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Today we heard that Joseph also had an integral role in all the events of the Bible. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife…” (Mt 1:20). These words of the angel’s annunciation seem to diminish the fear of a man who loves Mary very much. To understand Joseph’s inner struggle, let us briefly look at the traditions that prevailed in Israel.

It is known that betrothals took place at a very young age, at twelve to fourteen for girls and eighteen to twenty for young men. The wedding was the first of the two stages of Jewish marriage. It was a grave and binding step that already formed a union, where the young man and girl were considered husband and wife. Usually, the marriage lasted an entire year, during which time the couple did not live together, but each lived with their parents. The purpose of these betrothals was to demonstrate fidelity and purity. When the bride’s commitment had been established for one year, the husband would solemnly take her to their new home, thus ending the whole long marriage process.
But let’s get back to Joseph and his decision. When he learned that Mary was expecting a child, Jewish law commanded him to divorce her. But as we heard, Joseph was a righteous man, meaning he had to keep the direction of the forefathers and dishonor her. He was also an honest man in the sense of – meek, merciful, reasonable, so he wanted to handle the situation delicately. He chose the secret way – without legal notice, investigation, and fuss.
And would you like to know what would have awaited Mary? Unfortunately, the answer would have been sad. Mary would have been an outcast, cast away by all, and always borne the mark of a mother with an illegitimate child.
The angel dispelled the darkness in Joseph’s heart, “Do not be afraid to receive Mary” (Mt 1:20). The angel fulfilled the betrothal, opening up a huge mystery – what was going on in Mary’s person: …that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1:20). It was a great surprise that shook Joseph’s life. The astonishment was much stronger than the thought of his wife being heavy. A new life and an extraordinary mission open before Joseph; from now on, he fulfills God’s law, the law of love and mercy.

In the genealogy of Jesus Christ, there is a long list of names of those who helped bring about Christ’s human nature. But behind each word is a specific person who participated with their life in the birth of Jesus. From millennia to millennia, the body and humanity of Christ have been woven.
Look, we cannot help but notice one thought: in this list of human names is preserved for us the memory not only of those who achieved holiness through their lives, but also of those who walked through sin, pushed through human weakness, and sought light, truth, and holiness out of the darkness. We now look upon those people as holy and written in Holy Scripture. How did their contemporaries perceive them?

Abraham was an unrecognized wanderer among strangers and did not have a piece of land. Therefore, to bury his wife, he had to buy land. David was persecuted as a traitor. He had to flee and serve a pagan king who was against Israel. Although David remained loyal to the nation of Israel and continued to fight against the Gentiles, he was considered a traitor. Righteous Joseph was known to all as an ordinary carpenter. Only some priests and people of high rank knew that he was of royal lineage. We are not aware of any speeches against David’s descendants’ usurper of the line. And it was these people who were unrecognized, driven away during their lifetime, by their holiness, transformed humanity.

Therefore, let none of us think that nothing changes from personal conduct and inner life; and that it makes no difference whether any of us sins or does good. Even the very mind of man, which might seem to us unnoticed, insignificant, can turn a life around and affect the people next to us.
See, Joseph, who initially had the wrong mind, was then convinced and began to think rightly. So too, we will not convince ourselves that any act of ours, our thinking, is meaningless. So we will not regard ourselves as insignificant people from whose behavior – good or bad – nothing changes. Every bad deed, every evil thought affects us and shortens the world’s life. Conversely, the good we do prolongs life and gives other people the opportunity for repentance and the reformation of life.

There are no insignificant people, no insignificant events. I am not talking about man’s greatness and inviting you to conceit – no. What is essential is the importance of the inner life, working on oneself, and the need for the salvation of oneself and other people. When we live a contented, quiet life as Joseph did, we live righteously and create an atmosphere next door that helps many people wake up, look at themselves, and come to repentance.
Thus personal righteousness and a person’s example are of great importance. Those who say that global processes rule over humanity, and we, like specks or droplets, are moving in the stream and cannot change anything are not correct. Of course, this is not the case. Even Abraham, King David, and Joseph were ordinary people. And through their righteousness, they became great.

Joseph’s story teaches us to be aware of God’s intervention in our lives. Are we ready to live with him? Like Joseph, is there restlessness and fear in your heart? Let us not be afraid; the Lord wants only good for us! Let us look today at Joseph – the Lord’s foster son, at the presence of God in our lives.

Joseph – he who lived by faith, went to God, wanted to live with God, is worthy to receive Christ. So, may today’s liturgy also be a reason for strengthening our unity with God and our faith, and may it give us the courage to receive God in the days to come with a pure heart? And may our spiritual transformation help us to live with joy a life filled with love

Each of us owns something, e.g., a house, a car, a garden, etc. Thus, we know from experience that he takes care of something when someone owns something. He tries to protect and develop it. If a person takes good care of his possessions, it brings him joy, happiness, profit, and wealth.

In the Gospel, we hear of the householder who sent his servants and later his son to the vine dressers for a share of the harvest. But the vine dressers killed the servants and the son. What will the Lord do with the vine dressers when He returns? He will destroy the wicked without mercy and lease the vineyard to others.

The steward is God. The servants are the prophets. The Son is Jesus, and the vine dressers are us. The householder rented his vineyard and departed. Thus, God has given man the lease of this land, his life, and his soul. Man is to take care of himself as a good husbandman. Physically and spiritually. Both are important. Just as the vine dressers had to lay down their share of the harvest, each person will have to lay down their claim of their farming or husbandry. Let us manage well what God has given us so that we may be an excellent fruitful vineyard and produce a good harvest. We each have both beneficial and unfruitful places in our vineyards. We need to take care of both. If we take good care of them, they will produce a blessed harvest that we will enjoy, but all who have the opportunity to taste it will want. The crop may be a kind word, a loving act, or noticing another. Let us not be afraid to work for ourselves, for our salvation, and help our neighbors do the same.

It is essential to realize that a harvest will require us at the end of our lives what its quality and value will depend above all on us. What values would I pass on today if my farmer visited me? Would he find me working or idle? It does not depend on our vitality alone. We can be good stewards at any age.

Let us remember the role model and great example in blessed memory, the Holy Father John Paul II. He was able to work to the very end, not only for the salvation of his soul but also for the whole world’s salvation. Let us be encouraged by the witness of a man of this time whom we have known and who has reached out to the world as a entire. He showed us that it could be done. So let us work. Let us not be indifferent.

And finally, brothers and sisters, let us, above all, take care of our vineyard. Let us take care of our souls. Let us not neglect what is most important in our lives. Be assured that if we take good care of our spiritual life, it will bring us eternal joy and happiness.

Having the right attitude towards repentance (Luke 13:1-9)
There is no repentance like repentance. There is a fundamental difference. In what? Repentance is love.

Lent is specific, and yet. Has it not happened to you that you have rejected sin? It happens that evil is relegated to the past. Guilt is not recognized. They have already sounded the alarm about corruption, about responsibility. Didn’t someone advise you to break free from the church’s prohibitions? Yes, sin is no longer talked about, but more sin is committed, and it is committed publicly, without shame, without fear… Yes, they also repent and go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but they don’t get better because they don’t want to. Repentance is not valid; it is customary, traditional… The love of Jesus, the forgiveness of Jesus is degraded… They say they don’t need forgiveness; they don’t believe that a priest can forgive anything… And what follows? The consequences are seen on their face and their whole life; it is seen in society.

And yet. Even today, whether someone believes in the existence of sin or not, Jesus tells us: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish…” (Lk. 13:3).

Nothing new under the sun. Jesus is speaking on the subject of conversion and repentance. Some of the hearers do not accept Jesus’ teaching and attack. The passage in Luke’s Gospel speaks of a group of people who have a problem regarding sin guilt. Jesus addresses the issue in the specific historical facts that were happening. Pilate had provoked several riots in which human blood was shed in the temple and mixed with the blood of sacrificed animals. The Jews were given privileges by Rome, which the governor violated. They also speak of misfortune at Siloe, where a tower fell, killing eighteen. Jesus’ opponents use these events to drag Jesus into their dishonest views. Jesus sees their opposition to the teaching he presents to them, so he asks them questions and immediately answers them himself. Responding with a question is considered the masterful speech of any teacher, including Jesus. Jesus gives one answer to both events, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish…” (Lk. 13:3). The opponents of Jesus considered those killed in the temple and under the tower’s ruins to be sinners. Jesus responds that these may have been far less sinful than those who proclaimed them to be sinners.
Jesus points out another danger that all people face when living in sin. In the parable of the fig tree that bears no fruit and therefore is to be cut down, Jesus points out the importance and necessity of true and sincere repentance. The vine dresser asks that the fig tree be given one more chance: “Lord, let it be this year. I will hoe it and fertilize it. Perhaps it will bear fruit” (Lk 13:8-9). Already the events narrated to Jesus need to be explained in the spirit that the sword of Pilate threatens everyone, and a tower can be brought down on anyone. If it is a fig tree that bears no fruit, that is cursed because it has exhausted the patience of its owner, if it is once more dug up and bears fruit, it represents a tremendous and final occasion of love that it did not deserve. Grace shown does not automatically bear fruit. The man symbolized as a fig tree must cooperate with grace to bear fruit.

The catechesis thus presented addresses us who live in very similar and concrete circumstances. Perhaps even in our positions, we can find more of the mindset of the interlocutors with Jesus. There are also those Christians who would most gladly remove from the liturgy of the Mass the act of repentance. This manifests a broader phenomenon that points to the demise of the awareness of sin in contemporary man. One can speak of a loss of moral consciousness and responsibility for one’s actions. This practice must be a cause for alarm if only because the days of the last world wars disturbed many, are not so far distant. After all, even today, sin is still bearing fruit in social and personal dimensions. J. J. Rousseau’s utopian dream of a man who is good by nature of nature burst long ago. Today man is aware that his existence is threatened not only by higher forces but also by himself. How much has been written and is being written on this subject. Rarely has man been so harshly judged. It is strange. In film’s literary works, more and more we drill into the secret chambers of hearts, and the same man claims that no one has the right to speak of sin. The world has become accustomed to talking about the sin of others but is silent about its own. Some are taking steps to remove the concept of sin from the manuals of Christian theology. It should be the steps of the Church that should be conformed to the world. We realize that this is nothing new in the Church. Even in the time of Christ, some men said of themselves that they were righteous. St. John dedicated the words to them: “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 Jn. 1:10).

When we want to answer the question of the causes of such views, we can safely say that they begin with a rejection of our dependence on God. For the man who rejects God, the notion of sin becomes meaningless, and the concept of moral evil can only be relative. The attitude of many contemporaries is expressed by Sartre when he says: “There is neither good nor evil and no one who can command me.” He rejects, moreover, the existence of absolute moral standards of divine right. Man leaves God’s law and judges that he has achieved liberation. He deprives himself first of the compass, which points the way to a particular life consciousness. Thus, he remains alone, without permanent and firm principles.

A steady orientation toward God is not the luxurious basis of special church tips but the defining duty of all Christians. In every situation, we are to remain faithful to God. We must remember that we are weak and prone to sin, we need to guard against evil, and when we fall, we need to repent. This doesn’t just mean outwardly, but a return inwardly is required. Not just outwardly to repent and confess, but inwardly to acknowledge our sin, to forgive God that we have offended Him. Let us repeat to ourselves what perfect contrition is. Returning to God is understood as a conscious and voluntary renunciation of all that is not connected with God. We need to renounce all practices that keep us in a simple approach to repentance. Jesus reminds us, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). We do not want to be among those who misunderstand and practice repentance. We must be careful of our mentality. The nature of man often causes problems for ourselves. Indeed, conversion can often be spoken of as a heroic act. We need to be strengthened in a joyful spirit and to see the joy of forgiveness in return, maintained in the sense of inner and outer peace. True, we have to ask for the grace of conversion both for ourselves and other people. To lead children and adolescents, in particular, to pray to preserve a spirit of repentance throughout life and pray for grace if we have abandoned God-love so that we may find our way back as soon as possible.
Father J. W. Groff tells the mystery of heaven and hell: On the roadside sat an old monk. He had his eyes closed, legs crossed, and hands resting in his lap. He sat absorbed in deep meditation. Suddenly, the harsh and imperious voice interrupted his reflection: “Knife, old man! Explain to me at once the difference between heaven and hell!” The monk did not move, as if he had not even heard. Then he opened his eyes, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth, and the soldier just stood there, waiting impatiently, growing more nervous with every passing second. “Would you like to know the secret of heaven and hell?” The monk exclaimed at last. “You, so neglectful? You, who have your hands and feet stained with filth? Thou that hast uncombed hair and foul breath, and thy sword is rusty and dull? Thou that art ugly, and thy mother dresses thee so ridiculously? Thou askest me about heaven and hell? The soldier cursed wildly. He drew his sword and raised it high above his head. A grimace contorted his face; the arteries in his neck boiled and bulged as he prepared to behead the monk. “This is hell,” the monk said meekly, just as the sword began to descend. In a split second, the soldier was left as if stunned, and he felt respect, compassion, and love for this peaceful man who had dared to risk his life to teach him what the hell was. The sword stopped in midair and the soldier’s eyes flooded with tears of gratitude. “And this,” continued the monk, “is heaven.” (Chicken Soup for the Soul 3rd Serving, SOFA, 1996, p. 322)
It could be said that the beginning of the return is also our fear of God, our fear of damnation. Let us remember the less donal regret. We want to avoid messing with the patience of God, who gives time and opportunity to make amends to forsake sin. Do not postpone for later… On the contrary, our gratitude to God for the grace of conversion is appropriate. It does not have to be only old or sick.

Today, in the Eucharistic celebration, we open our hearts to return, to repentance, to the growth of God’s love in us. Let us ask for the necessary strength to make a good Easter sacrament of reconciliation and beg for the grace of this sacrament at the hour of our death.

We cannot be indifferent to the suffering of other people. This challenge is relevant, especially now, that so many people are fleeing Ukraine.

It is said that the hungry do not believe the hungry. And it’s true because it’s only when you’re hungry that you know what hunger is. And when one is thirsty, only then can one appreciate a glass or perhaps even clean water.

We heard something similar a while ago, “…poor, hungry Lazarus longed to be satisfied with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.” (Lk, 16:20-21).
In the case of the rich man, the evil and sin were not that he owned property and was rich, but the sin of the rich man was that he failed to share and used his property only for himself and did not see the misery of others, in this case, Lazarus. Thus, the rich man neglected the good. Lazarus was poor and did not even have the necessities. He had nothing to eat or drink. Jesus used this story, this parable of the rich man and Lazarus, many years ago. But history seems to be repeating itself.

Even today, many people are excessively wealthy, who can only see the tip of their nose, and others are air to them. And there are indeed those who have nothing for a variety of causes. Either they have lost their jobs, and poverty has pushed them to the margins of society, or in the passion of some weakness, they have lost everything, even the roof over their heads – they have nothing.

We may say to ourselves that this is not our case. In our neighborhood, people are at least moderately well off. And the beggars who stand outside the church have themselves to blame. Maybe they do, perhaps they don’t. But help is needed. For example, concretely by supporting the charity that the Church has set up just for these poorest of the poor.

To see the misery around you and not act to help is to gamble with eternal life. I think the best way, in the experience of many, is to benefit through a charity or some charitable organization. Because immediate financial help to a particular person has not proven to be the right thing to do in many cases – one person has helped, and the other has taken advantage of it. Therefore, let us also try to help in this area to the best of our ability. It has helped many people in need and moved them from the margins of society. Doing good always pays off in this area as well. And one more thing – let us appreciate all we have and thank God that we do not feel hunger and thirst.

God, thank you that we have our daily bread. We ask you for all those who do not have it. And reward with life eternal those who care for them.

It is normal and natural that parents try to provide their children with the best possible. Or that a person who loves someone can do anything for him – even the impossible.

We see something similar in God’s word today when the mother of Zebedee’s sons goes to Jesus and says to him: “Tell these two sons of mine to sit in your kingdom, one at your right hand and the other at your left.” (Mt. 20:21b).
Indeed, as we read in today’s Gospel, the mother of Zebedee’s sons – Salome, attempted the impossible, making a minor stir among the apostles. Salome was a simple religious woman who, along with other women, accompanied Jesus and supported him materially. She was a mother and loved her sons. And understandably, she wanted the best for her sons. But Jesus did not grant her request. He couldn’t even fulfill it because, as he says, being seated at his right or left does not belong to him.

Why am I saying all this? I want to point out the love of this woman. Salome asked the impossible, perhaps without even realizing it herself. But she was a mother, and she loved her children; she wanted the best for them. She couldn’t have asked for more. Sitting on the right or the left is an image of supreme rank and power. Salome wanted them to sit in the kingdom of God.

And this is what we should strive for as well. Therefore, let us take an example from God’s Word today from this woman. Let us pray to God for our parents, daughters, sons that one day we may meet them in the kingdom of God. Let us do our best to reach heaven, even if it costs us a lot of effort. But, after all, “What costs nothing is worth nothing.” Therefore, let us have courage. You know best for yourselves how much effort it costs to achieve something good and worthwhile in life. How many times do you have to put yourself entirely wholeheartedly into the action and give your best?

And often, what Salome, the mother of Zebedee’s sons, experienced also happens: it just doesn’t work out. And even then, don’t lose hope and courage. Try to do everything you can to reach your goal. And not just the mundane temporary, but the eternal imperishable. Let us do our utmost every day so that one day we may seek a place with our Heavenly Father. And let us also help our loved ones in this endeavor. After all, we certainly care about them and want the best for them. And this is the best. For this, we will one day be grateful to our parents and friends.

Before his death, the Rev. Neal Scott wrote a message to his parents thanking them for opening the gateway to life for him and lead him down the path to eternal life rather than eternal death.

Let us strive to live in such a way that one day we, too, may sit with those we love in the kingdom of heaven in the presence of God.

Depending on how strong the feeling of guilt is in different religions, the need for purification is also expressed; the consciousness of human weakness then helps the emergence of purification rituals, ceremonies, mysteries. Proper purification from evil, of course, happens through virtuous living. The best penances are good works. For a man who knows his faults no longer trusts himself very much. After all, aren’t all people given enough opportunities to right all the wrongs they have done in life? Have they committed in life?
Even Christianity makes a demand for purity of soul. The perfect love of God is incompatible with a defiled heart. That is why we believe in purification even in death and, after death, in purgatory. All the more reason to purify ourselves here on earth. Those of the Eastern Fathers who see the goal of life in contemplation, contemplation, like to repeat the sentence of St. Isaac the Syrian: “The soul sees God by how pure the heart is.” They liken the soul to a well that reflects the sky if the water is clear. “What, then, leads to that goal which leads to purity of heart,” St. Cassian writes, “let us grasp with all our strength; what from that goal, let us flee from it as from danger and harm.” What are the means of purification in the Church?
They may be expressed in one word: conversion. It should be, of course, this word is to be taken in its broadest sense. Those who listened to the apostles’ preaching after Christ’s resurrection were converted and baptized. Baptism is a symbol of death and resurrection. Symbolically, the older man is buried underwater, and a new man emerges who has promised to live in Christ according to his commandments. In the earliest times, adults were baptized. It was not thought that they could fall back into the old errors. And yet, the experience of the very soon showed that even a Christian is weak. It was, therefore, necessary at once to reconcile the erring with the Church, and those who erred severely, e.g., apostates in times of persecution.
It was a matter of reconciliation with the Church in the first place, of readmittance into the community of believers. However, because it is loosed in heaven, what is released from the apostles on earth (Mt. 16,
19); this reconciliation with the Church also implies the forgiveness of sins before God. We are not surprised, then, that repentance was initially public. Remnants of it are still preserved today in monastic chapters. In the new age, attempts are being made here and there to revive the practice in the smaller circles of the faithful. No doubt that it corresponds to the spirit of the Gospel, to the structure of the Church, to the words of the Father: ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as one as we forgive our debtors. The saying is true that the better can be the greatest enemy of the good. We are not all on such a spiritual height that we are willing to confess everything out loud, honestly. The Church introduced early the so-called ear, or private confession. The name “private,” however, is not entirely correct. Admission is indeed made to one priest, bound by the confessional secret, but he is officially there to the place of the Church.

Confession takes the symbolic form of proper judgment. The accuser is the penitent himself. He sues upon himself the transgressions against the divine and ecclesiastical law. The priest, for the Church, condemns him to punishment, to penance. Fort hens, according to the words of the prophet Nahum (1:9), God does not punish a second time; sins are already condemned and atoned for in confession and before God by repentance. Confession, therefore, precedes Christ’s final judgment, putting even those who have been left behind, again after his right hand (cf. Mt 25:33), among those chosen for salvation.

In the USA, they have recently done a campaign called `clean hands.’ It was to draw attention to the importance of handwashing. Researchers observed people, noting how many washed their hands after going to the toilet. Their findings were surprising. Many adults neglected even this most basic hygiene rule. We teach young children to wash their hands when they come home from school or the playground before they eat because unwashed hands carry a lot of germs and transmit diseases, but we do not comply.

But how does this relate to the gospel? Just as basic hygiene is not followed, neither are spiritual principles. “For they speak and do not act” (Matt. 23:3).

For such behavior, Jesus sharply rebukes them. He tells them that they are zealous for God’s law, but they remain only with the letter of the law. They were not proving it with their lives. When love for a person required them to leave something out, they would sacrifice a person rather than break the Sabbath.
There are quite a few such Pharisees in our ranks. This is not so much about keeping Sunday. With us, God’s law is being broken in several areas of life.

Let us lay our hand on our hearts, each to his own, that we are not so much concerned about pride, covetousness, gluttony, which have a destructive effect on our souls. We often do not take it seriously. But we risk much more than just some money we lose after a bad investment or some piece of our property that is a plain waste of what we lose. We risk losing the kingdom of heaven. Pride is a grave sin. If it appears, we must nip it in the bud. Imagine weeds in a garden. How much we have to weed, dig, how to destroy it. If we neglect the park, the weeds will ruin the whole crop.
This is what pride does in our heart – it destroys the life of God in us. It has already happened in Eden. “You will be like God!” the devil tempted Adam and Eve. And he does this in various forms today.

Let us think about whether we are also not acting hypocritically like the Pharisees in the Gospel. We command one thing and do another. How often do we point out the sin of our neighbors and often live in sin ourselves? If we want to cleanse the world of sin, let us first renounce sin. Let us live our Christianity in silence. Let us not be like the Pharisees who point out what good they have done, how good and godly they are, but in secret, they are sometimes worse than those they rebuke. Let us throw off the duplicity and begin to live our Christianity.

Today’s world needs witnesses who faithfully live out their Christianity according to Jesus Christ. Let us witness our lives show that we are Christians even without words.

Let us strive, even in this holiest sacrifice, to ask for the courage to truly witness so that we may first take off our mask, see the speck in our eye, and only then be able to draw the attention of the brother who is next to me.