Paul VI,Pope

Posted on 28. May 2026 by Peter Prochac

Today, in memory of Pope Paul VI, we lift up our souls in double gratitude. We thank the Lord Jesus for having kept his word to remain with us until the end of the world (cf. Mt 28:20). God fulfills this promise through his Church, through his Eucharistic presence… But he does so in a very special way through the pope. Paul VI’s contemporaries could sense the clear vision of things and the firmness with which this holy shepherd defended the Church in “turbulent” times.

Thanks to this humble shepherd who, too, was sometimes alone – like Jesus in Gethsemane – suffered and wept for the Church. He embodied the “rock” on which Christ always builds his Church without the gates of hell being able to overcome it. Saint Pope Paul VI took on the enormous task of leading, concluding and applying the Second Vatican Council. Times are changing and the Church – is not falling behind in the face of new challenges. For this reason, the Pope of the Council oversaw a remarkable and courageous “update” of the Church. 

To some it seemed that he had failed, to others that he had gone too far… During his life he was a martyr for the Church entrusted to him… In his simplicity he even said: “Perhaps the Lord has called me and kept me for this ministry not because I am particularly suited to it, or so that I can guide and save the Church from its present difficulties, but so that I can suffer something for the Church, and thus it will be clear that he, and not someone else, is its leader and savior”. Yes, he is Christ, but he counts on us. Perhaps we too should pray more and make sacrifices for the Roman Pontiff, our “holy father”…

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Are we behaving like Jesus?

Posted on 27. May 2026 by Peter Prochac

We are in Moscow during the last years of the Soviet Union. And teenager Boris Fishkin, the hero of the film My Father is Baryshnikov (2011), is studying at a ballet school. He grew up with only his mother, who had kept his father a secret from him. 

One day, Boris begins to think that his birth father is the famous ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. A worn-out videotape is to blame, which gives him confidence in front of his friends. To prove it, he starts training more and is even willing to fill in for an injured classmate.

Meanwhile, he also succeeds in selling Russian souvenirs to Western tourists until Soviet secret agents discover him. The film ends with the discovery of his birth father, who has been in prison for financial crimes. And the economic genes eventually prevail over ballet in Fishkin as well.

The Russian comedy pleases the viewer with a good choice of a small actor who does not behave at all like a victim of the system and a single mother who always brings home a new guy. Boris is inventive on several levels.

We also see this attitude in Jesus’ activity when he decides to go to Jerusalem at the end of his life. He does not plead fate, the stars, or the bad luck that people bring him. He does not solve the genes. He himself decided on the trap that awaits him in Jerusalem. At one point, he says that no one takes his life; he gives it himself…

A wonderful activity and immense freedom radiate from this. This feeling is also conveyed in the story of the man who was blind from birth. Man was created from the earth and from the breath of God, that is, the active participation of God. If man closes himself off from the Spirit, it is as if matter remains immersed in darkness.

Christ heals such humanity with mud made of clay and his saliva, as if he were imitating the Father’s act when he created man on the sixth day. The blind man is not forced to believe in this miracle. Jesus does not offer him salvation by force. 

He leaves it to him to decide whether to step out to the Pool of Siloam to wash there. The free man calls others to freedom as well.

The water of Siloam was used to wash proselytes—people who were joining the chosen Jews. The blind man, having fallen in love with the words of Jesus, decided to step out to the water. He preferred the Spirit, which is why his final gesture is a bow before Christ, his Savior.

Because Jesus warms us with his breath, the Holy Spirit, our bodies can also join in the celebration of Jesus, as we have tangibly come to know God’s love. This method does not work with the scribes. They are grafted against Jesus’ medicine. The blind man today experiences the sweetness that the papal preacher recently spoke about in the Vatican. In Francis of Assisi, he noticed that what at first seemed bitter became sweet. If this taste were missing, “a person would build a life with someone for whom he had never felt true love, and such a relationship could easily become a form of coercion. 

And if a consecrated person wore a religious habit, made certain gestures and uttered words in the name of a God whom he knew only by hearsay, without any real personal experience, he would soon experience a deep inner unrest—and this could also be transmitted to the people entrusted to him,” observed Capuchin Pasolini.

We are not victims of life, like a sick person in bed. Although it has its advantages, others are more interested in us; they bring us good things, and we don’t have to do anything for others—we are not well. We can even sleep whenever we want. How many people around us are comfortable with that?

I’m stupid because my genes won’t let me. I’m stingy because I was raised that way. I’m passive because the stars aren’t in my favor today.

For Jesus, this is a false tone for Boris Fishkin, too. They do not support such victim-playing. That is why Jesus would perhaps say to some of us today: “Whoever wants to come after me, let him renounce false clothes…”

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St. Augustine of Canterbury

Posted on 26. May 2026 by Peter Prochac

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May 27, non-binding commemoration Position: Archbishop, Prelate of England OSB Death: 604/605 CURRICULUM VITAE

He was sent as a missionary to England with 40 Benedictine monks from the peace of the Roman monastery. En route, he received episcopal ordination. Following the Pope’s instructions, he was successful in England, laying the foundations for the organizational structure of the Church. He won over a significant proportion of the population and educated local priests. 

THE BASIS OF SUCCESS, OBEYING GOD’S WILL The first reports of Augustine date back to 596, when he was the prior of the Benedictine monastery of St. Andrew in Rome. From there, Pope Gregory the Great sent him with 40 monks to England. There, after the collapse of the Roman Empire and the occupation by the pagan English and the Saxons at the end of the 5th century, Christianity almost disappeared. However, the pagan king Ethelbert had a Christian Frankish princess, Bertha, as his wife. This gave some hope, for which Augustine was sent to England with the monks. He obeyed and went.

Their missionary expedition stopped in Gaul, where it was slowed down by bad rumors about the place they were headed to. They heard that the people there were wild, hostile, and that it was impossible to communicate with them, not least because of the language barrier. Augustine therefore apparently returned himself to consult with the Pope. At his insistence that he not give up on his original plan, he set off back with Gregory’s recommendations to the Gallic bishops through whose dioceses his journey led. It was also a matter of obtaining capable Frankish priests to act as interpreters. Before leaving Gaul, he received episcopal ordination.

He is said to have landed with his monks and interpreters at the mouth of the Thames on ththen wase island of Thauet. From there he sent a message to the King of Kent that they wanted to preach the Gospel in his territory. The King came to them and requested a conversation with them under an oak tree that he considered sacred. He had the foundations of the faith explained to him and then allowed them to settle in the seat of the city of Canterbury, even to live in the palace and to preach religion without hindrance. Augustine and the monks probably settled on the outskirts of the city, where the small church of St. Martin stood, in which the queen’s devotions used to be held. There he began his apostolic work. The King had the old church rebuilt into a cathedral and also built for them the Benedictine monastery of Peter and Paul.

Through his exemplary life of preaching the word of God, Augustine gradually gained the favor of the people, and within the first year, a large number of the king’s people accepted baptism, and King Ethelbert also accepted it.
After hearing of Augustine’s success, the Pope sent another group of missionaries to him in 601. With them, he sent Augustine the pallium – the badge of metropolitan rank – and the task of founding two archbishoprics, each with twelve subordinate bishoprics.

The first archbishopric was in Canterbury at Christ Church Cathedral, from where Augustine served as archbishop until his death. For the second, he chose the city of York, where the bishopric began to operate only after his death. In his missionary work, he heeded the instructions of the Pope and respected the local culture, he did not destroy even pagan temples, but converted them into Christian ones. He only gave national customs a Christian character. Instead of pagan feasts, the Anglo-Saxons held love feasts, at which the poor were especially remembered. In these ways, Augustine won everyone over, because the top is more safely reached by slow growth rather than by reckless action.over because

The basis of success was initial obedience, submission to God’s will. Where a person submits his will, he gives space to God’s action. Whoever acts against the gospel acts against himself. Augustine also tried to unite the old British Christians with the new English Church, but he failed. There was too much hostility between the original inhabitants of the island, who had been pushed mostly in the western mountainous regions, and the Anglo-Saxons, who had come to the island as conquerors. King Ethelbert also wanted peace, and Augustine summoned the bishops of both sides to help achieve harmony, and he wanted the old Britons to give up their wrong customs. This also involved a different time for celebrating Easter and baptismal ceremonies. However, the old Britons were reluctant, and Augustine predicted to them that if they did not reconcile, bloody wars would break out, which would be the cause of their deaths. The prediction was sadly fulfilled.

Before that, Augustine focused on his work in the Kingdom of Kent, which soon became Christian. Until his last days, despite his high rank, he lived as a monk and missionary. Before his death, he ordained his successor.

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Philipp Neri

Posted on 25. May 2026 by Peter Prochac

Philip’s concern for the salvation of souls… When he was a young priest and had gathered around him a certain number of spiritual people, his first desire was to go with them all to proclaim the Gospel to the pagans in India, where the wonderful life of St. Francis Xavier was taking place. However, he wanted to subordinate this idea of ​​going to India in obedience to the opinion of the holy men with whom he consulted. As for the bad Christians at home, he had such a great desire for their conversion that even in his advanced age he severely mortified himself for them and wept for their sins as if they were his own. When he was still a layman, he converted thirty dissolute young people with one speech. By the working of God’s grace, he successfully brought back to the path of holiness an innumerable number of sinners. Many of them exclaimed at the hour of their death: “Blessed is the day when I first appeared to Father Philip to know him!” Others said: “Father Philip draws souls to himself as a magnet draws iron.” He concentrated on fulfilling what he considered his special mission, and he devoted himself entirely to the ministry of confession, which occupied him especially and above all. Before sunrise, he usually confessed a considerable number of penitents in his room. He went to church at dawn and never left until noon, except when he celebrated Holy Mass. If no penitents came, he remained near the confessional and read, prayed the breviary or said the rosary. Whether he found himself praying or eating, he always interrupted when penitents arrived. He never interrupted the ministry of confession because of illness, unless the doctor forbade him to do so. For the same reason, he kept his room open, so that anyone who passed by could see him. He took special care of boys and young men. He was always concerned to keep them busy, for he knew well that idleness was the origin of all evil. Sometimes he himself kept them busy when he could find no employment for them. He allowed them to make as much noise around him as they pleased, only in this way to protect them from temptation. When a friend of his protested against allowing them to annoy him in this way, he replied: “As long as they do not sin, they may even chop wood on my back.” He had permission from the Dominican fathers to take their novices for recreation. He was fond of inviting them to a festive dinner. He would say: “Eat, my sons, and do not feel guilty about it, for I am gaining weight while I look at you.” And then, after the meal was over, he would seat them around him and tell them the secrets of his heart, give them good advice, and encourage them to virtue. He had remarkable power to comfort the sick and deliver them from the temptations with which the evil spirit assailed them. To his zeal for the conversion of souls, Philip added the performance of corporal works of mercy. He visited the sick in hospitals, ministered to their needs, made their beds, washed the floor around them, and brought them food. Prayer:

Philip, my holy Patron, who cared so much for the souls of your brothers and sisters, and especially for your own people, when you were here on earth, do not cease to care for them now that you are in heaven. Be with us, who are your children and your clients. And by the great power of God and your intimate view of our needs and dangers, guide us on the path that leads to God and to you. Be our good father. Keep our priests undefiled and protect them from reproach and scandal. Make your children obedient, our youth prudent and pure, the heads of our families wise and kind, the elderly cheerful and zealous, and strengthen us by your powerful intercession in faith, love and all virtues. 

 

 

Homily evaluation:

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Mary, Mother of the Church

Posted on 24. May 2026 by Peter Prochac

 

 

 

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Pentecost Monday, John 15:26-16:3, 12-15

Posted on 24. May 2026 by Peter Prochac

Jesus ​​promises the coming of “another Comforter” (Jn 14:16), who will always be with us. “Comforter” is a typical expression in the Gospel of John and, of Greek origin, designates a person who comes to comfort, defend, or help. Jesus announces the arrival of another Comforter after his departure, because the first is himself: Sacred Scripture tells us that Christ in heaven is “our advocate with the Father” (1 Jn 2:1). The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, remains with us forever on earth, accompanying and comforting us, protecting and defending us. He is the way to Christ because he reminds us of his words (cf. Jn 15:26); he gently and discreetly directs our hearts to Jesus Christ. “He who is drunk with the Spirit is rooted in Christ,” said Saint Ambrose.

“To teach and to remind: that is the task of the Holy Spirit. He teaches us to enter into the mystery, to understand it a little more. He teaches us the doctrine of Jesus and teaches us how to develop our faith (…). Faith is not static; doctrine is not static: it grows. It grows like trees, always the same but bigger, with fruit but always the same, in the same direction (…). And another thing that Jesus says the Holy Spirit does is to remind: He will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you (Jn 14:26). The Holy Spirit is like a memory; he awakens us: Remember this, remember that. He keeps us alert in the things of the Lord and also leads us to remember our own lives: remember that time, remember when you met the Lord, and remember when you left him.

(…). The Holy Spirit guides us in this remembrance; He guides us to discern what to do now, which path is right and which is wrong, even in small decisions. If we ask the Holy Spirit for light, He will help us make the right decisions, both the small, everyday ones and the bigger ones. He is the one who accompanies us, who sustains us”.

The Holy Spirit leads us to the truth…

FOLLOWING Jesus leads us to want to live in the truth, fascinated by the fact that we seek it with devotion, accept it, and love it. Wanting to accept the truth means truly loving Christ. In this effort, “the Holy Spirit teaches the Christian the truth as a principle of life and shows him the concrete application of Jesus’ words in his life”[3]. At least three times, Jesus calls the Comforter “the Spirit of truth” (Jn 14:17; 15:26; 16:13). Although different from Jesus, the Holy Spirit perfects Jesus’ presence in us.

We know that “Jesus Christ is the truth that is a Person and that draws the world to himself. The light that Jesus radiates is the radiance of truth. Every other truth is a fragment of the truth that is him and refers to him. Jesus is the pole star of human freedom: (…) with him freedom is rediscovered, recognized as created for good, and expressed in charitable actions and conduct (…). Jesus Christ, who is the fullness of truth, draws the heart of every person to himself, expanding it and filling it with joy. Indeed, only truth is capable of penetrating the mind and making it fully joyful”.

This love of truth, which drives our intelligence, is the work of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, it fills us with humility before creation and before the capacity of our own knowledge, which will always be small compared to the mysterious action of God. “Strive to make humility of mind your principle”, advised Saint Josemaría. “The desire for truth is part of human nature, and the whole of creation is a great invitation to seek answers that open the human mind to the great answer that it has always sought and always hoped for.

The gift of strength… THE

The HOLY SPIRIT works in the soul through his gifts, “distributing them to each one as he wills” (1 Cor 12:11). One of his gifts is the gift of strength, which drives us to great goals and sustains us in our weakness. Saint Josemaría referred to the Christian experience when he recalled that “all our strength is borrowed.” This gift is necessary to seek the truth constantly and to embrace it throughout our lives. It can certainly be tiring, especially because our abilities do not always align with our desires and because the truth is sometimes difficult to accept and does not always coincide with what seems to us to be the best option. Often, we must humbly open ourselves to other answers and ways of acting, even if we have long thought we were right.

This is precisely why the gift of strength must be the fundamental tone of our Christian existence, because it keeps us faithful in our search. Love for the truth binds our lives, and strength gives us the necessary firmness. In this way, we can “face problems with courage, without fear of sacrifice and the heaviest burdens, taking on our conscience and our personal responsibility.”

Jesus says: “You also bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (Jn 15:27). The Christian is called to be a reliable witness to the humble and sincere search for the truth. Christ warned his disciples of the persecution that awaits them for their witness. These men, having received the gift of strength at Pentecost, become courageous witnesses. They were truly strong in the face of adversity, in the face of unexpected events that came into their lives, in situations that could have disrupted their plans and projects. Mary’s tender accompaniment protects us: she listens to our invocations so that the Spirit of truth “illuminates our minds and strengthens our wills, so that we may always be accustomed to seeking, speaking, and listening to the truth.”

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What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

Posted on 23. May 2026 by Peter Prochac

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are special graces that help Christians live out their faith and grow in holiness. The list most people reference comes from Isaiah 11:2-3 and is used in Catholic and many other Christian traditions.

The 7 Traditional Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Gift

What it means

How it shows up in real life

Wisdom

Seeing things the way God sees them. It’s about valuing what’s eternal over what’s temporary.

You can choose to forgive when you’d rather hold a grudge, or find peace during chaos because you see the bigger picture.

Understanding

We are getting deeper insight into the truths of faith. Not just memorizing, but actually “getting it.”

Reading Scripture and suddenly a passage clicks, or understanding why suffering can have meaning.

Counsel

Right judgment — knowing what to do, especially in tough moral situations. Also called “right judgment.”

Having a gut sense of the right decision in a dilemma, or giving a friend advice that turns out to be exactly what they needed.

Fortitude

Courage to do what’s right even when it’s hard, unpopular, or scary.

Standing up for someone being bullied, sticking to your values at work, or enduring illness without despair.

Knowledge

Knowing God’s plan and the path He wants for us. Helps us see created things as signs that point to God.

Recognizing that your career is a gift to be used for good, not just for status or money.

Piety

Deep love and reverence for God as Father, and for people as brothers and sisters.

Praying not out of obligation but because you want to talk to God, or treating others with genuine affection and respect.

Fear of the Lord

Awe, wonder, and respect for God. Not being “scared” of Him, but hating sin because it separates us from Him.

Turning away from gossip because you know it wounds God’s heart, or feeling awe during worship.
 

A different list: “Charismatic gifts”

In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, St. Paul lists other gifts given for building up the Church. These are sometimes called “charisms”:

  1. Word of wisdom

  2. Word of knowledge

  3. Faith

  4. Gifts of healing

  5. Working of miracles

  6. Prophecy

  7. Discerning of spirits

  8. Speaking in tongues

  9. Interpretation of tongues

Key difference: The 7 gifts from Isaiah are given to all Christians at Baptism/Confirmation to grow in personal holiness. The charisms from 1 Corinthians are distributed individually “as the Spirit wills” for the service of others

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Lord,what about him?

Posted on 22. May 2026 by Peter Prochac

 St Peter had the most important conversation of his life with Jesus. He received his definitive mission and was told that he would become a martyr. He understood it. But the Apostle John was also nearby. They had been good friends at work and in the company of Jesus. So it was only natural that he was interested in his fate, too. What would become of him? Taking an interest in others strengthens friendships and families, but it must be sincere and an expression of love.

There is an interest we call “gossip-gathering”: the desire to learn what others have failed to do, their mistakes, or at least what they would like to keep secret. However, we prefer to see such “interested people” far behind the door. On the contrary, it is very pleasing to be asked such a question: “How did your work go today?” “Do you still need many days to finish? ” etc. Newspapers, radio, and screens arouse interest in many things in the world, both useful and useless. However, it must not take such a place in the family that we lose interest in those we live with.

What does it matter to you? ▪ When someone shows an interest that is unpleasant to us, we respond with a rude expression: “What does that have to do with you? ” Of course, it can be expressed more gently. But the premise is the same: we have the right to our private secrets; the interest of others is disturbing. God also has his secrets, especially when it comes to people’s future destinies. The interest here disturbs not him, but us. We read about St. Anthony the Hermit, who supported, loved, and, in solitude, often thought about how many people would be saved and how many would perish. In response, he heard a voice from God: “Anthony, take care of yourself!” Unnecessary interest in others distracts us from what we should be concerned with: ourselves. But which interests are useful and which are useless? Scouts have a rule that they should be curious. It sounds wrong to say that someone is curious. To distinguish between them, we can apply the rule that applies to every conversation: the good one supports love and trust; the bad one destroys it. Sometimes it is a wonderful sign of trust not to ask. Even God demands this trust from people without asking when it comes to his providence.

I want him to stay until I arrive. Jesus’ answer is quite mysterious. After all, the apostles present misunderstood it. However, it is better to say that it is general than ‘mysterious.’ It expresses the truth that we believe in. The death of a person is never accidental. In images depicting the death of the Virgin Mary, Christ comes down from heaven to receive his mother’s soul. But this is also true of the death of all the righteous. Their souls are in the hands of God (cf. Wisdom 3:1). Christ, who saves souls, always arrives at the right moment to take them. This is why the saints were not afraid of death. St. Sabbas of Jerusalem was warned not to return to the monastery through the desert in the evening because a lion was loose. His answer was simple: ‘Either God exists, and a lion cannot harm me, or God does not exist, and it is better for a lion to eat me. ‘ Faith cannot justify gambling with life, but it provides peace and certainty in times of danger.

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Yes, Lord, you know that I love you (Jn 21:15).

Posted on 21. May 2026 by Peter Prochac

In today’s Gospel, a personal dialogue takes place between Jesus and Peter. Jesus asks Peter if Peter loves Him. This question, asked after the denial, sounds very cruel… But Peter, after looking into his heart, says, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Perhaps if this meeting had not taken place, Peter would have stopped believing in himself and thought his love was not real. But Jesus rose from the dead not only for everyone, but also for each one individually. Peter again sees love and friendship in the Master’s eyes.

His heart immediately responds to this look. He understands his connection with Jesus is something greater than just pleasant memories… Jesus asks a second and a third time, wanting to make Peter look deeper into his heart: “Do you love me?”. “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you,” Peter answers fervently. He looks at Jesus again and cannot say anything else. Yes, regardless of everything, love is alive. Standing before the one who knows everything, he confesses love again. In response, Peter hears the call “Feed my sheep.” With these words, Jesus awakens Peter to a new life. “Feed my sheep.”

Brotherly care not only revives Peter’s love but also makes it life-giving. Then follows the prophecy of martyrdom. These words reveal Jesus’ trust in Peter. This statement means that love destroyed his denial. His request to follow Jesus was even heard. What he was not at all prepared for was fulfilled later. Of course, Peter may be afraid again. But this fear can no longer destroy his happiness. Jesus rose from the dead, and everything was resurrected:dialog possible his love, his desires… Such a dialogue can take place with each of us. It can cleanse each of us from all falls and betrayals. He can renew our love and make it stronger in this world. What is asked of us? To believe we can respond to this call we have heard in our hearts. The joy that we feel in the depths of our hearts responding to Him will be the confirmation: yes, it is truly Him

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Pentecostes Sunday John 20,19-23

Posted on 20. May 2026 by Peter Prochac

Today we celebrate the feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit, which the Scriptures say occurred on the Day of Pentecost, 40 days after Easter. Why after such a long time? Because every remarkable moment of human life must not only be experiencedourexperienced couldcould, they but lived, and that takes time; otherwise, we are always on the surface. We always seek new experiences, but we do not live life; we experience it and let it flow. And how to really live life? First of all, through honest work and prayer, we follow the well-known motto of the Benedictines: ora et labore (pray and work). This is precisely what the apostles did together with the Virgin Mary, and then the Holy Spirit descended on them.

And the Holy Spirit is difficult for us to understand, because we live in the time of the Holy Spirit. How is that? I will explain. In the OT, God the Father, the first divine person, appears first, but only Jesus Christ in the NT shows us who God the Father really is. How is that? People in the OT understood the Father as a contentious, heart-hardening God and a strict judge, and only Jesus Christ showed us who the Father is. That God so loved the world that He gave His Son, that we can pray to Him, Our Father, etc.

And it was similar to Jesus, because the Jews were expecting Him as a military or high-priestly messiah, and He died for us on the cross, and even though Jesus told the apostles during His life what kind of Messiah He was, they were unable to understand Him. Only after Jesus’ death and resurrection could they say, ” Ah, so that’s how it is. And we live today in the time of the Holy Spirit’s activity. Therefore, this third Divine Person remains the most mysterious of the three to us, because His public activity has not been fully completed, as with God the Father in the OT and with Jesus in the Gospels.

But we do know something about Him. We know that the Holy Spirit is the one who mediates forgiveness and that without forgiveness, a person cannot even receive this Spirit. Why? Whenever I come across the topic of forgiveness, I ask myself: for whom does a person need forgiveness? Most of the time, people answer correctly: for themselves. And I ask again, why? And here the answer is not so clear-cut, because we are already a bit confused about this. But even here, the answer is not complicated: if I am hurt by something and do not heal it, I transfer my hurt to others. So if I have bitterness, hatred, or dislike within me and I do not work with these tendencies and emotions, I transfer them to others, especially those I care about the most, because I can hurt those I am closest to much more easily.

I met a man who was bitter towards the whole world, and those who wanted to help him took it out on him the most because he hurt them with his wounds. In the end, everyone more or less left him, and he literally created hell on earth for himself out of his unlove and unforgiveness. And even God cannot approach such a person because that person has closed himself off from him. That is why we should also forgive, so that we can not only receive forgiveness but also give it. Forgiveness cannot be received if we cannot forgive ourselves. What I do not have, I cannot only give, but also receive. Yes, to the extent that we open ourselves to the Spirit of God, or close ourselves off, to the extent that we can draw from it.

And it is certainly no coincidence that the fullness of the Holy Spirit is to be manifested in a person after confirmation, when on the path of life he freely decides that he will receive this sacrament and not only receive it, but that thanks to this received sacrament he wants to help the growth of the whole church, because if he does not do this, he resembles someone who received a certain hryvnia from the Lord, which he later buried. And instead of longing for the fullness of living from the Spirit, at baptism I encounter this – and the godfather must actually be confirmed? And could it not be otherwise? And I do not want this sacrament, because I do not have time for it!

This is how we behave towards God’s gifts. Then we are surprised that we do not feel any acceptance from God when we are not willing to come out of ourselves and our self-centeredness. In essence, even in adulthood, we have the faith of little children when I ask myself the question, “What will I get from it?” But then I do not live my Christian life; I only experience it to the extent that I open myself to God, to the extent that I can draw from His love and grace. And then here we have the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. And they will also work in our lives to the extent that we open ourselves to them. The first gift is the gift of wisdom. Wisdom is not about how smart I am, how intelligent I am, but it is about being able to distinguish between things that can be solved and things that cannot be solved. For example, someone has had a broken marriage in their family for many years and is still struggling with it, but it is no longer possible to reconcile it; there are children and grandchildren, and they are constantly being told what happened to those parents, and everyone is hurting each other. So the gift of wisdom is about recognizing the unsolvable facts, coming to terms with them, and the solvable ones, and with what needs to be done.

The gift of reason is about penetrating things. Finding the root of why this and that happened, and either looking for a solution or learning from what cannot be solved. The gift of counsel to make the right decision: if I realize that a given matter can be resolved, for example, if it was not possible with children, then at least I will convey the gift of faith to my grandchildren; then it is necessary to find appropriate means with which to resolve the matter, and the Holy Spirit will help me. The gift of strength is primarily about perseverance in goodness. It often happens that a person feels a bit overconfident, but after a while, it somehow fades away.

The gift of strength is about persevering in good; if we do not see things through, what is the point? The gift of art, or in every human endeavor, is to discover God’s presence. The goal is to become more and more an instrument of God. That is the beauty of the Benedictine rule: pray and work. Strive in everything as if it were your only concern, and always entrust it to God’s care. And another gift of the Holy Spirit helps with this: the gift of piety. Despite all our efforts and good discernment, many things do not work out for us, but I can always ask the Lord for help. So Lord, help me where my strength fails. Help me do the good I want to do, despite all my efforts to the contrary, and transform all the shortcomings that I sincerely surrender to you. It is the gift of piety to trust the Lord to correct my shortcomings if I surrender them to Him and transform them into something beautiful.

And the last is the fear of God. Fear is not fear; it is God’s sovereignty when I should first realize that, despite all my efforts, despite all my prayers, the Lord can decide that things in my life will be different from what I planned, and I should accept it. Accept that God knows far better than I do why this and that happened in my life and those around me, even though I tried so hard to make it different and to surrender it to the Lord. And if I can do that, then the Spirit of God can fully manifest in me, just as it fully manifested in those apostles, and everyone was amazed and wondered where that power came from in them. And so, Lord, we ask you to teach us to open ourselves to Your Spirit and not to be satisfied with just the little that we somehow stumble on along that path to You. Set our hearts on fire, just as You set the hearts of the apostles on fire, so that the Spirit You sent us can also manifest in us. Amen.
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