Zacchaeus as Zacchaeus?

Posted on 14. November 2022 by Peter Prochac

It is said that some German regions have unique customs on the anniversaries of the temple’s dedication that they attach a figure made of straw or rags to a decorated pole. Then this decorated pole is carried to the church for ceremonial services. They call this figure Zacchaeus, which is supposed to resemble the biblical Zacchaeus we heard about in today’s Gospel.

Who was Zacchaeus? In later writings, it is said that he became a companion of Saint Peter and appointed him the first bishop of Caesarea, where he died a martyr’s death. According to French tradition, he came to Gaul as a preacher of the Gospel, but he is also revered in Ethiopia as their local saint. We see that these are different legends, although it is very likely that Zacchaeus joined the disciples of Jesus after his conversion.

What does the Gospel tell us about Zacchaeus? What happened at that time in Jericho, Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector, that is, a rich and influential person, but at the same time, hated and despised by fellow citizens because we know that the customs officers worked for the benefit of the Roman occupiers, they were then typical collaborators. Jesus comes to Jericho with his disciples. People are curiously converging, crowding the path he is taking. Even Zacchaeus wanted to at least see the famous prophet out of curiosity. The Holy Scriptures say that he wanted to see his appearance and who he was. Zacchaeus was short, so he didn’t stand a chance in the crowded street. His curiosity is so great that he doesn’t care about his age or position, and like a boy, he climbs into the crown of a fig tree, where he has a beautiful view. But something unheard of happened here. The Lord Jesus stopped under this fig tree, looked up, and invited Zacchaeus to come down, that he wanted to be his guest today. It was an unheard-of confession. Such a famous prophet notices him, wants to come to him and eat with him, and even spend the night! That’s why Zacchaeus climbs down from the tree and invites him to his house. But protests begin to be heard from the crowd standing around, who have been watching this scene with suspense: A public sinner, a publican, and that is what this prophet will honor with his visit! as if we, honest and good Israelites, were not here – more worthy of hosting this famous preacher.

The situation from the Gospels, which is so well known to us, is repeated here. The Lord Jesus bows to the sinner and those who pretend to be righteous protest, doubting the authenticity of Jesus’ mission. How can a true prophet behave like this? We have already heard about it several times. And the Lord Jesus answers here as he has many times before: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk 19:10). This tax collector, a descendant of Abraham, is also entitled to salvation. And the sinner Zacchaeus responds just as Jesus wants it to. “Lord, I will give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have deceived anyone, I will repay fourfold” (Luke 19:8).

It is a similar experience for Zacchaeus as before for Levi, the son of Alphaeus, called Matthew, and later for Saul near Damascus, when in one moment, he understands who Jesus is and what needs to be done. Saul became Paul, and here Zacchaeus, the tax collector, became a disciple of the Lord.

In the Gospel, we read that even in Jericho, enthusiastic crowds saw Jesus, but only Zacchaeus is said to have drawn consequences from the meeting with the Lord Jesus. How would we react, or better said, how do we respond? We meet the Lord Jesus all the time. He is still with us, still giving us a sign, still urging us to come down and follow him. He still wants to be our guest. Are we always ready to receive Jesus? Are we always willing to follow him like Zacchaeus? Sure, we may now accept Jesus’ invitation to worship and gather around his table, but do we also fulfill his other commands, and are we willing to give half of our possessions to the poor? Are we willing to compensate four times the one we deceived and wronged? Are we willing to forgive those who have trespassed against us? In short and wisely – are we ready to live our faith radically, as Zacchaeus did when he climbed down from the tree and saw and believed in the Lord Jesus?

And you, dear friends, who do not know the Lord Jesus, are you willing to climb a tree to at least see him and desire to know who he is?

One priest recalls: “During the last war, we were forced into labor. I was in Linz. One Sunday afternoon, we came across a group of Russian prisoners in the city who were working on a bridge there. The young boys were standing in front of a large cross and silently looking at Christ nailed to the cross. When we addressed them, they turned and asked incomprehensibly, pointing to the cross: “Why?”

Have you also asked yourself this question, who does know Christ yet? You, too, walk on the Prague Bridge and see Christ nailed to the cross. You, too, are sons of Abraham; you are daughters and sons of a nation that knew Christ a thousand years ago and enthusiastically accepted him as its Lord and God. For he came to seek and save what perished. Accept him today with joy like Zacchaeus, so that Christ can say to you: “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:10)

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Humility as a sign of greatness.

Posted on 13. November 2022 by Peter Prochac

 We often witness criticism of others. Among the many complaints are the following: Why is he bothering with it when he doesn’t have it? Why start something when you don’t have any skills for it? I’m surprised he did it because he has no prerequisites for it… We come across such and sim experiences every day. We can imagine how it will turn out for someone who thinks and is not self-critical enough.

Let us recall two events from the Gospel. And indeed about a king who, before starting a war, sits down at the table with his advisers to consider and recalculate whether they are actually wise and strong enough to embark on that war. If they see a superior force against them, they humble themselves, send messengers, and s asking for peace terms. In the second case, we are talking about a tower builder who, before starting to build, sits down and adds up his savings and co, compares them to the expenses that await him. When he finds that they would not be enough for him to finish the building, he does not start, lest they laugh at him afterward: This one began to build but was unable to complete. What does this have to do with humility? After all, a person must admit his helplessness and inability, where his strength and abilities are insufficient. In the Gospel, we see that even some apostles did not like humility. We can see it from their behavior,

Lord Jesus uses the rapid turn of events in the Gospel to lead the apostles to self-criticism, so they do not overthink and ooverthinkeasily pay for it. He does not want to ridicule them directly but leads them to do so through the questions he asks them. They are too uncritical, and therefore the Lord Jesus leaves them in their imaginations for the time being until they mature enough to understand such things differently. The apostles answered everything, regardless of whether they were human or could do so. Where did they get so much audacity? Such self-confidence is not a sound business card for a person. Therefore, they needed to get rid of it as well. Indeed, after all that, they embraced their unhealthy behavior. They sobered up, and suddenly, everything was clear to them.

The whole upbringing of the Lord Jesus consisted of putting an image of an ideal in front of his listeners. Even at this moment, he shows a picture of his life. He came, humbled himself, took upon himself the nature of a servant, renounced his equality with God, and was considered an ordinary man. He did not come to be served by man but to help everyone himself. We know he not only said it but also did it at every step. For this, God exalted him and gave him a name above all other words, so that…

In their little pride, even the angels refused to pay homage to God, and we know where they went. Perhaps they thought it was not worthy of them, that they were more capable of other things. The teaching of the Lord Jesus aims at a person learning to know the pure truth about himself, penetrate his essence and discover who and what I am. Toisnow his soul’s stats and abilities, to learn to assess everything self-critically. Then his life will be filled with truth, and that is the image of true humility. Humility is the truth. At the same time, I think about who I am and what I am, what I can do, and admit to myself what I am not good at. So I don’t think more or less, just what common sense tells me. We live in a time when I feel that all those artificial differences between people have passed and ended. The recent past has made them feel strongly about the worst off. I think that anyone today who would assume that his family has a better background than the other person, or that he perhaps lives in better conditions and has higher schools than others, would put himself in a ridiculous light in front of everyone with such behavior.

So let’s think about ourselves: Am I not one of those people? Maybe we are unaware of it, but we let you allow how highly we think of ourselves. We want to be right everywhere. We are not critical enough to admit our mistakes. We have to have a significant say, and at the same time w,e keep saying that others recognize us, and we often don’t even allow them to breathe contentedly. We must have the last word, and we will tell ourselves that there is no one more present than us… Let’s not be surprised that then people will not like us; they will be afraid of us, avoid us, and even if not directly, as they did today’s apostles, but they will surely condemn us behind our backs and quite rightly so because we are not doing well.

Let’s not think about ourselves and our strengths and not rely on anything. The Lord Jesus gives us as a model a child who does not know such differences. It looks at everyone with the eyes of a friend. For him, making distinctions is foreign, especially where they don’t have to be made because there is no serious reason for it. We, Christians, as children of the same grandparents, should think and feel this way. In God, we have become God’s children, and in Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters to each other.

Therefore, we live modestly and unobtrusively with the only desire for God. Take a look at the life of Saint Teresa of Jesus, and you will find out what you are still missing! 

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Interview with priest Benjamín Kosnáč, who manages the English-speaking community of believers in the capital.

Posted on 11. November 2022 by Peter Prochac

He returned from the USA five years ago, managing a parish in Detroit’s suburbs for nineteen years. He talks about the community of English-speaking believers he attends in Bratislava. He relates the story of an Anglican convert he accepted into the Catholic Church and confirmed.

He also explains how he came to serve the so-called Tridentine Masses, why he continues to do it even after returning from America, and what leads him to promote missions and support missionaries. Priest Benjamín Kosnáč.

Why did you wear such an unusual shirt for today’s interview?

I took it because we recently had a mission Sunday. I thought the tasks should also be expressed by a globe printed on the shirt. (Laughs.)

So it’s a mission shirt?

Somehow. I originally bought it when I went to school to represent a catechist in religion. I also went with a priest’s cassock, but also in this shirt. I thought to myself that sometimes it is necessary to change it.

You returned to Slovakia from the USA five years ago. We also interviewed you then. Are you already used to working with us?

I used to get used to it. After all, this is where I come from, and I returned to the system I knew and grew up in. Anyone in America for a long time will get used to a particular way of woparticularhere. Probably the most significant difference between parishes in the USA and those here is the presence of lay people and their involvement. In America, the church can respond more flexibly to the challenges of the laity.

In the US, many things in the parish would only work if lay people were willing to put their time and talents into it. But I can’t say that I miss anything.

Even your service in Slovakia is somewhat atypical at the moment.

I am not a priest in a parish; I am an auxiliary priest in a “tram parish” and a spiritual administrator for the English-speaking community, i.e., unofficially its priest.

Within this community, I got lay people for some simple services, such as the usher service, in Slovak for an usher. The benefit of lecturers has also settled down nicely, and some people help me teach religion.

We have a Sunday school model. We divided all children interested in religious education into four groups that have religion simultaneously.

As a priest, I could not teach all four groups. That’s why I used what I know from America. Adults I know who have experience teaching their children or in parish structures or are capable help me in this way.

We have groups of Burmese, first-time adopters, pre-first-time adopters, and kids in between. I have two adults for each group.

You mentioned the usher service. What is it?

The service of an usher is that two people come to church early. In the case of the English Mass, many people do not know the English Mass texts by heart. It is a mass for foreigners, and apart from the English, Americans, and Irish, we have all possible nationalities there – Spanish, Portuguese, Italians, Germans, and Africans.

More than half would only know how to respond to mass if they had the texts. We use the English missal at the gathering, where there are Sunday mass texts, biblical readings, and chants. And the ushers come earlier, spread the books, and prepare some things for the altar.

So they are like churchgoers?

Not. This person stands inside the church entrance, greets people, and eventually seats them. Their service can be seen before mass when the back pews fill up faster, and empty seats remain in the front or the middle of the benches. Usher sees how many people are coming, knows where there is still room, and when someone arrives, he asks if they want to sit down and shows them a seat.

I experienced something similar in Sweden and was very surprised at the time.

Yes, Sweden is a protestant country, and they have this refined. There is welcome value. When you asked me what I brought from America, and I practice it in Slovakia as well, at the end of the Holy Mass, after the final blessing, I go to the front of the church and shake people’s hands. I do this after the Sunday English mass in the Church of St. Ladislav and Blumentál. Older people are incredibly grateful for it.

You have already outlined that several nationalities go to English masses.

Yes, I have yet to mention Koreans, Filipinos, and Vietnamese.

Who exactly are these people?

Most work in international companies and corporations, and some work in the automotive sector, such as Koreans. Filipinos mainly work in the restaurant industry, Italians are primarily from the IT field, and some have found a Slovak husband or wife.

What about people from the diplomatic service?

They go to mass very little and occasionally. I don’t know why that is. Maybe they are non-practicing. They sometimes appear on significant holidays. But most ordinary people come.

For people coming from English-speaking countries, it is the only option to attend Mass in their native language. Foreigners who have Holy Mass in their language in Bratislava sometimes go to the English Mass and sometimes to the Mass in their usage. It is such a Bratislava principle that you go to a mass where you feel good.

“I am convinced I can help the missionaries more from here – through sermons, videos on YouTube, or personal contacts.”

People at the English masses are also taught to react more. It’s not so “poker face” that I’m not allowed to laugh or react. During the sermon at English Masses, I also notice the body language of the believers, and eventually, they reach; there is active listening. I am slowly getting better at the morning mass in Blumentál.

What does it mean to lead an English-speaking community? Are we talking about something other than mass and teaching religion on Sunday?

They all have my phone number. They need to talk, confess, and solve something to know they can come. If I don’t know something, I will direct them. I try to give them the basic service of presence and pastoral care.

Is there time for leisure activities?

I cannot organize it. But since Good Friday, a fantastic Dubai Indian layman has come into the community. He helped me improve the catechetical program.

I have yet to make a roast all the time I’ve been here. Now, also on his initiative, we will meet at one event.

Are there several priests working in Bratislava who are devoted to foreigners?

They are like that. I dare say that the younger the priest, the more he is exposed to English. And then some priests studied abroad. Verbs, for example, have strangers in the community as well. When English-speaking believers come to them, they know how to solve things with him there, and they don’t even send them to me.

Do the opinions that are present in the church manifest themselves among foreigners? For example, traditionalists?

Not. I think most people do not follow the liturgical-theological wars in detail. They live their lives, raise children, and are happy to have access to the English Holy Mass. I can count those that deal with the mentioned topics on the one hand.

He is an Englishman who comes to us from an Anglican Pentecostal back; hend, hands became a Catholic partly because of his wife. And suddenly, he discovered tradition and Latin, which the charismatics did not have. It pushes a little too much; it needs to be balanced. (Smile.)

At one Mass in Bratislava, you said that you had baptized and accepted an Anglican into the Catholic Church. Is it common?

I didn’t baptize him. With the Anglicans, we recognize baptism, and as long as there is certainty about its validity, it is not repeated. I received the faculty to grant him the sacrament of confirmation and receive him into the Catholic Church. However, I caution that if someone is from Africa, it is a good idea to ask what baptism they use specifically.

In Africa and Anglicanism, charismatic Pentecostal elements are prevalent; they often baptize by sprinkling water or dipping a finger.

Read also

 

I digress, but there was a case in Detroit where a priest who had been ordained for two years was watching a video of his baptism during the pandemic. He found they baptized him in the name of the Creator, Redeemer, and, Sanctifier. The deacon spoke the words, and the godparents poured water.

So all invalid?

All sacraments were invalid. The archdiocese had to give an explicit communiqué to the parish where he baptized, confessed, and so on, and people had to repeat the sacraments. And this was not an isolated example.

Therefore, when we were sitting with the convert, as mentioned above, who is Nigerian and is marrying a Catholic girl from Nigeria, he called my mother and asked if she remembered how he was baptized. And mom confirmed that he was baptized with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

He verified it, and then I wrote to the archbishop asking the faculty to grant confirmation and admission to the Catholic Church. The archbishop could also confirm him in Slovak since he knows Slovak well. But he chose Burmese in English in our English community.

How long did the preparation take?

He was preparing for two years. Almost the entire preparation took place in Istanbul, where he worked before coming to Slovakia. In a Muslim country, he was preparing to accept the Catholic faith. I got in touch with a Spanish Salesian dedicated to him in Turkey. The last thing he missed was a conversation with the bishop.

In Turkey, they have set it up so that anyone who wants to become a Catholic must attend such a meeting. Then the pandemic happened, the panel did not occur, and in the meantime, he came to Slovakia to our community and told me all this.

What does such a process of acceptance into the Catholic Church look like?

A confession of faith precedes it as on Easter. There is a supplement where we ask: “Do you believe all that the Holy Catholic Church teaches as revealed by God?” When he says “I believe,” there follows the formula of acceptance into the church, then the celebration of confirmation, and, as part of the mass, he goes to the first Holy Communion.

Sometimes you also serve the so-called Trident Masses. How did you get there?

It has its history; it is related to my work in America. I see myself as a spiritual son of Saints Cyril and Methodius; for me, a language understandable to people and the service’s intelligibility is impoessentialme. In Detroit, where I worked, I met several people who went to lefeleftistseven sedevacantists. Lefebrists formally recognize the current pope as natural, while sedevacantists claim no real pope exists.

Coincidentally, one of my parishioners was married to such a sedevacantist. And once, an exciting debate started between their bishop and a professor of dogmatics in the Detroit seminary, who is of Slovak origin. Thanks to that, I got to know him a little more.

The three public theological debates resulted in some people saying, “if you have a Tridentine Mass that is important to us, then we will come.” Some h.”e understood that they are not to follow these currents. But at that time, there was,s no general permission given by Benedict XVI. When he released it, I thought I would fulfill my promise. And since we had many masses on Sunday, we introduced the Trident Mass on Saturday evening.

It is unusual for them, but we used the new liturgical norms so that they could have the old form of the Holy Mass. It was the only Trident Mass on Saturday with Sunday validity. (Laughs.)

This is how I learned how to celebrate her. As a person born after the Second Vatican Council, I am free from bad habits. It was something new for me, and when I learned how to celebrate the Tridentine Mass, I understood better why some believers are attracted to it.

Why?

The course and dynamics of the old form of mass are different in most of our churches,s there is ichurcheseragel standard mass. But when charismatics or neocatechumens call you to Mass, the dynamics of the liturgy will be different. In the case of the Tridentine Mass, one can speak of a kind of opposite pole.

“Sometimes there is an elevation of style: I pray in tongues, so I am more, or on the other hand: I receive the Eucharist on my knees, so I am better.”

I notice that the old form of mass attracts not only older adults out of nostalgia but also young people. For some who are more theologically sophisticated, it is the mass of Thomas Aquinas. Others seek it out because they need to be more comfortable with the interactive new form of thggroupshey appreciate the quieter, anmore d meditative dimdimensione so-called Trident.

So in the USA, you started serving the old form of mass for the groups mentioned above of believers; why do you continue to do so in Slovakia?

When I returned to Slovakia, I did not offer myself to anyone, but they learned that I knew how to serve this form of mass, and they called me. Although I admit that I preach somewhat gesturally, even at the Tridentine Mass, it may irritate some. (Smiles) For me, this service is a pastoral decision. I am glad to help.

How do you feel about the controversies associated with the traditionalist community, such as questioning the Second Vatican Council, the current Pope, and so on?

A lot of flings are closely tied to who leads a particular community. And this does not only apply to the traditionalist trend. Indeed, I wouldn’t say I like the phenomena you mentioned in the question because it speaks of the spirit of the promotion.

Why does this manifest itself in a group of people who are looking for an older form of liturgy?

In my opinion, it is also a reaction to certain uncertainties in our church world. Some twenty or thirty years ago, the truths of faith were clearly defined. When they started talking about homosexuals, for example, everything was immediately a sin. Today we learn to differentiate and o perceive things comprehensively. In this case, we classify the actions as immoral but do not condemn the person.

Moreover, Pope Francis is not dogmatic but pastoral. It leads us to perceive a person as human and then helps him gradually understand doctrine, morality, and the like.

So, I am still trying to figure out a clear answer: in traditional circles, people desire more certainty. In America, it was called castle mentality, a castle mentality – I have security, and I don’t want anyone to break it – but the church is more missionary than a castle.

In your opinion, is respect for the old form of the Mass compatible with relaxed attitudes?

Certainly yes. I experience that few who go to the Tridentine mass are open to, for example, charismatics. Charismatics are more open to traditional forms than vice versa.

At the same time, I consider both currents to be charismatic forms; only one is charismatic in an expressive way, and the other in a more meditative, calm manner. Mother Church has arms big enough to embrace both.

I’m just sorry that people, whether from one or the other side of the arms, don’t always perceive this. And sometimes there is an elevation of style: I pray in tongues, so I am more, or on the other hand: I receive the Eucharist on my knees, so I am better, and so on.

The Bratislava crematorium falls under the Blumentál parish. Does this mean you bury a lot?

In our parish, we register between eight hundred and a thousand Catholic funerals per year. Fortunately, ninety percent of the funerals are handled by our permanent deacon. The funeral does not require the presence of a priest.

Thirty years ago, I was a deacon here in Blumenthal and had eight funerals daily. That was horse riding. At that time, however, there was a trick that Blumentál was on duty one week, St. Cathedral the next. Martina.

How do you prepare for a funeral when you don’t know the deceased or their family?

In our parish, but probably not only here, we also have a habit of asking the family to provide at least a brief biography of the deceased. Or let them write about their life’s unique moments for them. The one conducting the funeral rites has a better picture and can prepare a speech.

You post videos with missionaries on Youtube. Some of them show that you are traveling to the mission sites; in some cases, the apostles send the video. How did you end up promoting missions like this?

Missions have fascinated me since childhood. I thought that one day I would be a missionary. I have been to America, but that is different from the developing world. And it was during my time in the USA we adopted a parish in Africa, where we went several times with diffotherups. This way of support lives on in his life, but after returning to Slovakia, I didn’t stop thinking about missions.

I now have two classmates on missions – one in Madagascar and the other in Russia. For me, the church is not only what is here. Some support projects are one-time, others longer-term.

Which one do you like the most?

Tanzania, I’ve been going there almost every year for fourteen years. There has been an Italian missionary there since 2008; we know each other, understand each other, and when I give him money, he always does what he wants.

When a person regularly goes to the place of missions, he can perceive how things are changing there; for example, in a place where there was only a bush, suddenly there is a well or a school.

Are you thinking about going to work as a missionary?

Yes, but to a certain extent, I confirm that I can help missionaries more from here – through sermons, videos on YouTub,e or personal contacts. They mostly need money, and people are more likely to support specific projects or missionaries. They need to have a “clutch” at home.

If you could go, where would it be?

Since I know English, an English-speaking country would suit me. I want to go and see Australia again, but that is more of a curiosity. I thought about Tanzania above for some time, which grew close to my heart.

Well, the fact is that our archdiocese does not have extra priests, so I am here and will support missionaries from Slovakia for the time being.

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33 Sunday C Luke 21,5-19

Posted on 10. November 2022 by Peter Prochac

Today it started nicely: “Look at the temple, how beautifully it is decorated!” (Lk 21, 5-19) It probably was; some consider it a wonder of the world at that time. With a few words, Jesus directed attention to a broader horizon. And from the admiration of the beauty of the temple, a rather ugly description of the world arose: war, persecution, betrayal by those closest to you; even heaven and earth are not what they used to be.

Isn’t it a bit close to us too? We are not doing the worst. But if we look up from our “temple,” that is, from what we like, what brings us joy, and look at the broader horizon, we will find that it is almost precisely as Jesus said: wars, persecution of Christians on the enormous scale in history, betrayal. And today, more than ever, we also talk about the fact that neither heaven nor earth is what it used to be. Jesus’ contemporaries asked him when everything would end. But it wasn’t just their question. It seems to be a regular part of humanity. It doesn’t have to be a religious question. Sometimes we wonder when this or that regime will end. Other times we ask when our pains, my sufferings will end.

Some theologians say that the religious question about the end has morphed into a secular, civil question – e.g., in the form of Marxism. By abolishing personal property and class society, he wanted to end one stage of humanity and gradually establish paradise. But not only Marxism is a recasting of the question of the end. Liberal democracy also believed that an era of well-being and contentment would begin after the end of the Cold War, i.e., after over, coming to the division of the world into two camps. And advertising also works with the question of the end and the beginning of the new: it promises us that if we buy their products, we will look perfect, a qualitatively new era will begin for us, or joint pain or something else will subside. That is why it is good to understand how the Bible deals with the question of the end. We probably won’t decipher it enough, but we can summarize something.

I will mention three dimensions in particular.

1. The Bible is skeptical that man and humanity could create a paradise on earth. Yes, in the Apocalypse, it is written that at the end,d there will be a new earth and a new heaven where there will be no more tears, suffering,g or death. But these new heavens and earth will be created by God, not man. However, even though the Bible is skeptical of an artificial paradise, ss knows about our great inner possibilities to approach God’s kingdom on earth. And he invites us to let these possibilities grow, to consciously use them for such building, even if the result will not be perfect and eternal.

2. Today’s gospel is an excellent call to believe not only the preachers of fear but also those who have clear solutions – who are the only ones who know where to run. Today it is also a warning against those who know what others should do, who know who their enemies are.. And there are still enough such people today; I don’t need to convince you. “Do not follow them!” – that was Jesus’ instruction. There is always something to do in the fight against our selfishness and stupidity, so we don’t have to run anywhere.

3. Faced with the onslaught of all possible threats and difficulties, a person can wait with his head bowed for it to come somehow crashing down. However, the Gospel does not give instructions for such an attitude. On the contrary – Jesus’ speech about the judgment before which we will stand is about taking personal responsibility for what we do and what path we walk. This is the complete opposite of resignation or withdrawing into your world.

 

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The Lateran Basilica in Rome.

Posted on 9. November 2022 by Peter Prochac

November 9: Dedication Basilica of St John Lateran

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The kingdom of God begins here on earth.

Posted on 9. November 2022 by Peter Prochac

Folk wisdom says: “He who is like a bed will also lie down.” In this wisdom, we should not only see a material problem, laziness, or diligence of a person in acquiring material goods, but we, believers, should also realize the goal of our life. Therefore, it will not harm us to remind ourselves from time to time of the question: What are we in the world for?  The Catechism tells us: We are in the world to know the Lord God, to love him, to serve him, and thus to get to heaven.  Therefore, it is a call to us that we were preparing here on earth for that moment, possibly so that we would not be discouraged and led astray by the journey we had begun, but on the contrary, so that we would take our lives even more seriously and more zealously. “The kingdom of God does not come in a way that can be observed. They don’t even say: Ah, here it is! or: There it is!, for the kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20-21).

When will the kingdom of God come? The kingdom of God, properly understood, is spiritual. Lord Jesus is King, but not in an earthly sense, and therefore the events surrounding him are different from what the Jewish people expected from the awaited Messiah. When we talk about the Lord Jesus as the King who is God and Lord of all creation, both material and spiritual, his answer to this question is understandable: the kingdom of God is among you. After all, Jesus proves his love for people with his power; heals, heals, raises the dead, feeds the hungry…

The kingdom of God is a state. The kingdom of God cannot be limited from here to there, but as Jesus says: “The kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:21). So God is here. In him, we l, we live, move, and are. However, God will end this state one day in space and time. Then we will know him as he is. When and under what circumstances it will come, no one knows. Not even the angels, not even the saints in heaven. And that is why it is we must before this meeting. After all, on the rise, ask: “When will the kingdom of God come?” (Luke 17:20). The second coming of the Son of man will come very quickly, in a moment. It is a short time when the worbeforeill sees its God. It will happen so fast that nothing wilcanange for the better nr for the worse. This second coming – parousia will be a reward for some and a punishment for others.

We realize that the kingdom of God is among us. Although Jesus is not present among us as a person, he is among us as God, who created everything, controls it, and judges it all. We realize that for thousands of people, every day is the day of judgment when they leave this world. This is not yet the second coming of Christ to earth as Judge, but it is already a personal judgment in which everything will be decided. The Last Judgment is the absolute understanding of the end of everything for God’s creatures.

The fact that God’s kingdom is among us already has specific values. A believing Christian should have the conviction that he already has serious obligations here on earth, which will decide the reward or punishment in the final reckoning. Through the teachings of Christ, man received sufficient knowledge of what awaits him when he perseveres in doing good or what awaits him when he does persevere in doing good. Therefore, we should become the architects of our eternal happiness so that we are always ready for this decisive meeting with Christ, the Judge of the living and the dead.

Even this meeting, when held in a ton as many graces as possible, is already usefulhelpfulight because although a person feels unworthy, he does everything possible for his salvation. Therefore, let us not slack off on doing good. Let us always rise from sin with God, and prepare to meet in eternity. Wisdom says: “He who is like a bed will lie down.” And today we will add: Whoever prepares himself and in what condition the Lord finds him, such will be the judgment on his.

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The need for gratitude.

Posted on 8. November 2022 by Peter Prochac

Ingratitude is often talked about today. Parents complain about the ingratitude of their children. More than one teacher and educator must sigh sadly that students lack gratitude. A person often becomes aware of appreciation only when lf feels a lack of gratitude from others. The proverb says that a wise person learns from the shortcomings of others.

The Gospel speaks of the lack of gratitude for the nine healed, whom the Lord Jesus restored to health,h and they did not find a way or a way to thank him. The Gospel also presents us with a positive attitude towards gratitude through the figure of the Samaritan. The Lord Jesus said to the Samaritan: “Get up and walk; your faith has made you well” (Lk 17:19). We know that the Lord Jesus healed ten seriously ill people who begged him for mercy. But only one of them thanked him. The Lord Jesus rewards his faith with many unique gifts. Ten people were healed, but we must point out that when numbers are spoken in the Holy Scriptures, this number is not always understood mathematically but figuratively. Thus, the number ten can be understood as many.

What does this group healing of lepers mean? Why does the Lord Jesus emphasize the difference between the Samaritan and the rest of the healed? Let’s try to understand one another and take a valuable lesson. If we focused on carefully examining all the miracles of the Lord Jesus in this way, we would find that every healing and resurrection performed by the Lord Jesus has its place in the context of his teachings. Although each deed speaks of the power of the Lord Jesus, it also brings special instruction. In each of his actions, we can see what God wants to make clear to us.

Today we are dealing with a more significant number of lepers who turn to the L, ord Jesus begging for mercy and are heard. As we know, leprosy is a severe and unpleasant disease that was widespread in the time of Christ. Leprosy patients were separated from the healthy, not only for hygienic reasons but also for religious reasons. Leprosy was a terrible physical disease but was also understood as a sign of God’s punishment. It was believed that leprosy patients deserved it for their sins. It was a punishment from God; therefore, the sick could not live in the community of righteous believers. This opinion arose under the influence of Scripture, where it is written: “But if you will not listen to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep and do all his commandments… You will be cursed… The Lord will wound you with the boils of Egypt and the plague tubercles, dust and scabies so that you will not be healed” (Deuteronomy 28,15-27).

The second Chronicles book describes King Uzziah: “Uzziah became angry.” He was holding a censer in his hand and wanted to burn thyme. As he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in front of the priests in the Lord’s house at the altar of incense. When the priest Azariah and the other priests turned to him, he already had leprosy on his forehead. He was quickly driven out of there. But he also hurried to get out because the Lord was hurting him. King Uzziah remained a leper until the day he died. He lived in a secluded house, afflicted with leprosy, because he was excluded from the Lord’s house” (2 Chronicles 26:19-21).

Therefore, for Jews and Samaritans, leprosy was a sign of sin and punishment from God. Leprosy deprived a man of boasting of the sonship of God, and therefore he was excluded from public meetings. When the Lord Jesus saw this group of poor people who begged him for mercy, he answered them very sternly with words that must be understood correctly: “Go, show yourselves to the priests!” (LK 17:14). According to our way of understanding, the Lord Jesus proceeds quite differently. It was crucial for those healed that the priests provide proof of this, who confirms that leprosy has disappeared, which also means that God has forgiven them and they can be accepted into the community of believers.

Lord Jesus is always ready to heal and save us. We act irresponsibly when we do not want to return to God under the influence of some shame or unworthiness after some soothing fall. Lord Jesus knows about us. He always delivers us. He not only saves us all the time, but we have no other savior besides him. He is the only savior. Many today reject it and look for it somewhere else under the pretext that the faith has often been abused, and therefore they want to accept another instead.

Let’s return to the Gospel – to the meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan. All who prayed were healed. They received great mercy from God. No one in the whole world is excluded from this divine mercy. Do at least every tenth of us realize this? Will he thank the Lord for it today? The Lord heals generously. That is why only God should be given respect and obeisance. The Samaritan certainly understood that God works through the Lord Jesus, whom he recognized as his Lord, which he shows by falling on his face at the feet of Jesus, giving him thanks. Then the Lord Jesus says particular words: “Get up and walk; your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:19).

After healing, the Samaritan returns to the Lord Jesus, thanks him, and gives his praises. By this behavior, he deserved to be healed. We can say that the Samaritan receives from the Lord Jesus a living faith that he demonstrated. Lord Jesus did not speak to him then: I have healed you, but: Your faith has healed you. On the other hand, the others were not completely healed, although the Lord Jesus loved them as much as he loved the Samaritan. Yes, they also asked for the same thing; they received it from God for themselves, but only for themselves. Driven by egoism, they “grabbed” this gift for themselves – and nothing more.

Saint Francis of Assisi says: “You need nothing for yourself to be accepted gladly and willingly by the one who has given himself completely to you.”

Many complain of ingratitude, but they cause ingratitude. Therefore, let’s learn genuine gratitude today to share it with others. Our hearts should be filled with gratitude. That’s what God wants, what’s right, and what’s required of us. 

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Let’s think about our faith.

Posted on 7. November 2022 by Peter Prochac

Indeed many of you have heard or read about the establishment of a monastery of Carmelite sisters next to the concentration camp in Oswiecim, Poland. Their mission was to pray to God for all those killed in this concentration camp during the Second World War. This is a serious, significant, and necessary matter for us believers. But not for everyone. Because some were annoyed by this place where the Carmelite sisters prayed and caused prayedous inconveniences to the sisters, they say: Heaven was closed over Auschwitz! God was not there then! He was silent! He allowed it! He committed and did not help! And that’s why we don’t even need these nuns there now.

The evangelist Luke points out in today’s Gospel the request of the apostles: “Give us more faith!” (Lk 17:5). And the answer of Jesus is equally interesting: “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed and said to this mulberry tree: Be plucked up with take root and plant yourself in the sea, she would obey you” (Luke 17:6). The Gospel shows us how we should personally approach this when it advises us to say: “We are unprofitable servants; we did what we had to do”(Luke 17:10). The existence of suffering and injustice in the world is as sure as the sun rising in the morning. Even the Lord Jesus suffered a terrible and shameful death on the cross. The apostles suffered persecution. The only exception was Saint John, who did not die a martyr’s death but was also tortured and exiled to the island of Patmos. The end of the apostles was terrible. Let’s remember Peter’s death. In his novel Quo Vadis, which was awarded the therapist Prize, writer Henryk Sienkiewicz writes how Peter walks up one of the Vatican hills. This older gray man does not carry a cross but walks beside him. People around him say that he is leaving to see the Lord. Peter takes one last look at Rome and, at the hour of his death,h gives his blessing to the city and the world. The first believers survived cruel and brutal persecution until the Edict of Milan in 313 when they got their freedom.

The Church also suffered in the following years; when the Orthodox Church was established in the East in 1054, there was a split between East and West. Not even five centuries will pass, and another pain for the Church! The division in the West. The reformation movement brings another break. The Anglican Church was founded,  led by King Henry VIII. and the Directioners of Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. In addition, freedom of belief was guaranteed and emphasized. The Church’s release was not and is not because priests and believers continue to suffer and are persecuted worldwide. From history, let’s remember Wenceslaus, John of Nepomuk, the Košice Martyrs, Bishop Metodo, his companions, and others. But also in the world – Joan of Arc, Vojtech, Stanislav, Pavol Miki, and his companions, Karol Lwanda, Thomas Morus, Maximilán Kolbe. The Church has elevated many to the altar as blessed or saints, but it is also an incalculable number of unknowns,

What about the millions who died in concentration camps under Hitler and Stalin? Let’s not be surprised that a person came to the point of desperate questions: Why did God allow this? Why does he not help his faithful? Let us include the answer to these fundamental questions of our existence in the readings from the Holy Scrip that we have just read. When we observe the world surrounding us, we make more than one remark that God is silent about wrongs, persecution, and oppression: “Lord, we plead with you, and you do not hear us? We cry to you, there is untruth and injustice, and you do not help? Why do you look passively? Behold, violence and injustice are before me; disputes and passions arise.”

After these reproaches to God, the prophet Habakkuk gives a clear answer: The Lord said to me: “Write the vision clearly on the board so that it can be read fluently.” The vision is still for a certspecifice, but hasten to the end and does not disappoint; if he moves away, wait for him because he will surely come and not miss. Behold, he puffs himself up, in whom the soul is not upright, but the righteous will live because of his faithfulness” (Hab 2,2-4). When we read the Letter of the apostle Paul to Timothy, we find that the apostle gives an even more precise answer to our questions: “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lorr of me, his prisoner, but suffer with me for the gospel, strengthened by the power of God” (2 Tim 1:8). The Lord Jesus wants us to bear witness to him and share in the difficulties and inconveniences we endure for the sake of the gospel. Holy Father John Paul II. wrote an apostolic letter on the meaning of Christian suffering. He notes that when we connect our suffering with Christ’s, this suffering takes on a new character, value, purpose, and value.

Yes, whoever suffers in union with Christ, it is faith that gives him hope and strength;
that his suffering is not foolishness,
that it makes sense,
that it is worth suffering with Christ,
and that is necessary for our salvation.

For a non-believer, suffering is nonsense, and he often despairs. For the believer, every suffering is of great value and grace if he suffers in union with Christ. Lord Jesus suffered for man and man. Every person, therefore, participates in their redemption. Thus, the Lord Jesus calls everyone to join in the suffering he endures because our rescue was born through this suffering. Throughout our lives, we should ask God for deep faith and fulfill the tasks that the Lord gives us. In time, we will surely understand the wisdom of his plans, that he did not wish us harm when he inflicted suffering, pain, persecution and pe, and perhaps even death on us. We realize that without faith, we cannot understand this deep meaning of our suffering and co-redemption with Christ. And it was for this faith that the apostles begged, and we should also pray.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem says that there are two kinds of faith. One type of faith refers to the acceptance of church truths, and the other is the gift of the love of the Lord Jesus.
Cyril writes: “The faith that the Holy Spirit bestows as a gift of love does not only concern the truths of the Church, but also about superhuman things. Whoever possesses faith of the second kind and says to this mulberry tree: Be uprooted and planted in the sea; she will obey you. He who speaks in faith, believing that it will come to pass and does not doubt in his heart, will receive this love.” The words of the Lord Jesus apply to this kind of faith: “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed…” (Luke 17:6). As we know, a grain of mustard seed is tiny, but it has incredible power because it will grow into a big bushy one. Tree. Likewise, faith in the soul can do very great things in a short time. A soul illuminated by faith in God will still feel and experience the infinity of God’s love here on earth. To have this faith – the belief in God that God gives and does superhuman things – we must strive for it.

This faith, about which St. Lukáš and Cyril of Jerusalem, causes us not to lose our faith because of the sufferings inflicted on us or the spreading injustice. Therefore, we ask: Lord, strengthen our faith! Those who have faith can look at worldwide suffering and pain so that it enriches them and does not break them. Let us not be surprised because some did not understand the prayers and contemplative life of the Carmelite sisters near the concentration camp. We cannot imagine life without faith. The student must believe the teacher that two and two are four. The patient must trust the doctor, the son, the father, and the cooking the recipe. Let’s also consider our faith and recognize its advantages, a wan outstandingntribution to personal and social life. 

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Knowing how to forgive.

Posted on 6. November 2022 by Peter Prochac

Brothers and sisters, the Second Vatican Council, means a great deal in the history of the Church. Today we are witnessing many changes and adjustments. For example, we glorify God in Mass in the people’s language. He also emphasized the value of the sacraments and made them present to a believing person. We can say that the Church is alive and allows each member to be active in its community. Among the serious things of the Second Vatican Council, we can also include the abolition of the Index. These were lists of works that the Church forbade reading, listening, and watching, even under the weight of sin. In this way, she protected believers from unnecessary mental anguish, stress, and pain. Many were offended by the cancellation of the Index, paused, and asked: Why? It was brought about by the times themselves. Each person was endowed with free will. Today’s world has entered such a rapid scientific, cultural and political pace that every person, especially a believer, must realize that it is impossible to continue with the old educational principles. We must therefore be aware of our free will. Today’s person has to find his place in society; he often has to make decisions very quickly and solve the complex issues of life around him. However, he must know his religious life’s seriousness, beauty, and responsibility. He has a conscience that he must take care of, which means dreaming means trying to live as a Christian who is aware of the value of his convictions. The index protected the believer from scandal. Today’s man must realize that he must defend himself from scandals and that he should not be a scandal to others and live according to the principles of Jesus Christ.

Jesus touches our consciences more deeply. He says, “It is impossible for scandals not to come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better if they hung a millstone around his neck and threw it into the sea as if he were to offend one of these little ones” (Lk 17:1-2).

We believe Christians who have come to know the doctrine of Jesus and seek to fulfill our lives in connection with Him must see, hear, feel, and feel the freedom that the Creator has given us. Therefore, we must not feel abandoned but be aware that we live in constant connection with the Creator of all beings. In this connection, aware of our relationship with God, we take a positive attitude to each value, not looking at the frame in which it is framed but the image.

The execution of a young man took place in the city. Under the gallows, he was given a call to say his last wish. And the young man says: – I see my father here. I want to say something in his ear. The embarrassed father timidly walked up to his son. As he approached, the son bit his ear and kicked him. The public was very outraged. And the convict continues: – I was not a bad child. I had an exemplary mother who taught me prayers, and I prayed the rosary with her. But dad, he still made fun of the faith and ridiculed it. When he returned drunk, he smashed paintings and trampled on the cross and rosary. The mother from torment had a heart attack. After her death, my father took charge of me. Although I felt an aversion to alcohol, it made me drink. And then nothing was holy to me! I have committed shamefulness, fraud, and murder. Justice has triumphed! I am dying on the gallows, but execute with me both those who brought me here and those who offended me. May my father, my teacher in the scandal, also die…

Do you still think, brothers and sisters, parents and friends, that there is something easy to offend or set a bad example? I do not speak everywhere because many are offended so often that they do not even realize it. Let us ask our consciences: How long will I offend my children with alcohol, with sinning? How long do I want to offend those around me with my attacks against Christ, the Church, priests, and believers? How long do I want to sell my talent, education, and status? Would a hundred eyes be enough for me? I would still have my hands and feet if it were true: If thy hand, thy foot, the eye is the author of sin… You know what to do! Otherwise, the words apply: It would be better for him to hang the millstone around his neck and throw it into the sea. I know that we must take these words seriously. Our happiness depends on them not only here on earth but also on our joy, the joy of others, without end.

The abolition of the Index puts more weight on our freedom. After all, we are free confessors of the teachings of Christ. Therefore, Christ rightly expects us to act according to His counsel.
Let us pray: Divine Savior, you do not recognize the compromise between evil and sin, so we always want to stand on the side of those who avoid scandal because we have come to know the truth that no one will give us and only you will provide a reward for perseverance in the good.

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An unfortunate revolution.

Posted on 4. November 2022 by Peter Prochac

We Europeans already have the cultural heritage of Greek philosophy
and the Hebrew religion. Both these movements think in their classical forms of a world where evolutionary silence reigns and which is stable in its way.
Plato imagined that in a world of ideas, every living organism is more or less its perfect embodiment: evolution does not take place; the world exists. There is, for example, the idea triangle, and all existing triangles on this planet are more or less a perfect image of it. The idea will be there even if there is no triangle here on Earth. Similarly, there is, for example, the concept of a horse. All existing horses on this planet are more or less perfect imitations of this eternal idea. Of course, there is no room for evolution in such a world. Plato’s disciple Aristotle then attributes to things so-called substance and so-called accidents. The meaning is what makes a thing what it is. The importance of a triangle is its triangularity, the importance of a chair is its clarity, and the importance of a horse is its hoarseness. The meaning is invisible. The accidents are visible: color, smell, taste, or shape.
The accidents somehow hang on to the substance but otherwise have nothing to do with it to do with meaning. I can dye my black shirt pink: the shiftiness remains, but the accident changes. Accidents can’t exist like that: no green color is hanging in the air, only green grass or a green bottle. Even in Aristotle’s world, there is no place for evolution: horniness cannot become horniness, nor can selfishness become doggishness. Aristotle noticed the different levels of complexity among organisms. He, therefore, classified them into so-called scala nature, the ladder of nature: each creature, according to its perfection, occupies one rung here, from which, however, it can get neither up nor down. The biblical tradition supported this view of the world: the first chapter of Genesis was understood as a description of events. Although here I have e a kind of hint of development – creation did not take place all at once but in a six-day interval, roughly speaking, from less perfect to more perfect – from the seventh day onwards, nothing serious happens to nature; the species have remained unchanged as they are to this day, and although the Flood appropriately reduced the number of organisms, they are still the same species; Noah’s I managed to preserve the pre-flood creatures and maintain continuity.
Since Europe grew out of the roots of Greek philosophy and Hebrew religion, it is unsurprising that the idea of a stationary world persisted in biology into the nineteenth century and in astronomy into the mid-twentieth century. The first serious problems arose in the eighteenth century when people began to explore the earth’s interior and found the remains of extinct dinosaurs. These skeletal finds made it clear that none of the creatures exist today. This means the dating number of species on Earth. The latest attempt to reconcile biblical tradition with the law …was made by the Frenchman George Cuvier, who came up with the theory of cataclysms. It is worth knowing something about it; contemporarylogy returns to this idea of catastrophes, albeit with different connotations. According to Cuvier, God created the plant community and animals, which flourished on Earth for a time, then disaster struck, and everything died out. God then created another group of plants and animals, but even these were eventually destroyed by catastrophe. There were several creatures, and God always created a new group of plants and animals after a catastrophe. God made only the last creation, in addition to the animals and plants; in this previous creation, the Bible speaks of man,
so there was no need to write about the previous ones. Therefore, we find in the earth the remains of those past creations.
The first to come up with a solidly documented idea of evolution was another Frenchman, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. In 1809, he published a book called Philosophe Zoologist, which proves that evolution is ongoing. Unfortunately, alongside Lamarck’s real contribution, we tend to teach Lamarck’s mistaken idea of how evolution takes place in secondary schools. The classic Lamarck example is the idea of an animal that feeds on the leaves of trees. Whoever stretches his neck higher reaches for the larger, more leaves. After a lifetime of grazing on leaves, the channel nevertheless lengthens. Only then is it right. Lamarck, however, imagined (incorrectly) that the creature would be able to pass on this new trait – an elongated neck – to its offspring. His offspring will continue on the path he has set, and they, too, will stretch their necks as far as possible. Their descendants and their descendants’ descendants will do the same. And Lamarck concludes. The giraffe. Scholars would speak of the heredity of the used and the unused. It’s easy to criticize Lamarck after you’ve taken a course in general genetics here at school. According to Lamarck, if I started going to the gym and soon developed muscle bulges, then. My kids should be born muscular. That seems to be different from how it works. Lamarck’s views must be considered in the context of the times. Virtually nothing was known about heredity in the early nineteenth century. There were curious ancient views, for example, that a child would have …the father’s temperament at the moment of conception. It needed to be discovered what was inherited or how. Looking through a simple microscope at sperm, it was assumed that in the sperm, you could see a tiny child curled up like that, as in the mother’s womb. So the only parent is the male; the mother only supplies the nutrients and allows the baby to grow inside her body. People of all generations have been hidden in Adam, like Russian Matroska.
Charles Darwin advocated the idea of what is called blended inheritance, blending inheritance. He correctly observed that a child carries within itself the characteristics of both parents and grandparents. The child is thus the average of the parental features: when we blend red and white wine, …a pink mixture is created. This (incorrect) view persisted until the great beginning of the twentieth century, when, in 1900, the experiments of the monk Gregor Mendel were rediscovered.

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