so would our Creator like to guide us in our everyday life ! Through our conscience God signals to us to do good , keeps us  from doing the wrong things , encourages and chides , shows us the way , the direction ,the ability to see things clearly and gives endurance to our children ! Why does He love us ? I have no idea but based on my studies, experiences I can state with certainty that He loves us unconditionally ! God loves it , if by the arms of our faith we cling onto Him , we trust Him , we look for Him again and again through praying , if like a fretful child we knock , looking for His company!! This personal meeting, relationship is my most valuable asset in my life , and when my hour of death comes this faith is what I would like to leave behind as the most precious inheritance for my loved ones !!

With love,

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e.

Picture: Crosses at the Hargita.

So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’

Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come back.’ The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, “I have no husband”; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am he,the one who is speaking to you.’

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ They left the city and were on their way to him.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. And many more believed because of his word.They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.’

John 4, 5-42

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel..

Saturday 18 March 2017

The prodigal son !! This is a very nice story but it also makes me wonder why are there so many prodigal sons in the world !! No matter where I look , wrecked lives, careers , families , communities starting off well and then broken, fallen to bits we take photos , we are wiring , we are improvising, throwing things together if need be from splinters!!

I go to prisons , visit hospitals , through our orphanages I know very deeply the fabric of our society and it is frightening that immeasurable pain, hurt that people can cause themselves and each other !!God is merciful and teaches us to forgive  one another seventy times by seven times , this is true often many of us do it , but despite this our children , families are suffering for no reason at all…In the Romanian prisons daily 17-18 inmates are taking their own lives , but even in Hungary the number is close to the inhabitants of a village who commit suicide yearly !! In Upper- Hungary they buried a 54 years old Catholic priest, this week, who hanged himself!!

Today we pray together that we may not have a need for generous  fathers, mothers , children forgiving sins ! We beseech God humbly to keep us on the way of love, honesty , nobody should disregard willing or unwilling  not even one of the  life-giving commandments leading to happiness !! Lets decide that we will not be prodigal sons of our heavenly Father whether in small or big things ! Lets not become the playthings of the evil spirit , lets take a pledge ,down on our knees that we are not going cause sadness, pain, suffering ever to anybody !!

With trust,

Father Csaba

translated by dr k.e.

The tax collectors and sinners, however, were all crowding round to listen to him, and the Pharisees and scribes complained saying, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.' So he told them this parable:

'There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, "Father, let me have the share of the estate that will come to me." So the father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.

'When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch; so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled himself with the husks the pigs were eating but no one would let him have them. Then he came to his senses and said, "How many of my father's hired men have all the food they want and more, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired men." So he left the place and went back to his father.

'While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him. Then his son said, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son." But the father said to his servants, "Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we will celebrate by having a feast, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found." And they began to celebrate.

'Now the elder son was out in the fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and dancing. Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about. The servant told him, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed the calf we had been fattening because he has got him back safe and sound." He was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out and began to urge him to come in; but he retorted to his father, "All these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed any orders of yours, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends. But, for this son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property -- he and his loose women -- you kill the calf we had been fattening."

'The father said, "My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours. But it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.” 

Lk 15,1-3.11-32 

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel..

Thursday 16 March 2017

Greed !!! Why are we collecting things that we really have no need for !?

Many people entrusted me with their assets, at times like this one is left standing in the midst of a large pile of various objects , looking for the masterpiece , of lasting value , the creation that was the result of so much coming and going , dealing and buying!!! After our death I think something similar happens to us ! All veils fall off our eyes and we take a long hard look with our eyes wide open at our entire earthly existence , good and bad equally !!! Where did we succeed from all that God gave us to create something of lasting value , something nice , something valuable for others too and not just some worthless junk?! Then you will clearly see the stone thrown away by you, was meant by your Creator to become a cornerstone in that cathedral , in which parts of the odds and ends ,of no real value gathered by you, are becoming rancid under the mounds !!!!

Poor Lazarus is not going to condemn you, neither is your God going pass a judgement on you, you will judge yourself! Yes, the judgement is in your hand , you there and then will clearly see the huge opportunity, the lives that you could have said yes to , the children , the grandchildren , your little house meant for them , in which you yourself through them could have rolled  away ,like a big river but from which only moths eaten mounds of clothing, wrecks eaten by rust , mounds of worthless thrash became ! It is no longer a question here , why you could not , why you did not dare, why you would not decide by life , or else decide ,  by the  serving, selfless everyday  , the match has been called off ,  the opportunities have ended , you are left there standing ashamed among all the worthless junk in a heap , gathered by your greedy desires !! Using your God given talents you could have been an artist , a scientist , an entrepreneur  giving honest work, employing lots of people , a farmer , magnanimously working for the benefit of your brethren a human-cathedral being a blessing for them , but you were lead by your greedy desires you became like a malignant tumour, that only feeds itself, strangling everything around it that lived and served life !

You can still decide today, you have the key to your house , dare to be good-hearted , dare to exchange the financial  possessions entrusted to you for life, real enduring , lasting values that are not eaten by moth or corroded by rust ! Believe it your money locked up in your money box, will be lost, will be devalued , cheerful laughter of children are much , much nicer , last much longer , more pleasing to God ! Money, treasures will not buy your eternal salvation  believe it that only through a diligent, honest life, the bursting joy in your surrounding and gratitude can only open the way towards you God’s open arms !

With love,

Father Csaba

translated by dr k.e.

Picture: my treasures , the children after a successful performance in Torockó.

19 ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.* The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.* 24He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” 25But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” 27He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” 29Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” 30He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” 31He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” 

Luke 16, 19-31

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel..

Wednesday 15 March 2017

Jesus’ patience is awesome !! He speaks very clearly of the secret of the redemption , the commandment of love above all else and even His closest companions fail to understand His words, foolishly they are scrounging for power from Him!! The serving love , does not move people forcefully coming from the outside, but prompts one from the inside to do good ,is marvelous and it is extremely difficult to understand its secret,its beauty,its infinite power !! God does not want us to follow Him out of fear, downhearted resignation but guided by love to do good, to trust in the beautiful world He created !! He wants to awaken a desire in us for a pure, noble ,free life without the concert of the whistlers !! The one who loves is capable to die even for his own executioners because no-one has greater love than the one who gives his life for his brethren !!!!!

All day today we remembered with prayerful respect those, who gave their lives for our freedom !!

Father Csaba

translated by dr k.e.

17 While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, 18‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; 19then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.’

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. 21And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ 22But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’* They said to him, ‘We are able.’ 23He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’

24 When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.26It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; 28just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’

Matthew 20, 17-28

Father Csaba’s reflections on the gospel..

Monday 13 March 2017

I met a strikingly beautiful young woman the other day , she is a university student , she is good at sport , it was good to hear the way she was speaking with enthusiasm, animated about her plans ! I listened happily and in myself I remembered that sad day, when 20 years ago  this girl was born and her mother died whilst giving birth ! There and then everything seemed so hopeless , sad and behold God’s mercy creates a  life-giving, beautiful spring in the merciless desert !

I admire the explosion of life year after year, the blessed spring bringing the teeming of life as self-assured, impudent it comes through towards the light through last year’s decaying carpet of leaves unstoppable! This same inconceivable , God given holy life ,like an invisible stream that babbles in you as well, since you were also born in the image and likeness of your Creator ! Trust in your Lord, let always and all the  renewing ,life-giving mercy to fill you!

My dear brother I am praying today that in all your thoughts and through all your deeds may this great, beautiful godlike feature surface , the holy Mercy !

With love.

Father Csaba

translated by dr k.e.

photo: You  looking out smiling , confidently into the world even if from the window of a child protection home .

In the Sermon on the mount Jesus speaks to His disciples….

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;

give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

Luke 6, 36-38

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel,

Saturday, 11 March 2017

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5,48

Christ’s standard is incredible !! Our Master encourages us with formidable courage !! He does not out it past us that we are capable to get back on our feet , get going , lead a good life and be as perfect as our Heavenly Father !! Jesus knows what dwells in man’s heart yet He still believes that the old Nicodemus is capable of being reborn, the greedy, , corrupt Zaccheus to repent, the woman caught in adultery to live a virtuous, faithful life !!

My Lord I ask for your faith, grant us that , we born in Your image and likeness , to travel this world with Your living faith , and to trust ourselves as You trust in Your children created by Your hand !!

With prayerful love,

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e.

 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters,* what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5, 43-48

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel….

Thursday 9 March 2017

Here is a beautiful film !!I am praying for wisdom that our scientists by discovering the secrets of the universe they can lead us closer to one another and our real goals! Hatred is a knowledge obtained by false, harmful studies that making the most of our bad habits is thrusting, repelling its victim into destruction, ruin !! If teaching , educating in our society would be done wisely , smartly then not only would our fears, the walls separating us collapse but they would not even be built !

The way I can see it that the truths found and acquired would make all of us better , purer, liberated ! I ask you lovingly that we value, appreciate the real, God-given teachers , wise people and we also ask form God the gift of wisdom, to strive through  the mastering of truths from reputable sources to wisdom!

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With love ,

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e.

In the sermon on the mount Jesus spoke thus  to His disciple:

7 ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

12 ‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

Matthew 7, 7-12

Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel..

Tuesday 7 March 2017

‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do;”

Stand up, do not finish the sentence that you are just reading , set off to pray ! You have nothing more important to do since your Creator is waiting for you, I am off as well …..

Father Csaba

translated by dr k.e.

‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

‘Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name. 

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread.* 

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors. 

And do not bring us to the time of trial,*

but rescue us from the evil one.* 

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 6, 7-15