predication.net

God created humans perfectly holy and happy.. Man was endowed with noble abilities and was mentally balanced. As a perfect being, he lived in harmony with God. He had pure thoughts and holy intentions. Man lived in paradise, in the region east of Eden, where God himself settled him.  So a person comes into the world internally calm. He feels no guilt and does not even know what guilt is, what sin is. Disobedience reversed these facts, and love was replaced by selfishness, peace by restlessness, everything positive by everything negative. People noticed that they were naked. They wanted to hide from the Lord God, but it is impossible to hide from him. There is only one thing that applies before the Lord God: acknowledging guilt, repenting of our transgression, and correcting what we have corrupted, as the first people did.

By transgressing the law, the nature of man became so weak that he could no longer resist the power of evil by his own power. He became a slave to the evil spirit, which interferes with the process of a man’s physical and psychological development. But not only to development, but to the whole life, to its actions, as well as to rest. Man has become a slave to the evil spirit. Understandably, the slave will see what happened to him very quickly.

The first transgression against God’s law worries a person, just as it happened to the first parents, when, after transgressing the prohibition, they noticed that they were naked, restlessness entered them. It is the same with a person, as soon as he understands with his mind that he has done something that he should not have done, restlessness enters his conscience and pursues him until he corrects his mistake. There is no other way to restore inner peace. Conscience will not leave any man alone until he corrects an error that cannot be so hidden that it does not come to light, and the culprit is not punished.

God, in his love for his creation, established for man the possibility of correcting a mistake and regaining his lost inner peace. God is not asking for some horrible acts of correction. He only wants the renewal of man’s love for him, the removal of what separated him from God, what caused him restlessness in his soul, to turn away from evil, to recognize his guilt and correct it.  Here, too, God is more proactive than man. He is the first to call a person, and if a person longs for true inner peace, he follows the voice of the Lord.

Simon, passionate about the Lord … ↔ TODAY WE CELEBRATE the Feast of the Apostles Simon and Judah Thaddeus, who share a date in the calendar because they are always mentioned together in the New Testament when the list of the Twelve is given. Furthermore, according to some ancient traditions, both preached and were martyred in Mesopotamia, an area of the Middle East located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, to which coincides with some areas of today’s Iraq and Syria.

Luke’s Gospel says that Simon’s name was „Zealot“ (Lk 6, 15), which literally means „“avid“ in Aramaic. It was also used to refer to those who belonged to, or sympathized with, a movement then in vogue in Israel that opposed Roman rule by, that it supported non-payment of taxes and promoted various types of rebellion. It is quite possible that Simon shared the ideas of this group. His nickname suggests that he was characterized by a zeal for Jewish identity, and therefore for God, for his people, and for God’s law. If this is the case, Simon is the opposite of Matthew, who, on the contrary, as a customs officer came from an activity considered completely impure. It is a clear sign that Jesus is calling his disciples and collaborators from the most diverse social and religious classes, without exclusion. He is interested in people, not social categories or stickers.

Despite their differences, the apostles knew how to live together because they found in Jesus the reason for their cohesion: in him, they were all united. „It is a clear lesson for us, who often tend to emphasize differences and perhaps opposites, forgetting that in Jesus Christ we receive the strength to overcome our conflicts“. For this reason, the prelate of Opus DEI calls us to live a Christian brotherhood that avoids „discrimination in mutual relations that could arise when differences are noted. In fact, this diversity is often a wealth of characters, sensibilities, interests, etc.“ The figure of Saint Simon shows us that it is possible to love others beyond natural sympathies or antipathies, to love „ each other as true brothers and sisters, with kindness and understanding of one’s own, who form a close family“.

 SAINT JUDAH THADDEUS, whose nickname means „generous“, he asked Jesus the question at the last supper: „Lord, how come you want to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?“ (John 14, 22). It is a question that we could still ask today: Why did the Lord not appear resurrected in a more magnificent way? Why didn’t he show himself victorious over his opponents? Why did he choose only a few disciples to witness his resurrection?

Jesus’ answer, although it may seem mysterious at first glance, introduces us to the mystery of God’s relationship with people, as well as to the deeper meaning of his death and resurrection: „Who loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him; we will come to him and make our abode with him“ (John 14, 23). On the other hand, the Lord adds: „He who does not love me does not keep my words“ (John 14, 24). „ This means that the Risen One must also be seen and perceived with the heart so that God can make a dwelling place in us. The Lord does not present himself as a matter of course. He wants to enter our lives, and therefore his revelation presupposes an open heart. That’s the only way we can see the Risen One.

Sometimes we might want Jesus to intervene in a more visible or immediate way in our lives, as well as in the great events that have marked the history of the world. Indeed, he could do so, as he had the opportunity to do during his earthly tenure. But that is not God’s way. Jesus Christ, dead and resurrected, presents himself to us as radiant and at the same time discreet, challenging our sensitivity, our ability to open up and recognize Him in what constitutes our day, in beauty, which goes unnoticed, even in the pain that seems to have broken out, as well as in the comings and goings associated with the care of personal relationships. In everything, Jesus offers us his helping hand to magnanimously expand his kingdom of love. We understand that „ thirsts after reign in our hearts of God’s children. But let’s not imagine any human kingdoms,“ preached Saint Josemaría, „Christ neither controls nor tries to assert himself, because he did not come to be served, but to serve. His kingdom is a kingdom of peace, joy, justice. Christ, our king, expects not only empty words from us, but deeds, because not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he, who does the will of my Father who is in heaven“.

Total love freedom … ↔ SAINT JUDAS THADDEUS, he is traditionally considered the author of one of the letters of the New Testament. It is one of the so-called Catholic letters, because it was addressed to all Christians, and not only to those from a certain city. Judah sends him to those who are called, loved in God the Father and preserved for Jesus Christ„ “Jd 1, 1(. After this greeting, he draws the attention of Christians to some moral and doctrinal deviations that were introduced into the Church and that caused a split. Many of these problems related to the false understanding of Christian freedom, which „ confuse the grace of our God with eccentricities“ (Jd 1, 4).

In common parlance, freedom can sometimes be reduced to a person simply doing what they want and as often as they want. However, „selfish freedom to do what I want is not freedom because it turns against itself, it is not fruitful. It is the love of Christ that has set us free, and it is also the love that frees us from the worst slavery, from our own self; therefore, freedom grows with love. But beware: not with romantic love, not with soap opera love, not with a passion that simply seeks what we like and love, but with love, which we see in Christ, with love: this is the truly free and liberating love“. Therefore, Saint Jude Thaddeus ends his letter by encouraging Christians to remain in God’s love (. Jd 1, 20), that is, to always act like Jesus: they served others and gave generously, because he understood from the Master, that it is possible to give up your own life and accept „death in full freedom Love“

„Freedom takes on its true meaning,“ commented Saint Josemaría, „only if it serves the truth that liberates when it eats in search of God’s infinite Love, releasing us from all our addictions“. This is how Simon and Judas Thaddeus lived. They show us that a life focused on Christ and on serving our brothers leads to a deep happiness that frees us from the slavery of sin. The Virgin Mary can help us live with the freedom of God’s sons.

Today’s reading reveals the essence of Christianity: the childhood of God. Those who are justified receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within them. The presence of the Spirit of God shows that the baptized person has become a partaker in God’s nature and is therefore a son of God. Just as the Spirit of God caused the Son of God to take on human nature, so sanctifying grace works to make us adopted sons of God and brothers of Jesus Christ. If a baptized person lives a life in accordance with God’s will, they are free, have nothing to fear, and can rightly call God their Father. The Holy Spirit himself confirms that this is not a vain imagination: ‘We are God’s children’.

The heart, blessed with the infused virtues of faith, hope and love, and the moral virtues and their gifts, gives our soul irrefutable peace and certainty that God dwells within us and that we are his sons and daughters. Everyone can experience the presence of God in their heart and be convinced of this. If we are indeed the adopted sons of God, then we are also God’s heirs and co-heirs with Christ to his glory, for we have followed him on the path of suffering. Just as the Son of God had to suffer and enter into his glory, so must we, his adopted sons and brothers of Christ, follow the same path. Anyone who wants to be a co-heir of Christ’s glory must first be a co-sufferer of his pains.

God is our Father and we are all brothers! That is the essence of Christianity. Our honor and glory lie in being sons of God. St. Louis, King of France, preferred to sign ‘Louis of Poissy’, after the place where he was baptized and became God’s son and heir to the eternal King. Let us cherish the grace of baptism, renewing and multiplying it weekly through the Eucharist and daily through acts of love!

23rd October
Feast day: 23rd October (non-obligatory)
Position: priest (OFM)
Death: 1456
Patron: Vienna, Brno; lawyers, military chaplains
Attributes: Franciscan, book, cross, banner with the name Jesus or the monogram IHS
LIFE

He came from Capestrano, studied law, and began his career serving the Neapolitan king. He went from a very high position to prison, where he experienced a conversion. In 1416, he joined the Franciscans, was ordained a priest, and was commissioned to establish stricter Franciscan monasteries. He became a renowned preacher and captivated listeners throughout Central Europe. He came to Brno, where he preached, performed miracles, and founded a monastery. His time in our country, however, was not considered successful. His most significant work is deemed to have been his service in the army, in which he was in Belgrade at the age of 70 when the Turkish army was defeated despite being outnumbered. He soon died from exhaustion after treating a dying commander infected with the plague and delivering a final speech to the troops in Ilok.
LIFE STORY FOR MEDITATION

He was supposedly named after John the Baptist, and some sources state that he was born on the feast day of John the Baptist. His father was a German nobleman, and his mother an Italian.

Throughout his life, John retained an extraordinary memory and a choleric temperament.. This helped him to achieve success. He studied law at the most prestigious law faculty in Perugia, then became a legal advisor at the royal court in Naples. The king then sent him back to Perugia to serve as a judge. He was principled in matters of justice and, at 26, became the city’s governor, and at 28, the head of government with the highest military authority. Shortly after getting married, he was sent to intervene in a dispute during the fighting between Perugia and Malatesta in Rimini in 1413. Then the Apulian king Ladislaus was overthrown, and Jan, as a royal official, was imprisoned in Brufa Castle, where he was threatened with death. He realized the transience of all earthly happiness and the fickleness of human favor. After an audacious attempt to escape, he was reportedly chained to a wall with his feet in the water. On the third day, he had a vision of St. Francis of Assisi, after which he decided to join his order if he was released. He also offered to give up all his property for this. He experienced suffering, which, in conjunction with a mystical experience, led him to change his life. During a night of spiritual struggle, he lost his hair. He then recognized and accepted that it was God’s will for him to abandon all worldly things and serve God exclusively.

After his release, he considered it most essential to reconcile with his enemies and then reach an agreement with his wife to dissolve their marriage, which he claimed had never been consummated. His wife was reluctant to accept his proposals, as he was also persuading her to choose a life without marriage. She finally remarried after around 10 years.

In 1416, Jan joined the Order of Friars Minor Observant, which strictly adhered to the rule. He reportedly began his novitiate at Monteripido, having publicly renounced his past career when he rode through Perugia, where he was most highly regarded, sitting backward on an ass like a fool.

After his conversion, Jan frequently approached the sacrament of reconciliation, but did not dare to receive the Eucharist. He later considered this refusal of the immense offer of God to be one of the most serious sins of his life. During his novitiate, he gained clarity and peace of mind. Aware of the brevity of his life, he became perpetually active in his desire to do much for the glory of God.

He found a reliable friend in Bernardino of Siena, who guided him to become a model friar. He deepened his theological knowledge and was ordained a priest around 1420. Like the popular missionary Bernardin, whom he accompanied on his travels, he also began to preach publicly with great zeal and success. However, he would often return in tears, feeling that the praise he received from others was too great, given how he believed he had responded to God’s call. Following the example of St. Francis, he walked barefoot and wore only a simple religious robe.

He was soon entrusted with establishing stricter Franciscan monasteries and, after 1425, undertook many journeys throughout Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Central Europe, as the Pope had commissioned him to carry out missions beyond the Alps. He also preached in Bohemia and Moravia. His work in Brno is particularly well documented, as he visited the city two or three times. He first came to Brno from Vienna at the end of July 1451. He performed many miracles here, including the healing of the deaf, dumb, lame and blind. More important, however, was the healing of souls, the genuine conversions. The greatest miracle —the resurrection of Gabriel from Staré Brno —occurred on 1 August. The most significant number of healings was recorded on the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (15 August). People came to hear his sermons in ever greater numbers before the chapter church of St. Petra. A later external pulpit called “Kapistránka” was built here to commemorate his work.

After the Feast of the Assumption, Jan Kapistran left for Olomouc, where he stayed until 5 September. He then returned to Brno via Drásov, where he founded a monastery.

Other cities in our country where he preached include Znojmo, Jemnice, and Jihlava; in Bohemia, Krumlov, Plzeň, Tachov, and Cheb. He was banned from entering Prague. The main reason given is that he converted a large number of Hussites. He allegedly returned to Moravia once more on his way from Wrocław in 1454. The secret of Jan’s charm, with which he brought souls to Christ, is said to be his gentle smile, sensitivity, fresh mind, and ascetic life full of love, authentic to the gospel he preached.

The most significant campaign of John  Capestrano is considered to be the one for which he became the patron saint of all military chaplains (10 February 1984). At the age of 70, he became actively involved in defending Belgrade and the entire Christian world.

In 1453, the Turks seized Constantinople and planned to eliminate Christians in many regions. Pope Nicholas V, therefore, called on Christian princes to launch a crusade against the Turks. For the same purpose, Emperor Frederick III. convened a further diet in Frankfurt. At the request of the Bishop of Siena, Enea Silvio Piccolomini, Jan Kapistránsky joined the activities to defend Christianity against the Turks. At the Frankfurt assembly, he tried to encourage the princes to respond to the papal call and stop the impending Turkish invasion. He traveled through Germany and Poland to the Hungarian capital, Buda (now Budapest). At the council held there, he received a cross from the papal envoy, Cardinal Karvalaja, and another from Pope Calixtus III, with a mandate to recruit for the crusading army against the Turks. The young Hungarian king Ladislaus entrusted the supreme command to the nobleman János Hunyadi, who accompanied Jan Kapistrán during his campaign. When Sultan Mehmed II approached Belgrade with a massive Turkish army supported by a naval fleet on the Danube, Hunyadi awaited him with a sword on the right flank and Jan Kapistran with a cross on the left. He maintained discipline in the army, blessed the flags, gave blessings, made admonitions, encouraged, and maintained order.

After the Turks captured the outer walls and attacked the inner walls, Hunyadi lost hope of victory because of their superior numbers. Still, Kapistrán began to wave the banner from the highest point and cry out the battle cry “Jesus”. Encouraged by him, the soldiers remained on the walls and, with renewed energy, threw hot tar into the attackers’ ditches and drove them back with fire. During the July retreat, Capestrano pursued the Turks with his army to their camp beyond the Sava River and contributed significantly to their defeat.

All Christians attributed the famous victory to the merits and prayers of the seventy-year-old Capuchin friar Kapistran, and his name was spoken with gratitude throughout Europe.

After the battle, Jan Kapistránský cared for the plague-stricken Jan Hunyadi until his death on 11 August, after which he was struck down with a severe fever. Despite his great exhaustion, he was taken to Ilok on the Danube in Croatia, where he encouraged the soldiers who were on alert in case of a further attack by the Turks. He then died on 23rd October, and he died with the name of Jesus on his lips.

In 1514, Pope Leo X permitted the veneration of John Capestrano, but only within the diocese of Sulmona. Pope Gregory XV. expanded it in 1622 to the level of beatification, and Pope Innocent X reportedly confirmed this level of veneration on the 19th. 12. 1650. John of  Capestrano was canonized on 16. 10. 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII without a canonization bull. This entry was made in 1724 by Pope Benedict XIII.

He was included in the Roman calendar in 1891, with his feast day celebrated on the 28th. 3rd. During the post-conciliar revision, this memorial was moved to the date of death, the 23rd. October.

Television programs about home improvement are very popular today, perhaps because everyone likes to see a master craftsman transform an old house. Not only does he restore it to its former glory, but he often makes it even more beautiful than before. The final work is the result of his vision and labor. Jesus is our master and craftsman. He transformed us by giving us new life in baptism. As St Paul says in today’s first reading, we are already “alive, having risen from the dead” (Rom 6:13). This means that we are already “renewed”, we have been reborn! Paul reminds us that sin no longer has any power over us because we have access to God’s grace (6:14).

Now we can live according to the plan he has designed for us. What is this plan? It is Jesus himself. It is his life in us, which enables us to reject temptation and sin, and which gives us the freedom to love, forgive, and generously serve. Furthermore, it is precisely his example that is the ‘teaching’ that St Paul says we have been introduced to (Rom 6:17). The more we imitate Jesus, the more we will resemble him. Fortunately, we don’t have to work on this alone! Master Jesus still lives in our ‘house’ and works on renewing our hearts and minds. His grace flows freely, so we can be sure that he will build on every effort we make to live a new life.

He will strengthen and expand all that is good in us. It’s a lifelong project, but working alongside such a Master and learning from him is a great privilege! In our lives, we often see “mess” — especially when we stray from the Lord. What we usually fail to see is the transformation that God has already wrought in us through Christ, as well as the work that He continues to do. Today, in prayer, present yourself to God as the new creation that you are. Then praise Him for giving you access to all the graces you need to live a new life in Him.

The merging of church and politics is a dangerous thing. Religion is religion, and politics is politics. Just think back to the Spanish Inquisition. Few people today remember that it arose because the king was short on funds.  Another example could be the exploration of new continents.  At the forefront were the Church with crosses, followed by royal developers and entrepreneurs. Politics belongs to the Church, just as the Church belongs to politics. However, they should maintain a discreet distance from each other. We know what they are capable of.  When American Cardinal Blasé Cupich decided to honor Illinois Senator Dick Durbin for his immigration policies, a wave of criticism ensued. It turned out the senator was prohibited from receiving the sacrament due to his pro-choice views. Pope Leo XIV also joined the debate, emphasizing the Church’s teaching on the protection of life from conception to natural death. However, he added a caveat. If you are against abortion but simultaneously agree with inhumane treatment, you are not truly pro-life. No one is purely evil, and no one is purely good. One journalist said. That church of yours has done many bad things in the past. Yes. You are right. Thanks to this. Does it have a chance to be today? Beyond measure, instructed. There are two traditions in the church. Apostolic tradition is derived directly from Jesus Christ and is ecclesiastical. If the first one is unchanging, the second one changes and develops. Within the church tradition, a certain flaw has been preserved; we condition our relationship with  God and the  Church by sin. The  Church of our time faces an important challenge. Understand that it neither belongs to the field of gynecology nor to police stations; it should not be a place of division but of acceptance, especially for the sinful. The Church made many mistakes in the past. A dark period of frightening people with God. Thanks to this, she has the opportunity to be educated more than anyone else. We should inspire others to God. The best way is by our own example.   Scaring people with sin will resonate with very few. Sin cannot be more important than the joy and hope that  Christ brings us.

Africa, a continent rich in culture and tradition, became home to many missionaries who brought the message of Christianity to the most remote corners. Their work often meant not only spiritual renewal for local communities, but also social and economic development.
The historical beginnings of missions in Africa
The first missionary efforts in Africa date back to the period of early Christianity, but more intensive missionary activity began in the 19th century. In 1868, Cardinal Charles Martial Lavigerie founded the Society of African Missions, also known as the “White Fathers”, to spread the gospel and fight slavery. Their white robes and dedication set them apart in African communities.

Challenges and sacrifices of missionaries
Missionaries faced many challenges, including unfamiliar environments, tropical diseases, and cultural differences. Nevertheless, many of them sacrificed their comfort and often their lives for the service of others. Their work was not only about spreading the faith, but also about building schools, hospitals, and improving living conditions.

Modern missions and their impact
Today, missionaries continue the work of their predecessors, focusing on education, healthcare, and social justice. For example, the Redemptorists work in 13 African countries, supporting local communities and helping them to become self-sufficient. Their work is often focused on the poorest and most vulnerable members of society. Stories of courage and faith

Many missionaries have become legends in local communities. For example, Saint Daniel Comboni, an Italian missionary, was one of the first to dedicate his life to improving the lives of Africans. He believed that Africans could best evangelize Africa themselves, and so he founded schools and educated local clergy.

Similarly, Mother Teresa, although not working exclusively in Africa, inspired many missionaries with her example of selfless love for the poorest. Her work led to the establishment of many charitable projects around the world, including in Africa.

The future of missions in Africa
Missions are changing today. It’s not just about spreading Christianity, but also about finding ways to help local communities prosper. Modern missionaries work in collaboration with African leaders and strive to build sustainable projects that provide education, healthcare, and economic independence.

Missionaries in Africa remain a symbol of hope and faith. Their work demonstrates that Christianity is not just about words, but primarily about acts of love and service.