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Feast of the holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Matthew 2,13-15, 19-23
The Holy Family is a model of communication We have a really beautiful day today… Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. The designation “saints” places this family in the realm of holiness, which as such is a gift of God, but also a free and responsible consent to God’s plan. This was the case of the Nazareth family: it was fully at the disposal of God’s will.
Who could not be amazed at, for example, Mary’s submission to the actions of the Holy Spirit, who asked her to become the mother of the Messiah? After all, Maria, like every young woman of that time, had before her the realization of her life plan, that is, to marry Jozef. But when she realizes that God is calling her to a special task, she does not hesitate to call herself his “servant” (cf. Lk 1:38). Jesus highlights her greatness not so much for her role as a mother, but for her obedience to God. Jesus says: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk 11:28), just like Mary. And even if Mary does not fully understand the events that affect her, she silently contemplates, ponders, and adores God’s actions. Her presence under the cross finally sanctifies this complete surrender of hers.
But as far as Joseph is concerned, the Gospel does not capture a single word of his. He does not speak, but acts in obedience. He is a man of silence, a man of obedience. In today’s Gospel (cf. Mt 2:13-15, 19-23), this obedience of the righteous Joseph is captured three times – during the flight to Egypt and the return to Israel. Under the guidance of God, represented by an angel, Joseph takes his family out of the reach of Herod’s threats and saves them. The Holy Family thus identifies itself in solidarity with all the families of the world who are forced to emigrate, it identifies with all those who are forced to leave their land because of oppression, violence, and war.
After all, the third figure of the Holy Family is Jesus. He is the will of the Father: in him, says St. Paul, there is not both “yes” and “no”, but only “yes” (cf. 2 Cor 1:19). And this was manifested in many moments of his earthly life. For example, in the event in the temple, when he answers to his parents, who were anxiously looking for him: “Did you not know that I am supposed to be where my Father is?” (Lk 2:49); or his repeated statement: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me” (Jn 4:34); or his prayer in the garden on the Mount of Olives: “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from me and I must drink it, let you will be done” (Mt 26:42). All these events are a perfect realization of the very words of Christ, who says: “You did not want a sacrifice or a gift… Then I said: ‘Behold, I come… to do your will, O God.'” (Hebrews 10,5-7; Ps 40.7-9).
Maria, Joseph, Jesus: this is the Holy Family of Nazareth, which represents the congregational response to the Father’s will: the three members of this family help each other to discover God’s plan. They prayed, worked, and communicated with each other. And I ask: Do you know how to communicate with your family, or are you like those kids who are at the table and everyone is chatting with a cell phone in their hand? At such a table there is silence as at mass… but they do not communicate with each other. We have to start a new dialogue in families: parents, children, grandparents, and siblings have to communicate with each other… This is today’s homework, just on the day of the Holy Family. May the Holy Family be a model for our families, so that parents and children support each other in faithfulness to the Gospel, which is the basis of the sanctity of the family.
FROM Let us believe in Our Lady, the “Queen of the Family”, all the families of the world, especially those that are tested by suffering or difficulties, and let us ask for her maternal protection.
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Simeon’s prophecy, Luke 2, 22-35
It would be very difficult to imagine a group of people committing original sin without laws, orders, and regulations that help guide the actions of life. They become a guide, guide, help. Laws must not harm. Although they often carry sanctions and punishments, we understand them as useful for society.
Even the Church has its regulations, laws, tea, and things, but they do not deprive us of freedom of decision. Every man who enjoys reason and free will must be aware of the reward or punishment of his life. This Gospel also tells us about the order of the Law of Moses on the day of purification, which reads: “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord”, and that they should sacrifice, as the Law of the Lord preaches, a pair of turtledoves or two pigeons” (Lk 2, 23).
Even Mary and Joseph, who are husband and wife before the world, know the Law of Moses. They know about the Law that God gave to Moses that “every firstborn among your animals and every male will belong to the Lord” The Law continues: “You must redeem every firstborn among your children. And when your son asks you in the future: “What does this mean?”, you will answer him like this: “With a strong hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. Since Pharaoh was reluctant to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborns in the land of Egypt, from the firstborns of humans to the firstborns of cattle. Therefore, I will now sacrifice to the Lord everything that opens the mother’s womb, if it is male, and I will redeem every firstborn son of mine” (Ex 13:12-14). This is to be a sign that the Lord brought the nation out of Egypt. Moses also determines the time of purification in the Book of Leviticus. It was on the fortieth day after the birth of a boy and the eightieth day after the birth of a girl. During all this time, the mother did not appear in public. After the birth of the boy, the mother was considered Levitical unclean for 40 days and therefore underwent a purification ceremony in the temple. Even with this provision, the law reminded the Jews of the general prevalence of sin to arouse in them a desire for mental purification.
Mary was conceived without sin, she became a mother in a supernatural and holy way, therefore she was not sinful and therefore not subject to the purification ceremony. However, out of humility and obedience to the sacred Law – so as not to offend anyone, she submits to this provision and on the fortieth day after giving birth, she goes to the temple to undergo the ceremony and sacrifice her Son to God. We see that the poverty of the Holy Family is manifested even in the sacrifice of purification. The rich were supposed to sacrifice a lamb. Poorer families were allowed relief and had to give two doves or two pigeons as a sacrifice. There lived in Jerusalem a man named Simeon, a just and religious man, who expected the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not die until he saw the Lord’s Messiah. Led by the Holy Spirit, he entered the temple. And when the parents brought the child Jesus to fulfill the Law, he took him in his arms and praised God with the words: “Now, Lord, you will let your servant go in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all nations: light for the enlightenment of the Gentiles and the glory of Israel, your people” (Luke 2:29-32). We see that Joseph is referred to as the “father” of Jesus, although in reality he is only an educator. Simeon’s words speak of the future persecution of this “child”. When they persecute the Son, his mother will also suffer. There will be a sorting of spirits in Israel and in all of humanity. People will be divided: some will follow Jesus, others will stand against him, of course, to their own detriment and destruction. Simeon’s words were later confirmed by Jesus himself during his ministry: “I have come to set the son against his father, the daughter against his mother…” (Mt 10:35). Jesus will also say about himself: “I have not brought peace, but a sword” (Mt 10:34). The law of Jesus can be known nowadays by every cultured person. None of us can pretend that we don’t know him. We also know that ignorance is no excuse.
Today’s saint – Tomas Becket and the martyrs under King Henry II can also be an encouragement to us. Tomáš is his best friend. He makes him chancellor and together they oppress the Church. After the death of the old bishop of Canterbury, although Thomas resists, the king appoints him bishop. Tomas will change. It is the power of the Holy Spirit, which he received during his priestly and episcopal ordination. Friends became enemies, but only from the king’s side. Thomas defends the Church with his own life. He used to be against it, he was zealous for the king, but after the ordination, he is zealous only for the honor and glory of God. He was forced to flee to England. As a monk, he lives in France. But his place is at home, in England. Here he dies on the steps of the altar under the swords of the knights. The king came to his senses and repented.
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Love for enemies.
In our language, the word enemy sounds rather drastic. Therefore, more than one person will easily assure us that he had no enemies. In Scripture, on the other hand, this expression is frequent, especially in the Psalms. Its meaning, however, is milder. It simply means a person who has wronged us in any way, even lightly, by words or taunts. In this sense, we have, understandably, we have many enemies, more than the hairs on our heads (Ex 39:13).
In the Gospel, the emphasis is explicitly on this, that we should not exclude even such from Christian love: You have heard that it was said: You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you: Love your enemies, and pray for those who..for your enemies, for those who persecute you… For if you love those who love you love them, what reward can you expect? Don’t the tax collectors also do this? (Mt. 5:43-46). Enemies, then, have a special significance in our spiritual development. For it is in them that the purity of love will be shown, love of neighbor which gives and does not expect it back, the love of God and typically Christian (agape). For by this the disciples of Christ are known (cf. Jn 13:35). It is natural to love the one who does good. But at the first wrong, affection stops and one appeals to the principle: “As thou hast done unto me, so I do unto thee!”
The Gospel asks more of us. It is for this reason that he asks. What are you doing strangely? (Mt 5:47) A practical remark concerning the love of enemies is given by P. Calcagno. He says that with real enemies life is not so difficult as “with enemies in imagery, those we have made for ourselves.” Especially those who are inclined to be impatient, carry in their memory every unpleasant word, and draw so many consequences of every insult that they soon feel as if they were in a lion’s den. If they change places, it goes on for a while, but soon they find someone to hurt them again. About such people like that, they have to endure themselves more than their enemies.
Two thousand years of Christian tradition have left visible traces in the social behavior of cultural peoples. The rules of decency dictate many outward forms of charity: one must yield to one’s elders, give way to the other, offer food, etc. He who does not want to be rude observes all this. But we know from experience how disgusting it is outward politeness where inward affection is absent. St. Paul exhorts Christians to have charity without guile (Rom 12:9). This does not mean that we must cast off outward forms of decency as hypocritical, but we are to try to revive them, to give them meaning. For this, of course, cheap goodness, and joviality, are not enough, but a real inner respect for the other and an effort to serve him.
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The personality of John the Apostle.
The rules of social behavior say that when we meet someone for the first time, and it is necessary, we should introduce ourselves, or we should be introduced by a person who knows both of us. Let’s make a small exception today. We all know the person of John the Apostle. Let’s remember what he tells us about himself, or others so that it can serve to enrich our spiritual life. The name John is of very old origin and is one of the world’s most widespread names. In Hebrew it sounds Yochanan and means: God is gracious. Latin calls John Joannes. English – John, Johny, Jack, French – Jean, Spanish – Juan, Italian – Giovanni, Hungarian – János, Polish – Janusz, Serbo-Croatian – Jovan, Russian – Ivan, and so on. John’s parents were Zebedee and Salome. The mother was in the company when Jesus taught, and her two sons were Jesus’ disciples (cf. Mt 27:56). Salome served when Jesus taught (cf. Mt 15:40). John was a fisherman. John and his brother James with their father Zebedee and the hired workers were repairing the nets when Jesus passed by and called them. They left their father and followed him (cf. Mk 1:19-20). John the Baptist then said to his two disciples Andrew and John: “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:35). Then they left John the Baptist and became disciples of Jesus. Even in the congregation of the apostles, John received a designation from Jesus. He was at the first miracle in Cana of Galilee. When Jesus went to resurrect Jairus’ daughter: “He did not allow anyone to follow him, except Peter, James and John, the brother of James” (Mk 5:37). At the transfiguration we read: “After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain and was transfigured before them” (Mk 9:1-3). When preparing for the Last Supper, Jesus personally entrusted John with the preparation: “So he sent Peter and John and said: “Go and prepare a lamb for us to eat” (Lk 22:8). The story continues with the Last Supper, where we read about John words: “The disciple whom Jesus loved rested at Jesus’ chest” (Jn 13:23). Jesus during his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane: “… he took Peter, James, and John, and terror and anxiety seized him” (Mk 14, 33). We can see the greatness of John in the eyes of the Lord Jesus, even under the cross of Jesus. So when Jesus saw his mother and next to her the disciple whom he loved, he said to the mother: “Woman, behold your son!” And from that moment the disciple took her to himself (Jn 19:27). We also see John’s personality at Jesus’ appearance at the Lake of Tiberias, when the apostles could not bring out the many fish they had caught. Here the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter: “It is the Lord” (Jn 21:7 ). This is what John himself says from his own life. In the fifth book of the New Testament, in the Acts of the Apostles, we feel the authority young John enjoys with his fellow apostles. On the way to the temple in Jerusalem, together with Peter, they healed a lame man (cf. Acts 3:1n). Together with Peter, we also see him performing the sacrament of confirmation in Samaria (cf. Acts 8:14-25). But even at the Diet in Jerusalem, together with Peter and James, he is considered a pillar of the Church (cf. Gal 2:9). The next performance of John leads us to Ephesus. Whether St. John lived in Ephesus, or whether he died somewhere in Palestine as a martyr, allegedly caused by the Jews, is also related to the authenticity of his Gospel. Christians and orthodox Protestants claim that Ephesus was John’s place of work, where he also died. Rationalists say the opposite. If we were to examine all the pros and cons, the general opinion, even from Protestants, is that John lived in Ephesus. Behind our opinion, we see St. Irenaeus, St. Justin, and Clement of Alexandria, who are behind Ephesus. John had a sanguine-choleric nature. That’s how Jesus rated him and his brothers when he called them “Boanerges” – “Sons of Thunder”. When the Samaritans did not want to accept Jesus, these two brothers wanted to punish them: “Let fire come down from heaven and destroy them!” (Lk 9:54). In the dispute about primacy among the disciples, he showed inappropriate zeal (cf. Mk 9:37). However, he was willing to suffer with Christ right away, as we know from his mother’s request to Jesus to grant her sons to sit in his kingdom, one on the right and the other on the left (cf. Mt 20:23). He shows his talent even in his old age. He had a good memory. For example, he remembered exactly when and where he met Jesus for the first time: “It was about ten o’clock” (Jn 1:39). From his work we have preserved the Gospel, which he wrote as the last of the evangelists around the year 100, probably in Ephesus. He wrote it to refute Jewish, Gnostic, and Baptist errors. He wrote three more letters and the Apocalypse – the last book of the Holy Scriptures. This is a brief, though it doesn’t seem like it, introduction to John the Apostle.
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The Birth of Jesus Christ.
A loving Christmas holiday wishes my reader Dr. Peter Prochác
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Feast of Saint STEPHEN, first martyr, Mat. 10, 17-22
Imagine the pre-Christmas rush. You have a head full of worries, about what else to do, buy, arrange, and when shopping, you find that you don’t have a wallet. Tears, shame when returning the purchase, the journey home. What all goes through a person’s mind? And at the door a young man, maybe 18, 20 years old.
“You are” – and says your name. “I brought you a wallet. Surely losing it now before the holidays would spoil your joy.” You take your wallet, and open it, nothing is missing, not even a crown. It contains your business card. Tears in my eyes again. A young man laughs. It can be seen that he is very happy that someone is happy, even though he has tears in his eyes. You want to say thank you and – he is already hurrying away. You call for him to come back, you want to reward yourself, and he just waves at you with a smile and calls: “Happy and blessed holidays!”
When hearing about this event, someone remarked: “That is a true witness of love.”
Today’s saint – St. Štefan rightfully has first place among the witnesses. We can say that he is a challenge, a reminder to each of us. The word “witness” does not yet express a positive value. We know about witnesses with destructive charges. A witness can also be spoken of in connection with a quantity. Martyrs, confessors, and witnesses certainly have their place in heaven… To be a witness according to the example of St. Stefan cannot be reached quickly. It requires time, effort, renunciation, self-control, perhaps even standing up, and not once, but seven times, also knowing and being able to forgive, to say sorry, to rise above the insult, to be able not to remind the forgiven, also to want to learn, and so on. To be a witness according to the example of St. Štefana is demanding, but dear to God.
Lord Jesus reminds the apostles: “But he who endures to the end will be saved” (Mt 10:22).
What to endure? Jesus points to the national status of the witnesses of his love. For the name of Jesus, it is necessary to “protect yourself from people”. Do not mindlessly avoid them. Protecting yourself from people means not putting your soul in danger. The sin and malice of men cannot bear the truth. It is precisely for her that they reach not only for the honor of those who live according to Christ’s words but also for their bodies. Jesus predicts to his faithful that they will be judged for the truth, they will be scourged, interrogated… But even then they will not be alone. The Holy Spirit will be with them. He instills in them what to say, how to act, how to act, and how to behave. God will bear witness to true love and truth through his enemies even in front of his enemies. In the Old Testament, the prophet resists accepting the mission. When he unites with God, he will not only fulfill his mission and be a reward for him, but he will help many to persevere in faithfulness to God, as he asks.
In the Acts of the Apostles, St. is an example of faithfulness. John the Baptist, apostles, and St. Stefan. God speaks and acts through witnesses. They are a tool used by God to instruct, admonish and rebuke. God does not abandon his witnesses and is with them even when they die for Christ. They do not take suffering as a punishment, they do not approach it as outcasts, but as chosen ones. Death becomes a reward for the witness.
We see it today at St. to Stefan. Not Stefan, but God acts through Stefan, whom he filled with his graces, and powandthat he performed miracles and signs that did not escape the attention of people. God also leaves freedom to the wise, which means that wisdom is not yet a guarantee of the authenticity of testimony. A wise man does not yet have to be a true witness. Stephen must resist the wisdom of some of the synagogues of the Libertines, the thereness, the Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, who quarreled with Stephen. Stephen was shown the love of the Spirit who spoke through him so that all who came to oppose him were able to gnash their teeth and rage against him. God’s word is like a double-edged sword: it is salt in the wound, it is light that the lover of darkness does not accept, it is the leaven that does not accept you and GH, it is a fish that avoids the net… The truth remains the truth even when someone closes their ears t it when they want to silence her by stoning her. It happens that they often learn the truth too late and first someone has to die for it. In the Old Testament, they stoned and killed the prophets. Were the prophets true? God is still the same. The apostles, their disciples, and all until today who died for the Truth, that is, for Christ, his teachings, did not die, they live, and the promise is fulfilled on them that: “he who endures to the end will be saved” (Mt 10,22 ). The Church is alive today. The blood of martyrs, the work of believers, the testimony of virgins are the seed of new youth and vitality of the Church. he will be saved” (Mt 10:22). The Church is alive today. The blood of martyrs, the work of believers, the testimony of virgins are the seed of new youth and vitality of the Church. he will be saved” (Mt 10:22). The Church is alive today. The blood of martyrs, the work of believers, and the testimony of virgins are the seed of new youth and vitality of the Church.
Even today, the Church needs martyrs, believers, and witnesses. Why? Aren’t there many around us who want to silence the Truth – God, not only with their mouths but also with their false learning, usurped power, unhealthy selfishness,and pride? Various “Isms” of recent times is proof of this, and today other “Isms” hate God and everything related to God is their enemy. They are afraid of themselves. Stupidity breeds stupidity. They do not want to learn that the truth is only one and unchangeable – “Veritas una est et mirabilis.”
None of us can say that we do not need the testimony of the faith of others. But we too must bear witness to others. We need each other not only for a healthy natural life on earth, but we need each other for a life of faith. After all, we live under the pressure of the world, the flesh and the devil, and even today the words of the apostle St. Peter, that we should be vigilant, because the devil, like a prowling lion, goes around and cuts down whom he would devour. We know that sin and the devil are a reality even today. Often at the most sacred moment, the devil destroys peace, joy, and love… He cannot be satisfied when he sees someone else win. The witness must adopt the true values. It is not enough just to have the name Christian, or to declare that one is a Christian, for example in politics, when one is full of hatred, anger, unable to forgive, and unable to love. It is not enough to give a percentage of the income of one’s business to the church, when the property was acquired dishonestly, even if, supposedly, by legal privatization, when he forces people not to keep Sundays holy when he is a usurer when he is silent in the face of extortion when he does not respect his own body, does not protect his health… Why do we need such witnesses who cause the disintegration of families, when they sow tares when they take advantage of poverty and misfortune of people to gain a new follower. ?et’s see Jehovah’s Witnesses. Even the name is not a guarantee of authenticity.
A witness loves the truth, lives in the truth, guards against sin, has confidence and hope, and strives for the growth of love. A true witness of God will not give preference to anyone or anything before God, Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. A witness protects the honor of God, his neighbor and himself. He will give to God what is God’s and to Caesar what is Caesar’s. He feels the commandment of love as a benefit, and not as a burden. Honors and values old age, protects children from scandal. He respects his own life and the life of every person, both before birth and in sickness and old age. Therefore, he does not agree with abortion and voluntary death in old age and illness. The witness keeps his body not only in natural purity, but also in moral purity. Starting with his mind, eyes, mouth, gestures and touches, he does not offend his own purity or that of others. He respects the marital bed and the status of persons consecrated to God, celibacy, celibacy. The witness protects not only his own property, but also the company’s property, as well as his brother’s property. He does not reach out and appropriate what does not belong to him. Returns the borrowed item. He does not accept what does not belong to him, he gives the deserved reward and pays the wages that are due to him. A witness of God does not seek the good name and honor of his neighbor, does not slander or slander. He will not say evil, untruth about his neighbor, he will not offend. He knows how to apologize, ask for forgiveness when he has committed an insult or dishonest act. The witness has the right attitude towards public life. He does not remain silent when the honor of a woman or a man is lowered by advertising, in an inappropriate, incorrect, immoral and unethical way. He asks for correction from those who spread the baseness of human impulses. He does not buy, does not look at and does not own what God has determined to fulfill the commandment: Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Returns the borrowed item. He does not accept what does not belong to him, he gives the deserved reward and pays the wages that are due to him. A witness of God does not seek the good name and honor of his neighbor, does not slander or slander. He will not say evil, untruth about his neighbor, he will not offend. He knows how to apologize, ask for forgiveness when he has committed an insult or dishonest act. The witness has the right attitude towards public life. He does not remain silent when the honor of a woman or a man is lowered by advertising, in an inappropriate, incorrect, immoral and unethical way. He asks for correction from those who spread the baseness of human impulses. He does not buy, does not look at and does not own what God has determined to fulfill the commandment: Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Returns the borrowed item. He does not accept what does not belong to him, he gives the deserved reward and pays the wages that are due to him. A witness of God does not seek the good name and honor of his neighbor, does not slander or slander. He will not say evil, untruth about his neighbor, he will not offend. He knows how to apologize, ask for forgiveness when he has committed an insult or dishonest act. The witness has the right attitude towards public life. He does not remain silent when the honor of a woman or a man is lowered by advertising, in an inappropriate, incorrect, immoral and unethical way. He asks for correction from those who spread the baseness of human impulses. He does not buy, does not look at and does not own what God has determined to fulfill the commandment: Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. to ask for forgiveness when he has committed an insult, a dishonest act. The witness has the right attitude towards public life. He does not remain silent when the honor of a woman or a man is lowered by advertising, in an inappropriate, incorrect, immoral and unethical way. He asks for correction from those who spread the baseness of human impulses. He does not buy, does not look at and does not own what God has determined to fulfill the commandment: Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. to ask for forgiveness when he has committed an insult, a dishonest act. The witness has the right attitude towards public life. He does not remain silent when the honor of a woman or a man is lowered by advertising, in an inappropriate, incorrect, immoral and unethical way. He asks for correction from those who spread the baseness of human impulses. He does not buy, does not look at and does not own what God has determined to fulfill the commandment: Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
If ever we needed witnesses, it’s today. Today, the world needs educated witnesses, but also holy witnesses. The world needed witnesses yesterday and it needs us as witnesses today. It is right that we want to raise our children as witnesses for future generations. Our example and model, our character, and our responsible approach to the entrusted values are a memento for us. If this mission of witness is not a burden for us, but a joyful duty, then we believe in the words that: “God is a just Judge who rewards the good and punishes the bad” and we believe that: “the human soul is immortal and the grace of God is for salvation necessary.” God gives us many new graces during these holidays.
Janka was eighteen years old at the beginning of December. She is looking forward to the gift, long promised by her father, because her mother died when she was born. He knows that the gift will not be anything from cosmetics, gold or silver or electronics or textiles. Janka knows that it is a tape.
“What, ordinary tape?!” someone would ask. Yes. Janka will hear her mother’s voice for the first time, albeit only from a recording. Janka only heard good things about her mother from her father, grandparents, and acquaintances. The old woman told her as a little girl about how her mother looked, while she was looking at the album, the old woman’s experiences when her mother was still a little girl, and other things. After Christmas dinner, Janke’s father handed her a plain tape to put in the tape recorder. Her hands shook. She asked her father to do it. Janka looked at the Christmas tree and after a while, a quiet voice was heard, from which one could feel great joy, the zest for life, although the first words revealed that the woman was suffering a lot.
She spoke slowly: “Janka, my daughter! Today you are eighteen years old. You are an adult. Congratulations. You are a woman. My father and I agreed that if you can’t remember my voice, I will at least be able to address you this day. When the doctors discovered my illness, they told me to make a decision: do I want my death and my life? I didn’t hesitate for a moment. After prayer and conversation with God, I said: I want my child to live. I still didn’t know if it was going to be a boy or a girl. When you came into the world, you were small. You didn’t cry. The doctor showed you to me. You had beautiful black hair.’
The woman’s voice trailed off. After a while, he continued even more quietly and slowly. The eighteen-year-old girl’s face was pale as she listened. Janka knew from her father that her mother gave priority to her life over hers, although several doctors and people from the neighborhood could not understand this. Janka continued to listen. The last words were: “Janka, I believe in God that you will be happy because I will bless you from heaven.” I look forward to seeing you all in heaven one day. Your mother blesses you.”
Woman, wife, mother. A witness? Yes, witness! So relevant today… We realize that the holiday of St. Štefana, it’s time for a memento for each of us.
The young man did not wait for thanks when he handed over the lost money. His words: Happy and blessed holidays were not a phrase like many Christmas greetings.
Let’s pray: St. Stephen, the witness of the faith of the Risen One, pray for us to faithfully fulfill our mission as witnesses – Catholic Christians at the turn of the millennium.
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The Nativity of the Lord /Christmas/
God was born as a man (Jn 1,1-18)
Let us return God’s love. The priest tells: On Christmas Day, a little girl came to the sacristy. I asked: “What would you like?” She said: “That’s for you, Mr. Pastor.” And she handed me a folded paper. I opened it. A Christmas tree was drawn on it, and underneath it was written in children’s handwriting: “I like you, Mr. Pastor!” It was my best Christmas present in recent years. The little girl’s words “This is for you” expressed something quite personal.
On today’s most beautiful day of the year, God similarly – very personally – says to each one of us: This is for you. And he directs our gaze to his Son. The birth of Jesus Christ is proof of God’s love for us.
Evangelist St. John says about it: “The true light that enlightens every person has come into the world” (John 1:9). What does it mean that the true light that enlightens every person has come into the world?
Let’s imagine a father of a family who is experiencing a crisis of faith at the time of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus. He is troubled by how God, who is infinite, perfect, and almighty, could become a man and be born in such an environment. Therefore, he understands the birth of Christ as a beautiful, heart-catching legend – and nothing more. After dinner, he refused to go to midnight mass with his wife and children. But he couldn’t sleep. He heard geese hooting in the yard. He got up quickly. There were wild geese in the yard. They were tired and it was very cold. He felt sorry for them. He decided to let them into the empty barn. He opened it, and pure grain, but the geese did not want to go into the barn. They were afraid. Then he thought: If only I could be a goose for a moment and tell them in their language so that they would understand me, that I do not want to harm them. And then it was as if a light went on in his head. He realized that God had sent him geese, to help him remove doubts and unbelief regarding the birth of God. He understood why the Son of God came to earth and was born as a Child.
Today we remember one of the mysteries of our faith. The second divine person, Jesus Christ, came into the world. The evangelist John very wisely called Jesus the Word, in the Greek original “Logos”. At that time, this word was used with several meanings in philosophy and theology; also to denote the birth of some divine being from another, by an act of the mind, by thinking. Just as human thought is the “word” of reason, as if it were its fruit, so also the second divine person is the “Word”, that is, the fruit of the first divine person. Although already in the Old Testament this concept appears at least in its basic features, as teaching about “God’s wisdom” (Wisdom 7,22-8,1; Proverbs 8,21-31; Sir 24,1-25), but they have not yet come to the concept of God’s Word as a divine person. The Evangelist John uses this bold idea to express the mystery of the inner life of the Holy Trinity.
Christmas reminds us that God is our Father, that he loves us, and that he wants to give us the most precious gift. During the holidays, we especially remember and wish for health, peace, and love…
Jesus Christ came to complete the prophets and reveal to us how we should live and what to believe to gain eternal life in God’s kingdom.
God the Father could have arranged for his Son to be born in a different, comfortable, more humane environment, and he could be welcomed even by the powerful and famous of the world. God arranged things so that no one could say that Christ came into the world under better circumstances than those in refugee camps, prisons, outside the homeland, and the like.
Christ was born in such a way that no one would reproach him that his life and circumstances were easier. The birth of Christ in poverty and humility is eloquent and appealing, as well as the fact that he knew the exile in Egypt, the silence of Nazareth and that he could say: “Foxes have their hiding places and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Mt 8, 20). Jesus knew hunger, persecution, rejection, torture, and death because of us. He knew what it was to cry, to feel alone and abandoned… Nothing human was unknown to him. He became like us in everything except sin. All because he loved us. “God is love” (1 John 4:16).
When we look at the manger and say that the Child Jesus is laughing, that he wants to embrace us with his childish arms, we are reminded of the importance and need to return to God, to live in purity of heart, without sin, and to build a life of grace in ourselves. May the song of the angels: “Glory to God in the highest…” (Luke 2:14) be the beginning of our new acceptance of Jesus Christ and life with him. It is said that Pope Pius XII. had a telephone in his office that had one peculiarity: it was only one-way. The Pope could communicate with the whole world, but no one could call the Pope directly. He once sighed: “Nobody calls the Pope.”
Maybe sometimes it seems to us that God is too far away to find him, to “phone” him, to communicate with him. We realize what happened on the first Christmas. God came down to us, a two-way line was “established” between God and man. And so through Christ we can “telephone” directly to God, we can find him, communicate with him, and reach him.
Advertising for mobile phones has the slogan: “For people to talk to each other”. An advertisement for Christmas can read: “For people to talk to God”. God with us! Let us be penetrated by this joyous message of Christmas. We are not alone! May this message fill our hearts with joy and certainty that even in the greatest suffering and problems, in moments of small-mindedness and doubt, we are not alone. God is with us.
We need peace today more than ever. We hear the words terrorism, war, violence, murder, and death every day. Why? Is it not because we have not yet understood Christ’s coming to the world?
We have filled Christmas with many customs: firstly, finding presents, cleaning, decorating trees, cooking… How nervous we are many times when we simply can’t do something… But that’s not what Christmas is about. Christmas is a time when God tells us something very personal: I love you. Let’s free this Christmas from unnecessary haste so that we can also say to God: Lord, I love you. What has changed over the years about the birth of the Lord Jesus?
On Christmas Eve 1914, there was peace in the trenches of the Western Front of World War I. No shooting. But despite this, the weapons remained aimed at the enemy’s trenches. A group of English soldiers began to talk about how they spent this holy evening at home. Suddenly they heard distant singing. They leaned over the edge of the trench and listened. It was a German Christmas carol that echoed from the enemy trenches. When the enemies finished the song, the English soldiers were speechless. After a moment, one of them broke the silence. He began to sing a well-known English carol. Gradually, others joined him. They sang loudly, so loudly that it could be heard by the German trenches. As soon as they finished, the Germans immediately started singing the song Silent Night. The English joined in their language. And so the same song was heard in two languages on the battlefield.
The English suddenly noticed. A German soldier came out of the enemy trenches. He walked slowly and waved a white cloth. When he got closer, they saw that he was holding packets of chocolates in his other hand. All the soldiers slowly came out of the trenches. The battlefield became a neutral ground, where they shook hands, and gave each other candy, cigarettes, and alcohol. They showed each other photos of their loved ones, from whom the war separated them. There was only one battle that night – and that was to win the Christmas Eve football they ended up playing.
Finally, they returned to the trenches. They pointed their guns at each other again. But it was not the same for these soldiers. The enemy was no longer faceless. Now they were friends who could gift each other, who played football. The silent holy night, the night of the birth of Jesus Christ, befriended these hostile military forces. The next day, both the English and German units were transferred from this section of the front.
The soldiers no longer saw the others as enemies, but as their brothers.
The Christmas holidays have also entered our hearts. On these festive days, the guns have probably fallen silent on the various fronts where we “fight” against our neighbors. How many broken relationships between us call us to arms to carry out revenge, and retribution for various injustices that have befallen us? May we be able to recognize these neighbors as our brothers on these holy days. Christ comes for us as well as for them. This truth should disarm us so much that in the following days we will not be able to raise an imaginary weapon against our neighbor: after all, this is a brother…
The priest was most delighted by the little girl’s ordinary card, where a Christmas tree was drawn with the words: This is for you! Strong words because they expressed something personal. And we are also aware of that today. God rightfully expects something personal from us, with which we want to make him happy and with which we want to enrich our neighbors and ourselves.
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Christmas.
In the Roman Catholic Church , the second most important holiday is the Feast of the Nativity or the First Christmas , hich according to the Gregorian calendar is celebrated on December 25 . Christmas is one of the few holidays that have always been preceded by a vigil, 11] popularly called Christmas Day ( December 24 ). The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ thus extends over a slightly longer period of time. While Protestants focus their celebration on the early evening services on Christmas Day and on the morning services on December 25th, Roman Catholics focus their celebration mainly around midnight between December 24th and 25th. MasMass isis celebrated in this way directly at midnight and is therefore called midnight mass . n the Roman Missal , this Mass is called “In the holy night” ( In nocte ) an,d according to no prescription it does not have to be celebrated directly at midnight, but until 1960 the rubrics prescribed that “the first [Mass for the celebration of the Nativity] should be celebrated after midnight, after the end of the hymn Te Deum laudamus at Matins “. [12]
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