Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again. Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

Indeed, none of us likes pretense. And he who has a straight backbone hates it. And rightly so. If we think this way, we take to heart the words of the Lord Jesus, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20).

The Pharisees tried to keep the commandments, but how? Only outwardly. They did it only for praise and recognition. In short, to show how “perfect” they were. In their hearts in another way, and outwardly also in another way. It was enough for them to look nice in front of people, but they didn’t care about their inner selves. And thus, they were driven to destruction because their heart was far from God. And this is why Jesus reminds us and even compares external righteousness with internal righteousness. Many thought it was enough to be outwardly lovely, yet they believed that no one could see into their hearts anyway.

Brothers and sisters, does anyone see into our hearts? Yes, they do. Even if the deceiver does not, God sees into each of our hearts very clearly, and He evaluates our actions from the heart’s perspective. Therefore, what is already hidden in our hearts, what we are forging and preparing within ourselves, is very important. And these are not empty and meaningless words but a reality. And it is precisely today when we see moral values being disregarded, trampled upon, and devalued when the murder of unborn children is carried out with impunity. But is it with impunity, even with God?

He who is angry deserves judgment. So anger deserves punishment, and murder, murder of the unborn in the mother’s womb, that should be without trial, without penalty? Whoever allows such wickedness and whoever carries it out, or allows himself to be carried out, only shows that nothing is sacred to him and that he has no shred of responsibility or sound judgment!
And every one of us, brothers and sisters, who want to save his soul from eternal misfortune, will also condemn these crimes committed around us. And that is why the Lord Jesus goes to the root of these murders, He goes to the idea of looking lustfully at a woman, and we may add: even when you look lustfully at a man because these sins are equally severe in women and men. When someone claims nothing wrong with this, he only proves how far he is from moral principles.

What do you mean, when does a thief become a thief? Is it only when he steals something? Isn’t it when he makes a plan? Verily, by the very thought of stealing, one becomes a thief inwardly. He remains a thief if he has failed to carry out the theft outwardly, perhaps because he was a policeman on the spot, but he has already committed a severe sin in his heart. And so it is with anger and with a lustful thought or looks. It takes the right opportunity to bring an idea, desire, or request to fruition, and it becomes a deed. You may have heard it said: I would like to kill him. Or you may have seen children playing with guns and pointing them at each other as if they were shooting. Or in a tavern, you’ve witnessed someone say, “I’d like to be with that Fer’s wife… Although these are all just thoughts, words, and desires, can they be considered sinless? What if the opportunity presents itself? Even then, it will be innocent?!

You may have seen the movie, Relive Your Hell: A mother left alone with her son and remarried years later. The son was then 12 years old. With her new husband, they had a daughter. When the little girl was seven years old, someone kidnapped and murdered her. Do you know who did it? The son, barely 20 years old, did it out of jealousy of his mother, father, and little sister. When his mother remarried, he was internally consumed by it. He made plans for revenge, punished them, and got back at his mother, who shared her love and care with several. And after seven years of projects, inner rage, jealousy, and anger – murder! Where did it begin, brothers and sisters? What preceded the terrible deed? It was thoughts, plans, and desires.

Is there anyone here who would say that thoughts, anger, lustful glances, and the murder of the unborn – there is nothing wrong with that? Indeed, no one in his right mind would claim such a thing. Jesus knew that it would also require sacrifice, self-control, a strong will, and a backbone to live up to his words, so he helps us with his power to keep our thoughts, insides, and hearts pure.

He offers Himself to us at every Mass as the bread of life, which will often receive our interior if we receive it into our pure hearts. We are best prepared if we resist the evil influences of our surroundings, which sound all that is holy. The Lord Jesus is waiting for us. He wants to help us. He would like to come to us. We will open our hearts to him. But to have our hearts ready for him, let us pray together, “Jesus, I know that all pretension, all Phariseeism, is terrible to you. I want to amend my inward parts according to your words. Be my help that even in today’s world, I may prove that to live with you is gain, that to live with you is happiness, joy, and proper security. I will often receive you into my pure heart in Holy Communion so that my soul may be full of you and nothing else may enter it. I want to live with you. I want to get into the kingdom of heaven. 

Brothers and sisters, you may have come across a similar story in your life that an elderly lady told me. She said: “We were two siblings: me and my brother. Recently, when our now elderly mother fell seriously ill, he didn’t even show up at her bedside. And when she died, he was still asking for half of the support I got for the funeral. Tell me, where is the justice?”

One expects justice from people. Sometimes he doesn’t even get it. Let’s ask ourselves a few questions:
What kind of justice do I expect from people?
What kind of justice do I observe?
What kind of righteousness has our Lord shown us?

If we can answer the third question, we don’t have to answer the first two if we can accept the answer to them. Thus, what righteousness has our Lord shown us? All righteous ordinances should be anchored in the law. And indeed, the words of the psalm have not escaped your attention, “Blessed is the man that trustees in the Lord…” (Ž 40,5). We heard the law mentioned two weeks ago in the eight beatitudes. And that the Lord Jesus is serious about it is evidenced by today’s words: “Except your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:20). What is the righteousness of Christ? Is it possible to convict the Pharisees and scribes of unrighteousness? Those who tithed on dill, mint? Those who prayed daily, those who went to the temple, those who fasted, those who did not steal…? What more does Jesus want from us? Wouldn’t it be enough for him if we were as righteous as the Pharisees? Christians are to be followers of Christ, not followers of the Pharisees. If Jesus had acted according to the righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes, the world, the people, and we, every one of us, would have been punished for any little thing. And who would want to come into such a kingdom? Who would want such a boss?

What is the difference between the righteousness of the Pharisees and the righteousness of Jesus? The righteousness of the Pharisees can be compared on two hands. Both with a finger raised in warning. Instead, they were two chastening hands. But the hands of Jesus, the palms of Jesus are telling us: “Come to me, all you who labor and are weary, and I will strengthen you” (Matt. 11:2). Jesus’ open hands say, “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Mt. 9:13). Jesus’ open arms offer, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt. 11:29). And we know that the palms, the hands of Jesus, form an open embrace, and in its center is a pierced heart. And who among the Pharisees had his heart pierced? The righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes had not a spirit, a spirit of love, but an eye for an eye… But beware! The Lord does not soften the Law; no, on the contrary, for He speaks even more strictly: “Except your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees…” (Mt 5:20). Are these not stricter words?

What is righteousness, anyway? In the book Maturing in Love, Sullivan quotes, “Its foundation, and the foundation of a good, beautiful, and just life in general, is truth. But the truth that is not warmed by the warmth of the heart is truth betrayed!” (p. 119). We know that the heart’s energy, if I may call it that, is love. That is why the Holy Father, in the encyclical Onadragesimoanno, says, in Bl. Pius X’s memory: “Just as justice cannot take the place of love, neither can love to take the place of justice, for justice is born in the brain and love in the heart, for the thought appears in the brain, but the mind in the heart!” The difference is that Jesus invites us into the arms of love, not under the hand of the law that makes us fearful. Okay, you say, but how does that relate to our lives? We are called Christians. We profess to be Christians. We are Christians, after all! But do we also live as Christians?! We tell ourselves that the righteousness of Christ is kind and forgiving. The character of the Pharisees and scribes is interchangeable – an eye for an eye. Which do we adhere to more in life? For example, if someone tries to “trip our foot,” how many times have we forgiven them, or how many times have we wanted to trip them for it according to “righteousness” – both feet? The righteousness of the Pharisees knows no forgiveness. The right of Jesus is laced with mercy with forgiveness. The justice of the Pharisees is based on the relationship between the judge and the accused. The righteousness of Jesus is based on a relationship of love. And to this, St. Paul shows us the way: ‘What if I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not to love, I would be as tinkling metal and a clanging cymbal’ (1 Cor. 13:1). Now we understand, comprehend, and accept the Lord’s words and live them.

As did a lady who had a neighbor who was outwardly cordial towards her but who repeatedly slandered her in front of others. When she heard the gossip, she first wanted to run up and give her a good scolding, but then she calmed down. A few days later, she met her neighbor’s friend. She speaks to her and says: “I have a confession to make. I live next door to Mrs. XY, and I must tell you that she is a very nice lady and a perfect neighbor. I can’t tell you how glad I am to live next door to her. I consider myself very fortunate to be her neighbor and, more than that, to be her friend.” A few days later, the neighbor-helper introduced herself to our lady, and this is how she spoke to her: “I would like to be your good neighbor, your friend. Perhaps I have not always been so good to you as you tell about me. You will forgive me, and from now on, let us be good friends.” And not a word was said about the old gossip. And the two of them became great friends. (The Joyful Message, Year A, p. 138) Gee, what a move she made! Indeed, but what was there special? What was extraordinary was that our lady had to swallow something, but she turned it into the bread of love. The secret was that she knew how to forgive out of love.

Brothers and sisters, let us try and dare to be more merciful, kind, and considerate towards other people. Then we, too, can hope, desire, and even be almost sure that God will be gracious to us too, as a certain Bruckberger mentions in his book Maturing in Love, where he says: “I hope that at the Last Judgment God will be unjust to me. Yes, unjust, as only one who loves can be.” (p. 124). Lord, how beautiful is your justice! How beautiful are your words that teach us to live, forgive, our salvation, and our happiness? May we, brothers and sisters, offer the found righteousness of Jesus to our families. Then we will not hear of our families that children cannot agree, bear, and forgive each other even at the deathbed of their parents. No, we won’t hear that because Christ will visit our families. Christ with His merciful justice, justice of open arms, and justice of love.

I was talking to an acquaintance of mine the other day. He is a perfect and tolerant believer. He complained that he works in a collective governed by questionable morals, but he would like to do something for this collective. He would like to show light to his colleagues; he would want to sanitize their minds, opinions, and actions. In a word, he would like to bring the spirit of the Gospel into the environment in which he works. He has thought a lot about this, but he is afraid to start lest others turn away from him and say that he is too wise and moralistic. Our brother also knows the words of the Gospel with which Jesus speaks to us, “You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:14-16). But here, again, another difficulty arises for him. He asks, Am I to be the light of the world? Am I to be a light to others? After all, I am just an ordinary person. Wouldn’t it be a presumption that I shine to others? Wouldn’t that lead to pride? What is Jesus teaching us to here?

A pretty common phenomenon from nature helps to give us the answer to this problem. Let us imagine that we are walking down the street with our children some evening. Suddenly, a bright moonlight emerges from among the clouds. The children cry out: “Daddy, Mommy, look how the moon is shining!” We, adults, nod to them in good conscience and move on. But is it true? Is the moon shining? We all know that the moon doesn’t shine at all. He reflects the sun’s rays, and we receive them as the moon’s light. It is the same with us Christians. If we are to shine for others, we do not shine with our light but with the morning we receive from Christ. Thus, by Christ’s light, we shine. This consciousness will keep us from pride and conceit. People who see the light of our actions and our deeds will understand after a time that it is not our light but the light of God in whose rays we walk. I think every man finds the moonlight in its modesty sympathetic, and no one blames him for not shining with his light.

It is the same with us. People will like us, even more when they find that we have the same weaknesses as others, but we can overcome them by the strength of Christ and the power of his light. Thus, what keeps us afloat is not our abilities but the favor of God, which we use and strive for with our lives. Let us note once again Jesus’ recommendation. Jesus is not telling us: Speak of your light, where you got it from, but he recommends that we act and witness the light we receive by our actions. For those who work in this way, the fear of being accused by others of moralizing or exalting themselves will become imminent. The morning of the gospel also shows us how to begin. Notice Jesus how many times in his life he starts a conversation with a stranger by saying, “Your sins are forgiven you” (Lk 5:23). He – God forgives. And he forgives even in the last hour of his earthly life those who want to get rid of him and mock him even under the cross. And let us also look at Jesus’ deputy, Pope John Paul II. As the supreme representative of Christ’s Church and faithful bearer of Christ’s light, he descends to the prison of the man who tried to put him to death and forgives him. We, too, can most deeply and profoundly impress others in our neighborhood by ignoring no matter what wrongs or humiliations we endure.

But someone will say: “But where do we get strength from? I want to wrestle with my angry enemy, but I am afraid to meet him lest I say something to him again. Therefore, I will rather go around him.” The Holy Father John Paul II, in Frossard’s book Conversations with John Paul II, answered it something like this: “We are to draw strength for our daily duties primarily from prayer. It is impossible to say how much we should pray, but all our concerns must grow out of prayer, as it were, out of our spiritual soil. The layer of this soil cannot be too thin and shallow. Inner experience will enable us to discern how to shape this soil from day to day so that there will be enough of it to carry through all our decisions.”

Brothers and sisters, if we too feel that we could do something positive for our loved ones and for the collective in which we work daily, let us not be afraid to become the light of Christ. We do not need intellectual, theological debates to guide the lives of others but simple actions. Deeds are nourished by prayer and coming from a sincere heart. 

3D movies are viral today. When you put on special glasses, you can see exactly what is happening up front, but you can also watch some critical action that is going on somewhere in the background. Everything comes alive in front of your eyes in a new and fantastic way. Similarly, as the day of the sending of the Holy Spirit approaches, God wants us to turn our attention to the stories of the Acts of the Apostles and, at the same time, perceive how the Holy Spirit worked mightily in the apostles through all that they said and did.

In today’s first reading, it is easy to see what was going on in the foreground and the background. When Paul met with the believers in Ephesus who had no knowledge or experience of the Holy Spirit, he laid his hands on them, and the Spirit came upon them, filling them with new life, and they began to speak in foreign tongues. Did you notice that the Holy Spirit came down when Paul laid his hands on them? He used this simple gesture to signify friendship and solidarity with them. Because of his touch, the people made direct contact with Christ’s ambassador, which opened the door to more incredible blessings.

Paul offers us an example to follow. Praying for someone is a good thing. Praying with someone is an excellent thing. And laying hands on someone while we pray for them is even better. It gives that person the experience of seeking the Lord’s help together. Plus, we believe that when we pray in this way, we offer the Holy Spirit a more significant opportunity to act, sometimes in a fascinating manner. We can witness miracles! Maybe this intimate way of praying makes you uncomfortable. But there is great value in this bodily sign of God’s love and presence. Therefore, allow the Lord to free you from timidity and step out in faith. It is a simple gesture, but it can bring tremendous results!

Together with the Virgin Mary, the apostles awaited the sending of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. On the tenth day after Jesus’ ascension, about the ninth hour, there was a sudden roar, like a strong wind blowing. And tongues of fire appeared above them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Man is sinful innately. It is, in a way, to put it unnaturally and harshly. Hereditary sin has wrought this disaster in man. Its consequence is that every man is bound to sin, from which God’s grace frees us. Our Heavenly Father loves us infinitely and does not want even one of His little ones to perish. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believed in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).

Many terms are used in the dictionary to describe the term grace, but surely among the most familiar is the word mercy. Thus, we can say that our Heavenly Father has compassion on us so that we may be able to attain salvation. Against the weakness of human nature, the only remedy is the grace of God. Man can do nothing by himself, and therefore he is compelled to depend upon the Lord if he wishes to be saved. Freedom was sufficient for a man to sin, but to return to the sphere of righteousness, he needs the help of grace, which he receives from the mercy of God. In His infinite love, God gives us two principal graces in the struggle against sin: a helping grace and a sanctifying grace. All of us know St. Augustine, the zealous teacher of the doctrine of grace. He often stressed the nature of grace, saying: “Grace is free; it does not depend on our merits; it was already before our merits. And it is even when it is offered to us as a consequence of our actions.” Nevertheless, you will surely grant me that grace is a gift of God, for we do our actions at God’s prompting. It is not only God’s gift to man, but it is God’s undeserved gift to man, who does not value it so much. Grace itself, helping or sanctifying, is meant to perfect man. To build up in him a more excellent resistance to sin. Enabling grace comes from the very act of man. It consists of God allowing a man to enlighten his reason for the knowledge of his supernatural focus. Simply put, God will enable man to know his direction for eternity. Sanctifying grace rests on participation in God’s wisdom and love. Simply put, God reveals His perfection and mercy.

Man has his full significance only in the Creator. He creates man for Himself so that man may find in his Creator his perfection in the image of God. God’s love for us is great to offer us His grace out of God’s motive. We are sinful, and sinfulness closes our perception of God. Man’s sinfulness is his essential tragedy. Why? In such a condition, man finds most often a substitute in temporality. Only God can lift man to Himself. Lift him from the dust of his wretchedness and sinfulness so that that man may be an active child of God. What makes a child? Indeed, you will grant me that it is undoubtedly innocence. Innocence consists in trusting in God to the utmost. A man in no way earns the status of a child of God. Why? By his sin, he has lost God’s affection. We can say that man in the position of a child of God is from the side of God. God is infinitely gracious and merciful. He has no interest in a man being outside his heavenly homeland. All supernatural good is a gift of God’s grace. St. Augustine says: “The first parents, before they acted against the will of God, pleased God, and God pleased them.” Even though our first parents had an animal body, they did not feel anything in it against themselves that would disobey them. Despite this human perfection, the man sold himself to sin. This selling out to sin has far-reaching consequences for humanity. Man has forfeited the graces that come from the Heavenly Father. But the sacrifice of Jesus Christ has won all graces back for us. He has redeemed us and secured the plan of our salvation, which is already half fulfilled. It is up to us how we handle our sinfulness. It is just that we deserve God’s just punishment for sin. Thanks to God’s grace, we humans will only gain righteousness by overcoming sin. St. Augustine sacrificed his whole life for the doctrine of grace and its defense. He was concerned that men should not fall into error and begin to justify their mistaken actions. Every Christian must ask God for grace. Only a person who is no stranger to mercy is entitled to ask God for graces.

At the end of the civil war of the North against the South in America, the fate of South America was being decided. President Abraham Lincoln’s advisors urged him to punish the Southerners for all the bloodshed they had caused and suggested various punishments. The President listened attentively to them, and when they had finished speaking, he said in a modest voice: “Is it possible to annihilate my enemies when I intend to make them my friends?” The President replied, who made a generous reconstruction plan instead of revenge.

Indeed, this example has its flaws, but it seeks to point to an unconventional way of getting rid of enemies. Every child of God should naturally go around dispensing grace lovingly and selflessly. No one is entitled to ask grace and mercy from the Heavenly Father, who cannot be gracious himself. Let us strive to conform our lives to God’s will. God’s will represents living according to the Gospel. We have reason and free will at our disposal. But we must also consider our weakness, which manifests itself in our sinfulness. Our God offers us weapons against sin, despite our ingratitude. A very effective weapon is resistance to evil. Resistance must be nourished by prayer and honesty with God. God’s grace is needed to enable us to have resistance to sin. After all, we all want to attain salvation. I wish you to be open to the action of God’s grace and to have sufficient resistance to sin cultivated in you.

It is often said in the world of matter: Something for something. Although this would seem to be true in the realm of faith at first glance, this is not the case. One speaks of love in the realm of faith, and one speaks of egoism in the realm of matter.

Let us judge this for ourselves, thanks to the Gospel. After the Lord Jesus’ thrice-repeated question to Peter: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” After confessing three times, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you, “… he challenged him: “Follow me!” (Jn. 21:15-19).
The Easter season is coming to an end. For several days, we have been paying attention to Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, which is his testamentary discourse, and today we have heard how the Lord Jesus appoints Peter as the head of the Church, as the supreme shepherd – the Pope.

Jesus first pointed out to his apostles the unity in faith and charity, and this is because this is to become the focal point in the person of Peter, to whom the Lord Jesus wants to entrust his Church, his flock, his sheep, that is to say, his faithful. Therefore, it is self-evident because the Lord Jesus does not examine Peter’s aptitude for this office, organizational talent, theological knowledge, or legal talent but asks him about his love for Him. Earlier, more often than not, the Lord Jesus emphasized in His teaching that the first among the apostles can only be the one who has the most courage to serve and the most love. He asks Peter, “.. do you love me?” (Jn 21:15). And he even repeats it three times, not because the old legal norm demanded validity of the threefold testimony of the witnesses, and not to emphasize the importance of the moment, but to point out to Peter that he had denied him three times. And he did this not to humble him but to show that he forgave him and, at the same time to warn him that in his responsible mission of leading the Church, he must not rely on himself alone, for that might lead to a new fall, as Peter could have been convinced, but to rely on God alone. That Peter understood the reproach of the Lord Jesus is felt after the third time the Lord Jesus asks him, when Peter answers, “Lord, you know all things, you know well that I love you!” (Jn. 21:17). We see that Peter no longer relies on himself but calls the Lord Jesus Himself as the witness of his love. This becomes a comfort to Peter but also to the other apostles. The Lord Jesus knows their weaknesses, but He also knows their passion. This also means that no one in the Church will be able to blame the faults of another after the event when Jesus Christ has forgiven these faults, that is, after the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The question: “Do you love me?” does not only concern Peter or the leaders in the Church but also concerns all of us. The Lord Jesus wants to bind us all together in love. We sense this from the words of Peter: “When you were younger, you girded yourself to go wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you stretch out your hands; another girds you and leads you where you do not want to go” (Jn 21:18). Simon Peter was a man of fierce temper, yet the love of Jesus bound him.
When a man is born, he forces things on his parents. When a man is young, he also goes wherever he pleases, forgives much, pardons much, and tolerates much. But the day will come that we will all have to go where we don’t much want to go. However, man has free will; he can refuse, even say no to God. Although, if we have true love, we will never say this. Even today, Jesus asks each one of us: do you love me? May we answer like Peter! “Lord, you know everything, you know very well that I love you!” (Jn 21:17).

Our love thus confessed binds our hands, hearts, and lives, and we only want to go where God wants us to go and what his will is. We know that our heavenly Father’s will is for us to go and proclaim the Gospel and live by it. Today, we should also be more conscious that we should unite ourselves as firmly as possible with the visible head of the Church, the Pope, with our bishops and priests to establish the true unity in love that the Lord Jesus taught us so strongly. All the faithful united to Rome pray for the Holy Father that, as the successor of Peter the Apostle, he may lead us happily to the harbor of eternity. Our devotion and prayers are a powerful weapon against evil and a sure victory!

We do not expect a reward for it here on earth, as unbelievers expect in heaven. We await the reward in love, which we will contain completely only after meeting God in eternity.