Third Sunday A of Lent John 4,5-42

Posted on 9. March 2023 by Peter Prochac

Do you know the story about Living Water? Do you know how it starts? Yes. Where it was, there it was… A fairy tale is a literary form that especially wants to teach and educate children, and let’s add that at the end of a fairy tale, good, and truth always win.

Do you know the story about the Samaritan woman with whom Jesus talked at the well? Yes, we heard about it in today’s Gospel. The incident is not made up. Even today, he wants to remind us of many important things. We were baptized with water. We started a new life. And in this season of Lent, we should not only prepare for the Easter holidays but cooperate more with Christ for our salvation.

We are reminded of this by the words: “Many Samaritans from this city believed in him because of the word of the woman” (Jn 4:39).

The meeting of the thirsty Jesus at Jacob’s well with the Samaritan woman is an invitation for us to reflect on the rediscovery of the truth about “living water”. Jesus begins the conversation with the woman with a request: “Give me a drink” (Jn 4:7). The woman does not know that at the end of this meeting she and the Samaritan town of Sychar will believe in Jesus as the Messiah, although the Samaritans did not associate with the Jews. Jesus’ request to the woman became a gift, which the woman did not immediately understand, although she granted the request of the unknown Jew. She hands him water from Jakub’s well, and he offers her “living water”, after which one will no longer feel thirsty, a truth that the woman cannot yet understand. Only when Jesus, in the power of an all-knowing God, tells her about her five husbands. Here, with God’s help, the woman realizes her desire for the Messiah. Jesus introduces himself to her: “It is I who am talking to you” (Jn 4:26). So the conversation takes a new turn. The disciples are surprised when they see that their Teacher is talking to the Samaritan woman, and an even greater twist occurs when Jesus refuses the food and talks about another food: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (Jn 4, 34). The water that Jesus began to talk about becomes a reality when the apostles receive the command before Jesus’ ascension: “Go therefore, teach all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the world” (Mt 27,19-20). Here begins a new era of water, when the command of Jesus becomes “living water” for the whole world until the end of the world. Even then, this water entered the bottom of the Samaritan woman’s soul, and she confessed her sin. This water opens the way to God’s love for the believer,

Lent is a time to revive your relationship with “living water”. It requires asking some basic questions and truthful answers.
Do we even know “living water”? We ask about the meaning of life, fo,r whom, and why t. live? Even a Bantu man prays to his God like this: “Mulung, there are two roads ahead of us. Show which one is good. Mulung, there are two glasses of water ahead. Tell us which one is healthy.”
The Samaritan woman also had similar journeys. She went for water to live. She believed in the God whom the Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim. Her moral life was not good. Although the water she drew from the well was clean and healthy, she was drinking the water of sin in her life. She changed men, and the one she was living with at the time wasn’t hers either. Jesus gives her the water of mercy, living water.
Our immoral life, living not according to God’s commands, but living in sin is similar to the Samaritan woman before meeting Jesus. It is up to each of us to stop and reassess our life about the sacrament of baptism, what we took on at baptism, and what obligated actions, duties, and also rights. We are invited to drink living water, not the water of sin. Only when we do the will of God can we quench our thirst. We are not in the world forever. We are invited after the end of our earthly life to another, eternal life, where only living water can ensure our entrance. It is necessary to choose again the living water that God gives because only it can fully satisfy us.

In Greek mythology, we can read about the suffering of Tantalus, who stands in water and suffers greatly from thirst. He can never quench his thirst. Every time he puts water in his mouth, it evaporates in his heated mouth.

The prophet Jeremiah calls out: “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, to dig for themselves cracked cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jer 2:13). Every person endowed with reason and the free will chooses between living water and unhealthy, between a life that the Church teaches and is morally good and a life outside the Church. When the woman recognized the taste of the water offered to her by Jesus, she left the bucket with which she was drawing water and hurried to the city to share with others with joy.
When a Christian listens to the words of Jesus, he should be aware that he is called to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, who wants to teach him everything he needs for his salvation. A Christian begins to enjoy “living water” from the moment of baptism. He should actively remember it during the sacrament of confirmation, the sacrament of Christian maturity so that he professes his faith and lives according to it. This is how a Christian should realize that he is a son and daughter of God the Father, a brother and sister of Jesus, and a permanent sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Being a Christian means using water during the sacrament of penance to cleanse the soul and during the sacrament of the Eucharist to ga row love for God, being, harbor, and oneself. When receiving the anointing of the sick as a reinforcement to endure illness and possibly old age. In the sacraments of marriage and priesthood, “living water” gives the chosen state of man the necessary graces for its implementation. So this water is everything to us.
Jakub’s well still exists today. As tourists, we can descend to a depth of 23 to 35 meters, depending on the weather, whether it is raining or dry. “Living water” is in the deep, and the Samaritan woman needed a bucket to draw the water. Jesus wants to remind us that the bucket is the person himself, our heart, our will, and our return to God. “Living water” is in each of us, we don’t have to look for it. Sv. Ignatius of Antioch felt her power at the moment when he was about to die, it gave him strength and courage ge, and he was looking forward to meeting Jesus, although before that he had to find himself in the teeth of a wild animal. After baptism, we have to draw this water for our duties, and tasks of everyday and festive life.
Christians are therefore often similar to a region with rare mineral water. What about the fact that the water is deep when they don’t want to bring it to the surface? The water in the well can also be lost when it is not pumped. If a Christian does not cooperate with God’s grace, he may lose “living water”. We can compare the bucket too, for example, the sacrament of reconciliation. When we have committed a sin and receive the sacrament, then through this sacrament we receive the graces necessary for a new life. Therefore, the sacrament of reconciliation cannot be taken lightly, received sacrilegiously, because the requirements are not met and “living water” does not reach the surface. It is the same when receiving other sacraments. We are to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, who is an inexhaustible source of “living water”.

It is right that we can draw “living water” daily for our life needs. Especially in prayer, when observing the Ten Commandments and other church commandments and God’s word, “living water” becomes a source of new graces. We have examples from the Virgin Mary, and saints, but also from our own lives. Today we are witnessing that many people do not appreciate and value water. They pollute water resources, endanger themselves, and destroy life in their surroundings. And so it is with “living water”. Whoever pours it out, underestimates it, pollutes it often with sin, is planning his destruction. We must realize that whoever receives “living water” often becomes “living water” for others. “On the last great day of the feast, Jesus stood up and cried: “If anyone is thirsty and believes in me, let him come to me and drink. As the Scripture says, streams of living water will flow from within him” (Jn 7:37-¬38). Whoever receives the Spirit becomes an apostle, he wants to give God to others. The Samaritan woman left the bucket and hurried to the city. The Virgin Mary rushes to Elizabeth. Ondrej goes to see brother Šimon – Peter.

In the Roman catacombs above the graves of the martyrs, you can see a painted rock from which a stream of water gushes. In the early days, this is how Christians reminded themselves of their faith in Christ. The source of life and the image at the same time reminded them of baptismal water.

We know why we tell children fairy tales. When a person grows up, he realizes the reality of life and it is not a fairy tale that the story concerns someone else, but each of us is responsible at least for the salvation of our soul. Therefore, in this year’s Lenten season, it is right that we pay more attention to the obligations, but also to the graces that are connected with “living water”, the sacrament of baptism.

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Wanted God Jesus’suffering?

Posted on 8. March 2023 by Peter Prochac

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

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Wealth and poverty. We are interested in each other.

Posted on 8. March 2023 by Peter Prochac

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

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

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

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

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

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Humility.

Posted on 7. March 2023 by Peter Prochac

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

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

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

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

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

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Hallowed be thy name.

Posted on 6. March 2023 by Peter Prochac

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

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Humility is a beautiful virtue.

Posted on 6. March 2023 by Peter Prochac

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

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

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

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

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

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THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD.

Posted on 5. March 2023 by Peter Prochac

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

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

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A great man knows how to forgive.

Posted on 5. March 2023 by Peter Prochac

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

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

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

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

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Perfection.

Posted on 3. March 2023 by Peter Prochac

Perfection is everywhere. Even in politics. Great personalities behaved peacefully. In India Gandhi, although he was not a Christian, the teachings of Christ were not unknown to him. Also, Martin Luther King was a black preacher in the USA. However, both died from the killer’s shot. They loved their enemies but hated them.

The Lord Jesus says to us: “Be ye therefore perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).

The commandment to love one’s neighbor is the adornment of every person. Jesus tells us the familiar words: “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Mt 5:39). In the book of Leviticus, we read the command that the nation received from God through Moses: “…an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (21.24) and in the book of Leviticus: “…a fracture for a fracture, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth…” (24.20).

These words coincide with the oldest law in the world called Lex Talionis, which was in the code of Hammurabi, who reigned in Babylon from 2285 to 2242 BC. The meaning of this law is that a wrong done to another must be repaid with the same wrong. This law also made it into the Old Testament. However, this law has already been beneficial. Well, not so bloodthirsty, but we can evaluate it as the beginning of mercy. Until then, blood revenge was valid. We understand that this was a characteristic feature of primitive tribal society. The law suppresses the revenge of the entire tribe. If someone from another tribe was killed, the tribe swore revenge on all members of the killer’s tribe. And here is the progress. The law of retribution limited revenge because only the one who committed the murder was to be punished and not the whole tribe.

Jesus stood against this law when he said: “Do not resist evil” (Mt 5:39). The command needs to be explained. It does not mean that we should not defend ourselves against physical or moral violence. This is not what Jesus is thinking about. Passivity towards violence would lead to senseless conclusions that do not agree with God’s wisdom. According to Christ, the believer can and should fight against the occupiers of the state, thieves of his property, violence, etc. The Christian recognizes prisons, the army, and the police, to maintain peace, and prevent violence… The man before God must have responsibility for entrusted things.

However, Jesus points out some personal rights that a person can renounce in favor of higher values. The Gospels tell that the Lord Jesus did not behave completely passively towards evil. We know that he healed, drove out the money changers from the temple, defended the apostles against false accusations, and when the servant hit him, he asked: “If I said wrong, prove what was wrong, but if right, why do you beat me” (Jn 18,23)?

Don’t we hear the plea? Lord, make us an instrument of peace…? If so, let’s learn a prayer to ask for peace of soul, strength to resist sin, and peace for our duties.

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Posted on 3. March 2023 by Peter Prochac

Second Sunday A of Lent

Invitation to personal transformation (Mt 17:1-9)

Lent is the time to be able to accept Christ on the cross when we want to have the joy of the resurrection.

It happens that someone is a role model, an example, of an encouragement in life. We admire him. We forget to realize that even these people have their difficulties, failures, personal defeats. A young lady wants to be a model, but she dreams of it in a pastry shop over a plate of desserts and whipped cream. The words of the doctor he heard during the last visit to the office – more movement, less irritation, and stress – the man realizes when he hears that his friend has just died with the same diagnosis and was not fifty years old.
We do not perceive Lent only by the purple liturgical color, that the glory is not sung at mass, and that more is said about the suffering and martyrdom of Christ. It is right that we perceive Lent as a time when Jesus himself invites us to a personal transformation of life.

Let us recall this serious matter of personal transformation with the event when: “Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John with him and led them up a high mountain into solitude” (Mt 17:1-9).

The event of the transfiguration of the Lord has its place in Lent. Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem. He himself knows that capture, torture and death await him. The apostles will witness all this. He wants to prepare for these events these three disciples, with whom he has a plan, who will become the first spreaders of the faith, pillars among the other disciples. On the mountain, they experience the event when Jesus talks about what awaits him with Moses and Elijah. They feel great when Peter wants to build three stalls. He does not know what awaits him and does not know future things, and he does not yet understand why all this. The apostles change their minds when they hear a voice from the cloud: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Mt 17:5). Then they realize the fact. They fall on their faces, which is the expression of the Jews towards God, and they are afraid. They heard the voice of God the Father and realize that Jesus is the Son of God. The fear will pass only with the words of the Teacher Jesus, so that they should not be afraid and on the way back they will receive an order: “Tell no one about this vision until the Son of Man rises from the dead” (Mt 17,9). Only later, after the resurrection of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit, do the apostles realize the significance and magnitude of the experience, to which the apostle Peter returns with the words: “For we did not follow invented fables when we introduced you to the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we ourselves were eyewitnesses witnesses of his glory. He received honor and glory from God the Father, when a voice came to him from the glorious glory: “This is my Son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice; it sounded from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 16-18). Only later, after the resurrection of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit, do the apostles realize the significance and magnitude of the experience, to which the apostle Peter returns with the words: “For we did not follow invented fables when we introduced you to the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we ourselves were eyewitnesses witnesses of his glory. He received honor and glory from God the Father, when a voice came to him from the glorious glory: “This is my Son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice; it sounded from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 16-18). Only later, after the resurrection of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit, do the apostles realize the significance and magnitude of the experience, to which the apostle Peter returns with the words: “For we did not follow invented fables when we introduced you to the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we ourselves were eyewitnesses witnesses of his glory. He received honor and glory from God the Father, when a voice came to him from the glorious glory: “This is my Son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice; it sounded from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 16-18). He received honor and glory from God the Father, when a voice came to him from the glorious glory: “This is my Son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice; it sounded from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 16-18). He received honor and glory from God the Father, when a voice came to him from the glorious glory: “This is my Son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice; it sounded from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 16-18).

The event on the mountain had a personal impact on the lives of the apostles. Working with the Holy Spirit, the apostles change their attitude toward Jesus. We were not direct participants in the transfiguration of the Lord, but the testimony of the apostles is a call even today to everyone who believed Jesus’ words. Jesus suffered and died for each of us. Lent is a time to draw as much as possible from the apostles’ experience of the Lord’s transformation for our life of faith.
We are to ascend our mountain of transformation. The ascent to God can take place when we enter into our reality, into the depth of our life. Spirituality from below does not see the path to God as a one-way street on which we get closer and closer to Christ. Rather, we can compare the path to God in our life to various detours, wandering in an unknown region, to various disappointments, including ourselves. We do not often open ourselves to God with our virtues, but rather with our weaknesses, our poverty, and even our sin.
In the Scriptures, we see not only perfect personalities, and perfect people as an example of faith, but especially those who recognized and experienced serious offenses against God, and only then turned to him, cried out to him, and with God’s help found God.
In Egypt, Abraham disowned his wife, Sarah, referring to her as a sister to benefit from it. Therefore, Abimelech, king of Gerar, had her abducted to his harem. God Himself intervenes in a dream and Abraham, the father of faith is freed from his lie (cf. Gn 12:1-20). Abraham no longer lies and faithfully fulfills the will of God.
We know about Moses – the leader of the nation, that he was a murderer at first. Subsequently, he has to survive his misery so that he can fulfill the will of God after meeting God in the burning bush.
Thirdly, David, the exemplary king of Israel, the prototype of other kings. He is very guilty when he sins sins with Uriah’s wife. Only when sin has been punished is David pleasing to God.
We know from the Old Testament that many had to go through the difficult paths of their guilt and sins, their helplessness, to put their hope only in God, and thus they could be transformed by God into a model of faith and obedience to him.
In the New Testament, we see the transformation of Simon Peter, when at first Peter wants to prevent Jesus from going to Jerusalem, where Jesus is to die. Jesus even calls Peter Satan and commands him:
“Get out of my way, Satan! You offend me because you have no sense of God’s things, only human things” (Mt 16:23). Peter has to live through the personal experience that he cannot vouch for himself, he even denies Jesus (cf. Mt 26:75). It is correct that the Gospel does not embellish Peter’s denial. Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. And it was on these that he founded his Church. He commissioned Peter to lead and manage the Church. Peter recognized that Jesus did not call him a rock for himself, but for others. Peter knows from his experience that the rock is not him, but only faith, which he must cling to remain faithful to Christ in temptations.
The greatest apostle St. Paul also has to go through the mountain of transfiguration. For Paul, it is an event at the gate of Damascus. As he lies on the ground, he realizes his helplessness.
We can also recognize from these examples that we will experience God only when we climb our mountain of transformation and recognize our powerlessness without God in our lives. Only then will we acquire a feeling for what is called grace? Even aft? er, we have experienced him, God allows us trials that are meant to protect us, even if we often don’t want to understand them. Sv. In the Letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes about himself for our instruction: “A thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, who strikes me on the face so that I do not exalt myself” (2 Cor 12:7). Paul preaches the Gospel even though and guidance he suffers. This is how we come to believe that God’s power works in us all the more strongly, the greater the weakness in us. We recognize God in our weaknesses, as St. Paul: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10), (cf. from the book A. Grün, Spirituality from Below, Carmelites 1996).
God has a plan for each of us. It is up to us to be open to his voicecomeour hope is only faith in his divinity, so that we can climb our mountain of transformation.
It is also prepared for us to see an open gate so that through faith we can look into heaven and not be afraid of the cross with which we buy our eternity. After the storms of life come days of calm and after the clouds come to the sun.
Physicist Davy had the words engraved on his tombstone: I have hope. They are words that speak the truth. Our hope is God. Only in God do we have our hope. Only he will not disappoint us. Jesus teaches us to remember that our hope is only faith in his divinity. In that spirit, let’s overcome all our wrong and bad ideas about God and learn his words. Therefore, people often lose faith because they turn away from God and face eternal destruction because they have bad ideas about God.
There is shocking ignorance even among Christians. Let’s ask about the definition of sin, the main sins, what is satisfaction, what should be said at the beginning of confession, what is important during Lent, and so on, and we will get answers that we don’t even need to watch the show “Even the wise make mistakes”.
Many of those around us who are non-believers or matric Christians expect us not to be so silent about our faith. We realize that our examples attract. If we personallthat even care about salvation, we must also care about the salvation of our dearest and those with whom we live. We are not a community of perfect and perfect people, but of those who are not indifferent to how we live. Lent is a time to know and be able to do more for the salvation of your soul and the souls of your brothers and sisters.
Only once in eternity will we learn who helped us in the crises of faith and life with silent sacrifices, and prayers, bearing their crosses in silguidancepersonallunderstand them,ence, and devotion to the will of God. What about us?
Can we not engage in such activity and help others to find, discover and give the right response to the invitation of God to climb his mountain of transformation?

We don’t want to dream like a candy store girl. When we know how to accept the advice of the doctors of the body, the more we want to accept the calls of the doctor of doctors – Jesus regarding our salvation. Fasting will pass, but it will not return. It’s time to start today. During this Holy Mass, continue praying for the necessary graces.

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