In the book of the prophet Daniel, we read about King Balthasar arranging an excellent feast for his royal court. He had the gold and silver vessels brought, which Nebuchadnezzar once dragged from the Jerusalem temple, and from them, he and the entire royal court drank wine. They drank wine and glorified their pagan gods, as well as gold, silver, metal, iron, wood, and stone. In this, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the wall of the royal palace. They were the words: Mene, Tekel, Ufarsin (Dan 5, 1-6; 25).

The king invited the wise men of Babylon to read this scripture to him and explain its meaning. He will richly reward the one who explains them to him. But they found no one. Here they remembered Daniel, whom Nebuchadnezzar once exalted for „reason, wit and wisdom“ (Dan 5, 11; 5, 14).

Daniel was summoned, appeared before the king, and said: Keep your gifts and give your rewards to another! I will read the scripture and interpret its meaning… King, the most high God has given your father Nebuchadnezzar kingdom, power, and glory. Because of the greatness he gave him, all nations and tribes trembled before him. He killed whomever He wanted and left whomever He wanted alive. Whom He willed He exalted, and whomever He willed He humbled. However, when his spirit became strong in pride, he was thrown from the throne, and his glory was taken from him. They drove him out; his heart resembled that of an animal. He stayed with wild donkeys, and they gave him grass to eat like cattle, until he knew that the ruler over the human kingdom was the supreme God, and whosoever He willed, he would build it on the day. And you, his son Balthasar, did not humble your heart, although you knew all this, but exalted yourself above the Lord of heaven. They brought before you the vessels of his house, and you, your nobles, drank wine from them. You praised your gods who do not see, hear, and understand, but you did not glorify God in whose hand is your breath and all your ways. That’s why he sent these fingers and wrote this font. And this is the meaning of the words. Name: God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. Tekel: They weighed you on the scale and found you adjacent. Peres: Divided is your kingdom and given to the Medes and Persians ( Dan 5, 17-28).

We further learn that Balthasar rewarded Daniel, deciding that he was to rule third in his kingdom… But later that night, they killed Balthasar in the middle of a feast, and his kingdom was given to Darius the Mede. (Dan 5, 29-6, 1).

This Old Testament event about King Balthasar wants to teach us that everything has an end – that is, our actions, in which we make light of God’s things, and the matter of our salvation. That once God can also tell us: Mene, Tekel, Ufarsin. – He counted, weighed, and divided. A certain poet sent a collection of his poems to the Russian Tsar. The Tsar sent him as many banknotes as there were letters in the book. When the poet spent the notes, he sent another collection of poems to the Tsar. The Tsar sent him a bundle of banknotes again. When he wasted them, he sent him a book of poems again. The Tsar, in turn, sent him a bundle of banknotes, inscribed: “It is the last shipment.”

Maybe even in our life there is some „ God’s term“ in which God waits and creates prerequisites for us, gives us an opportunity, gives us a chance to realize that we belong to God alone, only God should we serve, to the one who knows our every breath and our every path (Dan 5, 23). If we do not appreciate it and humiliate our hearts before it, God will count our deeds, find them inadequate, and put an end to our lives. So St. warns us. The apostle Paul, when he wrote: „ Make no mistake: God cannot be mocked. What a person sows, he will also reap…“ (Gal 6:7).

When asked this question, ‘What is the most important thing in life?’, fewer and fewer people would probably answer: ‘Achieve eternal life.’ Talking about such things is no longer commonplace.

Even with the physical weakening of the elderly, if faith in the family is alive, hope for the most beautiful thing of all — life in eternal joy — is strengthened. Illustration image: Man and Faith/Klára Kalinová

Who knows how the worshipers of St. John Paul II currently react to him: ‘What life, such death; what death, such eternity’ or ‘Time is running away, eternity awaits’. This came true in his life. He reached heaven.

‘Young can, old must’ is a saying that is often ignored, and some consider it an unreasonable scare tactic. If the concept of eternal life is unclear, a lack of interest in it is certainly understandable.

When we mentioned the importance of communication between the generations in our previous reflections, it is worth noting that children have always been aware of the death of the elderly. Nowadays, people often choose not to take children to funerals so that they are not ‘stressed’.

Yet they are not stressed by the horror movies they usually watch on TV. So how can we properly educate people from a young age about this vital topic?

THE BITTER EXPERIENCE OF PRIESTS

 If we do not remember the words ‘our homeland is in heaven’ (Phil 3:20) and give them true meaning, we will not understand the words of Jesus: ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ (Jn 11:25). In short, without proper faith education, falsehood and chaos remain in a person.

Another real example is the experience of almost every priest who has been asked by survivors why they did not call him to visit a sick and often dying elderly man.

The answer was: ‘We didn’t expect him to die.’ He was already old. Or, ‘We didn’t want to scare him…’ But what if that’s why their relative ended up in purgatory for a long time, or even lost their place in heaven? Who could take responsibility for that?

Talking about preparing for eternity isn’t scary. After all, if someone called it a scare, they would also call the ban on running over the rails in front of the train a scare.

On the contrary, such a recommendation is sage. The best way to raise a child is by setting a good example. If a child is led from a young age to receive the sacraments regularly, they will lovingly receive the sacraments of reconciliation and the anointing of the sick when necessary.

Many sick and elderly people gladly receive the sacrament of the anointing of the sick every year, which strengthens them, and they desire to receive it at the end of their lives, too.

Let’s teach children to understand.

Blessed are the children of the elderly who ensure that their loved ones do not lack a sacramental life when they can no longer come to God’s temple by themselves. Blessed are the priests who regularly visit the sick and bring them ‘the bread of life’ – the Eucharist.

If only more could be done, it would be good to have as many family members as possible present when the priest visits, especially children. Just as children understand a doctor’s visit as one that heals their elders, they can also learn to see a priest’s visit as one that strengthens the spiritual life of their loved ones.

They learn the meaning of the saying: ‘The doctor heals the body, but the priest heals the soul.’ A doctor’s efforts and every healing process will end someday, but the ‘bread of eternal life’ brought by the priest is assured by Jesus: ‘Who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them on the last day’ (Jn 6:54).

HOPE FOR THE MOST BEAUTIFUL

The life experiences of older people offer valuable lessons for all family members. It reminds us of all the good things they have done and experienced, and of how they have stayed together through thick and thin; their example is all the more inspiring. 

If such a family still has faith, then even with the elderly’s physical weakness, hope in the most beautiful thing can be strengthened. Jesus offers us a life of eternal joy, where there will be no more tears (cf. Rev 21:4). As it says in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”.

Let us look forward to the day when we will be reunited with all our loved ones in heaven forever. Let’s do what we can to make it happen. Blessed are the elderly who taught us how to live to obtain eternal life.

Questions to think about:

Is obtaining eternal life the most essential thing in my life?

Do I have the courage to call a priest to visit a sick or dying relative?

Will the priest scare the ill person or help them?

BIOGRAPHY

This present-day monument includes 96 Vietnamese, 11 Spanish missionaries from the Order of St. Dominica who worked in Vietnam and 10 members of the French Missionary Society from Paris. There are 8 bishops, 50 priests and 59 lay people canonized on the 19th. 6.1988 by Pope John Paul II.

The Gospel began to be preached in the territory of today’s Vietnam from the middle of the 16th century. Dominicans and Franciscans, missionaries from Portugal and Spain, were responsible for this. In the following century, two vicariates were established, in which the Spanish and French worked.

From the very beginning for three centuries, the Church in this country experienced persecution with short breaks. Very many suffering persecution for the faith died in the mountains and forests or unhealthy regions where they were condemned. The Church reminds that they fall within the framework of the group of martyrs mentioned after the name of Andrew Dung Lac.

As the child of poor pagan parents, he was put in the care of one catechist and became a priest in 1823. He worked in various places of the country, was imprisoned several times and released on bail, for which the faithful took up bail. Although he himself would have preferred martyrdom earlier, he was aware of his mission. Despite the difficulties he experienced, he was tireless in his preaching and encouraged the believers for whom he was a role model by word and example. He lived simply, for three days fasted every week and brought many people to God. For faithfulness and zeal in evangelization, he was beheaded in Hanoi on December 21, 1839.

Among the 59 canonized laity are 16 catechists, four doctors, three soldiers, a judge and a mother of six children.

The Pope said during their canonization: “The martyrs of Vietnam sat in tears, but in reality they began a deeply achieving dialogue with the people and culture of this nation, proclaiming the truth and universality of faith in God. In doing so, they represented a hierarchy of values and duties adapted to the religious culture of the Eastern world… they emphasized religious freedom and…that the Christian religion is the only value that they do not give up because they cannot to the Supreme Lord – God, being disobedient.”

STORIES FROM THE PERSECUTION IN VIETNAM

with an overview of canonized martyrs

He is listed at their head Andrew, who was born in 1795 in Bac Ninh, Vietnam to a poor pagan family. Later he came into the care of one catechist and at St. baptism he received the name Andrew. Soon after, he began his studies at a seminary in Ke Vinh in Yên TiHuwann near After eight years, he began his missionary preaching activities. After graduating in theology, he was 15. Ordained priest on 3rd 1823. He became a tireless missionary, excelling in perseverance and communication skills. Its first parish was Banana, another Đoài (today’s Shanxi ) and then Son Mieng (today’s Ha Dong ). In 1832, he was appointed parish priest at Ke Dam (today’s Henan). In the next year, a rebellion broke out in Le Van Khoi, and religious Catholics led by clergy were wrongly identified as its masterminds. It was the whim of Emperor Minh Mang, who then edited from 6. On 1 January 1833, he ordered all Christians to renounce their faith. As a sign that they were renouncing her, they should have stepped on the cross.  Although he himself would have preferred martyrdom, he was aware of his mission. Despite the difficulties experienced, he was tireless in his preaching and encouraged the faithful for whom he was a role model by word and example. He lived simply, for three days (po, st, pá) fasted every week and brought many people to God.

In 1835, Fr. Andrew arrested in Ke Roi together with 30 laymen who came to the service, but since those who detained him did not know that he was a priest, he managed to arrange his redemption. Subsequently, in order to conceal his identity, he changed his surname to Lac and left to continue his missionary activities in another area.

After another stint, he was among the detainees 2 more times, but 10. On 11 1839, he was captured for the last time on his way home. He was tortured in prison and finally on the 21st. 12.1839 in O Cau Giay, Hanoi beheaded.

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Cæcilia, Roman virgin and martyr

22 November
Monument
Position: Virgin and martyr
Death: Century unknown
Patron of: Music, musicians, and singers
Attributes: Wreath of lilies (or roses), sword or axe, palm tree, organ or other musical instruments
Biography:

She probably lived in Rome in the third century. According to tradition, she dedicated herself to Christ, but her parents decided to marry her to Valerian, a pagan. However, Cecilia convinced him to live with her without violating her virginity and to accept the faith, for which he laid down his life. Cecilia also died a martyr’s death. In the Trastevere district, where her house stood, a basilica was built in her honor. This basilica is also included in the Mass canon, and in 821 the remains of St. Cecilia were transferred there from the catacombs of Kalista. In the 16th century, it was discovered that her body had been preserved.
BIOGRAPHY FOR MEDITATION

TO DIE FOR THE FAITH OF CHRIST IS NOT TO LOSE YOUTH
The dates relating to the life and death of St Cecilia are considered uncertain, but her authenticity is evidenced by her inclusion among the seven women named in the first canon of the Holy Mass, as well as by her miraculously preserved remains. Controversial statements include the suggestion that her death occurred during the pontificate of Urban I (222–230), at a time of severe persecution in which 5,000 Christians were martyred in Rome. However, historians dispute this, claiming there was no great persecution under Emperor Alexander Severus. Some sources, therefore, place her martyrdom in the second century, while others give an unknown century.

The earliest historical references to St. Cecilia were recorded in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum, meaning that the Roman Church celebrated her feast day as early as the 4th century. Texts from the mid-5th century state that St Cecilia came from a senatorial family and was a Christian from childhood. According to tradition, her parents chose a reasonably wealthy pagan groom for her. However, Cecilia wanted to dedicate herself entirely to Christ and had already made a promise to this effect. Through private prayer, she resolved what another might have seen as an insurmountable problem. As an obedient daughter would, she married Valerian. However, immediately after the ceremony, she sent her new husband to the third milestone on the Apian Way, where Pope Urban baptised him. Upon returning to Cecilia as a Christian, Valerian had a vision of an angel floating down to crown the newlyweds with roses and lilies. Apparently, the details regarding Cecilia’s influence on her fiancé’s conversion are a later addition. What is certain is that prayer and God’s grace played the most essential role.

The oldest account also mentions the early conversion of Valerian’s brother, Tiburtius. All three became zealous Christians, generously distributing alms and burying those who had given their lives for their faith. They were arrested for this activity and, by the Roman prefect Turcio Almachi, sentenced to death in the fortress for their steadfast faith. Maximus, the officer who was supposed to carry out the sentence, believed the Christian message, perhaps influenced by their testimony, and sacrificed his life for the faith alongside these brothers. (Their memory is celebrated on 14 April.)

Before their death, Cecilia dedicated her house to the Roman Church for religious services. She then solemnly professed her faith in front of the prefect and was sentenced to death by suffocation in a bath in her own house. She survived the initial attempt at execution, so the executioner was ordered to behead her. He struck her neck three times, but she was still alive when he left her to die. The Pope buried her body in the Catacombs of Calixtus, alongside the Pope and the bishops.

The Golden Legend, written by the Bishop Iacopo da Varazze and interpreted by P. Jos. Cake, says the following about Cecilia’s view of martyrdom: ‘The centurions who were on guard duty in Rome during the execution of St. Cecilia lamented the fact that such a lovely girl wanted to face death, as did many bystanders. Then Cecilia said to them, ‘Dear boys, to die is not to lose your youth, but to exchange it for something better. It is like giving mud and receiving gold in return. Leave the poor hut and enter the beautiful abode.’ My Lord gives a hundred times more than He can take.”

From surviving sources, the dating of her death is unclear.

Questions also remain about the patronage, with which Cecilia was probably most familiar. According to some accounts, this is based on a misinterpretation from the 15^(th) century of the narrative Passio (or Martyrs), in which it is stated that at her marriage to Valerian, instruments played ‘cantatibus organist’, but Cecilia sang only to God in her heart. As the narrative was passed down, the idea that ‘she heard angels singing in her heart’ became more widely accepted, and Cecilia began to be depicted playing the organ of angels (organo). However, inaccuracies have led to various arguments and evidence suggesting that organs did not exist at that time. A third expression speaks of her singing praises to the Lord in her heart while she was being tortured. All these expressions have the joy of belonging to the Lord as a common denominator, and singing in joy is a natural state, even if it is internal. Therefore, let Cecilia remain the patron saint of music without a doubt, for her heart undoubtedly rejoices in glorifying the Lord with a pious melody.

As confirmation of her virginal purity, we could consider the fact that her body remained intact after death, a phenomenon observed in several saints who displayed this virtue at a heroic level. The preservation of her body also seems to emphasize the truth of the words above that dying for Christ does not mean losing one’s youth.

After the construction of the Basilica of St. Cecilia in the Roman quarter of Trastevere (Zátibeří) on the site of her former home, Pope Paschal I transferred her body from the catacombs in 821, along with the remains of Valerian, Tiburtius, Maximus, and two popes: St. Lucius I and St. Urban I. The sarcophagus of St. Cecilia was discovered during restoration work in 1599. On 19 October, Cardinal Pavel Sfondratus opened the sarcophagus in the presence of the administrator, the secretary of the vicariate, and the Jesuits Alagon and Mohr. Three days later, the cardinal surveyed the sarcophagus with the ecclesiastical historian Baronius, as ordered by Pope Clement VIII. They opened the cypress wood chest stored inside it and found the martyr’s immature body inside. It was not positioned as usual, but on the right side. It was covered in a silk veil still stained with blood. Cecilia’s dress was woven with gold threads. Baronius wrote, ‘She gave the impression of sleeping rather than being dead.’ The sculptor Stefano Maderno was called in to draw the body of the martyr as it was found, and he later created a marble statue based on this drawing. This confirmed her martyrdom.

RESOLUTION, PRAYER

I will reflect on the meaning of death and decide how I will live accordingly.
Hear our prayers, O God, and through the intercession of Saint Cecilia, fill us with joy so that we may sing praises to You with all our hearts. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. 

According to a pious account, the devout couple Joachim and Anna were unable to have children. They often prayed to God, asking for children. They promised that, if their prayers were answered, their child would be dedicated to serving God. God, who hears his chosen people ‘day and night’ (Lk 18:7), responded to their prayers. They had a daughter, whom they named Mary. True to their promise, they took her to the Temple in Jerusalem to serve God when she was three. Today’s holiday commemorates this event: the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple. During the service, we sing: “The Virgin gloriously enters God’s temple. She announces the coming of Christ to all…’ (Tropar). The liturgical texts also recall that the angels sang when the Virgin entered the Holy of Holies.  But why does the Eastern Church place such emphasis on the arrival of the Virgin Mary at the Temple in Jerusalem? Was her arrival really such an important moment? Yes! She entered the Temple at the age of three and spent her entire youth there in prayer and in the utmost purity, in order to become worthy of being the mother of God’s Son and our Redeemer. According to the Holy Fathers, the Virgin Mary accepted God as her Father and sought his grace. Despite her humiliation, it was because of her perfection that God chose her as the Mother of God and our Representative. Throughout her life, she set an example for us to follow, showing us how to find grace with God. A certain Catholic writer sought to convince his readers that anyone, regardless of their profession, can achieve holiness. He wrote, “Before God, there is no difference between scratching potatoes and building cathedrals. Neither potatoes nor cathedrals will enter the Kingdom of God. You will be judged solely on your good or bad intentions.” National artist Rudolf Deyl writes in his memoirs: “Many actors left the theatre rather than play the small roles assigned to them. They usually weren’t offered anything else. The great actors did not disdain small roles. There are no small tasks, only small people.’ We have not been given the extraordinary graces that have been given to the Virgin Mary, nor will we be. We have been given small tasks that each of us can handle. We all have our role in this world and need to fulfil it consistently. In one of his songs, the popular Czech singer Waldemar Matuška sings about his father, a modest man who was not particularly successful but who, because of his mindset, was greater than a king: ‘You can never lie down; you can’t be afraid of work. Just stand up for what you do and what you like.’

Very nice words! I wish they were applied in real life as well as in song. That’s what we believers are all about when we worship the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. It’s not just about singing beautiful songs about her and praying to her; it’s about following her example in our lives. The Virgin Mary was entrusted with an enormous task: to become the mother of the Saviour of the world. In her hymn, she herself acknowledges this: “He who is mighty has done great things for me” (Lk 1:49). God does not entrust us with such tasks. We only have small tasks, which are sometimes many and sometimes challenging, but still achievable. God asks us to fulfil these tasks to the best of our ability and to love them. If we follow the example of the Virgin Mary in this service, we too will find grace with God.

 Deprivation of freedom, erasure of memory, indoctrination of young people – these are three indicators of cultural and ideological colonization of all time. This week’s Bible readings speak of persecution by King Antiochus Epiphanies against the Maccabees and people faithful to the Lord’s law. What happened to God’s people happen every time a new cultural or ideological dictatorship arises on earth, which represents colonization. Think of what the dictatorships of the last century in Europe did and the schools of indoctrination they founded. Freedom will be taken, history, the memory of the nation will be remade, and an educational system for young people will be introduced. All [dictatures] do this, sometimes even in white gloves. For example: some state, some country is applying for a loan. – ‚Well, I’ll give you, but you have to teach this and ’ in schools, and they’ll determine which textbooks. From books that cancel everything that God created and how He created it. They erase differences, they erase history: from today it begins to think like this. Those who do not think like this will be left aside and persecuted.The also happened in Europe, where „THS who opposed genocidal dictatorships were persecuted, threatened, deprived of freedom, which ultimately corresponds to another form of torture. And at the same time as freedom, cultural and ideological colonizations also deprive memory, reducing it to „fairy tales”, fiction “, „obsolete  things“. Recalling the figure of the mother of the Maccabees, who encourages the sons to remain firm in martyrdom. To maintain the memory, the memory of the events of salvation, the memory of God’s people, that memory that gave strength to the faith of this people persecuted by cultural and ideological colonization. Memory is what helps us defeat every perverse education system. Remembering: having values in memory, having history in memory, having things in memory that we’ve learned. And then, this mother. The mother who spoke twice – as she stands in the text – ‚ in the language of the fathers’ – spoke in the dialect. And there is no cultural colonization that can win over the dialect the tenderness of ENSBA and the manly courage of the mother of the Maccabees, who finds strength in the historical roots of the language of the fathers in the defense of her sons and God’s people, forces her to think about it, that only the power of women is capable of resisting cultural colonization. They, mothers and women, guardians of memory, dialect, are able to defend the history of the nation and pass on the faith, which „theologists will then explain. God’s people advanced thanks to the power of many brave women who knew how to pass on the faith to children. And only they – mothers – know how to pass on faith in the dialect. May the Lord always give us the grace in the Church to remember, not to forget, the dialect of the fathers and to have courageous women.

Dear brothers and sisters! Nowadays, healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle are frequently discussed and written about. Everyone wants to be healthy. Therefore, let’s not be surprised when it spreads from time to time, either through advertisements or through folk healers, that some medicines are excellent for some diseases. Everyone wants to have it. And you may remember how a few years ago there was a lot of talk about a dairy preparation called “kefir “, then bee porridge, or the miraculous root “žň-šeň “, about a cactus preparation, about acupuncture, or the Japanese bracelet. We would like to have a medicine that would protect us from all diseases.

But just as we are exposed to physical diseases, we also suffer from character ailments. It is the vices of character that shape and deform us, causing us considerable suffering in our daily lives. Sometimes these mental defects are more unpleasant than physical illnesses. What is the cause of this suffering? It is pride and egoism that manifests itself as disordered self-love. She is the chief cause, the root of all sins, and all wits of inexplicable misery. It also has other consequences, so numerous that no psychologist has yet compiled a complete list of them.  Lord Jesus therefore advises us in this situation. “Whoever seeks his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for me will find it “(Mt 10, 39.

For a clearer understanding of this seemingly contradictory statement by Christ, let’s use an image. Let’s imagine a large circle with a clock dial displaying the numbers 3, 6, 9, and 12. Let’s stand in our minds at the place where there is a six. We place the neighbor on three and Jesus Christ on the most significant number, twelve. Let’s reread Jesus’ statement: “whoever seeks his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for me will find it. “For God’s sake, we can lose our lives by serving our neighbor, gradually, slowly, drop by drop, or violently, all at once – by martyrdom. For we move through three to twelve according to the words of Jesus: “Whatever you did to one of my least brothers, you did to me. “Nevertheless, our Lord, as God, needs nothing from us for his happiness, wealth, and glory. That is why it preserves and transforms all those values for us into ones that neither rust nor moth spoils.  

So we get them back through nine, and that’s eternal life. Whoever does not move everything that is apart from himself to God through his neighbor will lose everything one day. We cannot move things directly to God – from the left side through the nine. Jesus said: “What you did not do to one of my youngest brothers, nor did you do to me. Leave, I don’t know you! We realize this especially in this soulful time, how many people we would like to be with, and they are no longer here. They left us so quickly. One man said on his deathbed: Everything I have, everything I own is utterly useless to me now. In fact, I only have what I’ve given away in my life. Dear brothers and sisters, let’s turn temporality into eternity.

Before our eyes stands today the image of St. Elizabeth of Thuringia, who primarily understood the truth of this life and became a mighty conqueror of solitary love. She really gave away everything she owned to people experiencing poverty. She was led to this by a great passion for God through her neighbors.

Just as a house or a tall tower needs a deep foundation, love is built on humility. Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord Jesus, so humility prepares the way for love. Without humility, there is no love. From this, we see that Saint Elizabeth built her spiritual life on the foundation of humility. Humility is like a thread that unites all other virtues. Modesty has always been a source of incredible beauty and happiness among people. The Holy Scriptures confirm this for us, because “God opposes the proud, but gives his grace to the humble. This further reveals to us that she really chose a life of grace, a life of light, and therefore true wisdom, to see and know how to navigate the challenging and intricate events of her life. Lord Jesus said: “Whoever is greater among you, let him be your servant “. The apostle Paul wrote about it: “He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, namely to death on the cross. “He did it to draw us to himself.

Henry Neuwen put it in an excellent idea. “Whenever I am willing to overcome my false need for self-sufficiency and dare to ask for help, a new community arises – a community of the weak, which is strong in trust, that together we can be people of hope for this wounded svet “. The opposite of what we said is pride – it is the desire for superiority – to show our beauty, grandeur, wealth, and power. It is an excessive admiration of oneself.

In the final stage of this deadly disease, a person creates a law for himself; he becomes his own morality, a judge to himself, and ultimately a god. After all, this is what the evil spirit promised Eve in the beginning: “you will be like gods “. Man plays God. He sets his will against God’s will. However, we naturally do not value the rights of others, as we are primarily concerned with our own advantages and do not tolerate opinions that contradict our own. Today’s times have nice cover names for pride, such as success or self-confidence. Parents also often try to provide their children with less life happiness than success and a career. Charlatans in the field of psychology encourage us to trust ourselves instead of trusting God.

Therefore, the egoist criticizes, gossips, slanders, uses sharp words, and spoils the good reputation of his neighbor to highlight himself. Nevertheless, the paradoxical truth is confirmed that a proud person basically hates himself. This is because he himself feels in his subconscious that he is not as perfect as he pretends to be. And that evokes a complex in him. To cover up worries and anxieties, he appears harsh and even cynical. In this situation, a proud person has the opportunity to choose two paths of hatred: 1. or he begins to hate vanity, conceitedness, self-celebration, which harm his soul, and that is the path of purification, liberation, and finally healing. 2. Or he hates everything about himself that hinders his pride and perfectionism, so that he can feel like God, and that is the way to self-destruction. It is a clear foretaste of hell on earth. Such a person remains alone – he cannot be a gift to others. Our mighty soliloquy slayer, Saint Elizabeth, will undoubtedly stand out better today from this black thinking.

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary-Thuringia was the daughter of the Hungarian king Andrew II. and his wife Gertrude, originally from Bavaria. Already at the age of one, she was engaged to the Thuringian land count Ľudovít IV, who was eight years old at the time, for political reasons. However, they kept the little fiancée at their parents’ royal court until the fourth year, from where she was transferred to her fiancé’s residence in 1211, to Wartburg Castle in Thuringia. Although Mother Gertrude, the Hungarian queen, had a hard time saying goodbye to her little daughter, in the end, the queen won over her mother.

She was very ambitious and longing for property. After the messengers of the Thuringian prince who came for Elizabeth, she said: “Tell your master that I wish him well-being and pleasure and that he does not despise the little. If God allows me to live, I will multiply the dowry richly, I definitely promise that”. Her father, Ondrej II, was also a power-hungry person, which was reflected in his wrongful attempt to obtain the royal crown belonging to his brother, Imrich. Although his father, Belo III, had tried to compensate him for this damage with a large amount of property. Well, that wasn’t enough for him. He attacked his own brother with the army he was supposed to use for the crusade. Despite the loss, because his brother almost died, he became the Hungarian king.

As soon as Elizabeth reached the age of 14, she married Ľudovít. The young couple understood each other well and lived happily. They had three children: Hermann, Sofia, and Gertrude, who became a religious and is venerated as blessed. Elizabeth lived in a happy marriage. The Thuringian princely court was known for its love of luxury and had a long-standing dispute with the ecclesiastical authorities, particularly with the Archbishop of Mainz. Ľudovít inherited from his father not only the throne but also the curse that the archbishop of Mainz had imposed on him, and it did not lift it from him until his death. Although he was innocent, access to the sacraments became impossible for him. His first concern was to rid himself of the curse, which he ultimately succeeded in doing. This whole atmosphere reflected Elizabeth’s way of thinking and way of life. She was a devout Christian, devoted to the Church, and lived.

She enjoyed the princely property, but not for herself, but for the poor and sick. She was generous enough to spend huge sums on alms, establishing hospitals and shelters for abandoned children, especially orphans. The count’s relatives took a dim view of Elizabeth’s actions, but her husband, Ľudovít, respected her, sincerely loved her, and did not hinder her in her way of life or her charitable endeavors. It didn’t take long. In July 1227, after a six-year marriage, her husband died of plague in southern Italy during a crusade. At that time, Elizabeth was waiting for the birth of her daughter Gertrude. After her birth, her husband’s relatives began to pressure Elizabeth. They took her children, refused to recognize her inheritance rights, and expelled her from Wartburg. Elizabeth went from a princess to a beggar. Fortunately, she was taken in by an abbess and a kinship bishop, as well as her last confessor, the well-known preacher Konrad of Marburg.

Konrad recovered specific property and money from her inheritance. However, she dedicated herself to building a hospital in Marburg, where she then personally served the sick. In 1228, she settled in Marburg, where she was spiritually guided by her confessor Konrad, whom she had known since. 1225. Elizabeth loved helping the sick, poor, and elderly by building shelters and working in a hospital near her modest home. She refused an offer to return to Hungary. She preferred to live the rest of her life in exile. She engaged in menial tasks such as spinning and carding yarn, cleaning the dwellings of low-income individuals, and fishing for leisure. Her new life regime lasted only two or three years.

Let’s see how her spiritual leader, P., expressed himself about her. Konrád: “Elizabeth immediately excelled in virtues. Because she had been the comforter of people with low incomes throughout her life, she began to be the full breadwinner of the hungry. At one of her castles, she had a shelter built and collected many sick and weak people in it. She generously distributed the blessing of love. And not only there, but in the entire territory that belonged to her husband’s authority. She had exhausted all her income from her husband’s four principalities, so she had sold all her garments and valuable clothing to benefit people experiencing poverty. As a rule, twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, she personally visited all the sick and treated those who were particularly repulsive among them. She fed one, repaired the bed with the other, took others on her shoulders, and showed them many other services of humanity. And when her husband died, longing for the highest perfection with many tears, she begged me to allow her to beg from home. Once on Good Friday, when the altars were exposed, she laid her hands on the altar and renounced her own will, all the glory of the world, and everything that the Savior recommended to leave in the Gospel in the presence of a few. When she did this and saw that the hustle and bustle of the world and the worldly glory of the region, where honors surrounded her during her husband’s lifetime, could entice her, she came to see me in Marburg against my will. There she set up a kind of shelter in the city, gathered the sick and infirm, and seated the poorest and most despised at her table. And although she was so active, I speak before God that I rarely saw a woman so inner. Some nuns and religious sisters often saw her face glow admirably, with the sun’s rays emanating from her eyes as she emerged from the seclusion of prayer.

Before I died, I confessed to her, and when I asked what should be done with her property and furniture, she replied that everything she had seemingly owned for a long time belonged to the poor. She begged me to give them everything, except the flimsy clothes she was wearing, and wanted to be buried in. Then she received the Lord’s body and spoke until the evening about the best she had heard in the sermon. Finally, in deep piety, she recommended to God all who were with her, and as if she fell asleep sweetly, she breathed her last breath.

She died 4 years after a 24-year-old man on November 17, 1231. Her life was shortened by strict renunciation and submission to strict guidance. She was buried in Marburg. Already 4 years after her death, Pope Gregory IX declared her a saint. It was confirmed in her life that modesty not only beautifies our earthly life, but according to the promise of the Lord Jesus, when everything returns to us from “twelve to sixku “, it opens the way to heavenly life for us. This is the real medicine that will cure everyone of their crooked character.

On November 18, the Roman Catholic Church commemorates the anniversary of the consecration of the two most important churches of world Catholicism – St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and St. Paul’s Basilica outside the walls. These temples are closely connected to the lives and legacies of the apostles Peter and Paul, who confirmed their devotion to Christ through their faith and martyrdom.

According to tradition, Saint Peter was buried on the Vatican Hill, where he died on the cross during Nero’s persecution of Christians. Saint Paul, beheaded by the sword, was laid to rest on the Ostia road outside the walls of Rome. Emperor Constantine the Great had magnificent basilicas built over these places of piety in the 4th century to preserve their memory and thus allow the faithful to worship the apostles at their graves.

St. Peter’s Basilica, the original building of which was constructed in 324 under Emperor Constantine I (306–337), was in a state of disrepair in the 15th century. Pope Nicholas V (1447–1455) decided to build a new basilica that would be a worthy symbol for the Christian world. Construction took more than a century, with the best architects of their time – Bramante, Rafael, Michelangelo, and Bernini participating in the project.

Today’s St. Peter’s Basilica was completed on November 18, 1626, during the pontificate of Pope Urban VIII. (1623 – 1644), It is one of the architectural gems and is the largest Christian temple in the world. Its massive dome, designed by Michelangelo, is an iconic symbol of Rome. At the same time, the main altar, beneath which St. Peter’s tomb is located, is a vital place of prayer and a destination for pilgrims.

Her current project is worth mentioning: visualizations using artificial intelligence, which will be launched on the threshold of the Holy Year on December 1, 2024.

The Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls is an equally impressive work. The original building was rebuilt and expanded under Emperor Valentinian II. (375 – 392) and later decorated with mosaics, frescoes, and columns. However, in 1823, the temple was destroyed by a massive fire.

The restoration under the leadership of Pope Leo XII. (1823 – 1829) and Gregory XVI. (1831 – 1846) brought a return to her beauty and festive character. Today’s building, consecrated by Pope Pius IX. (1846 – 1878), It is decorated with portraits of all popes, frescoes depicting the life of Saint Paul, and a reliquary under the main altar where his remains are housed.

Pope Pius IX. ordered that the anniversary of the consecration of the basilica be celebrated together with the anniversary of the consecration of St. Peter’s Basilica on November 18. This occurred on December 10, 1854, at the conclusion of the celebration marking the declaration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, in the presence of many bishops from around the world.

Both basilicas represent the spiritual pillars of the Catholic Church. Their importance is also highlighted by the obligation of bishops to visit these temples every five years during visits ad limina apostolorum, which not only symbolizes but also realistically builds the unity and continuity of the Church.

 Around 165 BC, the pagan king Antiochus Epiphanes came to power in the region of Palestine. He saw the Jews’ loyalty to their covenant as an obstacle to his power over them. He began to forbid them from practising their customs and traditions, even by force. Anyone who rejected his decrees was put to death. It was a dark period for Jerusalem, during which many Jews gave up hope. But God remained faithful to them! He chose Judah the Maccabees and his brothers from among them to avert this calamity. They inspired the people with their words and courageous testimony, encouraging them to fight against Antiochus’ tyranny and uphold the covenant.

It was a bloody war, but the Maccabees were victorious in the end. Antiochus was defeated, and the Temple was dedicated to the Lord once more. Since then, many people have been persecuted for their religion. Remember the sacking and plundering of Rome during the time of St Augustine, as well as the many other religious wars that represent a dark chapter in our history. Consider the Russian pogroms against Jews in the late nineteenth century and the anti-clericalism of the Spanish Civil War.

However, at such times, God has always raised heroes to lead and encourage people to persevere, and to protect the unarmed and the most vulnerable. Only some of us have a mission similar to that of the Maccabees of Judah. Nevertheless, we should all strive to live our faith heroically and meaningfully. Through our words, we can bring hope to the despondent. By bearing a peaceful testimony full of joy, we can show others how to remain faithful even when faced with pressure to conform to the world’s way of thinking. And through prayer, we can change the course of history! In today’s prayer, thank God for all the heroes and heroines from the past. Then pray for all those who are currently experiencing real persecution for their religious beliefs. After all, they are our brothers and sisters, and they need our help and support.