Father Csaba reflection on the gospel Friday 28 December 2018 The Feast of the Holy Innocents , Martyrs.
This day I think of the priests in Herod’s court !! These people know that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem ! Upon their information do the wise men of the Orient find the infant Jesus !! They do not set out , so as to help the Holy Family , they do not warn Joseph of the impending danger , but they don’t even try to dissuade their master of his bloody plan. These people are indifferent ! It is possible that they are honest , that they work a lot ! They say the Child is not our business and carry out their work passively !
You also if you pass by passively either by by a conceived child, or one already born , who is in trouble , who even silently asks for your help, you also walk on the way of Herod’s priests from his court ! They did not harm the infants but let others do it ….The Holy Gospel does not state that God would’ve condemned them , but it is certain that in Köln they built a large cathedral honouring the wise men , but the memory of Herod’s court priest is lost for ever in the obscurity of the past !! They had a huge opportunity , they could have gone out of their own will , or with the wise men to the cave in Bethlehem , with gifts, good words to look for the Child , but they did not do it !! They maybe that they are in the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is certain that the ball was in their court and they did not live with the opportunity , they left out the sweet embrace of the smiling infant , a miracle was left out of their lives that could have lit up their entire lives !
The clothing, the house , but even a degree won’t embrace you !! Often we do not have to decide between sin or guiltlessness ! It is not enough to avoid sin , but deliberately, consciously we should dare to put out our hand towards life , towards the child ! Lets dare to accept life , to accept the gift of a child and if we cannot do this anymore , lets protect , defend the conceived life there wherewe live ! Let’s do everything that there may not be abortions in our surrounding, that they may not be anymore deserted children, may there not be a single infant with teary eyes getting into bed hungry!!
Save us our Lord from the indifference Herod’s court priests!
Serving life,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Photo : My dear colleague Marika , accepted into her heart Boróka as a small child ! The years have passed and today this grown up girl can get ready healthily, confidently for her matriculation because at that time made her decision by choosing by life .
The Holy Gospel
Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son." When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
Matthew 2:13-18
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Thursday 27 December 2018 The feast of Saint John Apostle and Evangelist
The world of the animals is honest, hard , implacable ! It is only in our minds that the birds , nature are sweet, cute, but in reality they have to stand up hard for their rights , they fight for every single bite, just to stay alive!! There on the shore of the lake all day long, continuously , every moment is a fight for survival: you capture or you’ll fall prey to others !
I would take all students to Máté Bence’s hide ! Are the animals are unaware , that somebody is observing them , they live their everyday lives ! They fish and not only from the lake , but even remove from each other’s beak , the fish struggling for its existence , not out of mercy, but just to consume them !
The apostle Saint John is invited by Jesus to His place the very first day of His public activity ! And he, on the day of their meeting walks over 50 kms with Saint Andrew, so that he can get to know Jesus better ! He put aside everything with incredible resolution, follows His Master throughout his entire life , he is determined ! He writes a wonderful gospel , several great letters , but also the Book of Revelations id attributed to him , that right uptown these days the experts are studying ! He takes Jesus’ mother Mary into his home, he is always there in everything, life is blazing in him and around him , like the eagle he is cleaving the sky !! Even in today’s gospel passage we read that John runs, leaving everybody behind , he searches, enquires , he is determined , he is the first of the apostles at Jesus’ empty tomb!! A wonderful man !!
At the end of 2018 lets think about our achievements of the past year , lets take count the fruit that I yielded! As a student lets take a count of my marks , the results I achieved , as an adult lets look into myself , can I stand by my family , my children can I support them by my honest work.?
I should give thanks for my achievements , but should give myself a dressing down for my shortcomings , because it is better if we accuse ourselves than if the evil spirit would accuse me laughingly at the last judgement ! God does not condemn anybody , we should not condemn either ! There is no anger in me rather I feel sorry for the student, who had the door of knowledge wide open in front of him free of charge, he could go, he could progress , he could run , but he rather sits down , and speaks disparagingly of studying, his teachers, his companions , the whole world , condemns everybody and waits that somehow they may let him pass from one year to another out of pity !! It hurts to see an adult , who could move mountains in the name of his Creator God, , but he is just going round in circles , timidly or sluggishly, lazily draws back and at the most writing submissions , stretches his hands out for alms ! How sad it would be if the Christ’s words saved by the apostle Saint John would also refer to us 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Book of Revelations 3, 15-16
I encourage you lovingly lets learn from the grey heron and we also would bravely stand up for our loved ones and secure for them with honest work the everyday living !
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
The Word of God
So Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.
John 20:2-8
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel ….." But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 24,13
Wednesday 26 December 2018 Saint Stephen the First Martyr.
The Church does not want to mislead us , does not want us to become indifferent, lazy in the warm and fuzzy festive mood !! Well, well the lights have not even burnt out on the Christmas tree , and already the candle lit as a memorial for the martyr Saint Stephen on the altar ! Yesterday the priest celebrated mass in white and gold vestment , reflecting on Christ's birth, in peace , giving one another presents, today he goes in blood-red vestment to the altar and speaks that the evil one is not asleep , but as it is written in the Holy Gospel : “ Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5,8
This world is not the Kingdom of Heaven , the goal is far away , we are God’s roaming people , and carefully, persevering we are on a pilgrimage on that narrow and steep road , that Christ showed us !! We have to struggle for our existence , we can also gain our eternal life walking on the way of love , accepting and carrying burdens !! For a Christian the earthly existence , is not a peaceful idleness , but a hard endeavour , the time of the conscious building of the Kingdom of God .It would be worthwhile to carve in stone the words of the great bishop Márton Áron and hang it on the walls of our homes !
“ ….Chritianity is the eternal dissatisfaction with what is and the way it is . Worry , to make the world better, a heroic effort , that with an all-embracing effort from this world to seize , comprehend heaven, with the strength of an expanded spirit to pull the materialistic world closer to heaven….” (Márton Áron)
With love,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Photo : The pine-tree , lives, grows in frozen ground , snow , with its presence praising its Creator .
The Word of God
Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Matthew 10:17-22
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Monday 24 December 2018 Christmas Eve
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them. “ Luke 1,67
Getting ready for the night of Christmas letting go of God ’s gifts , lets turn our faces towards the Giver !! We asked for strength , healing , happiness for our loved ones , lets ask now for the joy of meeting with the One , who gives us healing, the Healer , the source of Joy, Jesus Christ ! No matter how beautiful, wonderful the creatures are , our heart is yearning for the Creator with unquenchable desire !!
On the night of Christmas heaven and earth touched, God and man sat at the one table , this meeting is the salvation , because we are all yearning for this meeting ! The Infinity is within our reach also ! Our hopeful supplications , prayers do not arise from a foolish desire , an unfounded utopia , but from the everlasting beautiful promise of our Lord :"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Book of Revelation 3,20
Praying fervently lets ask ,that this Christmas the gift , maybe the One , the Giver of the gifts !
With love,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Photo : My beloved grown up girl , Erika under the Christmas tree !
Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a mighty saviour for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days . And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Luke 1:67-79
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel 23 December 2018 -Fourth Sunday of Advent
"For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” Luke 1,45
The man knowingly accepting God’s presence and carrying that with humility , just like Mary, carries light, joy to his fellow human beings , every where he goes! Wherever he steps in there blessing, pure joy will spring in the hearts, the homes ! The most beautiful gift of Christmas is, if we are also filled by God’s life-giving ,precious presence ! Following the example of Mary on our journey , we ourselves will take joy by singing with happy jubilation the Magnificat, blazing light to the houses of our brethren !! Lets ask from our Redeemer for ourselves and each other as a Christmas present , Jesus’ life-giving embrace, so that blessed , our lives will become a blessing for our loved ones , the ones living around us !!Many gifts are tempting , but lets not be satisfied with anything less than God, lets not put our hands out for the gifts , but humbly , but resolutely towards the Giver !
With love,
Father Csaba .
translated by dr k.e.
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
Luke 1:39-45
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Saturday 22 December 2018
"my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” Luke 1, 46
How frequent visitor is cheerfulness, joy, rejoicing in my life ? Does it enter at times like this , Christmas, into my heart ?
Christ’s birth , the Gospel , the Good News should also prompt us to joyful rejoicing just like Elizabeth ! Lets think about it , the closed shell of this earthly existence , with all its problems, difficulties , with all its transience not a hope , however the arrival of our Redeemer breaks through and opens a window, a huge door to infinity !! This is a greater news than if the scientists would have announced that they found a solution to the questions of intergalactic travel !!
Yes , certainly it is great travelling in space , visiting habitable planets , but this is only a rummaging , movement in this world’s dimensions . Christ opened the way towards the supernatural world by His birth, His Ascension into heaven in His physical body !! This is such a fulfilled hope, that surpasses even our most beautiful dreams , that fills our lives with happiness, light, rejoicing , if we think about it with open eyes , humbly !!
You are immortal , the companion of our Creator God already here in this world , you can build with goodness, mercy the kingdom of love not only for your God, but for yourself as well !! What a wonderful reward is this that is joy in itself , good to do it day after day ? How could not this revelation fill our hearts with joy ?We have nothing else to do than to live in love , harmony in this world , and together with Christ rejoicing be born-again with love into eternity !
Our God opened this wonderful way before us , by coming among us , that with His being and redeeming death to open wide the door of the Kingdom of Heaven ! We do not have to worry about this a lot , come lets start to love, lets get going , on the way shown to us by Christ who came amongst us . We are insignificant, small , weak and fallible , but lets rejoice in our joy , because God has looked upon us with favour !!
With love,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." And Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.
Luke 1:46-56
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel..Thursday 20 December 2018
“Hail” How respectfully , lovingly is God’s angel greeting Mary !! The course of history is turned around by a one minute , calm conversation ! Lets think about it , our meetings, our conversations how are they conducted and what do they result in ??
Let us also try and greet everybody with such respect, patient love, goodness !! Our greetings, our purposeful words , our dialogues should be filled with patience , goodness , respect, love and then I believe that in my life as well , even if just brief encounters lasting just for a few moments , conversations will bear their fruit for a lifetime , just as the meeting of Mary and the Angel !!
With love,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Photo : with our children in front of the MTVA-Budapest a day before the siege .
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Tuesday 18 December 2018
We are the people of the Community of Love.
Jesus is the God of love ! The New Testament came into being , is kept up by the Alliance of Love ! 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”John 13, 34-35
Do not let become part of you something that you don’t like in someone else ! If I don’t like in my companion the hatred, the angry temperament, the the aggressiveness , then I have to pay attention that these obnoxious, repulsive traits , leading nowhere , do not sully my personality ! If I expect from my enemies the calm, sober reasoning , the patient , wise formulation of the questions of interest to them , then I should not be allowed in stepping a different path if I approach them!
We have to understand that love is a Christian’s only uniform , that at the same time is our work-clothes but our wedding robe as well ! Lets dress our way of thinking, our deeds , our words into genuine goodwill , pure love, and we'll be stopping on the land of miracles ! Let’s make it quite clear that the essence of Christianity is not that the cross is hanging on the wall of our house , or that we keep repeating God’s name as a conjunction , but that we also love there and when it is very difficult! Of course I am aware that what Christ is asking of us is not easy ! To love everybody, all the time is very difficult , especially if we understood that it is not enough presenting a play seemingly Christian-like , it is not enough to make out that we like this , since this story is not only about them, but about us as well! On the day of an exam the student , the teacher are being examined at the same time , one from their ability as a teacher, the other from what they have learnt !! What would be good if they all would get a good mark !
Solving life’s problems , the daily practising of love , are all like getting ready for a championship , a sweaty, hard work , the end result , goal of which that nice and slowly we grow up and we ourselves become like our beloved heavenly Father . Becoming a saint is a narrow, steep road , but this is the only goal of Advent and our entire earthly existence ! The difficulties, the worries that we have to solve are like weights , that if we grab onto honestly , accept them , we can become the champions of love , saints !
Have a good journey, the Kingdom of Heaven awaits us ,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Photo : With our children from Nagyszalonta we thank the goodness of the people of the town !
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.
Matthew 1:18-24
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel 16 December 2018 Third Sunday of Advent.
Your profession , trade is not going to sanctify you , neither will it cause your damnation , because your eternal salvation is dependent not on your work but on your attitude towards it !!
Saint John the Baptist is not saying to either the bankers, nor the soldiers, neither to others having an honest profession, trade to stop working and find something else !! Yes the problem arrises if you not carrying out your work honestly, properly whether you are a banker , a soldier or anything else !!
Lets take the ten commandments into our hands and carry out our daily undertakings in the spirit of them day after day , the work we took on !!
With love ,
Father Csaba
Picture: Cecilia Palkó the bookkeeper of the Saint Francis Foundation surrounded by the children.
And the crowds asked John the Baptist, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages." As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Luke 3:10-18
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Saturday 15 December 2018
The disciples ask , Jesus answers !! How good it is that we have a God with Whom we can have a dialogue !! Do I dare, can I turn with questions to my Lord God ? Do I believe that the spoken word is capable of building bridges not only between persons, but also between heaven and earth , the Creator and the created one as well ? Do I believe that in the solitude , quietness of prayer man and his God are capable to sit at the one table and conduct a dialogue ? If I believe it then I should start humbly, but with perseverance because the One who gave me my ears He Himself is capable to listen to us , and the One who gave me my tongue , He is capable to address me through my conscience as well !!
Walking along the way of prayer ,
with love ,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
And the disciples asked Jesus, "Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" He replied, "Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
Matthew 17:10-13
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel 13 December 2018….The feast of Saint Lucy Virgin and Martyr.
"the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” Matthew 11, 11
Jesus is talking about violence but quite certainly not about terrorism and explosions , but about that violence, self-torture that Saint John the Baptist is using against himself ! It would have been more pleasant for John to be living in e town , wear nice clothes , eat nice food , but he made sacrifices for the Kingdom of God and lives in the desert, wears coarse clothing , and eats very simple food ! Advent is not just the time of waiting , but the time of the holy fast sanctified by the Church !
Fasting, self-denial , sacrifice have I thought about these expressions ? Do I accept knowingly sacrifices for my loved ones, for myself, for the coming of God’s Kingdom? The consumer society cannot even imagine , that we accept self-denial , as this would mean the weakening, recession of our society built on the circulation of money ! The man of today does not know what to do with the concept of self-denial , even though we should no that without sacrifices there is no result ! How many sacrifices have to be made by a medical student, or a sportsman for their goal ! I wonder why for other intentions one does not have to make , or it’s no good to make sacrifices ?!
Jesus stands Saint John the Baptist as an example in front of us ! This means that in our choice of clothes , consuming food , but even in the fittings, accessories of our home it would be good consciously to restrain ourselves , especially now during the holy time of Advent ! Lets try out the character forming power of body , soul ,character , fasting, , vigil ,self-denial out of love making a conscious decision ! Interestingly enough the experts of this world are advocating fasting for health reasons !
The road leading to happiness : lets be gentle, kindhearted towards our brethren and very determined , aggressive towards ourselves and then we will reach our goal !
With love,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Picture : Saint Lucy
Jesus said, 'Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let anyone with ears listen!'
Matthew 11:11-15
