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Each of us in the spiritual life encounters our limitations and an inner inability to live with God. A person who does not know spiritual things finds it discouraging and humbling. Some people start with God and then leave Him. Some people lose their heads at obstacles and do not know how to proceed. Living with God is not difficult from a certain point of view. It is a response of love.

On the other hand, it is tough because we are incapable of that love. To understand the difficulties in our life with God, we must focus on the beginning of our being with God. The Holy Scriptures say that at the beginning of human history, there was sin, which God did not create and which, along with death, came into the world through the envy of the devil. God, when he created man limited, took on himself an enormous risk that one would abuse this free will. The essence of man is that God made him, that he is bounded, and this limitation is expressed by the fact that man came out of the earth. Man was made from clay. That is, dust that has been mixed with water. Water is a symbol of the spirit. When God created man. God breathed into the nostrils of man the breath of life. The Holy Spirit is from the essence. Man lives by the  Holy Spirit more than the whole creation. Even though the power of the Holy Spirit holds the entire creation. Thus, the Holy Spirit dwells personally only in man. Man carries a certain ambivalence. On the 1st side, the limited man is a creature; on the 2nd, it has an unbounded, indeterminate spirit. We all know this tension well. Especially after the fall into original sin, we all feel this double law St. Paul wrote within us. On the 1st side, the law of the flesh pulls me to the ground. On the 2nd side, the law of the spirit that draws it to God. God created man by giving Himself a call to live with God because God gave him a share in his life. God gave man his own life, which was man’s greatest gift. God gives man a space in which he can live. We call this space home. 1. A man called it paradise. From the beginning, God took care of man because He knew that a person needs an environment in which to live. It is touching to see how the father’s dream, the growth of God, is projected there. God cares for his creatures from the very beginning. The space in which a person lives is limited in a certain way. Sacred Scripture expresses this by mentioning the tree of knowledge. You can’t eat from the tree of knowledge. This is unlike when a mother tells her child, You can’t go to the pantry and there’s still jam. God said If you eat from this tree, you will die..  It’s a kind of guide on how to live. What is the essence of the Tree of Knowledge? We can guess. Through knowledge, man tries to influence. Knowledge is power. And all those esoteric teachings have their root here too. You know desire, but not in God’s way. Know to influence, to grab, to rape. Then it is related to the fact that the tree of knowledge was a tree of knowledge of good and evil—a snake, the devil, who eventually seduces a person. But you will not die. You will be like a god. You will know good and evil. Man does not want to ask God what good and evil are. Man does not want to accept the boundaries set by God. Man does not want to live depending on God. This is the root of original sin. Man wants to determine what is good for him and what is evil. Who will speak to my life? I will decide what’s best for me. Look at how much of the population follows this motto. These people say, we have our minds. It is about accepting dependence on God. From the very beginning, a person’s life is connected with obedience. This obedience is not what we sometimes exercise between superior and subordinate, or between father and son. And I told you, and we won’t talk about it. Biblical obedience is dependence on God. A person accepts that he is not able to live on his own. Obedience is tremendous freedom for life. When Paul speaks in his letter to the Romans about hereditary guilt, he mentions that Adam was guilty of his disobedience. Jesus saved us by his obedience and put the opposite point against Adam. From the very beginning, the devil is the one who disobeys. Who has stood up against God and will not serve? Man allows himself to be carried away, not to serve. That is why Jesus came, who says, not my will, but your Father’s. Jesus is ministry incarnate. To man’s disobedience came the answer of Jesus. Sin is a consequence of the fact that man has allowed himself to be seduced by the devil. And he allowed himself to be led by the resistance to God. The story of original sin has a few more moments. When talking to a snake, a woman lets a certain distrust of God into her heart.  It’s already a mistake that a person has started to argue with the devil. Demons are not discussed; demons are opposed. Man is expected to take a clear and uncompromising stand against the devil. Includes when talking to a snake, a woman reveals. God forbade you to eat from all the trees when the devil spoke. The woman seems to be defending God. Not all of them, only from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The women misinterpreted the divine conclusion. The boundaries set by God moved even further. God did not speak about touching the tree. The law must have its limits. A person who determines what is and is not allowed to him exposes himself to danger. Not able to withstand this inner pressure, a person will eventually sin.  If parents forbid their children from doing more than necessary. Eventually, the children rebel. Eva concluded that God would not give us what we need. As God had robbed us of something. Some people feel that way. If I’m a believer, I’m deprived of something. Eva does not notice the snake during the conversation with the snake and begins to lie. The serpent-devil deforms the image of God. Man begins to look at God differently. Here we see the root of sin. We will begin to criticize what seemed good to us until this time. Many, especially young people, refuse to believe in God. Because they have a distorted image of God. Sin is what distorts our image of God and sets us against God. A woman’s conversation with the devil distorted the image of god.

God is the one who has been speaking since the beginning. In the beginning, the Word was with God, and God was the Word. The Letter to the Hebrews says: God spoke to our ancestors in many ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. But what good is it if people do not hear? God acts and wants to intervene not only in the lives of individuals but also in the lives of all mankind. What good is it when people do not see God’s actions? God loves. He created the whole world out of love, called each of us to love, and constantly pours out his love on this world through his Spirit. The proof of his love is his own Son, whom he gave to us. But people do not feel this. God is still alive and present, but people do not perceive him. This deafness, blindness, and dullness, which are signs of unbelief, are fundamental causes of the crisis of faith. It is impossible to lead a spiritual life when I do not perceive God. It is impossible to live with God when I do not experience His love or know anything about God. When I do not encounter God, God is distant from my life. That is why a particular search is so important in our lives. That is why Jesus said that whoever seeks will find, and whoever knocks will be opened. Searching is part of human nature. Even though man seeks, the truth remains that God seeks man. But we are so hidden and self-absorbed that we do not perceive God’s interest in us. That is why man must seek for himself, to open himself to new realities, not to close himself off. We need to discover God and finally begin to perceive Him. God did not abandon the world after He created it. He is Emmanuel. God is with us. God is with every human being. He is present in our lives, but man does not perceive God. It is difficult to speak of a spiritual life unless a man feels God is at work. Spiritual life begins where each of our actions expresses our relationship with God. Just as a person must open his eyes to see, so must we open our hearts to see God. Just as a small child cannot see or hear after birth, but its senses must awaken, so too must the senses of our soul awaken for us to begin to perceive the divine, God hidden in creation and ultimately hidden in our hearts. Let us learn to understand the signs that God gives us. Signs are different. The most significant sign is Jesus himself. A person who has discovered Christ discovers the love of the Father through Christ. And there are various events through which God intervenes in our lives. He does not do this violently. He respects the freedom of each of us. Without freedom, there is no love. Many people ask, “Why doesn’t God intervene?” It is precisely because He respects human freedom. We need to learn to perceive the signs of God’s love. There comes a moment when a person opens his eyes and realizes that he cannot be himself. Because we humans are primarily focused on material things, fleeting things, and ourselves, we do not perceive God. Sometimes God leads us to Himself through poverty. Poverty can be material or spiritual. When we lack something, we often appreciate it more and establish different values. However, it is also about the poverty of ideas, desires, and feelings. Through all this, we realize the necessity of God. Poverty leads to dependence on God. The tragedy at the beginning was that people thought they could live without God. But without God, man can only die. We must know that to exist at all, we need God; to be able to do anything, to be able to love, to have relationships, we need God. It is just a matter of when we realize this.When people are in need or in poverty, they begin to perceive God better. God is with us even in our wealth, but we do not perceive Him when we do not need Him. He is with us not only in sickness, but also when we are healthy. But when we are healthy, we do not remember Him. That is why it is so important that each of us must experience a moment of hardship and helplessness. So that the moments of self-confidence that we feel diminish in our lives, and the moments in which God is present increase. So that we may become people who are always aware of God, so that, in other words, we may learn to live in the presence of the living God. Without the awareness that God is with me, that He permeates every moment of my life, it is impossible to live spiritually. Living with God is spiritual life. One should realize that everything is a gift from God. God comes to us through the circumstances of our lives. A person who learns to perceive that life is a gift, relationships are a gift, friendship is a gift, nature is a gift, and food is a gift. Everything is grace. Then one understands the important truth that we are here to receive gifts. God created us so that He could shower us with His gifts and give us His love, Himself. When a person is open to God’s gift, then God gives. The more a person experiences God’s presence, the more he realizes all God has done for him. A desire to live for God arises in the heart of man. Each of us is called to something different. A person is called not only to perceive God’s love, but also to respond to it. To be always close to God and discover God as He is. And whoever has discovered God cannot help but love Him. A desire grows in him to live for Him. Such a person allows himself to be guided by God. This increases the desire in a person not only to give something to God but also to belong to God and give himself to God when the time comes when God says, “Come home.” And you will say, “Finally, I am going.” This is the death that is life for a Christian. For a person to understand their mission in life, it is necessary to perceive God, to learn to live in God’s presence, to learn to love. May God open our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our minds to understand the signs of love, so that we may truly live with Him, in Him, and for Him, because otherwise our whole life is just an illusion.

An adult can acknowledge authority, which has some shortcomings. He can admit that parents are not perfect and still respect them. The father is not the strongest and best he has been in a long time, yet I respect him. He is someone whose opinion I take seriously, I have respect for. One has to go through a period of defiance into a period of being able to make decisions. These are all prerequisites for a spiritual life. God has called us to be co-workers with the living God. Even God cannot solve everything for us. God wants us to make choices, to choose. To go from good to better. But making choices is not easy. Many people are so indecisive that they end up like the donkey who had two haystacks in front of him and didn’t know which one to choose, and ended up starving to death. A person who cannot make up his mind will never accomplish anything. He does not risk the step of choice that one must take, even at the cost of making a mistake and having to correct it. A grown man must act. He cannot leave all decision-making to other people. It is related to this that I decide this way, and the other person decides differently. We learn to respect each other, that we are going a different way, yet all those ways can lead to God. What is important is how I go, how God leads me. It is not so much important how the whole nation goes. I must know what God wants from me. People often yield to the majority’s opinion, which manifests human immaturity. If all goes, so will I. I won’t. As adults, we are to live with the living God.

Philip knew very well how popular God is with those of a pure heart. As soon as he reached the age of discernment and gained the ability to discern good from evil, he decided to declare war on the sins and temptations of the enemy, and did not allow himself to rest until he achieved victory. Even though he lived in the world and met all kinds of people as a young man, he kept his innocence intact in these dangerous years. No one has ever heard anything from his feathers to transgress against the strictest modesty, and by his dressing, his manner, and his whole appearance, he has always displayed this splendid virtue.

One day, as a layman, he was shamelessly tempted by certain debauched people to sin. When he found that he could not escape them, he began to tell them about the abomination of sin and the terrible presence of God. He spoke with such apparent agitation, with so much sincerity and fervor, that his speech penetrated the tempter’s immoral hearts like a sword and turned them away from that terrible thought and from their evil paths.

Other times, certain bad people, who did not consider anyone better than themselves, invited him to their home under some pretext. They were convinced he was not what the world thought him to be. They tempted him greatly as soon as they had him in their power. Philip, caught in a trap behind a locked door, knelt and began to pray to God with such breathtaking passion and heavenly eloquence gushing straight from his heart that the two poor persons, those who were in the room with him did not even dare to speak to him and finally fled, opening the way for him to escape.

His virginal purity radiated from his entire appearance. His eyes were so clear and transparent until the end of his life that no painter managed to capture their expression, and it was not easy to look him in the face for any length of time, because he dazzled others like an angel from paradise. Moreover, his whole body, even at an advanced age, gave off a fragrance that refreshed those who approached him despite the saint’s frail age. Many also said that they felt the piety that poured into them only from the very smell of his hands.

As for the opposite vice, its smell was not just a turn of speech for the saint, but a reality. He could recognize those whose souls were defamed by vice. He said it was so terrible that nothing could match her, only the evil spirit itself. To his penitents, before they began to confess, he sometimes used to say:,, Son, I already know your sins.‘‘ Many admitted it was enough for him to put his hands on their heads and be freed from temptations. The mere mention of Philip’s name was able to protect from Satan those who were attacked by his violent arrows.

He encouraged people to never trust themselves, regardless of their previous experience and regardless of the length of time they have practiced virtue. He argued that humility is the true guardian of purity and that lack of compassion for others who have sinned against it is the first step to their own rapid fall. Namely, he considered a person who acted as an ant-maker towards others and was sure of himself without fear of being lost.

Prayer: Philip, my glorious Patron, who has forever preserved the immaculate white-glowing lily of his purity with such jealous care that the grandeur of this excellent virtue radiated from your eyes, she shone through your hands and felt in your breath. Please ask the Holy Spirit for a gift so that neither the words nor the evil example of sinners will ever affect my soul. And because I can overcome my fearsome enemy only by avoiding opportunities to sin, praying, constantly employing myself, and frequently accessing the sacraments, I gain the grace to persevere in keeping these necessary things. 

Every person who tries to love in some way opens themselves to God. It is better to love badly than not to love at all. Living without relationships is the worst thing that can happen. When a person remains alone, does not want to see anyone, does not want to live with anyone, does not want to live for anyone, does not want anything from anyone, that is a betrayal of life. However, through many sufferings that purify them of their selfishness, a person who strives for love will eventually come to God’s love. A person makes many mistakes and errors in this natural development from human love to divine love.

Nevertheless, they grow. And it is important that as adults, they realize that behind every love is God’s love. And then they understand what it means to live with God in love. The growth of the human personality, the capacity for self-giving, is the greatest thing a person can give. So those human abilities a person gives of themselves ultimately lead to that final devotion. A mother gives herself to her children. If she stopped there, it would not be good, but by learning to give, she grows. When people give themselves in the sacrament of marriage, it is a great thing when they want to live for each other. But they must not stop there. All these abilities, these expressions of devotion, must lead to the ultimate devotion, which is the first and most extraordinary devotion that a person gives himself to God. And that is the goal of spiritual life, which we are learning to grow towards.

A few more words about what is related to the maturing of the human personality: it is the kind of higher abilities dominating the lower ones. By higher abilities, we mean reason and will, which influence our instincts, moods, and emotions. A person is a person when they act based on rational consideration and decisions of the will. Emotions color this human behavior, motivating and influencing it. However, a person who is driven by their instincts is not yet a mature human personality. Such a person will stumble in their life because they will pray only when they feel like it and do good only when they have slept well. They will go to work only if they are well paid. Such a person will be motivated only by how they feel. Not only is it challenging to live with such people, but they are incapable of achieving anything in life. It is not a matter of suppressing the emotional component of a person, but of guiding them in the right direction.

Another characteristic of an adult capable of love is the ability to take responsibility. Parents gradually teach their children to take responsibility for their actions and draw conclusions from them. People who constantly make excuses and say, “I didn’t mean it,” “I didn’t want to,” have not yet reached maturity. We are responsible for our actions. If I did something wrong, I regret it and look for a way to make amends. I am weak and need to know the consequences and what I will do about them. But honesty with oneself and responsibility for one’s actions. Children cover their eyes, thinking that if they cannot see, others cannot see, and that the problem will somehow resolve itself. This is related to a person’s ability to face reality. Not to live in illusions. Look at how many people, at an age when they should be adults, are still dreaming, have their ideals, but think that the whole world is so ideal, and when the first difficulties come, they are entirely lost. They cannot distinguish between how things should be and how they are, and accept this difference. The priest should be perfect. Is he perfect? No, he is not ideal. That person is on a path of growth.

Nevertheless, he fulfills his mission, and God works through him. How many people enter into marriage with such an illusion that they cannot distinguish between the ideal and reality? They cannot accept reality, and they cannot accept the contradiction between our desires and reality. I must know who I am and keep my feet on the ground.

We have just heard that it was actually about the first council. In church history, this first council is called the Apostolic Council, because those who made the decisions and had the final say were the twelve apostles. We do not know if all of them were there, probably not, but most of them were. In today’s first reading, we heard why this council was convened—disunity had arisen in the church community in Antioch. Must Christians keep the Law of Moses or not? The Law of Moses is a highly complex system—365 commandments and 248 prohibitions. Must Christians keep it? We know the answer, but if we didn’t read on and didn’t know the answer, it might be exciting to see what we would answer if someone asked us that question, and asked us, “Why? Why do you think Christians don’t have to keep it, or why do you think they have to keep it?” They could not agree on this, so they sought an authority to see more clearly and deeply into the matter, and they turned to the twelve apostles in Jerusalem.

We did not read about the proceedings today, but we read a letter, a kind of conclusion of the council, which we would call a “conciliar document.” If we look at the documents and the Second Vatican Council findings, it is a whole book. Here it is a short letter, but it has something familiar—all these texts, the council’s conclusions, whether the Second Vatican Council or this First Apostolic Council, are clear. They are simple guidelines on what to do, encouraging guidelines. There is nothing there to trample people into the ground, but on the contrary, it is an encouragement for everyday life and how to live the faith daily. Why did the council have to convene in the first place? Because people appeared in Antioch whom we would today call fanatics. A fanatic is someone who either has some inner problem and treats it at the expense of others, or wants to stand out and say, “You’re doing it wrong, I’ll show you how. You’re not pious enough.”

It is a radical person – “at any cost, under any circumstances.” “I fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. I recite all the rosaries, and I add some extra prayers, I go to all the possible pilgrimage sites. And you don’t do that? Well, then you’re bad.” No, that’s not how it is, but these people would be willing to say so. These people are eager to claim that faith and religion are about external rules and external observance of those rules. The inner self is completely forgotten. But what is very strange is that these radicals, these fanatics, appear at a time when people are confused, when people don’t know, when there is a decline in awareness, when knowledge of religion is declining. It is the case that first there is a period when this awareness declines, and then some “radical” appears who takes up the fight. We don’t have to go far abroad; even in the famous Hussite hymn “Who Are God’s Warriors,” there is a contradiction. God does not want us to fight for the gospel with swords and clubs, but to live the gospel.

The first Christians were a minority, but a minority that was respected because everyone knew that they meant what they said. In the first reading, those who tell it are Paul and Barnabas. They know that radicalism will not spread the Church, but on the contrary, the Church will lose. Every radical brings division, strife, and perhaps even war. That is not the way. Paul and Barnabas see this and are willing to “put themselves on the line” to preserve the correct moderate position. They are eager to get involved, to exert their strength and say, “No, not this!” They can do this because they have the knowledge and insight to see what is happening and know what they are talking about. If we were to say, “Do we know what this is about? Do we have to keep Moses’ law or not? If we don’t have to, how do we know? Where do we know it from? Jesus talked about it, but where is it? What does he say?” Jesus says, “I have not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it,” and then he continues. And that’s it, that’s where Jesus says, “You don’t have to keep it. I don’t want you just to follow external rules. I want you to be convinced in your heart, in your mind, to stand behind it with your life.”

The first Christians were a minority in society, but they were respected, and what was remarkable was that their numbers kept growing. We are a minority in society, not very respected, somewhat tolerated, and worst of all, our numbers are dwindling. Why? Because quite often, and this is a problem for the whole Church in our country, we are “half-hearted.” Various laws want to compare us to a gardening club or a tourist association. Why? Because that’s how they see us. A gardener goes to the garden every day. Then he comes home and does something else. A tourist usually goes on a trip once a week, then comes home and does something else. And that’s how they see it. In the best case, a believer goes to church once a week and then comes back and is someone else.” And Jesus says, “No, that’s not how it works.” I have been a believer all my life, 24 hours a day. “Be committed like Paul and Barnabas, be clear about it.” This is not just a matter for bishops and priests but for all the baptized.

This problem of half-heartedness has an entirely different dimension. Perhaps this dimension will surprise you, but it belongs here; it is part of it. This year, two new priests will be ordained for our diocese. The last time we had so few new priests was in 1984; since then, we have always had more. I don’t know how many priests in our diocese have died since the beginning of this year, but it was more than two. Four candidates are applying to the seminary for the first year, and this is not the first time. And if you ask those who leave during their studies, what will they say? Well, they’ll say, “I saw that something is half-baked here, and I don’t want to be a cop who’s always chasing someone, but I also don’t want to be, I don’t know how else to say it, a clown who’s playing a role, who’s putting on a show. I meant it sincerely and honestly, but I don’t get the same response.” And that hurts the most.

She is currently preparing for her first Holy Communion. The program is designed so that the children always receive two worksheets to fill out at home with their parents’ help, and I know very well that this is often difficult for the parents. The last question was: “What is catechesis?” And now the children were saying: “Well, no one at home knew that.” But the kids found the courage to ask, and that’s right, because all preparation is about seeking answers to questions so that we can defend our faith, so that we can be like Paul and Barnabas, so that we can say, “I believe this, this is right, but this is not.” This is either fanaticism on the one hand, or laxity on the other, and this is not right.“ Let’s not be those who say, ”It doesn’t matter.” It does matter, because it concerns my life, not someone else’s, but let’s have the mindset and courage that Paul and Barnabas had. Let us be committed to our faith, let us be those who are passionate about it. Not half-heartedly, not for an hour or two a week, but for our whole lives, because we are believers for our whole lives. In the Gospel, we heard how serious Jesus is about us. Let us say to him today: “Lord, I am serious about you, too.

When we speak of spiritual life, we mean life with God. Our spiritual life is closely connected with life with other people. St. John the Apostle wrote that God is love, and that if we love one another, God will be among us. John writes: “Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love.” The love of God was revealed among us when God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. If God loved us this much, we should also love one another.
Spiritual life is a matter of love. When we talk about spiritual things, it is always about relationships. God created us out of love and has never stopped loving us. He leads us to learn to love as well. However, when we talk about love, we encounter a problem because people have different opinions, and not everyone thinks the same way. However, what is important to us is how God reveals himself to humanity. This is our criterion. To learn what love is and understand that love is not something, but someone, it is necessary to know the Bible and the teachings of the Church, as well as to have experience of faith. Love is the presence of God in our lives. It is God himself. Spiritual life is love life. Today, there are various spiritual paths and religions, but what is truly Christian is that our relationship with God comes first. That is the core of Christianity. In spiritual life, we are not primarily concerned with perfection. Instead, spiritual perfection consists of being filled with God’s love and having a love for people that comes from the love of God dwelling in you.

Therefore, the first step in spiritual life is experiencing being loved. This is why living in an atmosphere of love is essential, so people can accept one another. Someone who has never lived in an environment where they were loved will find it difficult to accept the teaching of a loving Father because love is accepted through experience. This love provokes us to love. If we want to raise someone who will love others, we must love them first. This is how God works. The goal of spiritual life is complete union with God. We encounter many pitfalls as we grow in our relationship with God on this path. We realize our limitations and the things we cling to.

Furthermore, we see all the things we prioritize over a loving relationship with God, and these things prevent us from uniting with him. We then put one thing after another aside to unite with God. Putting aside everything that prevents us from uniting with God is necessary. Our spiritual life can only be personal. A Christian cannot live in love and, simultaneously, not care about anything. It is about a relationship. Therefore, it is not primarily about rules, norms of behavior, or performance. A healthy way of living in love is the natural foundation of spiritual life. People learn to live with God by living well as human beings and valuing relationships more than things. Family upbringing plays a vital role in this process. St. Thomas Aquinas said that grace presupposes nature. This is why emphasis is placed on being good people so that we will be good Christians. God does not withhold Himself from sinners. Instead, it is a spiritual journey that allows us to evolve from childhood’s self-centeredness to adulthood’s love.

Each of us has undergone significant development. A child is born egocentric. For several years, a child believes that he or she is the center of the universe and that everyone exists only for him or her. Unfortunately, some people never grow out of this stage. Selfishness is a hereditary sin. Because we were separated from God, we are born unable to live in dependence on Him. Each individual develops from selfishness to love. This development occurs through various expressions of love. First, a child experiences maternal love and learns to accept love. The first crisis comes when another person, the mother, also appears, such as when a second child arrives. Parents know that the first conflicts are coming. Jealousy arises. The older sibling may scratch or push the younger one. The child must learn to respect that others also have a right to love. They must realize that they are not alone in the world and must learn to give and receive love. Other types of love appear: The love of a father, siblings, and grandparents.