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Little is said about mercy, and even less is mercy realized in the practice of life. It is perhaps also because one can look at the mercy and understand it as a state of the weak. However, the opposite is true. Mercy enriches a person, and great people are advocates and implementers of love through mercy.

The parables from the Gospel about the prodigal son also remind us of this: “God’s angels rejoice over one sinner who repents” (Lk 15:10). God is not only good and forgiving when the sinner returns, but God follows the sinner, he looks for the sinner and is happy when he finds the sinner. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father does not wait until the returning son comes to him, but the father rushes to meet the son, and he throws himself around the son’s neck. The parable tells about the love of God for the sinful man.

God knows, is omniscient, where the sinner is, and in what state. God knows the state of the sinner’s soul. God does not care that someone has moved away from him through sin. In his love, God will do everything for the sinner to convert, find the way back to his God, repent of his sin, and realize the magnitude of his guilt. Every sinner can be found in the person of the younger son, who squandered the wealth given to him by his father with a lavish life. The father in the gospel is God. God, whom man offends by sin. God, who sends his Son to earth, who becomes like a man in everything, except for sin, and that only to redeem and save man, a sinner. God the Son wants man to become his brother and sister so that we can call his Father, and our Father.

Christ’s death opens heaven for every sinner who has decided to repent. God reconciled the world to himself. We have Saint Augustine, who before his conversion, as he writes in his book “Confession”, was a heretic, a Manichean, a wanderer, and had an intimate child. Today we have St. Matthew, who was a publican, hated and despised by man because of his occupation and especially his way of life. We know that the murderer of St. Maria Goretta, Alexander, also died in the rumor of sanctity. Today we have many Margarets, Augustine, Matthews, and Alexanders in heaven, and today God, as a loving Father, has open arms for more Augustine, Matthews, Alexanders, and other Margarets.

What might we realize? The son, Jesus Christ, instituted the sacrament of reconciliation. He gave the power to forgive sins not only to Peter and the apostles but to every priest. Specifically, God’s mercy awaits each of us in the sacrament of reconciliation. God shows his love to us when we confess our sins and realize our failures when we want to start a new life.

It is right when we have the right view of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is right that we take advantage of the opportunity to return to our loving Father through sacramental reconciliation. It happens that we delay returning to God… God is merciful. Let us pray to the merciful God that we know how to respond and can always respond to his love.

When you say the word “respect”, what do you think of it? Inattention to the elderly and the sick. Impudence, vulgar, indecent, trivial words. Shamelessness, rudeness in behavior with each other. Disobedience and unfaithfulness of those we love. We know that respect for God has also been lost. We forgot to pray. A lack of respect affects us only when we feel a lack of it from others in ourselves. And we forget the duty of respect to God on our part, we don’t have time, the taste has been lost, we don’t feel its need, it’s meaning… Let’s not say that it is such a time.

In the Gospel, we read: And that is why the farmer sends his son because he said: “They will respect my son” (Mt 21:43). The Lord Jesus said in a parable: The “Master” is God the Creator. “Vineyard” is God’s people, Israel. The “servants” that God sends are prophets. “Peeling time” is the end of life, court. “Son” is Jesus Christ himself. However, it is not so easy to understand the text of the parable. Evangelist St. Matúš writes: “When the vine dressers saw the son, they said, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and his inheritance will be ours!” They seized him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and killed him” (Mt 21:38-39).

These are serious words, “dragged out of the vineyard and killed”. By this, Jesus indicates the greatest humiliation that the tenants committed on the son. Jesus speaks of the greatest dishonor they will commit against him. The leaders of the nation were already waiting for Jesus’ life. And Jesus speaks so clearly with a parable to the leaders of the nation about himself that he is the Son of God, that they understand it. Jesus goes on to talk about the rejection of Israel and the election of a “new nation” that will bring forth a harvest. From other places in the Gospels, we know about the predictions of the death of Jesus, as well as the subsequent events. In this parable, Jesus says it most clearly. Lord Jesus speaks a parable shortly before his arrest. It is an opportunity offered again – to change the dismissive attitude of the nation’s leaders toward Jesus, to accept him as the prophesied Messiah.

What vintner would kill for a vineyard…? Such a thing did not happen in the time of Jesus, today we know that people are murdered even for a few euros. The parable also speaks of the incomprehensible infinite goodness of God, which includes us humans. God acts as if he were no landlord toward his tenants. God is patient, he waits, and he does everything to save people. Because God is just, there must be a just reward. There must be punishment for refusal. God wants us to live in reverence for him, our God and Lord. By sin, we reject God as our Lord and God. When we sin, we do not give the place that belongs to God. We also reject the “cornerstone” of sin. Whoever sins commits disrespect, disrespect for God. Sin destroys a person’s happiness, both on earth and after death.

Is the death of Jesus man’s will and God had nothing to do with it? We are not hurting God when we say that Jesus’ suffering was God’s will. Tough question, and that is why we need to look at it. God did not will the death of his son but tolerated it because of his love for people. Jesus said the Son of Man must suffer. Not in the sense of forcing him to, but that it was necessary. It follows from the givenness of man’s sin. Man has chosen to live without God, against God. This results in chaos and death. Surely God could forgive sin in any way. God decided another way. Man wanted to be God. God humbled Himself to become man, and thus actually redeems man. No one forced Jesus to do this. He did it out of love. Just as when a mother says she must take care of her child, it doesn’t mean that someone is forcing her to do so, but she is doing it willingly and out of love. God’s will was for man to be redeemed, God’s love is a love that is given out. Jesus’ death on the cross shows how serious a matter of sin is. We do not understand the meaning of suffering. Without the Holy Spirit, suffering cannot be understood. Even the apostles did not immediately grasp the meaning of suffering. When Jesus spoke of his future suffering, Peter began to dissuade him and said. Lord, this shall not happen to you. He didn’t understand Jesus. Nor do many people today understand the meaning of suffering because they live without faith in God. We, Christians, believe that everything we do has implications for eternal life. We see that we would like to handle, get, and solve everything in this earthly life. That all righteousness would be fulfilled here on earth, that all problems would be solved here on earth. It is not possible. Whoever believes this will be disappointed. Here on this earth, it is not possible to solve all the problems, and that too because man is not perfect. What one man knows as justice and righteousness is another man’s injustice and lawlessness. Each thinks he is right and says that his arguments are convincing, but his opponent thinks the same. Is it possible to solve this problem? Yes, there is, and the remedy is real true love.

Life reveals who we are, what our purpose in life is, and how we prepare for eternity. It starts today. Jesus wants to shape us. We are free people. Love over gold? “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not believe, even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31).

This well-known parable about a rich man and a beggar named Lazar was noted only by the evangelist St. Luke. “God help”. So the name explains everything and characterizes the beggar. A note about dogs is important. In the Scriptures, and even today in Islam, the dog is understood as an unclean animal and therefore the dog was despised. The evangelist emphasizes the misfortune of the beggar by the fact that he was unable to drive away these unclean animals, and what’s more, these animals when they licked his sores, caused him relief. This man is overlooked by another son of Abraham, the brother of Lazarus, the rich man.

Interestingly, the parable does not mention the rich man’s name, but only mentions clothes and food, which was understood as a sign of wealth. According to the Semites, God determined who would be rich and who would be poor. And in this parable, Jesus solves the problem of wealth and poverty -about eternal life. The Pharisees taught that wealth is an expression of God’s special favor and God’s mercy. Jesus points out that a bad approach to wealth creates the danger of losing eternal life. With this parable, the Lord Jesus does not reject wealth when someone has it, he does not condemn the rich, but points to a bad approach to wealth, when a person can lose eternal life. Jesus warns the rich not to be blinded by wealth, so that through its improper use, egoism, which often accompanies wealth, a person does not despise God, forget his soul, and thus condemn himself to eternal punishment. Simply, Jesus formulates the teaching about the relationship a person should have with material values. Whoever gives priority to anything before God excludes himself from the kingdom of God, and no one, not even Abraham, is in a position to change things. It is expressed by the words that are the answer to the rich man’s request to send Lazarus to the house of the brothers so that at least they can be saved, Abraham says: “And besides, there is a great gulf between us and you, so that no one – even if he wants to – can pass from here to you or from there to cross to us” (Lk 16:26). The rich man suffers in the fire, he is troubled because he forgot to listen to Moses and the Prophets and did not believe their words.

The simile is a reminder that a person should not forget the meaning of his life on earth for the sake of earthly goods. Wealth, and money,… lead to the fact that a person loses respect for his body. He sells his body, he sells his honor, his name, he betrays his pride, he defiles what is supposed to be holy, he kills himself before birth and also on order day and night and the security guards will not help.

Christ reminds us what he expects from us, and asks in relation to material things, especially wealth. Let’s not forget that the most beautiful monuments are in human hearts, which are built by love, generosity, and benevolence.

St. Augustine has been called “the teacher of humility”. For he knew from experience human weakness. Therefore, his whole life he fought against the Pelagians who diminished the importance of grace and God’s help. He likes to return to the text of St. Matthew (11:29): ‘Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest for your soul. To this, he adds: “The whole life of Christ at the earth, which He took upon Himself, was a moral school for men, in which he expounded above all his humility to follow.” St. Basil writes similarly, enumerating particulars. The Savior was born of a poor virgin in a manger, hid in Egypt as weak and persecuted, gave baptized as one of the sinners, and fled from those who wanted to call him king and glorify him. And at the end of his life, he washes the feet of his disciples to show his last will.

The saints call humility the root of all other virtues. For all of them, as St. Gregory, the Great says, without humility soon wither and do not endure. St. Augustine very rigorously judges the classical examples of the virtues that were then given to children in schools. If one despised wealth out of haughtiness, what virtue is that? Diogenes, who with his dirty feet soiled the carpets of Plato and claimed that he “trampled on Plato’s pride,” trampled on pride with pride of another kind. The school of virtues is like the building of a house or the growth of a tree. It is not enough, according to St. Augustine, merely to aim high. The taller the house we build, the deeper we must dig the foundation. The higher the crown is to be built up, the deeper the tree must sink its roots into the ground. The foundation and root of perfection is humility.

Human size and limitation.
Often a misunderstanding arises from the fact that we do not have humility. In common parlance, we call humble one who does not think much of himself, who does not boast in speech. We are understandably aware that acting too humble is not normal and that too “humble” speech cannot be sincere. Why, for example, should an artist confess, when he creates a work of art that has cost him a lot of work, by saying it’s not worth anything, that others could do it? better, etc. St. Teresa repeated very emphatically that humility is truth. A humble man is therefore one who is right about himself and judges. What, then, is the Christian to think of himself?  A great one. For every man is the image and crown of God of creation. Even if you are the last beggar in society, writes St. Basil, wearing only rags, never forget that you are the image of God, the son of the great Father! Every man has a place in the world and a mission that God has appointed for him. He is to be aware of his responsibility, and he is to be respected and esteemed.

And yet, man’s greatness is limited. A Jewish proverb says: “Everyone thinks he does not have enough money, but that he has enough sense.” Man is not God, so all know and control everything. However, the individual does not even have the whole perfection of man. There are billions of us, and in each is only a tiny amount of the greatness that appears in all mankind. The first stage of humility, then, is a natural sound judgment of one’s real aptitudes and of one’s real position. The opposite is the manifestation of the simple-mindedness which naively flaunted. We tend to grandiosity, a bit of all of us. It is good for us to notice what we’re shaking so that we don’t stray from the truth. It becomes, especially in talking about experiences and merits, that no one can verify. The knowledge of one’s sin and one’s weakness. Every rational person is aware of his or her own limitations
man. But a deeper and more penetrating knowledge of self is required of the Christian. The revelation of sin reveals it to us. We know that sin fundamentally changes our relationship with God, our neighbor, and the whole world. In the confession of guilt at the beginning of Mass, we pray: “I have sinned by thoughts, words-by my words, by my deeds, and by my neglect of what is good, my guilt, my fault, my exceeding great fault.”
But in daily life, in our relations to others, in our evaluation of events, we have forgotten this confession altogether. We do not reckon with this fact, thus we depart fundamentally from truth and humility. We know that the first cause of evil in the world is sin. If we forget this, we put all the blame on others. The second truth of faith that leads us to humility is the awareness of our weakness. It is not, of course, her unnatural timidity that seizes the schoolboy or the inexperienced singer before a performance. Here it is, on the contrary, well to take courage and believe that something we can do it. For that is the foundation of success. “Weak is only one, who has lost faith in himself, and small is he who has little aim.” This is a different, more important weakness. That was the point of St. Augustine’s in his disputes with the Pelagians. We are called to a supernatural goal, to holiness, to the realization of the kingdom of God. That is where our true success in life is to be directed. Nothing of this, of course, we can do without God’s grace. That is why the humble person prays for it constantly, and ever more deeply he is penetrated by the knowledge that he is “without God’s blessing vain human exertion.”

In light of these two supernatural truths, the man also looks back on his life and his deeds. The sense of truth demands that he not distort them. The artist is glad that he has produced good work. The father is satisfied that he has raised good children and is proud of them. He who has seemingly failed in everything is rightly rejoiced that he has preserved at least a clear conscience. The humble man, therefore, has always something for which he thanks, God. He knows himself, he knows God, knows the world. “The desire for humility is the desire for truth.” (St. Augustine). St. Augustine has been called “the teacher of humility”. For he knew from experience human weakness. Therefore, his whole life he fought against the Pelagians who diminished the importance of grace and God’s help. He likes to return to the text of St. Matthew (11:29): ‘Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest for your soul. To this, he adds: “The whole life of Christ at the earth, which He took upon Himself, was a moral school for men, in which he expounded above all his humility to follow.” St. Basil writes similarly, enumerating particulars. The Savior was born of a poor virgin in a manger, hid in Egypt as weak and persecuted, gave baptized as one of the sinners, and fled from those who wanted to call him king and glorify him. And at the end of his life, he washes the feet of his disciples to show his last will.

Hallowed be thy name. This is such a very interesting request. Many who don’t understand it ask why God is not holy. Am I adding holiness to Him by these words? We have already said that we cannot add anything to God. God is holy, so how can I sanctify myself? In my heart, that I may behold him there as a pure holy noble, good one. And not only me, but that your name may be sanctified among us. If everyone perceived God in this way, what a lowly environment would be created? But it is not always so. Many curses God, curse him and do not believe in him. Why? Because they do not know his goodness and nobility.

Have you noticed how little is said about pride? It’s a shame that we forget about it. The opposite is humility and humility. St. Teresa would tell us to look at ourselves and reality with a realistic view as soon as possible.

Jesus invites us to think like this, he says: “Whoever is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:12).

Jesus plunders hypocrisy and pride. Pride led to a superficial spiritual life, just pleasing people. “Everything they do, they do only so that people can see them” (Mt 23:5). God condemns pride, conceit, and self-love. In the “Magnificat”, the Virgin Mary says: “He scattered those who think proudly in their hearts “ ( Luke 1:51). St. Peter and St. James remind us: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pt 5:5), (James 4:6).

The apostle James highlights the opposite of pride: “Draw closer to God… Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:8, 10). It is not right for us to be proud, St. Paul reminds us: “After all, who makes you stand out? “! What do you have that you didn’t get? And when you have received, what do you brag about as if you had not received” (1 Cor 4:7)? In the Holy Scriptures, pride is considered one of the main sins. Pride closes a person’s heart to accepting God. Pride contradicts true wisdom. Jesus tells the Pharisees: “You make yourselves righteous before men, but God knows your hearts because what is noble among men is abominable before God” (Luke 16:15).

Humility in people – before the Lord, is the source of many blessings. Let’s not be mistaken! Because Pharisaic as such did not die out. It is not only in our surroundings, but is it not also in us? A wise Christian cannot be mistaken. Humility lives actively. As he accepts the applause for his successes, he lets the laughter his failures cause ring in his ears. He is healthy and dissatisfied with himself, which helps him grow in his apostolic work. He does not forget that even average people can sin with excessive self-confidence. A humble person is aware that his sadness can be a cloak for his pride if he does not drive it away. He who is proud does not conquer himself. Pride distances us from Jesus, and humility makes us close to Jesus. It is right that we want and can give up our opinion. It is difficult, but dear to God. A humble person does not look at what others are like, but at himself, and what he should be. The meek are not similar to the “whitewashed grave”, because he cares about the relationship with God and also about the fact that as many souls as possible belong to God. He is not held up as a role model and example. He lives his faith not only in words but also in deeds. He does not pray just so that people can see him, but he feels the need to meet God and strengthen himself in faith, hope, and love, He obeys God in everything and loves above all. Humble before his God, he does and keeps everything as God wants and teaches. Humble is full of love and peace in his heart. He is happy that God knows about everything and does not care if people know about it. He does not tolerate being talked about in public.

The foundation of the Catholic Church is monotheism, the belief in one true God. In the Old Testament period, this fundamental doctrine was revealed by God to His people, who proclaimed it everywhere (cf.
Dt 6:4-9), and it was confirmed by Christ (cf. Mk 12, 29 – 30). Belief in the one true God is challenged by many non-Christian groups, such as Mormons and Hindus (religions that believe in the existence of many gods). It is at the same time doctrine that forms the basis of the Church’s teaching on the Trinity, one God in three persons.
* “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words that I speak to you today, shall be in thy heart, and thou shalt repeat them unto thy and speak them to your sons, whether you sit in your house or travel, whether you lie or thou shalt bind them as a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as an ornament between thine eyes, and thou shalt write “Thou shalt put them upon the doorposts of thine house, and thy gates.” * Isaiah 41:4:

“Who has done this? He called the generations from the beginning. I, Yahweh, the first and the same, I am the same and the last.” Other quotes Isaiah 40:25-28 1 Chronicles 17:20 /Z43 .10-1 3 Mk12,29Isa 44:6-8 1 Cor 8:4- 6

One of the signs of a person’s greatness is how quickly they can forgive others. There is probably not a person among us who does not have an angry person in his life. Maybe even as children we had such an experience. A friend or classmate got angry with us. He avoided us and maybe didn’t want to talk to us at all. How many of us have had this experience later? Perhaps even today, we came to the temple with a heavy heart for our neighbor. Let us remember that our God wants to forgive each of us. But be careful! Jesus tells us today: “Forgive and you will be forgiven” (Lk 6:37b). Jesus speaks very openly in his speech. However, forgiveness should not be just so that a person can also be forgiven at the end of his life.

It is said that a group of theologians once met in England and discussed for hours how (if at all) Christianity differs from other religions in its essence, which Christian teaching has no parallel in other religions… They could not find an answer until finally the well-known thinker CS Lewis arrived belatedly and answered the question without hesitation: “That’s easy. Forgiveness of sins.” But not only the forgiveness of sins on the part of God, but also the forgiveness of transgressions between people.

Even unintentional injuries must be forgiven. Forgive each other, because it is difficult to live in tension with a feeling of forgiveness. You will surely agree with me that a person who cannot forgive is in a way a slave to the other person. When we carry forgiveness, we cannot concentrate on anything, we are nervous, literally impossible. We try to avoid the latter and wish him no good. Well, is that right? Not. Therefore, at this moment, let’s try to imagine a person whom we cannot forgive. Whom we can’t stand and who, if he does anything, gets on our nerves. Let us imagine him and bless him in spirit. Let us often bless him in our spirit and pray for him. We pray for forgiveness. Because forgiveness is a miracle eraser – a chemical that causes everything that has happened to be erased. The pain may remain, the inability to meet the person as well, but to wish another good, to pray for him, to bless him, to try to love him – all this leads to forgiveness. It is very sad when parents and children or siblings do not talk to each other in a family.

Therefore, let us realize today that we are together on this Earth for only a few years. Maybe just a few more days and we will never be able to say to the other person: “Please, forgive me, forgive me.” Therefore, let’s ask for strength and courage at this Holy Mass – so that we can always forgive the other person as soon as possible.