The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
We celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the middle of summer, at a time that is often given to us for rest, for gaining strength, maybe for traveling and new impressions or even for inner silence and reevaluation of life, it’s a time when we can open up to many that we easily lose or overlook on a weekday “It’s also a time when we can be gifted many “experiences on the mountain” both literally and figuratively. We want to stay in lovely places and return to them once more. Therefore, it is essential to consciously remember meetings with people and the experiences we have had. We can’t cling to them, but they can be a support for us when we have fallen back into the monotony of everyday life Woven into the carpet of our life, they enrich it with colorful colors, they add certainty, especially when looking at sleep in general, already experienced that our life has a definitive and constant meaning, they add strength in times of suffering and bleakness.
A similar experience for the disciples was likely Jesus’ transformation on Mount, in addition to the desert, where they encountered God and had an experience close to him, which is particularly important. Just as mountains are lifted from the land, so are encounters with God lifted from the everyday. In these experiences, God himself cancels the limited perspective of man for a short moment – as a guarantee and expectation of eternal glory. Jesus’ transfiguration shows that God’s light is the future. This light is stronger than the experience of suffering and death. This transfiguration is an encouragement to trust in Jesus’ life, even during the trip to Jerusalem to the cross. Much more need, fear, and sadness await the disciples; on the other hand, they are already gifted with a view of the future on the mountain of resurrection. As for this, the message of Jesus’ transfiguration is an expected, anticipated Easter message for us, which helps in the time of conquering the desert period in our lives, by being carried by experience, that we have refuge in God, and that he accepts us as His beloved daughter or His beloved son.
Then it can be easier to bear, and the heavy burden can be viewed through the eyes of a new creative perspective. Such moments of transformation cannot be forced. We can only be open and prepared for them, but they will always remain a gift that will unexpectedly visit our lives and whose incalculability may sometimes surprise us. It can be powerful emotional experiences, but it can also be a “ounly” feeling of oneness with God, immersion in His love, His joy, His peace. May we all be blessed, especially in the summer season, with this or that moment, in which God’s affection and closeness will illuminate us like a shining, unexpected light.
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.
As we gather today inthe magnificent Basilica die Santa Maria Maggiore, let us take a moment to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. This sacred space, with its stunning mosaics and towering columns, is not merely a tesatamentto human artistry but a reflection of our faith and devotion. In the heart of this basilica, we are reminded of the importance of Mary, the Mother of God,who stands as our intercessor and quide. Just as this basilica was built to honor her, let us honor her in our lives by followiing her example of faith, of faith, obedience, and love.
Mary*s life a journey of trust in God’s plan, even when faced with uncertainty. We ,too, are called to trust in the Lord, especially in times of doubt and and fear. Like Mary,let us say yes to God’s will, enbracing the path He lays before us, no matter how challenging it may seem. As we reflect on the mosaiics that depict the story of salvation, let us remember that we are part of this divine narrative. Each of us has a unique role to play in God’s plan. Our lives, like the intracate designs of these tiles, contribute to the larger picture of His grace and love. In the comming week, I encourage you to find ways to embody the spirit of this scred place. Reacg out to those in nessd, offer words of comfort, and let your actions reflect the lobe of Christ. As we leave this beautiful basilica, may we carry the light of faith into our communities sharing the joy that comes from knowing our Sarvior. Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift Your Mother, Mary. Help us to follow her example and to trust in Your divine plan for our lives. May this basilica inspire us to live out our faith boldly and to love one another as You have loved us.
Priest of the millennium. John Maria Vianey.
You are a priest forever › Heb 5, 6. The writer Antonio Sicari writes in the book Portraits of Saints, that the life of the holy parish priest is full of innocence and wonders, until one is tempted to tell it like a fairy tale. And the tale would read like this: „ Once upon a time, a Christian-based village boy named John lived in France, who loved solitude and God from his earliest childhood. And since the lords in Paris caused a revolution and prevented people from praying, the child and his parents went to mass in the corner of a granary. Priests hid in those days, and when they were caught, their heads were shaved. That is why John dreamed of becoming a priest. Although he could pray, he lacked education. He guarded sheep and worked in the fields.
The entered the seminar very late and failed all exams. But professions were very rare at the time, so they finally let him graduate. He was appointed parish priest in Arsa and remained there until his death. He was a parish priest in the most remote village in France. However, he was a parish priest through and through and this does not happen often. He was so much so that the most remote village of France could be proud of the most important parish priest of France. All of France went on a journey to see him. He took all who came to him, and if he had not died, he would have converted all of France. He healed souls and bodies. He read in his hearts like from a book. The devil tempted him, but even so he could not prevent himself from becoming a holy man. He became a canon, then a knight of the Road Legion, then a saint. But as long as he lived, he never understood why. And that was the most beautiful proof that he really deserved fame. In paradise, where the true value of the people will be revealed, the events of the 19th century are called the century of the parish priest of Ars, but France has no idea.
In this narrative we feel the hand of the artist, who, in a few short strokes, managed to draw almost the entire profile of the saint, the patron saint of priests. But suddenly the author stops and realizes that in reality behind this innocence lies a deep authentic drama of a person who faithfully served God and his neighbors. His perfect devotion to vocation is an encouragement and an invitation to us, because the Church is not made up of people who are better than others, but of people who want to become better than they are.
What does the Portiuncula indulgence mean today?
On the 2nd. In August, the Franciscan orders and communities celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Angels. It is the patronage of the Portiuncula Church, which played an essential role in the life of Saint Francis and was the only gift he ever accepted. Pope Honorius III, who recognized the Franciscan order, associated this festival with a plenary indulgence. This was a sensation at the time, as previously indulgences often required a large pilgrimage or participation in the crusade. Now it was enough to visit the church, receive sacraments, and say prayers. In the Middle Ages, when the thought of the Last Judgment concerned people at least as much as the impending consequences of the climate crisis concern us today, it was an almost sensational relief.
The understanding of indulgences has now largely been lost among Catholics. Too many misunderstandings and historical abuses have overloaded him. However, the basic idea behind it is relatively simple: every action and omission has consequences. Even if someone forgives us for an unjust act, time and effort often have to be invested in repairing the damage – an experience that each of us has in everyday life, especially in interpersonal relationships. The Catholic doctrine of the “indulgence of temporal punishments for sins” is based precisely on this distinction between forgiveness of sins and healing of the consequences of sins.
During the Reformation, the theological justification and defense of indulgences was increasingly questioned, and to this day it is, almost defiantly, an integral part of church teaching. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, indulgence is the remission of a temporal punishment before God for sins whose guilt has already been erased. Believers can obtain this indulgence under certain conditions: they must have an appropriate inner attitude, be in a state of grace (that is, have confessed and communicated shortly before), say a specific prayer, or perform specific penitential works.
An interpretation of the indulgence of a vital theologian, such as Karl Rahner, emphasizes God’s will to salvation, which is expressed in Christ. Indulgence allows for a faster and more intense purification of man in the fellowship of following Christ. Rahner does not see the temporal punishments for sin as punishments imposed from outside, but rather as consequences that result from the sins committed themselves.
Another aspect, emphasized by theologians such as Ottmar Fuchs, is that the destructive consequences of sin (e.g., injustice, exploitation, environmental crises) have implications that we cannot fully control or understand. Indulgence, therefore, means not only an individual relief of guilt and its consequences, but also the responsibility to actively address these adverse effects and work for a better, fairer world.
Church practice of indulgences, therefore, also refers to the social, ecological, and political dimensions of Christian responsibility for the world. It’s about consciously tackling the negative consequences of sin, taking responsibility, and actively working for positive change. Belief in the possibility of forgiveness motivates us to create a just and better world for everyone.
First Friday of the month.
Every first Friday of the month is dedicated to the most holy heart of Jesus. This respect has been held for centuries. If we wanted to find a beginning, we would have to look back to the early Christian age. But the most tremendous respect was held in the 17th century, when St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received a revelation from the Lord Jesus. Among other things, he requested a memorable holiday in which people would worship the „Divine Heart of Jesus“. We celebrate this holiday on the Friday after the octave of the feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord. In addition, we commemorate every first Friday of the month, especially.
Why do we worship the heart??? Because the heart in the biblical view represents the center of the PERSON of man. The heart forms an essential characteristic of a person. Even today, when we want to say that someone is good, we use the expression: „ has a good and noble heart.“
The reverence of the Heart of Jesus is not the reverence of a carnal heart separated from his person, but in it the whole human and divine person of the Son of God is worshiped. However, Christ’s eternal and immense love is mainly worshiped. The love that is given to us is given to us to be given further through us. In the litanies to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we also have an invocation: „Heart of Jesus, burning hearth of love“. Here we see that there is no mention of a flame, but a focus of love, from which love for us radiates to penetrate even into our hearts.
Today’s people are often characterized as being who is thirsty for love. French priest Guy Gilbert says: If a person looks tough and dull, if he opposes and rebels, if he is aggressive, it is because he feels ‘weakly loved.“ Our task is to receive and give God’s love, originating from Jesus’ heart. („Come to me all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will strengthen you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am quiet and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your soul. My yoke is pleasant and my burden is light.“Mt 11,28-30)
Jean Ladame says: „If Christians will have an open heart and understanding for the needs of others, if they are not afraid of otherness ( skin color, culture, religion) if they cry with those who cry, rejoicing with those who rejoice to be able to obey, help, sympathize with their brothers and cooperate in everyday life, then they will become a question mark for many, because people will ask: „Where they take that attention to every person, that presence in every suffering, to alleviate it, in every injustice, to face it with courage, in every difficulty, to share it.“
If we even partially succeed, we will be able to say not so much in words as in deeds: „ Through God’s love, God’s grace, Divine heart I am what I am.“
But by God’s grace I am what I am, and his grace was not in vain in me. After all, I worked more than all of them, actually not even me, but God’s grace with me (1Cor. 15,10).
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time , Year B Lk 12,13-21
It would probably be exciting to see what goes through a person’s head when the words of today’s first reading from the book of Ecclesiastes are heard: Vanity over vanity, everything is vanity. We may remember the golden classic of Czech comedies when Ladislav Smoljak says: „ It’s futile, it’s futile, it’s futile!“ But that’s not what the passage of the Bible wants to tell us.
In the original – in Hebrew – the word „hebel“ is used, and that translates to morning haze, the kind of fog that appears above the landscape, before the sun rises and the sun dissolves it very quickly. Perhaps a more accurate translation than “futility” could read: transience, momentariness. Transience over transience, everything is transience. That doesn’t seem so depressing anymore! We have that experience: Everything here in the world is fleeting. Food spoils quickly. Other things last longer, with some surviving for a long time, and some may even outlive us for ages. But one day they will all pass away. As they often sing in our parish at funerals: „Everything in the world will pass away, only God does not change…“ Everything is fleeting here on earth.
And Jesus also speaks in this sense in today’s gospel. Jesus does not say that we should not care for possessions, crops, or external things. But he uses the word “greed” there. We have to take care of the external things too! It belongs to life! But Jesus tells us: Distinguish what is main in your life and what is secondary. You have to take care of the external things. But keep the capacity for the essentials: To be rich before God. You won’t be able to take away any of those external things forever. You leave that here. It stays here and sooner or later it crumbles to dust. But be rich before God!
There is something we can take away for eternity. Scouts have a nice rule: At least one good deed a day. That’s what Jesus wants to tell us: Notice what you could do for someone good (for people, for God) and invest in it!
Jesus uses the word: fool! What is folly? Who is crazy in the sense of Jesus? A fool invests all his physical and mental strength in what he leaves behind, and no longer can think about it and do it, which will go with him forever. Foolishness occurs when external factors absorb a person’s entire or considerable capacity and strength. What can I do not to be this fool? Be sure to start with the question: What occupies the capacity of my thinking and my strength the most? Worrying about what? Worrying about what stays here ( about what I have) or worrying about what leaves me forever ( about what I am)? A fool has no use of reason, who manifests. What and how much should I invest? If I were to invest everything, or almost everything, in what remains, it would be foolishness.
And you know what’s interesting? Do you know when a person starts investing in external things without much sense? In moments when it is internally empty. When he experiences a vacuum, an inner emptiness, when there is no relationship with people, when there is no relationship with God, man begins to fill that void with things. When one starts wandering around in stores, whether brick-and-mortar or online, what else would one buy? It could be a warning sign: I have a vacuum in me, there is no God, there is no man. If we ever notice this in our lives, we will quickly lean into the investment that remains – about God and our neighbor. Stop focusing on what they offer online. Do good: for God, for man. And you will find out a wonderful thing: That those unreasonable, crazy, fleeting desires for things will leave you alone. That’s experience. Let’s try to discover it in ourselves too…
Living faith.
… Today has a liturgical memory of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Among other things, he said to his followers: „ Trust God as if everything depends only on him, and work as if everything depends on you.“ What exactly does that mean? How does God’s grace work in concrete life? What should we do and how?
In my youth, I was fascinated precisely because of how real, natural human nature was. It’s not a magic thing, a magic formula, I pray and I have. True faith is more distant from all „spiritualists “ than atheism. God respects all the laws of nature, the universe, and the universe of our soul. And when it changes the world and ourselves, it utilizes existing resources and people to teach us, or to discover new realities through our own experiences. His grace is invisibly present, although we must do our part of the work independently. And then, when we look back at our work and deeds, we see whether God’s blessing was with us or not.
When trials and difficulties arise, we quickly realize that, despite our best efforts, we are insufficient for everything alone, and our strength is dwindling. And then it’s time to engage trust in God, who has power over everything – both over our weaknesses and over the laws of nature. The living belief that he is always and everywhere with me, that he created me and wants me to live, is that vessel for pumping living water. The Gospel is a source like God, who became man, thinks about us. And the prayer that draws us into this living relationship feeds the living faith in us. That summer is perfect for remembering that trusting God as Saint Ignatius did by depending on Him as everything depended on Him, and then working as if everything depended on us, is a good guide to living a truly faithful life.
Father’s heart.
I know you’ve knocked on many Gothic gates, and many times you’ve found banality behind them. You pulled away the baroque brocades and regretted not letting the curtains hang because your eyes were watering, not only because of the swirling dust.

