NOVENA FOR THE BLESSED PEACE FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SAINT NICHOLAS OF FLUE .
FATHER CSABA’S REFLECTION..
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
BIOGRAPHY:
The little Claus , later to become Saint Nicholas of Flue , was the first born, 25 September 1417. of a well-to-do peasant family in a small mountain village in Switzerland. Very little is known about the early stages of his life . His companions remembered him as a diligent , well-meaning child whose life was filled by work, study and prayer . He roamed his magnificent homeland far and wide . Not far from their home on the shore of a mountain stream with sparkling , clear water at the bottom of a deep gorge , in a place called Ranft , during praying he saw a huge tower ,reaching to the sky.This vision determined not only his childhood but his whole life. Close on 40 years later after a lot of soul-searching , he chose this valley as the place for his solitude , that beautiful clearing , the shore of the stream where as a child he first glimpsed, set eyes on the tower.
REFLECTION :
God presented us all with one life , that is filled by playing, studies , work and the prayer searching for God.It is most important that physically , spiritually as well we roam our homeland , we get to know its treasures, cultural , spiritual, intellectual values. The same way as for Saint Nicholas for us it is also important to have dreams , plans , childhood visions of all that as adults we would like to accomplish. It would be good as adults we would still remember our childhood dreams , vision . Saint Nicholas’ started to accomplish his childhood dreams 40 years on , but the foundation of that tower ,was laid through praying onto the soil of his homeland, the way he envisaged that as a child , by today is reaching the sky .That pure, beautiful dream matured in him over many years that he formulated in his mind during his teens , that was cleansed on the battlefields in the thick of life ,in a way that could be executed in a mature way. Lets look back on my fundamental decisions that determined my life, desires , how many of those did I manage to accomplish , to come true , my tower started in my childhood am I continuing to build as an adult , am I working on it, am I going to finish it ?
LET US PRAY:
Our lord and Master , life is Your gift , however You entrusted us with what we fill our everyday with , following the example of Saint Nicholas of Flue help us that with honest work, study , by discovering the spiritual and physical treasures of my homeland I get ready day after day to meet the challenges of life. Help me to fulfil every moment of my life with courageous dreams , plans that I may see that holy tower reaching the sky that I can build for Your glory and the benefit of my people , my homeland .
So that our petitions may be heard ,we pray:
Our Father, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
