Anthony of Padua Priest Ductor

Posted on 12. June 2025 by Peter Prochac

One thing is clear: saints are extraordinary people. But among the saints, Anthony of Padua is particularly outstanding. At times, the Franciscan was even more revered than the founder of his order, Francis of Assisi. Just eleven months after his death, Antonius was honored by the altars after the fastest canonization process in history. He is one of the doctors of the church, even though he hardly writes coherently. But first things first:

Anthony of Padua was born Fernão Martins de Bulhoes in Lisbon, probably around 1195. He came from a wealthy noble family and received a good religious education before joining the Augustinian canons in 1212. As a young priest in Coimbra in 1220, he was deeply impressed by the testimony of five Franciscan missionaries murdered in Morocco. In the same year he became a Franciscan, took the name Antonius –after the desert father and hermit– and set off for Morocco. In Africa, however, he became so seriously ill that he was confined to bed for months and ultimately had to return to Europe without having accomplished anything.

The painting “Saint Anthony” by Francisco Zurbarán shows the penitential preacher (1195-1231) with the radiant baby Jesus in his arms.

On the way to Portugal, Antony ended up in Sicily due to a storm. So he came to Assisi, where the second general chapter of his order was currently meeting. He could finally meet Francis (1181/82-1226) here. The brothers noticed Antony’s extraordinary gift for speech, and he became a preacher in northern Italy. He soon became so popular that the churches were overcrowded and had to preach in meadows and large squares. He was supposed to preach against the heresies of the Cathars, Albigensians, and Waldensians with his sharp tongue. Antonius probably did this in his unique way: What is striking in the surviving drafts of his sermons (“Sermons”) is that there are no arguments or polemics against heretics there. Instead, he used vivid images to explain the truths of his faith and issued general warnings in his enchanting sermons.

Director of studies and preacher of repentance

Francis of Assisi appointed Anthony as the theological teacher to the Franciscans in 1224, which meant he ended up at the University of Bologna for a year. He then set off on a preaching trip to southern France, where he stayed until 1227. After his return to northern Italy, Antonius worked for another three years as a provincial order in Padua, preacher of penance, and director of studies. Weakened and emaciated by his tasks and travels, he withdrew to an estate near Padua in 1230. He had an airy seat made in the crown of a walnut tree, and Poor Clares cared for him. He also died with the monastery women of Arcella on the 13th of June 1231, just 36 years old.

For example, legends developed around him during Antony’s lifetime about his preaching in Rimini on the Adriatic coast. There, the residents didn’t want to listen to the preacher until they noticed that he was preaching to the fish in the sea, and they were listening to his words. A businessman who has no arguments for the Real presence of Christ, wanting to listen to bread and wine, he demonstratively fed his donkey during a procession. This citizen was also converted when the beast knelt before the Holy of Holies and bowed his head. The fish sermon became a popular image in art by the 16th century. The century was somewhat suppressed by depictions of the saint with the baby Jesus or a lily (as a sign of purity). The depictions of Jesus also go back to a legend: a host count is said to have found the saint at night with the beaming baby Jesus in his arms.

Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) heals a young man who cut off his leg.

Statues of St. Anthony still stand in almost every church today. In Italy, he was the most popular saint for centuries – and only since the 1960’s has he faced competition from Padre Pio, whose tomb is said to be visited by even more people annually. In Padua, the Basilica di Sant’Antonio is simply called “il santo” (“the saint”), after all it can only be the most important saint in the country. There, the remains of Anthony can be viewed up close: the intact tongue of the penitential preacher is kept in a huge golden reliquary from 1436 in the reliquary chapel of the basilica. In 1946, Pope Pius XII. The saint was inducted into the circle of doctors of the church.

In many countries, Saint Anthony is invoked to find lost things. Legend has it that a novice who wanted to leave the order stole the Psalter of Anthony as a “memorial piece. On the way from Padua, he saw a terrible apparition and returned the book. The name “Schlampertoni” developed in Bavaria because of the patron saint of lost things. Antonius is more likely to be called to find a spouse in the Spanish-speaking world. For several years, single pilgrimages to Padua have been offered for this purpose.

Patron of Padua, Lisbon, Paderborn, Hildesheim; of the poor and social workers, lovers and marriage, women and children, bakers, miners, travelers, swineherds, horses and donkeys; Against infertility, devilish powers, fever, plague and livestock diseases; in shipwrecks and in times of war; for finding lost objects, good delivery and a good harvest

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Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, John 16,12-15

Posted on 11. June 2025 by Peter Prochac

Today’s celebration, the celebration of the Holy Trinity, is seemingly the least understandable for us Christians, but also essential. Why? It shows the inner divine relationship into which we are to grow all our lives, which is also the fundamental pillar of the heavenly kingdom. And many Christians have chosen to ignore this question of faith altogether. I have one God, so don’t drag the trio into it. But to whom could he relate if there was only one God? Well, either just to himself, and then he would be a perfect egoist, or to those people on earth, and then he would be dependent on those people.

Well, I’m crazy. What is the priest saying here? In other words, the most perfect image of God’s trinity is a functioning family. The loving relationship between the Father and the Son and the fruit of their love, the third, namely, the Holy Spirit. So does a functioning family. A third child is born from the loving relationship between a man and a woman. And not only does it give birth, as in the relationship in God’s Trinity, the Father, God the Creator, the Son God the Redeemer and the Holy Spirit God the Comforter have an unmistakable role, even in the family, everyone has their unmistakable role, their rights, but also their obligations, and the worst thing is when I give the child absolutely everything, they don’t have to worry about anything. Then I wonder if I want something from him, but he doesn’t have time.

Even God does not act like this; he always acts in harmony with the other two persons, but each has his unmistakable role. The world and the entire universe are primarily made up of God the Father, always in the presence of the Son and the Spirit. The Son suffered mainly on the cross, but not without the Father and the Spirit. And the comforter after Pentecost is the Spirit, but always in harmony with the Father and the Son. Likewise, in a functioning family, everyone has an unmistakable role, and a fool wants absolute equality between man and woman because man and woman have different physiologies. In some activities, women and in some men are better. And why is that so? Well, so that they complement each other, so that they don’t think that a person alone is enough for everything. Even God is not in eternal solitude, but a community of persons, and created us just like that.

Yes, even God the Father has a slightly different role than God the Son and the Holy Spirit, as well as every member in a functioning family. Here, too, a man has a specific role, a woman a particular role, and children a specific role. These tasks overlap, just like in God’s Trinity, but we are more skilled at something and less at something.

And why is that so? Well, precisely because we are essentially relational beings, and what is most important is the relationships we have with each other. And not only with each other, but also with our God, who is already intrinsically related in himself, because he is a community of persons. This closes a circle with neither a beginning nor an end, because what makes a person what he is, and what makes him permanently happy? This is precisely his relations to God, himself, and his neighbors, because nothing or money can permanently satisfy a person, only relations that he either actively lives, or non-living.

After all, the commandment of love speaks about it, which is not here to trample us, but to fulfill our lives, already here on earth, and reads: Love the Lord your God above all and your neighbor as yourself. And why God above all else? Well, because He already has that relationship full of love for himself, how? Well, because there is a community of people who love each other with a passion that we cannot imagine. With God, even the biggest secrets are simple; only we humans sometimes complicate them completely unnecessarily.

And what is important about today’s celebration? God’s Trinity is not here to complicate our lives, but to show us that what is essential in life is the kind of relationships a person has. To have a proper relationship with myself, I could also poison myself, but to be healthy, I need to be demanding both of myself and of those close to me. So that I don’t manipulate others, because even God doesn’t do it, but also so that I don’t drag the others out of the Brenda when they have the opportunity to help themselves. Even God does not do it that way, because God the Father could be both a creator and a redeemer and thus also a comforter and could say to the Son and the Spirit: leave it to me, I can do everything myself. He could do it, but he wanted them to share in his reign. That’s right, and a fool is one who, for example, does everything himself in his own family and then wonders that the family or parish does not work. He can’t because it makes a big difference if I have a hand in the matter and appreciate it much more than if I come to it blind to the violin.

And what is most important. How I try to live relationships already here on earth significantly impacts whether I want to enter the kingdom of God, because what is the essence of God’s kingdom? Growing into a full-fledged relationship with the Trinity God and with all those already in God’s glory, we should learn that already here on earth. Not to absorb the other, to manipulate him, but to take him, but also ourselves with the differences we have, to help and complement each other, to be healthy demanding, on the one hand, on each other, but also to those around you, not to be afraid of sacrifices and thereby grow into God’s trinity love, which already has that perfect relationship in itself.

And so, Lord, we thank you for not being eternally alone, for being more of a relationship than a person and yourself, offering us a relationship, both with you and with each other, to grow into all relationships.

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The first month of Leo XIV. He will not make decisions to be popular, nor will he be hasty

Posted on 11. June 2025 by Peter Prochac

In the first month of his pontificate, Leo XIV demonstrated his calm and balanced nature, ability to build bridges, and focused vision needed to determine his direction.

He will not make decisions to be popular, nor will he be hasty
Pope Leo XIV. in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican 

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The stickers commonly applied to popes do not apply to Leo XIV. He is neither a revolutionary like Francis nor a renewer like Benedict XVI.

On the contrary, what is slowly coming to the fore a month after his election on May 8 is a generational change in leadership—it can be said that we are starting to see a „original“ pontificate, led by a calm and capable shepherd who prefers continuity but at the same time has a relaxed and balanced nature, the ability to build bridges, and the independent vision needed to determine his direction.

“Generational” because he was the first pope since the Second Vatican Council and was not in a seminary or a priest at the time of the council. This fact distances the first US-born pope from the great conciliar debates and controversies of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

In this context, his choice of papal name takes on even greater importance, as he wisely connected with the last Leo, the founder of Catholic social doctrine, who ruled more than a century ago, and not with its closer predecessor.

At the same time, this choice of connection speaks of the independent spirit that many people seem to appreciate about the new Holy Father.

Respect for the predecessor and your path

From the first moments of his pontificate, Leo emphasized communicating continuity with Pope Francis, who emphatically did the opposite.

In his first homilies, the new pope repeatedly referred to Francis, adopting, for example, the call to the synodal church and praying at his predecessor’s grave.

At the same time, he sent clear signals that he was himself.

One notable way he did this is by taking all the hallmarks of papal power. From the moment he first appears on the apostolic balcony, he wears a mozzetta, a red cloak that falls halfway down his shoulders. He recently started wearing white pants under his cassock. He did this not as a sign of opposition to Pope Francis, who famously wore black trousers, but rather to give strength and importance to the signs and symbols of the institutional church.

Another signal came in his homily on June 1, on the occasion of the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and Old People, when Leo quoted the encyclical Humane vitae Saint Paul VI. and noted, „that marriage is not an ideal, but an expression of true love between a man and a woman: love that is complete, faithful and fruitful. This love makes you one body and allows you to give life in God’s image“.

In their simplicity, these words mean a change of direction compared to the previous pontificate, since in Francis’s disputed post-synodal exhortation Amor is Laetitia, Christian marriage has been repeatedly cited as an ideal.

Mission in the peripheries

Like Francis, Leo knows the necessity of going to the peripheries. However, as a long-time missionary in Peru, he has already emphasized the evangelistic work that needs to be done there.

The Pope confirmed the mission’s involvement in these places, because „ lack of faith often brings with it tragedies, such as losing the meaning of life, forgetting mercy, violating a person’s dignity in its most dramatic forms, family crisis and many other wounds that affect our society“.

In Leo’s understanding, the mission is anchored in the truth of the Christian message. Leo XIV. On 16 May, at the first meeting with members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, he identified truth, peace, and justice as pillars of the Holy See’s diplomatic commitment.

„The Church can never refrain from telling the truth about man and the world,“ said a, if necessary, resort to honest language that can cause some initial misunderstanding.“

While there is a sense of paradigm shift from Pope Francis, who focused on evangelism, speaking the language of the world, Leo XIV shows no opposition to his predecessor. It is not a pontificate against something or in favor of something, but rather a mission pontificate.

Government line

Mission-focused continuity is also highlighted in its first management approach.

For the time being, he maintained the appointments introduced by the previous pontificate, including Francis’ appointment of Tatiana Merletti from the Congregation of Franciscan Poor to the position of secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

The departure of Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia from the Pontifical Academy for Life and from the position of rector of the Pontifical Theological Institute of John Paul II. for the study of marriage and family was expected as he turned 80 years old.

The Pope entrusted Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the Pope’s vicar for the Diocese of Rome, and therefore also the rector of the Pontifical Lateran University, to lead the institute, which foreshadowed the union of the institute and the university. At the same time, for the next four years, Mons. Confirmed the president of the institute in his seat. Philippe Bordeyne. Even in the Academy for Life, Leo XIV decided on continuity when he promoted the rector, Msgr. Renza Pegorara.

Nevertheless, a generational change is approaching. In addition to having to choose his successor in the Dicastery for bishops, he will have to exchange prefects for the causes of saints, the cult of God and the discipline of the sacraments, the promotion of Christian unity, integral human development, the laity, family and life – all have exceeded the retirement age of 75.

However, each pope will follow priorities. In assembling his team, Leo has to cope with the need to introduce a governmental modus operandi into the church to deal with some complex matters, especially regarding the Sing-Vatican agreement. The next round of meetings on this issue should occur as early as next week.

From Leo’s experience as head of the Augustinians, bishop, and prefect, we know that he prefers the introduction of structured management based on priorities to micromanagement or large-scale early changes. He will intervene when he deems it appropriate, as he has already made clear to those who, as is always the case at the beginning of the pontificate, appeared at his door to make some demands.

He will not make decisions to be popular, nor will he be hasty.

The future of the church

Leo XIV, in ordaining 11 priests for the Diocese of Rome on May 31, called for a „life that is known, a life that is readable, a trusted life!“

„We are in God’s people so that we can stand before them with a credible testimony,“ continued. „ Together, then, we will restore the credibility of the wounded church sent to wounded humanity in the wounded creation. We are not perfect yet, but we need to be trustworthy.“

In this way, the Pope did not point the finger at unfaithful priests, but, on the contrary, asked everyone to be faithful. In this, too, we can recognize his modus operandi of church management. First faith and then infrastructure, whether liturgical, historical or social. Leo can do this precisely because he is the pope of a new generation.

Pope Benedict XVI in the book Earth salt conducted in the form of interviews with Peter Seewald, he stated that he is still a man of the old world, but the new world has not yet begun.

He started with this pope. He is the Pope of three worlds: American, missionary in Latin America and a deep connoisseur of Roman realities.

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People have wrong ideas about Gog.

Posted on 10. June 2025 by Peter Prochac

This makes them unable to love such a god. Many people seem to be afraid of God. Many people remember from their childhood when someone told them. Obey. If not, God will punish you. It is an obstacle to the spiritual life. I can’t love someone  I’m afraid of. People have often created an image of God according to their liking. The truth is that many nations invented a god according to their ideas, just as it seemed to them that a god should be like that. Voltaire said God made man in His image, but man repaid him.  That is, man has created a  God in his image. He created an Image of God, into which he put all his negative qualities. But the  Christian god is different. That’s such a beautiful god. It’s impossible not to love such a god; that side is so good. A person who knows such a god is fascinated by his love and greatness. If a man knows God, it means an excellent facilitation for his life. In Jesus, we recognize Gog as He is. The pagan people thought that God should be propitiated and that sacrifices should be made to him. God does not want the death of a sinner; God wants man to convert and live. God reconciled mankind to Himself by sacrificing Himself. Reconciliation with God is a gift from God and not a human feat. God does need our human sacrifices. He needs us. Many think the more self-denial we make, the happier God will be.  But God doesn’t need it. He longs for one thing. All God requires of us is our consent. The Christian sacrifice is that I allow God to treat me the way he wants, to use me for his work, so that the wall still gives me gifts. Working with a living god sometimes requires a lot of commitment. Self-denial should not be an end in itself, but it should also serve to express love. God loves life and accepts death only so we can live. God has given meaning to our suffering. Many people think our prayers will make God act as we want him to. 1 prays that it rains, two prays that it does not rain. We want God to act the way we want. But we don’t know what’s good, but God knows. How can a person impose his will on God? Only God knows what is good for us. It is not right to impose our will on God. Jesus did not pray, Father, as I want, but as you wish. No one wants as much good for us as God. 

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God strengthens us and you for Christ, he anointed us, he marked us with his seal and placed the gift of the Spirit in our hearts › 2 Cor 1, 21-22.

Posted on 8. June 2025 by Peter Prochac

When someone catches up with some misfortune, he asks in surprise: “Why me?” However, he rarely thinks so, and says so when he receives an extraordinary gift. God’s seal, which not everyone receives, is a sign of election. ( “You did not choose me, but I chose you” – Jn 15, 16.) And he asks on the spot: Why me? – and then even further: for what? What does this seal determine and bind me to? This seal is not a mere ornament or an honor for proven heroism. It is a profession, designation, address, or sign of affiliation. Someone is behind me, to whom I belong, who will protect me, and to whom I serve. (Nolli me tangere, Caesaris sum!) Please don’t touch me, I belong to the emperor.

We’re foreshadowed. What is in the pre-character of the staff determines the scale. There is at least one cross, one cross, in our curriculum of life. That’s our scale, our seal. We belong to God. We receive three seals: the seal of baptism, which marks and makes man a child of God. The seal of confirmation that makes the child a believer, a warrior. Or the seal of the priesthood, which binds to sacrifice and service. Before You, Lord, as a devoted child, before others as Your confessor, warrior, servant.

These seals are irrevocable. They cannot be postponed or lost even for a moment. Just betray. In the Revelation of St. John, we discuss an anti-seal, a countersign. And no one could buy or sell if he did not have the sign (beast of prey) on his right hand and the forehead (compare Rev 13,17).  The sign, forehead, and hand are signs of thinking and deeds. Here, Lord, right here renew your seal, they will send in time, inattention, unfaithfulness. I should happily wear your seal on my forehead and hand. Or at least not to hide, without shame and without cowardice, to confess when I am caught that I belong to you. How many invisible infidelities, how many visible betrayals of Christ’s seal. Couldn’t there be fewer of them? The loyalty of the inner seal is also a guarantee of the outer seal.

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Pentecost Monday Joh 3, 16-21

Posted on 7. June 2025 by Peter Prochac

 Athens at that time was full of philosophical schools, but utterly devoted to idolatry. Paul saw it and began to talk to them about the given situation. The city’s inhabitants were curious about his teachings, so they introduced him to the audience so that they could listen to his new teachings. He started tactically: „Athens, I can see that you are unusually religious. For when I was walking and looking at your sanctuaries, I also found an altar with the inscription: » To the unknown God«. So what you worship, even though you don’t know it, I preach to you…“ (Acts 17, 22 – 23). And he started telling them about God, „who created the world and everything in it because he is Lord of heaven and earth…“ (Acts 17, 24).

No, the Holy Spirit is a great unknown, even among us, even when we confess in the Confession of Faith that we believe „ in the Holy Spirit, Lord and animator, who comes from the Father and the Son?“ „ The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and the Christian life. It is the secret of God as he is in himself. This mystery is therefore the source of all other mysteries of faith and the light that illuminates them. It is the most basic and essential teaching in the »hierarchy of truth« faith. »The entire history of salvation is the history of the journey and how the true and only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, reveals himself to people…«“ (KKC, 234).

Catechism of the Catholic Church explains on its pages how the mystery of the Holy Trinity (I.) was revealed, how the Church formulated the teaching about this mystery (II.), and finally, as God the Father, with the divine missions of the Son and the Holy Spirit, he carried out his „ benevolent plan“ of creation, redemption and sanctification (III. – cf. KKC, 235). The Old Testament did not know the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and therefore of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third divine person, is indicated in the Old Testament only as a preparation for the revelation of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The profound teaching about the mystery of God’s Trinity was not revealed to the Israelites, that is, not even God’s Spirit, much less the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit is understood here as God’s power, which works and bestows supernatural life, and not as a divine person, different from the Father and the Son.

Gospels, especially the Gospel of St. Luke, often mention the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit as a divine person is represented by St. Luke in the account of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan and especially in the order of Jesus Christ, that the apostles baptize all nations „ in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit“ (Mt 28, 19). This baptismal formula, spoken by Jesus Christ, proclaims the perfect divinity of the Holy Spirit, the Father, and the Son.

The Holy Spirit works with the Father and the Son from the beginning until the completion of the plan of salvation (compare KKC, 686). The Catholic Church’s Catechism lists the Holy Spirit’s four works (compare KKC, 737): Preparing people for Christ.  Since the beginning of creation, he has lived as a life-giving Spirit in all creatures; in the long history of the Old Testament, he prepares the chosen nation for the coming of the Messiah. He is the Spirit of Advent (compare KKC, 702-716). Even today, it opens the hearts of believers for Christ (KKC, 1098). Reveals Christ: “…nobody can say: »Jesus is Lord,“ only if in the Holy Spirit«“ (1 Cor 12, 3; CCC, 683). The Holy Spirit tells us that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. It reminds the Church of everything that Christ said. „ The Holy Spirit is the living memory of the Church“ (KKC, 1099).

She is present in Christ. In the life of the Church, he not only reminds Jesus, but the Risen One is present in his word, in „the least of my brothers“, in the sacraments. The special presence of Christ in the Eucharistic ways is transformed into his body and blood by the action of the Holy Spirit (compare KKC, 1107). He connects with Christ. Just as the Holy Spirit is the bond of love between the Father and the Son, it unites all in whom it works with Christ. „ The Holy Spirit is like the sap of the Father’s vine, which bears fruit on the branches“ (KKC, 1108). He is the „inner Teacher of life according to Christ, a kind guest and friend who stimulates, directs, rectifies and strengthens this life“ (KKC, 1697).

The hero in the fight against the Turks was the Albanian duke and national hero Scanderbeg (1405 – 1468). He waved his sword with such force that under his blows the heads of the enemy fell one after the other. That is why Sultan Muhammad once told him he would like to see his sword. So Scanderbeg sent his sword to the Sultan. But neither the sultan nor one of his soldiers knew how to handle this sword. So he sent a sword with the message that it could not be the sword he waved so vigorously in the battles. Scanderbeg answered the Sultan: „ I sent you a sword, but I did not send you my arms!“

Alls weapon for the contemporary Christian is the Holy Spirit, who can work through us only when we open ourselves entirely to him. Otherwise, we make it a dead force, similar to the sultan who possessed a sword without Scanderbeg’s arms. We live in the time of the Holy Spirit. He is the Comforter who will stay with us forever (compare Jon 14, 16). Therefore, we should fervently beg daily: „Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, who fills everywhere and everything…, come and dwell in us…, and salvation, Beneficent, our souls.“

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Sin.

Posted on 6. June 2025 by Peter Prochac

Through sin, man has complicated his life for the whole of creation. Sin distances us from God and men. It causes us an internal wound. Through sin, man becomes incapable of love; he falls into spiritual deafness. He stops seeing what is good and what is bad. He is becoming spiritually paralyzed. Every man needs love; every man needs to be accepted as he is. Man is incapable of living with God because of sin. When we consider the obstacles of our life with God, often we have to descend deep into the past because we have been affected by events that we could not change ourselves, the sins of those who lived around us, and whose sins had an impact on us. Whether he was an expected and wanted child is essential for a person’s life. To live, we need to be accepted. Every person is highly dependent on this acceptance. And he is equally crushed by every non-acceptance. So when the mother is not looking forward to your child, the child will mark it negatively. When we meet these children in life, we see how they fight for their place among people in society, and how they cannot fit in. They are still looking for someone who cares for and loves them. All unloving manifestations manifest in the child because he depends on them. Every lack of love endangers a person. This gives rise to various misunderstandings. Every lack of love marks a person, and he should deal with it as long as he is not bad. If a person wants to live fully with God, he must process all these things somehow. Indeed, there are moments in our lives that only God can heal. That is why we ask for the healing of our past. Let us ask the Lord to heal us with his love, where the love of people’s parents was missing—a person who experienced a lack of love that was not valuable. There is one basic thing to say. God was looking forward to his birth. A person must experience the touch of God’s love. To learn to live in this world that prepares wounds, we must open ourselves to the love of God, because we cannot rely on human love. Only God’s love can fully heal us. But it is equally essential that we learn to accept events correctly in life. Some events are well-intentioned, but the 2nd person misunderstands it. Some people misinterpret everything, relate everything to themselves, and feel unloved, but this is false. If he can correctly evaluate a person and that someone has hurt him, it can move him forward. It all depends on how one deals with it. If a person lives among people who don’t like him, one reaction is that he begins to surround himself with things. He surrounds himself with things that would make his life more pleasant. Instead of being able to be, he wants to have, and He thinks that more things will make him happier. But things bring happiness to a person only for a while. Some people don’t like anything. Who still has complexes? If you praise him, it’s bad; if he doesn’t praise him, it’s the same. But you can’t live like that, and often in such a case, a person shows aggression. There are many ways to heal an injured person. If it is a believer, present all these things to the Lord for healing. When a person confesses his guilt, his sin is a big step towards changing your life. It isn’t easy. It is always as if we see more of the sin of the others, like our own. But the solution is not to confess or talk about the sins of others. The solution is to confess your sin. There are people, who think they are such sinners that God could not forgive them. God loves man, and as a sinner. That is not bad when a person is aware of his sin. It isn’t good when he doesn’t realize it. I have no sins. Such a person is a pitiful pauper. The Gospel says everyone has sinned; there is no man without sin. When I say about myself that I have no sin.  So I blame God for shame. Many people see the sins of others, but they don’t see their sins. But Jesus didn’t say. Compare yourself with the best, he didn’t even tell. Compare yourself with the worst. We are to compare ourselves with God. People think that they only have sin when I do something terrible. But it is possible to sin with words and thoughts. A person most often sins by not loving. No love is considered a sin. Therefore, men say they have no sin because they have a wrong idea of sin. Whether people will let themselves be taught or stubbornly stick to their opinions.

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Paul preached the gospel in prison.

Posted on 5. June 2025 by Peter Prochac

The Easter season is finishing, and with it, the liturgical readings from the Acts of the Apostles are ending. The main character of the second part of Acts is Paul. Over the past few days we have witnessed his conversion on the road to Damascus; we have accompanied him in spirit on three mission trips; and yesterday, when the Romans imprisoned him, we heard, as the Lord Jesus said to him: „ As you testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.“ (Acts 23,11). Since yesterday, we have been moving forward by more than two years. Paul spent this time as a prisoner in Caesarea and now begins to take significant steps towards his goal, Rome.

The rivalry of the Roman citizen was to appeal the dispute to the emperor in Rome. Paul uses this right (Acts 25:11) to avoid Jewish judgment. His future is sealed; he will go to the emperor (Acts 25,12). In today’s reading, we have a relatively long speech by Paul’s new captor, the Roman procurator Festus, who informs King Agrippa, currently present in Caesarea, about Paul’s case. It is gently reminiscent of the scene and figures from the Passion in Luke’s Gospel (Lk 23); also, Jesus was interrogated by the Roman procurator (Pilate) and consulted the king (Herodes) on the matter. Moreover, the author shows that, in both cases, the competent authorities find the defendant innocent.

Fest‘s speech in today’s reading is a preparation for a process to solve a serious problem; there is some „prisoner without guilt“, and it would be foolish to send him to the emperor, when a formulated accusation is missing (Acts 25, 26 27). We have the irony of power outlined here: even though the prosecutor can release Paul, he does not do it because he wants to thank the Jews (Acts 25,9). Considerations bind him, and he fears that he will lose his power. He is strong on the outside, but bound on the inside. Anyone who clings to his power, position, or authority is the same. He who is like Paul can serve the truth and build the common good; outwardly perhaps bound, but inwardly free.

Vesta‘s words reflect how someone from the outside looks at the Christian. He may be embarrassed (v. 20) because he is not interested in religious topics. But paradoxically, he can briefly and clearly describe what is at stake in the Christian faith; that Jesus died and lives (v. 19). In conclusion, let’s say that neither the council in Jerusalem, nor the emperor in Rome to whom Paul is sent, nor any other instance in the world can solve whether Jesus is dead or alive. Let’s raise this question in others with our good lives and show an answer that will bring joy and hope.

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Pentecost Sunday C Joh 20,19-23

Posted on 4. June 2025 by Peter Prochac

Today’s Word of God shows us the Holy Spirit in action. We see him working in three parallels: in the world he created, in the Church and in our hearts.

1. First in the world, he created creation. The Holy Spirit works from the beginning: “If you send your Spirit, they are created”, we pray in Psalm 104,30. He is the creator spirit (comp. vol. Augustine, In PS., XXXII,2,2), Creator Spirit: that’s why the Church has been invoking him for centuries. But we may ask: What does the Spirit do in the world’s creation? If everything comes from the Father, if everything is created through the Son, what is the specific role of the Spirit? The great church father, Saint Basil, wrote: “If you try to remove the Spirit from creation, all things will be mixed up and their lives will be shown without law, without order”. This is the role of the Spirit: he who at the beginning and in all times brings created realities from disorder into order, distraction into cohesion, confusion into harmony. We can always see this way of working in the church’s life. He gives harmony to the world in a word; thus, “he directs the passage of time and renews the face of the earth” (Gaudium et spes, 26; Ps 104,30). He restores the earth, but beware: not by changing reality, but by harmonizing it; that is his style, for he is harmony in himself: Ipse harmonic est (compare. vol. Basil, In PS, 29.1), says the Church Father.

There is so much discord in the world today, so much division. We are all connected, yet we find ourselves separated from each other, mortified by indifference and oppressed by loneliness. So many wars – think of wars! So many conflicts seem incredible, how much evil a person can do! In reality, however, our hostility is fueled by a spirit of division, the devil, whose name means “divider”. Yes, our evil, our schism, is preceded by an evil spirit that “seduces the whole earth” (Revel 12,9). He revels in antagonisms, injustice, slander: that is his pleasure. And in the face of evil schism, our efforts to build harmony are insufficient. And so the Lord at the top of his Passover, at the top of salvation, pours out his good Spirit, the Holy Spirit, on the created world, who opposes the spirit of division, because he is harmony, the Spirit of unity, which brings peace. Let us summon him daily to our world, our lives, and in the face of any division!

2. In addition to creation, we also see him work in the church, starting from the day of Pentecost. Note, however, that the Spirit does not begin the church by giving instructions and rules to the community, but by descending on each apostle: each receives special graces and various charisms. All this plurality of different gifts could confuse, but the Spirit, as in creation, likes to create harmony out of plurality. His harmony is not an imposed and standardized order; in the church, an order is “ordered according to the diversity of the gifts of the Spirit”. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends in fiery tongues: He allows everyone to speak other tongues (compare.  2,4) and hear their spoken language (compare. Acts 2,6.11). So, it does not create one language for all; it does not blur the differences and cultures, but it harmonizes everything without homogenizing or uniformizing. And this must make us think at this time when the temptation of regressiveness seeks to homogenize everything according to regulations, but only externally, without substance. Let us stick with this aspect, with the Spirit, which does not begin with a structured project, as we would, who then often get lost in our programs; no, He starts with it, that he bestows free and over-rich gifts. As the text states at Pentecost, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2,4). All fulfilled – this is how the church’s life begins: not based on a precise and articulated plan, but based on experience with the same love of God. The Holy Spirit thus creates harmony and invites us to experience wonder at his love and the gifts present in others. As Saint Paul told us, “There are many different charisms, but only one Spirit […] We have all been baptized by one Spirit into one body’ (1 Cor 12,4.13). To see every brother and sister in faith as part of the same body to which I belong is the harmonious view of the Spirit, the path he shows us!

And the present Synod is – and must be – the path according to the Spirit: not a Parliament that claims rights and needs according to the worldly agenda, not an opportunity to go where the wind blows us, but a chance to be obedient to the breath of the Spirit. Because on the sea of history the church sails only with him, who is the “soul of the church” (sv. Paul VI, address to the Sacred College on the occasion of name days, June 21, 1976), at the heart of synodalism, the driver of evangelization. Without Him, the church is indifferent, faith is a mere doctrine, morality a mere duty, pastoral care a mere work. And so often we hear so many so-called thinkers, theologians who present us with cold doctrines, they seem to be mathematical because they lack that Spirit within. With him, on the other hand, faith is life, the love of God wins us, and hope is born again. Let us return the Holy Spirit to the center of the church, otherwise our hearts will not burn with love for Jesus, but for ourselves. Let’s put the Spirit at the beginning and center of the synod’s work. Because “above all, the church needs Him today! So let’s call him every day: Come!”. And let us walk together, for the Spirit, as at Pentecost, likes to descend when “all are together” (compare Acts 2,1). To show himself to the world, he chose the time and place when everyone is together. To be filled with the Spirit, God’s people must therefore walk together and form a synod. Thus, harmony is renewed in the church: by wandering together with the Spirit in the middle. Brothers and sisters, let us build harmony in the church!

3. Finally, the Spirit creates harmony in our hearts. We see this in the Gospel, where Jesus breathes on the disciples on Easter evening and says: “Accept the Holy Spirit” (J 20,22). He gives it with a precise goal: to forgive sins, that is, to reconcile souls, to harmonize hearts torn by evil, shattered by wounds, broken by guilt. Only the Spirit brings harmony to the heart, creating “confidentiality with God”. If we want harmony, let us seek Him, not worldly substitutes. Let us call upon the Holy Spirit every day, let us begin every day with prayer to him, let us become submissive to him!

And today, on the day of his feast, let us ask ourselves: Am I yielding to the harmony of the Spirit? Or do I follow my plans and ideas without letting myself be shaped or changed by them? Is my way of experiencing faith submissive to the Spirit, or is it stubborn? Stubborn is compliant and stubborn in adherence to so-called teachings, but which are only a cold reflection of life?  I’m hasty in judging, pointing fingers, and slamming the door in the face of others. Do I consider myself a victim of everyone and everything? Or do I accept his harmonious creative power, the “grace of the whole” that he instills in me, his forgiveness that gives peace? And do I forgive, too? Forgiveness is the creation of space for the coming of the Spirit… Do I support reconciliation and create community, or am I still searching, sniffing to find a problem, to slander, to divide, to destroy? Do I forgive, support reconciliation, and create community? If the world is divided, the church is polarized, and the heart is fragmented, let us not waste time criticizing others and being angry with ourselves, but let us invoke the Spirit: He can solve these things.

To the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus and the Father, inexhaustible from the source of harmony, we entrust the world to you, we consecrate the church and our hearts to you. Come, Spirit Creator, harmony of mankind, renew the face of the earth. Come, Gift of gifts, unity of the church, unite us with you. Come, Spirit of forgiveness, harmony of heart, transform us, as You alone can, through Mary.

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St.Boniface.

Posted on 4. June 2025 by Peter Prochac

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