It is a great encouragement for a priest introducing children into the spiritual life to hear a remark from the lips of children: I have heard this before. My mother, father, brother or sister read it to me… Parents who reach for the Holy Scriptures in their children’s childhood are doing an excellent thing for their children’s faith. The child later understands that there are no fairy tales in Scripture, but truths essential for life. It is indeed encouraging when a young person regularly reaches for the Holy Scriptures, not only at bedtime as part of evening prayer, but can read from it occasionally and reflect on the statements and events he reads there. In a family where the Scriptures are not just an ornament on the bookshelf but are regularly picked up, an awareness of mature Christians is built up.

Such Christians become doers of the words of the Lord Jesus, “Go and preach: The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 10:7).

After due preparation, Jesus commissioned his disciples to proclaim his teachings. This mission consisted not only of speaking, but also in other manifestations. We know that the hands of the apostles did miracles and signs. Entering the Jerusalem temple at the gate called Beautiful, Peter and John healed a man lame from birth. Peter passes through towns and villages, and many are healed in his shadow (cf. Acts 5:12-18). And not only Peter but also Barnabas and others of the apostles and their successors, the disciples. This is how the Holy Spirit manifested Himself outwardly in the early centuries. In this way, the Church grew and grew strong. In the beginning, it was not only miracles; it was also respect for the other words of Christ: “Take neither gold nor silver nor money in your belts; neither take a pocket for your journey nor two coats…” (Mt 10:9)
We know that the early Christians behaved in a way that made the pagans talk about them: “Behold how they love one another.” They sold their possessions and divided them among the poor. Thus, not only in word but also in deed, they demonstrated their relationship to Christ. Of course, spreading the teachings of Christ was very important.

St. Barnabas goes to Antioch, where many believe in Christ. We know that he has a significant share at the beginning of the missionary activity of the Apostle to the Nations – Paul. Barnabas brings others into the teachings of Christ. These include – Simon’s surname Black, Lucius of Cyrene, and Managed, who was brought up with the tetrarch Herod (cf. Acts 13:1). For exemplary conduct toward what Jesus had entrusted to him, the evangelist Luke calls Barnabas “a good man” (cf. Acts 11:24).

A good man. How beautiful it sounds these days when parents hear after their son or daughter has completed his or her studies that they are conferring on them the degree of doctorate, master or engineer. Yes, there is a lot of work behind the degree-quiet, discreet… Despite our best efforts, we don’t all have that kind of degree. It is offered to all of us to receive from God a title similar to the one bestowed on St. Barnabas today by St. Luke.
How beautiful it is when parents hear a complimentary remark about their child: He is a truthful man, an honest girl, a man of character, a pure girl, a faithful man, and a caring mother. Even these titles require significant effort. A child does not learn to walk and talk at night during the day. Nor can character be educated, formed, or perfected in one day or night. And it is the Scriptures with their truths, their ever-living and addressing word, that leads us to the knowledge of the truth and meaning of life. Today, when we have an abundance of religious literature, we stop reading. Today, when the enemy of the Church in the form of laws and persecutions for religious expression are disappearing, our time is much worse. Today, religious liberalism is manifesting itself. Today, anyone can do anything under the guise of freedom. But today, there is an incredible ignorance of faith. Today, one criticizes and does not know what one is charging. The statements of the Pope and the bishops are condemned, and the appeals of the priests are scorned. But if they reflected on their attitude, they would find they are wrong.

He who does not know the Scriptures does not know Christ – St. Hieronymus, the first translator of the Holy Scriptures from the Oriental languages into Latin, pleads today, “He who does not know the Scriptures does not know Christ. Even today, signs and wonders are performed by the Word of God. They are no longer so suddenly visible, but they are and manifest themselves in the spiritual life. Raising a good son and a good daughter is a miracle. It is an excellent gift for the parents and the children themselves. Today, as we observe St. Barnabas, what he did to spread the teachings of Christ is a challenge to us. What are we doing in our neighborhood to make Christ even more visible, known, and lived?

To pluck out the eye, to cut off the hand. Is Jesus serious? Anyone who honestly questions his conscience would have to cut off or pluck something! Jesus is certainly not concerned about literally mutilating my body. He wants to emphasize to me that the moral purity of my heart and body is essential to him. Through movies, magazines, books, computers, and lightly clad women, I am bombarded with a barrage of nudity, immorality, cruelty, or uncommitted relationships that want to convince me that Jesus must not have been all that serious about those plucked out eyes and severed hands. But the opposite is true. His words, as “harsh” as they sound, still apply today, whether I realize it and accept them or am indifferent to them. If I think that God will overlook my sinful thoughts, looks, words, touches, and relationships in that mass of people, I am very much mistaken. Today, I am going to think about how I will learn to control my views and ideas thanks to Jesus.

Lord, I ask You for the grace and strength to live purely and morally.

In one book, a girl becomes a prostitute through unfortunate circumstances. However, the love of a God-fearing, introverted man changes her life and his. But it all began in God, who blessed their relationship and gave them the strength not to give up, and the love that made it all make sense. If God could do this with such characters in the book (prostitute, introvert), how much more so in our lives. Love is what helps us take care of our children, even though we are tired to death; love is what allows us to go to work to earn money for our families; love is what helps us cook lunch and make coffee for others, even though we have fought with them. These acts of love and humility are precisely what the world needs to combat superficiality, childishness, and pride. How did I do today? Among today’s deeds, will we find acts of love, humility, dignity, and superficiality?

Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again. Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

Indeed, none of us likes pretense. And he who has a straight backbone hates it. And rightly so. If we think this way, we take to heart the words of the Lord Jesus, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20).

The Pharisees tried to keep the commandments, but how? Only outwardly. They did it only for praise and recognition. In short, to show how “perfect” they were. In their hearts in another way, and outwardly also in another way. It was enough for them to look nice in front of people, but they didn’t care about their inner selves. And thus, they were driven to destruction because their heart was far from God. And this is why Jesus reminds us and even compares external righteousness with internal righteousness. Many thought it was enough to be outwardly lovely, yet they believed that no one could see into their hearts anyway.

Brothers and sisters, does anyone see into our hearts? Yes, they do. Even if the deceiver does not, God sees into each of our hearts very clearly, and He evaluates our actions from the heart’s perspective. Therefore, what is already hidden in our hearts, what we are forging and preparing within ourselves, is very important. And these are not empty and meaningless words but a reality. And it is precisely today when we see moral values being disregarded, trampled upon, and devalued when the murder of unborn children is carried out with impunity. But is it with impunity, even with God?

He who is angry deserves judgment. So anger deserves punishment, and murder, murder of the unborn in the mother’s womb, that should be without trial, without penalty? Whoever allows such wickedness and whoever carries it out, or allows himself to be carried out, only shows that nothing is sacred to him and that he has no shred of responsibility or sound judgment!
And every one of us, brothers and sisters, who want to save his soul from eternal misfortune, will also condemn these crimes committed around us. And that is why the Lord Jesus goes to the root of these murders, He goes to the idea of looking lustfully at a woman, and we may add: even when you look lustfully at a man because these sins are equally severe in women and men. When someone claims nothing wrong with this, he only proves how far he is from moral principles.

What do you mean, when does a thief become a thief? Is it only when he steals something? Isn’t it when he makes a plan? Verily, by the very thought of stealing, one becomes a thief inwardly. He remains a thief if he has failed to carry out the theft outwardly, perhaps because he was a policeman on the spot, but he has already committed a severe sin in his heart. And so it is with anger and with a lustful thought or looks. It takes the right opportunity to bring an idea, desire, or request to fruition, and it becomes a deed. You may have heard it said: I would like to kill him. Or you may have seen children playing with guns and pointing them at each other as if they were shooting. Or in a tavern, you’ve witnessed someone say, “I’d like to be with that Fer’s wife… Although these are all just thoughts, words, and desires, can they be considered sinless? What if the opportunity presents itself? Even then, it will be innocent?!

You may have seen the movie, Relive Your Hell: A mother left alone with her son and remarried years later. The son was then 12 years old. With her new husband, they had a daughter. When the little girl was seven years old, someone kidnapped and murdered her. Do you know who did it? The son, barely 20 years old, did it out of jealousy of his mother, father, and little sister. When his mother remarried, he was internally consumed by it. He made plans for revenge, punished them, and got back at his mother, who shared her love and care with several. And after seven years of projects, inner rage, jealousy, and anger – murder! Where did it begin, brothers and sisters? What preceded the terrible deed? It was thoughts, plans, and desires.

Is there anyone here who would say that thoughts, anger, lustful glances, and the murder of the unborn – there is nothing wrong with that? Indeed, no one in his right mind would claim such a thing. Jesus knew that it would also require sacrifice, self-control, a strong will, and a backbone to live up to his words, so he helps us with his power to keep our thoughts, insides, and hearts pure.

He offers Himself to us at every Mass as the bread of life, which will often receive our interior if we receive it into our pure hearts. We are best prepared if we resist the evil influences of our surroundings, which sound all that is holy. The Lord Jesus is waiting for us. He wants to help us. He would like to come to us. We will open our hearts to him. But to have our hearts ready for him, let us pray together, “Jesus, I know that all pretension, all Phariseeism, is terrible to you. I want to amend my inward parts according to your words. Be my help that even in today’s world, I may prove that to live with you is gain, that to live with you is happiness, joy, and proper security. I will often receive you into my pure heart in Holy Communion so that my soul may be full of you and nothing else may enter it. I want to live with you. I want to get into the kingdom of heaven. 

Brothers and sisters, you may have come across a similar story in your life that an elderly lady told me. She said: “We were two siblings: me and my brother. Recently, when our now elderly mother fell seriously ill, he didn’t even show up at her bedside. And when she died, he was still asking for half of the support I got for the funeral. Tell me, where is the justice?”

One expects justice from people. Sometimes he doesn’t even get it. Let’s ask ourselves a few questions:
What kind of justice do I expect from people?
What kind of justice do I observe?
What kind of righteousness has our Lord shown us?

If we can answer the third question, we don’t have to answer the first two if we can accept the answer to them. Thus, what righteousness has our Lord shown us? All righteous ordinances should be anchored in the law. And indeed, the words of the psalm have not escaped your attention, “Blessed is the man that trustees in the Lord…” (Ž 40,5). We heard the law mentioned two weeks ago in the eight beatitudes. And that the Lord Jesus is serious about it is evidenced by today’s words: “Except your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:20). What is the righteousness of Christ? Is it possible to convict the Pharisees and scribes of unrighteousness? Those who tithed on dill, mint? Those who prayed daily, those who went to the temple, those who fasted, those who did not steal…? What more does Jesus want from us? Wouldn’t it be enough for him if we were as righteous as the Pharisees? Christians are to be followers of Christ, not followers of the Pharisees. If Jesus had acted according to the righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes, the world, the people, and we, every one of us, would have been punished for any little thing. And who would want to come into such a kingdom? Who would want such a boss?

What is the difference between the righteousness of the Pharisees and the righteousness of Jesus? The righteousness of the Pharisees can be compared on two hands. Both with a finger raised in warning. Instead, they were two chastening hands. But the hands of Jesus, the palms of Jesus are telling us: “Come to me, all you who labor and are weary, and I will strengthen you” (Matt. 11:2). Jesus’ open hands say, “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Mt. 9:13). Jesus’ open arms offer, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt. 11:29). And we know that the palms, the hands of Jesus, form an open embrace, and in its center is a pierced heart. And who among the Pharisees had his heart pierced? The righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes had not a spirit, a spirit of love, but an eye for an eye… But beware! The Lord does not soften the Law; no, on the contrary, for He speaks even more strictly: “Except your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees…” (Mt 5:20). Are these not stricter words?

What is righteousness, anyway? In the book Maturing in Love, Sullivan quotes, “Its foundation, and the foundation of a good, beautiful, and just life in general, is truth. But the truth that is not warmed by the warmth of the heart is truth betrayed!” (p. 119). We know that the heart’s energy, if I may call it that, is love. That is why the Holy Father, in the encyclical Onadragesimoanno, says, in Bl. Pius X’s memory: “Just as justice cannot take the place of love, neither can love to take the place of justice, for justice is born in the brain and love in the heart, for the thought appears in the brain, but the mind in the heart!” The difference is that Jesus invites us into the arms of love, not under the hand of the law that makes us fearful. Okay, you say, but how does that relate to our lives? We are called Christians. We profess to be Christians. We are Christians, after all! But do we also live as Christians?! We tell ourselves that the righteousness of Christ is kind and forgiving. The character of the Pharisees and scribes is interchangeable – an eye for an eye. Which do we adhere to more in life? For example, if someone tries to “trip our foot,” how many times have we forgiven them, or how many times have we wanted to trip them for it according to “righteousness” – both feet? The righteousness of the Pharisees knows no forgiveness. The right of Jesus is laced with mercy with forgiveness. The justice of the Pharisees is based on the relationship between the judge and the accused. The righteousness of Jesus is based on a relationship of love. And to this, St. Paul shows us the way: ‘What if I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not to love, I would be as tinkling metal and a clanging cymbal’ (1 Cor. 13:1). Now we understand, comprehend, and accept the Lord’s words and live them.

As did a lady who had a neighbor who was outwardly cordial towards her but who repeatedly slandered her in front of others. When she heard the gossip, she first wanted to run up and give her a good scolding, but then she calmed down. A few days later, she met her neighbor’s friend. She speaks to her and says: “I have a confession to make. I live next door to Mrs. XY, and I must tell you that she is a very nice lady and a perfect neighbor. I can’t tell you how glad I am to live next door to her. I consider myself very fortunate to be her neighbor and, more than that, to be her friend.” A few days later, the neighbor-helper introduced herself to our lady, and this is how she spoke to her: “I would like to be your good neighbor, your friend. Perhaps I have not always been so good to you as you tell about me. You will forgive me, and from now on, let us be good friends.” And not a word was said about the old gossip. And the two of them became great friends. (The Joyful Message, Year A, p. 138) Gee, what a move she made! Indeed, but what was there special? What was extraordinary was that our lady had to swallow something, but she turned it into the bread of love. The secret was that she knew how to forgive out of love.

Brothers and sisters, let us try and dare to be more merciful, kind, and considerate towards other people. Then we, too, can hope, desire, and even be almost sure that God will be gracious to us too, as a certain Bruckberger mentions in his book Maturing in Love, where he says: “I hope that at the Last Judgment God will be unjust to me. Yes, unjust, as only one who loves can be.” (p. 124). Lord, how beautiful is your justice! How beautiful are your words that teach us to live, forgive, our salvation, and our happiness? May we, brothers and sisters, offer the found righteousness of Jesus to our families. Then we will not hear of our families that children cannot agree, bear, and forgive each other even at the deathbed of their parents. No, we won’t hear that because Christ will visit our families. Christ with His merciful justice, justice of open arms, and justice of love.

I was talking to an acquaintance of mine the other day. He is a perfect and tolerant believer. He complained that he works in a collective governed by questionable morals, but he would like to do something for this collective. He would like to show light to his colleagues; he would want to sanitize their minds, opinions, and actions. In a word, he would like to bring the spirit of the Gospel into the environment in which he works. He has thought a lot about this, but he is afraid to start lest others turn away from him and say that he is too wise and moralistic. Our brother also knows the words of the Gospel with which Jesus speaks to us, “You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:14-16). But here, again, another difficulty arises for him. He asks, Am I to be the light of the world? Am I to be a light to others? After all, I am just an ordinary person. Wouldn’t it be a presumption that I shine to others? Wouldn’t that lead to pride? What is Jesus teaching us to here?

A pretty common phenomenon from nature helps to give us the answer to this problem. Let us imagine that we are walking down the street with our children some evening. Suddenly, a bright moonlight emerges from among the clouds. The children cry out: “Daddy, Mommy, look how the moon is shining!” We, adults, nod to them in good conscience and move on. But is it true? Is the moon shining? We all know that the moon doesn’t shine at all. He reflects the sun’s rays, and we receive them as the moon’s light. It is the same with us Christians. If we are to shine for others, we do not shine with our light but with the morning we receive from Christ. Thus, by Christ’s light, we shine. This consciousness will keep us from pride and conceit. People who see the light of our actions and our deeds will understand after a time that it is not our light but the light of God in whose rays we walk. I think every man finds the moonlight in its modesty sympathetic, and no one blames him for not shining with his light.

It is the same with us. People will like us, even more when they find that we have the same weaknesses as others, but we can overcome them by the strength of Christ and the power of his light. Thus, what keeps us afloat is not our abilities but the favor of God, which we use and strive for with our lives. Let us note once again Jesus’ recommendation. Jesus is not telling us: Speak of your light, where you got it from, but he recommends that we act and witness the light we receive by our actions. For those who work in this way, the fear of being accused by others of moralizing or exalting themselves will become imminent. The morning of the gospel also shows us how to begin. Notice Jesus how many times in his life he starts a conversation with a stranger by saying, “Your sins are forgiven you” (Lk 5:23). He – God forgives. And he forgives even in the last hour of his earthly life those who want to get rid of him and mock him even under the cross. And let us also look at Jesus’ deputy, Pope John Paul II. As the supreme representative of Christ’s Church and faithful bearer of Christ’s light, he descends to the prison of the man who tried to put him to death and forgives him. We, too, can most deeply and profoundly impress others in our neighborhood by ignoring no matter what wrongs or humiliations we endure.

But someone will say: “But where do we get strength from? I want to wrestle with my angry enemy, but I am afraid to meet him lest I say something to him again. Therefore, I will rather go around him.” The Holy Father John Paul II, in Frossard’s book Conversations with John Paul II, answered it something like this: “We are to draw strength for our daily duties primarily from prayer. It is impossible to say how much we should pray, but all our concerns must grow out of prayer, as it were, out of our spiritual soil. The layer of this soil cannot be too thin and shallow. Inner experience will enable us to discern how to shape this soil from day to day so that there will be enough of it to carry through all our decisions.”

Brothers and sisters, if we too feel that we could do something positive for our loved ones and for the collective in which we work daily, let us not be afraid to become the light of Christ. We do not need intellectual, theological debates to guide the lives of others but simple actions. Deeds are nourished by prayer and coming from a sincere heart. 

3D movies are viral today. When you put on special glasses, you can see exactly what is happening up front, but you can also watch some critical action that is going on somewhere in the background. Everything comes alive in front of your eyes in a new and fantastic way. Similarly, as the day of the sending of the Holy Spirit approaches, God wants us to turn our attention to the stories of the Acts of the Apostles and, at the same time, perceive how the Holy Spirit worked mightily in the apostles through all that they said and did.

In today’s first reading, it is easy to see what was going on in the foreground and the background. When Paul met with the believers in Ephesus who had no knowledge or experience of the Holy Spirit, he laid his hands on them, and the Spirit came upon them, filling them with new life, and they began to speak in foreign tongues. Did you notice that the Holy Spirit came down when Paul laid his hands on them? He used this simple gesture to signify friendship and solidarity with them. Because of his touch, the people made direct contact with Christ’s ambassador, which opened the door to more incredible blessings.

Paul offers us an example to follow. Praying for someone is a good thing. Praying with someone is an excellent thing. And laying hands on someone while we pray for them is even better. It gives that person the experience of seeking the Lord’s help together. Plus, we believe that when we pray in this way, we offer the Holy Spirit a more significant opportunity to act, sometimes in a fascinating manner. We can witness miracles! Maybe this intimate way of praying makes you uncomfortable. But there is great value in this bodily sign of God’s love and presence. Therefore, allow the Lord to free you from timidity and step out in faith. It is a simple gesture, but it can bring tremendous results!

Together with the Virgin Mary, the apostles awaited the sending of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. On the tenth day after Jesus’ ascension, about the ninth hour, there was a sudden roar, like a strong wind blowing. And tongues of fire appeared above them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.