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An interesting legend is about St. Jude, the well-known patron saint of those in need, whose feast day we celebrate today. In ancient Turkey, there lived a king suffering from a severe illness. He heard about Jesus and wrote him a letter asking him for healing. Along with the letter, he also sent an artist who was to draw the face of Jesus. Since Jesus could not go to the king, he sent Judas with the artist’s painting. Thanks to the portrait and Judah’s prayers, the king was healed. That is why St. Jude is still depicted with the image of Christ’s face in his hands.

This legend says something about Judas but also other saints. They didn’t heal anyone themselves. In the legend, the key to the king’s recovery was the image of Jesus. All the healing power that the saints had was from the Lord. “He bore our sicknesses and was burdened with our pains… with his stripes we are healed” (Is 53, 4-5). Jesus is our healer, our comforter, our Savior.

This legend illustrates yet another important fact: Jesus needs saints. Judas was an ordinary man, a sinner whom Jesus redeemed. But God commissioned him to bring healing and hope to thousands – and he continues to do so today, many centuries after his death. Jude shows us that we carry in our hearts the treasure of the Holy Spirit, which gives us the power to change the world in the image of God. He shows us that we can become saints just like him.

Have you ever looked in the mirror so that you did not see yourself in it but in the image of God? Like Judas, you, too, bear the face of Christ. His divine life flows in you. Even if you don’t perform miracles, He lives in you. Therefore, give him thanks for this grace. Praise him for creating us “capable of sharing in the light of the saints” (Col 1:12). Look for the opportunities it gives you to share this light with the people around you.

One of the topics discussed before the synodal assembly was the ordination of women as deaconesses. However, according to the Crux Now portal, the synod participants say it is too early. They told the media that while various topics are being discussed, no decisions will be made on specific issues, such as the issue of deaconesses.

Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi from Tokyo, during a briefing, when asked if the time has come to decide on the diaconate of women, replied that there are different opinions on it within the synod.

According to him, there is also a difference in the understanding of terminology, which is highly dependent on cultural background. According to him, there are very different opinions on this issue, so it’s almost time to decide.

According to Irish religious Mary Teresa Barron, president of the International Union of Superiors General, the issue of women’s diaconate is on the table.

“The beauty of the Catholic Church is that we have both ends of the spectrum in terms of what we believe,” she said, indicating the different perspectives on the issue.

Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius, Lithuania, and president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE), also thinks a decision is unlikely. “Focusing on different services in the church, or discovering new services in the church, is part of the discussion,” he declared to the media.

“Very often, we try to put things in black or white, yes or no, go or stand, but I think the discussion that is going on is one of how we live the church in a completely different way or the same way in a better dialogue,” he said.

A prayer for migrants and refugees led by Pope Francis in front of a bronze statue in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday, October 19, 2023, was part of the synod delegates’ program. 

The Syrian nun Houda Fadoul, representing the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Middle East, pointed to her experience leading a women’s congregation in Syria. He considers it essential that “each of us, male or female, takes his role and uses the gifts in the church, regardless of who he is.”

This week, the synod also considered the church’s authority, the need to avoid clericalism, and various elements of authoritarianism in leadership.

Evangelism in the digital world was also a key point of discussion, with many participants noting that young people are increasingly online, making the internet a new form of “mission territory” for the church.

According to Archbishop Grušas, regarding specific decisions or conclusions for the topics themselves, they will not come this year or next.

The archbishop sees many issues, such as the position of women in the church or the inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in the church. According to him, these questions will be around for a while. He pointed out that the synod does not seek to decide on doctrinal or dogmatic issues.

Grušas perceives that the goal was to allow the participants to express their opinions and let the problems “bubble” along the way. He says, “There is no preconceived notion of how it will end at the synod, which takes a bit of faith when walking into the unknown.”

“As much as people would like to see some decisions made, I think the process is more important here than the conclusions,” he said.

What does the day of a synod participant look like?

Finally, let’s look at the human side of the event – how do the synod delegates live these days?

I get up around six. 30-year-old priest Ivan Montelongo from El Paso, Texas, one of the eleven delegates from the USA, told the Catholic News Agency about his usual synodal day.

If the everyday morning mass is not celebrated in the Basilica of St. Petra, it is at 7:00 a.m. along with other priests residing in the Pontifical North American College. This is followed by a quick breakfast and transfer by minibus to Paul VI Hall, where synodal meetings are held.

The work program starts at 8.45 and ends at 12.30, interrupted only by “sacred moments” for coffee. The American delegates will have lunch and a siesta in their college on the nearby Gianicolo hill.

The afternoon program lasts from 4:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., followed by dinner in the college and a free program used to prepare work documents or relax. The day, of course, ends with evening prayer.

The youngest synod participant, 19-year-old Wyatt Olivas from the American diocese of Cheyenne, who is in the Eternal City for the first time, is trying to use the little free time to get to know Rome.

“I am very grateful to be here and to participate in this historic moment in the church’s life. I am ready to return home and bring all the wealth I saw here,” said the young college student.

When talking to the younger ones, the elders sigh: It wasn’t like that in our time. Now is the wrong time. A person’s most incredible wisdom is to live honestly and responsibly. We cannot change what happened yesterday; we try to learn from it. And we don’t have to worry about what will happen tomorrow when we experience what we are experiencing now as we have.

The Lord Jesus tells us: “How is it that you do not know how to judge the present time? Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is just?” (Luke 12:56). The Lord Jesus called us to this world in these circumstances. He would have taken care of it if he had wanted us to live in the past or the future. From this, you can also sense the wrong teaching of some religions about reincarnation. But about that in another place. Old age, illness, and increasing years are signs of the times the meeting with God is approaching. True, we do not want to remember this. The Lord Jesus said: “..Hypocrites, you can judge the appearance of heaven and earth. How is it that you do not know how to judge the present time? Why do you not judge for yourselves what is just?” (Luke 12:56). These words speak of our frequent irresponsibility towards God’s things. We care about transient things but not about eternal things. And yet eternal things cannot be put off. Jesus points out this to us in the parable of the journey with the adversary to court. The debtor is sued in court because he does not want to pay. The only option is to use the road to court and get it sorted out on the way because it is sure that he will lose the court case and find himself in jail until he pays the debt to the last penny. The parable’s meaning is that we are all debtors, and the one who invites us to the court to repay the debt is Jesus Christ. In this context, God is the judge. God gives us the last opportunity to take advantage of the seriousness of the present hour and cope with the offer of the Lord Jesus to live for him and with him. Our judgment is approaching, so it is necessary to act quickly while we are still on the road, that is, here on earth. Otherwise, we risk imprisonment.

What is the sign of our times? What does God ask of us in this hour?  The life we ​​have entered is unparalleled in human history. Excellent scientific and technical progress brings difficulties that were unknown in the past. Today, we often talk about ecology, the pollution of our planet, and not only the land, that trees are drying up, barrenness is increasing, and the desert is growing, but we are infesting our rivers, oceans, and seas. The air is unbreathable. Scientists discovered the ozone hole, which causes the temperature in the air to rise, the so-called greenhouse model, and one more essential thing: man has lost not only his face and becomes a stranger to each other, but he has also lost a view of his soul, he has stopped caring about the most important thing: What am I in the world for?

That’s why this gospel sounds the alarm so that we use all our abilities given so that now, and not tomorrow, we can recognize what God asks and wants from us in the first place. Time and difficulties remind us to think about our future and our death.

The great philosopher Thomas Carlyle once wrote: “Let everyone become what he is capable of becoming, what he was created to be.” A better definition of success, I can’t think of it. Life is a daily challenge to maximize our abilities. We succeed if we go within our abilities to the highest goal – giving our best. The quote before this chapter says that success is about doing, not getting. I want to emphasize this point to you. Life from us doesn’t want us to always be on top. It only asks us to be at the top… to do our best in our current experience. That’s precisely what successful people do in some of the most critical areas of life:  Successful people take life as it is, with all its difficulties and challenges. They adapt to it rather than complain about it. They accept responsibility for their lives rather than blaming others or making excuses. They embrace life despite its negatives and always make the most of it.
Successful people develop and maintain a positive attitude towards life. They look for the good in other people and the world around them and usually find it. They see life as a series of opportunities and possibilities that must be explored. Successful people build good interpersonal relationships. They can perceive the needs and feelings of others. They are considerate and polite. They can inspire others to perform at their best; successful people have a sense of direction and purpose – they know where they are going. They set goals, achieve them, and then put more. They like to take on challenges. Successful people crave new knowledge about life, the world, and themselves. Themselves. Learning is a pleasure for them, not an obligation. They are constantly enriching their lives with new knowledge and self-improvement. They are always discovering something new and growing internally. Successful people are active. They finish what they start because they are unafraid of hard work and have no time. They use it creatively. They don’t get bogged down in routine, and they don’t get bored because they’re always looking for new experiences.
The moral level of successful people is high. They know that honesty is
one of the most essential parts of a reasonable person’s character. They honor the truth in their personal and public lives. Successful people understand the difference between merely existing and living and always choose real life. They get the best out of life because they put their best to it. They reap what they sow. They rejoice in life as much as they can.
What opportunity do we have to be genuinely successful? Many people in today’s society … don’t take advantage of their opportunities. Perhaps it is that their environment doesn’t encourage them; maybe it holds them back… SIA, creativity, and society’s growth depend on how much we can develop people’s talents and abilities. John Gardner: This quote was printed in large letters and hung on my classroom wall for years. It reminded me and my students that many have not realized our self-fulfillment. John Gardner was Secretary of Health, Education, and Social Services, founder of the Common Course, and author of several books. He wrote that too many people must take full advantage of their abilities in one of them. This is because of environmental influences. I agree with him. We are blinded by much information that has nothing to do with success. We’re forced to look for quick fixes instead of focusing on our internal resources. If we focus on them, we will find them and our capacity remains untapped. We will only end up realizing our limitations, not our possibilities.
But once we become aware of this situation, we can do something about it, and that’s the positive thing about the whole thing. That’s why I used to have another one alongside Gardner’s quote: Good news: You have the best part of your life that may be ahead of you. And if you choose to take advantage of it, neither in age nor in It doesn’t matter at all – because you have yet to start using 90% of capabilities and have yet to discover them. This is not just word, but downright incredible news!
Tim Hansei
Tim Hansel is an adventurer, speaker, author of six books, and a man who wants to get the most out of life. He’s also a former colleague and close friend of mine. When we taught psychology together a few years ago, he constantly urged our students to look inward and inside themselves. To discover what’s good in them and what their potential is. We encouraged them to become more and do more. What a surprise it was to find that these 18-year-olds had never done anything like this before. About a year later, I challenged the University of San Francisco students to do the same task. They were in their thirties and forties; some were older. And guess what I learned? They had never studied anything about their capabilities. At the end of the extensive class discussion, one forty-seven-year-old woman summed up the issue this way, “I would say that …you’re right. We spend a lot of time on superficial activities. We seem to be we don’t realize our potential.” But as she reminds us in the quote, Thus – it is good that many of us have yet to discover our possibilities. And that’s also one of the most important messages of this book. Whether we are young or old, whether we have a nine-year degree or a doctorate, we can still learn something about our possibilities, about how to become the kind of person we are capable of becoming. Looking inside ourselves, we will find the resources needed to become successful people.

One of the paradoxes of Christianity is that many Christians still need to live as faithful followers of Christ. This tension of “good” and “bad” members found in the Church is foretold by Christ in Matthew 13:24-30. * Mt 5:13-16: “You are the salt of the earth. If the salt is lost, what will they salt it with? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.”* Mt 13:1 – 9: “On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And when he came to Jesus, he went down to the sea, sat on a table, and sat in the middle of the sea. Great multitudes were gathered around him. Therefore, he got into a boat and sat the whole multitude on the shore. He told them many in parables: The sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some grain fell by the wayside; birds came and devoured it. Others fell on the rocky ground where they had not much earthed, and immediately they sprang up, for they were not deep in the earth; but when the sun rose, they burned, and because they had no root, they withered away. Again, others fell into the thorns, but the thorns grew up and choked them. Other grains fell into the good ground and brought forth a crop: One a hundredfold, another sixty-fold, and another Thirty-fold. He that hath ears, let him hear.'”
Other quotes
MM3, 24-50 Mt 7:15-2 3
MJc3,19 Mt 26:69-75
Jn 6:70 Lk 22:54-62
MMO, 1- 4 ;er32, 22 – 25
Some Christians, as in the case of St. Peter, having denied Christ three times, fell into grave sin and do things that arouse Public outrage but are ultimately restored by God’s forgiveness and grace. Others persist in their iniquity and give the Church a bad name for their evil deeds. This fact of sinful men and women who are members of God’s covenant people is also seen everywhere in the Old Testament. Once again, we are confronted that God’s grace is more powerful than our sin. St. Paul wrote to Timothy: “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself” (2 Tim 2, 13).

 Maybe it will surprise someone, but we are God’s debtors. We owe him respect. Illustration photo: cathopic.com They say that only taxes and death are certain in life. Paying taxes is rare. On the one hand, they finance public services such as education and healthcare, but it seems to most that they pay too much. We are not against taxes, only if we spend less. The hesitant willingness to pay is fueled by constant information about the tax fraud some individuals do and accomplish. Many will always need help to figure it out. Paying taxes is not just about collecting money from earning individuals. It’s a question of justice. We live in society; we are not abandoned islands; we bear joint responsibility for the whole society, not just for ourselves. The more successful we are, the more we should be in solidarity with those who, for various reasons, are not successful. Failure is not a matter of (in)ability. Sometimes, it is due to a bad social environment, few opportunities, lack of education, or simple illness. This is also what taxes are for. Jesus didn’t give many instructions about money, but most people know the phrase “give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” He should have uttered it to present economic theories. He responded to legal experts who looked for weaknesses in his communications and statements to question his authority. The fact that the Jewish people lived under the rule of the hated Romans offered them an excellent opportunity to pressure Jesus into a response that they believed would expose him as a traitor. His mission would be discredited and de facto over if that were the case. But the Master took the question of whether taxes should be paid from a different angle and presented a principle that is still valid: to give every one what is due to them. If we look at things this way, we will rather understand that each person has certain obligations that result from the environment in which they live. We are employees, students, parents, spouses, believers, citizens. Each of these categories has not only its rights but also obligations. We know about them, and we try to preserve them. If we don’t do it, our conscience will accuse us. But justice in the spirit of Jesus’ words has two scales. Justice to the “emperor,” society, school, work, family – various worldly realities. And then there is righteousness toward God. It may surprise someone, but we are God’s debtors. We owe him respect. We are to treat God as God. To realize that there is an insurmountable difference between us. “If a person stops worshiping God, it does not mean that he stops worshiping. Worse, he can bow down to anything.” We need him, not him us. God does not owe us anything; we do owe him. We are to worship God. This is not a matter of debate or discretion but an obligation from which one cannot be freed. That belongs to the Lord. Honoring God can be divided into small things in the form of prayer, but especially in the form of liturgical life. For Catholics, the peak of worship is the Holy Mass. Some people have such a mistaken image of themselves that they think this topic does not concern them. It is a fact that in today’s over-individualized world, many live in an illusion. They are said to be in complete control of life and its possibilities. They are self-sufficient, often have excellent material security, and think they are independent of anyone and anything. Even independent of God. They live as if they don’t need it. This lie leads to a dead end. The classic says that if a person stops worshiping God, it does not mean that he stops worshiping. Worse, he can bow to anything. As St. Paul says in the Letter to the Romans, it is not so difficult to exchange the Lord for some material things on an imaginary scale of values. People can worship success, money, beauty, education, and music. Transient things that will play a small role in the final reckoning before God’s face. Giving everyone their due thus remains a lifelong task. We will not get rid of her. Every camouflage, cheating, insincerity, and falsehood will return to us with interest. So, let’s be reasonable and not experiment with life. Let’s behave responsibly so that no people can say we are egoists without solidarity. It’s a matter of justice. We are giving everyone what is due, not forgetting the Lord. To believe in him, to worship him. Every day as long as we live, because we need it. He is not a despot who punishes our mistakes but a kind, merciful Father who waits patiently for us to come to our senses.

Fire. It helps a person, and we all use it. As the heat radiates, or to start a fire for roasting or to light a torch during a night game, fire can also make proper mischief, such as a fire. In today’s Gospel, we heard the Lord Jesus say: “I have come to cast fire on the earth, and what do I want?” Only for it to catch fire!” (Luke 12:49).

Jesus came to bring fire to earth that moves the ice of this world. In contrast, he mentions the baptism with which he will be baptized: fire and baptism. Fire can symbolize God’s word (cf. Jer 5:14), but also God’s definitive judgment (cf. Is 66:16) and thus the coming of God’s kingdom. To the statement about the fire, Lukáš added an allusion to the baptism with which he is to be baptized, which Mark also mentions. (cf. 10,38). Baptism is an image of Jesus’ suffering and death. Luke puts these words together to reveal another meaning: casting fire on the earth will only be possible after Jesus’ death. The fire is the Holy Spirit, which will descend on the apostles on Pentecost. This is how he mentions the words of John the Baptist: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Lk 3:16). This is how he predicted Christian baptism, which began on the day of Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the appearance of tongues of fire (cf. Acts 2:3). Jesus’ mission is therefore to cast fire on the earth, to send the Holy Spirit with his renewing and purifying power.

How do we see it in a specific case? The great Spanish writer Lope de Vega was on his deathbed. His life was playing before his eyes like a movie. He had many successes, and people embraced him with applause all his life. He enthused more than a thousand of them with theater plays. He lived only for success – and shouldn’t he be satisfied at the end of such a successful life? As his last hour approached, he suddenly saw things differently. But the attending physician told him, full of admiration: “You can die happy. The world will not forget you; you will go down in history as a great person.” “Mr. Doctor,” said the dying man, “now I recognize that only the great one with a good heart is before God. How I would like to give all the successes of my life now to be able to do one more good deed.”

Let us not wait for the end of our life like this writer, who realized that a good deed is more than worldly fame. Let’s not wait because we don’t have to have such grace as he had. Love is like fire. It mustn’t expire. That’s why you always have to burn something. Above all, our selfish “I.” Because whoever loves focuses on the other: God by fulfilling his will and the neighbor by helping him. If he puts himself on a lit fire, however small, it can one day turn into a big flame. The flame of love, peace, and universal brotherhood that Jesus came to throw on earth.

It is interesting to follow anonymous people from your surroundings. What can be read from faces, hand movements, body posture, steps… Even more from what they talk about, how, what they talk about most often… Even more about what is their life’s priority, why they live… 

Today, writing horoscopes, creating various predictions, answers to a person’s activities, their condition, physical, psychological, intellectual, emotional… Many people are interested in the weather tomorrow before going to bed and in various burdens. On the organism, different bio predictions… Books explaining dreams, about arrangement, zodiacs, books…, …books that offer guaranteed instructions for solving all kinds of difficulties and other books provide the creation of human imagination based on “science,” maybe buy today in various bookstores, stands, or kiosks. Advertising agencies offer courses, meetings, and instructions for a successful life. Exceptional healers with extraordinary abilities are appearing… There is a wave of movements, communities, and churches that claim to be able to mediate and guarantee what people dream about and what they wish for, without effort, sacrifices, and only for a reasonable fee. And reactions to these and similar activities? After completing them, the psyche is even worse; the condition is worse, the wallet is empty, disappointed, and a feeling of greater emptiness; the subsequent condition is much worse than at the beginning. The question arises: why? There are many answers. They agree on one thing. They bet on the wrong value. They bypassed God.

Jesus tells us clearly and emphatically: “He who has received much, much will be required of him…” (Lk 12:48). Jesus encourages, leads, directs, directs, and takes care of his “little flock,” the Church. We know that the Lord Jesus always fulfills the will of the heavenly Father. He rightly requires his people to be vigilant. We are taught about the responsibility for knowing God’s will. To live in the presence of God. Today’s gospel is a challenge for us – to listen. To listen to our God, who has a kingdom prepared for us, to which entrance cannot be bought, but to which entrance is ensured by bags that do not rub, where the thief does not get and where the moth does not destroy.

In today’s society, both the economic, cultural, political, and sports fields, the principle is more and more valid: to be vigilant, to be alert, to be on the lookout if we want to prove something, to succeed, to gain…, the more to be awake means for lasting values, eternal. In our time, it is more and more often talked about as apocalyptic. We have signs that call us to be vigilant. Man’s life is genuinely waiting for our Lord. Waiting must not become inactivity, doing nothing, or dead immobility. Christ – our Judge, has the right to come at any time.

Jesus said not only to his disciples: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Lk 12:34). Jesus teaches responsibility for entrusted values. A call to approach life on earth responsibly. We believe that Jesus will come to the world once more at the end of time. He illustrates his second coming with two images from everyday life: the vigilance of the householder against thieves and the vigilance of the servants who await the return of their master from the wedding feast and, therefore, are dressed in work clothes and have burning candles in their hands, to immediately open to the Lord, when he comes and knocks on the door.

Through the Gospels, we are given advice and instructions to use our hands to enrich ourselves by working for others. Jesus’ words remind us: “He who has received much, much will be required of him, and to whom they have entrusted much, more will be required of him” (Luke 12:48).

Have you read that 90 out of 100 people can be called suicide? Why? Because they sleep little, sit in a smoky room, poison themselves with alcohol, overeat, spend a long time in front of the television and other things – drugs, games… Let’s not underestimate the slavery of the senses of sex. Even 99 people out of 100 do not live in the present. Some cannot escape the past, while others worry about the future. And they do not live the present moment, the present life; they spoil it, they make it unpleasant, and therefore such a life cannot be called art! Let’s not be the gravediggers of our happiness. The words of Jesus apply: “Be people who wait for their master…” (Luke 12:37).

How often does personal, family, and social happiness collapse? It is suitable to learn to live with others. Knowing how to watch over your senses, reactions, feelings, will, nature… Being masters of your nerves, keeping them under control. Whoever knows how to live correctly does not lose sight of life’s clear and noble goal because he learns repeatedly to be a child of God before God, people, and himself. The art of living teaches you to manage yourself, demands, requirements, values, etc… Yes, you need to have the right teacher, demanding, strict, who loves and to whom we should reciprocate our love with our obedience, loyalty, and fulfillment of his will. It is the Teacher – Jesus. Life is not a game, but constant cooperation and readiness to meet expectations. The world will enrich the human art of living. The words of Jesus lead to appropriate responsibility: “He who has received much, much will be required of him, and to whom they have entrusted much, of him they will ask more” (Lk 12:48).

The responsibility for the nation lies with the president, prime minister, deputy, and every person. The responsibility for their diocese rests with the bishop, the priest, and every believer. That’s how it is in the family, workplace, and school. Whoever considers life a great gift from God approaches the events in his life responsibly. Therefore, a wise Christian learns from the mistakes of others and lives fully with God. This is how the “art of living” principle is implemented.