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There were two rabbis in the time of the Lord Jesus. One was called Shammai and was strict the other was called Ilev and was rather liberal. A certain Gentile came to Rabbi Shammai wanting to become a proselyte. He asked the rabbi to explain the Torah to him, for as long as he could stand on one leg. The rabbi was angry, took his staff, and drove him away. So the gentile went to Rabbi Ilev and made his request, He told him, well stand on one foot and I’ll tell you. Don’t do to your neighbor what you don’t want others to do to you. The rest of the Torah is just an explanation and you will learn that later. Jesus pushed this requirement higher and said. Do what you want others to do to you.
Why should we love God? Because God is the foundation of our existence. Also because God is good, and kind. It is natural for man to love what is beautiful. The devil does not want people to love the Lord God. That is why he tries to make people believe that God is unjust, that he does not care for people, that is, he tries to present God in a negative sense. Man becomes what he loves. He who loves money becomes a money lender. He who loves only himself becomes an egoist. How is the love of the neighbor manifested? Love of neighbor is manifested, by acts of physical and spiritual mercy. Contemporary culture leads man to the fulfillment of his desires. First advertising awakens these desires in man, and then man tries to enlist what advertising offers him. The society in which we live is called a consumer society because it is consumer-oriented. Many people live only for themselves. They do not help others. They live by the motto, let each man take care of himself. This only confirms how far the world today has moved away from the teachings of Christ.

Being the first does not always apply only to ports, culture, art, and the like… It also applies in spiritual life. Jesus reminds us: “And many who are first will be last and the last first” (Mk 10:31).

God’s word must pass through our minds and free will into our hearts. The word of Jesus entered the hearts of the disciples, and they left everything and followed him. And that is what Jesus wants from us. Not only to keep the commandments but to put God first in everything. God has priority over material values, but also over people. Because entering the kingdom of God is difficult. However, whoever places his hope in God and not in himself, in people, in things, or in his career, will not escape God’s kingdom. Whoever takes on a lot, who prefers himself, his pleasures, people, things, power… to God, is like a camel that cannot pass through the eye of a needle, because he does not want to and cannot get rid of what has no value before God.

God does not forbid us to own, to prove something, to mean, to travel, to enjoy… but God must and should be in the first place. Where to learn it? Where is the proven recipe? It is a book of books – Holy Scripture and Church tradition, which the Church teaches and explains.

An interesting story is told by a sister who works in Algeria. It is a Muslim state, even more fundamentalist, hostile to Christianity. We hear what those who want to accept Christianity have to undergo, that often the transition from the Muslim faith to Christianity ends in death. A Muslim man bought cheese in a shop, which the shopkeeper wrapped for him in paper. Hygiene is often neglected. After the man ate the cheese on the bus, he started reading from the paper the cheese was wrapped in. After a few days, he bought cheese again in the store and the saleswoman wrapped it in the same paper. He re-read everything that was printed on the paper. The text piqued the man’s interest. The next time he made a purchase, he only asked for paper. The saleswoman easily gave him a book from which she tore pages and wrapped cheese in them for customers. The book was Holy Scripture. The reading of the Holy Scriptures thus appealed to the Algerian, that he looked for a Catholic chapel in the city and asked that someone explain the text of the book to him. After a while, even though he knew that hardships and perhaps death would await him, he asked for baptism.

Someone may argue that what happened in Algeria does not concern him. And yet, it’s worth thinking about. Shouldn’t I also reach for the Holy Scriptures more often? There are various events in life where we find the right guidance on how to solve difficulties, how to overcome problems, how to win over temptation and sin, how to correct our life on earth on the way to eternity.

Cooperate more with the Holy Spirit.It is gratifying that more and more Christians are cooperating with the Holy Spirit. It is not only during the preparation for the reception of the sacrament of confirmation, but also during the reception of the other sacraments. Hear that several parents pray to the Holy Spirit when their child is born in the mother’s womb. Their model is the cooperation of the Virgin Mary with the Holy Spirit, who cooperated during the conception of the Lord Jesus in her womb. Many of us cannot imagine preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation without asking the Holy Spirit to know our sins, truly repent of them, and make atonement for our sins in love. After receiving the Eucharistic Christ in silence, in meditation, we let God speak and act on our spiritual and physical life. Not only the sick, but also spouses and priests, but also the healthy and those who are preparing for marriage and receiving the priesthood, when they devote time and attention to the gifts of the Holy Spirit,Jesus’ words belong to each of us: “Peace be with you!”… “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20,21,22).The Acts of the Apostles describe the events on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. With great power and wisdom, the apostles leave the supper table and begin to fulfill Jesus’ command: Go and teach… (cf. Mt 28:19). It is the beginning of the public activity of the Church. We understand Pentecost as the day of the birth of the Church. On that day, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and those present in the Last Supper in the form of tongues of fire. Another phenomenon, a roar likened to the wind, gathered the inhabitants of Jerusalem and those present at the feasts to listen with amazement to the sermon of the apostle Peter and subsequently to be baptized.The Holy Spirit is one of the three divine persons in whom we believe. It is the essence of our faith and not just its object. We confess: “I believe in the Holy Spirit…”. He is a Giver, but at the same time a gift of God the Father and the resurrected Christ for the Church. After his resurrection, during the first meeting with the disciples, Jesus “breathed on them and said to them: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit'” (Jn 20:22). On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit manifested His power. The fearful, unlearned apostles spoke in tongues that were spoken in Jerusalem: “How is it that each of us hears them in our own language in which we were born? We, the Parthians, the Medes, the Elamites, the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the Libyan regions around Cyrene, Roman immigrants, Jews and Parozelites, Cretans and Arabs: We hear them speak in their own languages ​​about the great God’s works” (Acts 2, 8-11). That’s what the Holy Spirit does. Equal to God the Father, God the Son, and at the same time God is not the Father and God the Son, but God the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit deserves our respect, honor, celebration… as the Father and the Son.Among the many gifts of the Holy Spirit, let us notice more the “gift of tongues”. Every gift of the Holy Spirit, like this one, must be understood and accepted. The gift of tongues is one of the smallest gifts of the Holy Spirit, which primarily serves to build the personal faith of the recipient. It rests on speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Spoken words, which may be unintelligible and may resemble the beginning of a child’s speech. Such talk of the child means nothing, but how much joy these words bring to the parents. The gift of tongues serves to glorify God. Whoever wants to say everything about God will not find the words. The Holy Spirit comes to the aid of what human words cannot express. They have experience in the meetings of the Holy Spirit movement with the gift of tongues. You can also hear the opposite opinions, attitudes, opinions that they can pray in the usual way. They say that if the Holy Spirit wants, to pray in tongues, so why shouldn’t I have that option. In the First Letter to the Corinthians in chapters 12 to 14 St. Paul writes about the charisms of the Holy Spirit and the principles of drawing on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Here is a guide for those who would like to start fascinating spiritual adventures. Yes, the gifts of the Spirit are for all who have believed in Christ. Whoever has received baptism and received confirmation is to cooperate with the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, art, piety and the fear of God. God the Father wants each of us to be, first of all, a wise person, to be able to follow him in life, so that life has meaning and value. A Christian has the right to draw on special gifts that are for the baptized, such as the gift of tongues. There are also other gifts, such as prophecies, the gift of working miracles or the gift of healing. God the Father desires to give us everything, what we need to build personal holiness and build the kingdom of God on earth. Holiness begins today, and so does salvation, and not in some vague future. Therefore, we can already ask for the gifts that we need and that the Holy Spirit wants to give us.The Acts of the Apostles teach that the gifting of the gifts of the Holy Spirit was not a one-time event. They say that the Holy Spirit manifested itself several times even in the early Church. Through the laying on of hands by the apostles, many received these gifts. Even today we can receive these gifts. It is necessary to believe God’s word, to ask the Holy Spirit, to be in a state of friendship with God, and it must benefit us and everyone.When was the last time we asked for the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Do we not ask out of fear? Why are we afraid? It is not enough for students to pray before an exam. It is not enough to pay attention to these gifts only on the Feast of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”In order to be in communion with Christ, we must first be touched by the Holy Spirit. He precedes us and inspires faith in us” (KKS 683). The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Christian life. Just as the soul is not visible by itself, but only through its action, so also the Holy Spirit remains hidden (cf. CCC 687), but is known in its “fruits” (cf. CCC 1832). The Holy Spirit must not be a great unknown among us and in us. After all, Jesus said: “It is better for you that I go away. For if I do not leave, the Comforter will not come to you. But when I go away, I will send him to you” (Jn 16:7). And when the disciples ask him before returning to the Father when he will restore the kingdom, he says: “But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit is now the “other Comforter” who will remain with us forever. Through him Christ is in our midst, through him we may call God “Abba, Father”. The Catechism mentions above all four actions of the Holy Spirit (cf. CCC 737,1092).He prepares people for Christ. From the beginning of creation, He lives as the life-giving Spirit in all creatures. In the history of the Old Testament, that Spirit prepares the chosen nation for the coming of the Messiah. He is the Spirit of Advent.He reveals Christ: “…and no one can say: “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3; KCC 683). The Holy Spirit lets us know 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” (CCC 1099).It makes Christ present. In the life of the Church, Jesus is not only mentioned, but the Risen One is present in his word, in “the least of my brothers”, in the sacraments. The presence of Christ in the Eucharistic ways, which are transformed into his body and blood by the action of the Holy Spirit, is special. (cf. CCC 1107).Connects with Christ. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is the bond of love between the Father and the Son. It unites everyone in whom it works with Christ. “The Holy Spirit is like the sap of the Father’s vine, which bears fruit on the branches” (CCC 1108). He is “the inner teacher who prompts, directs, corrects and strengthens this life” (CCC 1697). He is also a teacher of “interior Christian prayer” (CCC 2672). That is why we fervently ask him daily: “Come, Holy Spirit.” (Cf. CH. Schönborn OP. From the work Foundations of our faith).In one of his short stories, the Russian writer Alexei Tikhonov talks about an old man who lost and found the light of faith again.It is Easter and an old man stands with his wife by the grave of his daughter. In the sacred silence of the cemetery, he says to his wife: “All my life I have been looking for my God… But here, life unexpectedly took away a part of ourselves from us – Olga. I take stock of what I have experienced and say: God is and his will is above me…” TheHoly Spirit often acts with its gifts even when people underestimate it. In the Holy Spirit we recognize that “God is love” (1 Jn 4,16).It is up to us to start cooperating directly with the Holy Spirit in our whole life, in our daily events. Already at today’s holy mass. Now.

During the last week of Easter, we will discuss one of the six truths of our religion every day. As an echo of the biggest holiday of the year. 

Man is sinful by nature. It is said unnaturally and harshly in a way. Original sin caused this catastrophe in man. As a result, every person is bound to sin, from which God’s grace frees us. Our Heavenly Father loves us infinitely and does not want even one of his little ones to perish. “For God so loved the world that he gave him only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The explanatory dictionary uses the term grace to refer to many terms, but the word mercy is undoubtedly one of the most famous. So we can say that our Heavenly Father has mercy on us so that we can achieve salvation. God’s grace is the only cure for the weakness of human nature. Man alone cannot do anything, and therefore he is forced to rely on the Lord if he wants to be saved. Freedom was enough for a person to sin, but to be able to return to the realm of justice, he needs the help of grace, which he receives from God’s mercy. In his infinite love, God gives us two main graces in the fight against sin: helping grace and sanctifying grace. Each of us knows St. Augustine, a zealous teacher of the doctrine of grace. He very often emphasized the essence of grace, always saying: “Grace is free, it does not depend on our merits, it was already before our merits. And this is also when it is offered to us as a consequence of our actions.” Nevertheless, you will surely agree with me that grace is a gift of God because our actions are done from God’s initiative. It is not only a gift of God to man, but it is an undeserved gift of God to a person who does not value him so much. The very graces that help or sanctify have the goal of perfecting a person. To build in him a greater resistance to sin. Helping grace comes from the very action in a person. It consists in the fact that God helps a person by enlightening his reason for knowing his supernatural focus Simply put, God will enable man to know his focus for eternity. Sanctifying grace rests on participation in God’s knowledge and love. Simply put, God reveals his perfection and mercy.

Man has his full meaning only in the Creator. He creates man for himself, so that man finds in his Creator the perfection of God’s image. God’s love for us is great to such an extent that he offers us his grace out of God’s motive. We are sinful and sinfulness closes our perception of God. Man’s sinfulness is his essential tragedy. And why? In such a state, a person often finds a replacement in time. Only God can raise a person to himself. To raise him from the dust of his wretchedness and sinfulness, so that man can be an active child of God. What makes a child a child? I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s undoubtedly innocence. Innocence consists in trusting God to the fullest extent possible. Man did not deserve the status of a child of God. Why? Through his sin, he lost God’s favor. We can say that a person in the position of God’s child is from God. God is infinitely gracious and merciful. He is not interested, in a man being outside his heavenly homeland. All supernatural good is a gift of God’s grace. Saint Augustine says: “Before the first parents acted against God’s will, they loved God and God loved them.” Despite the fact that our first parents had an animal body, they did not feel anything in it that disobeyed them. human perfection, the man sold himself to sin. This sale to sin has far-reaching consequences for mankind. Man lost the graces that come from the Heavenly Father. But the sacrifice of Jesus Christ won us all graces back. He redeemed us and secured for us the plan of our salvation, which is already half fulfilled. It is up to us how we handle our sinfulness. It is just that we deserve a just punishment from God for sin. We, humans, can only acquire righteousness by overcoming sin with the help of God’s grace. Saint Augustine sacrificed his whole life for the doctrine of grace and its defense. He cared that people did not fall into delusion and begin to justify their wrong actions. It is the duty of every Christian to ask God for grace. Only the person who is no stranger to mercy can have the right to ask God for mercy.

At the end of the civil war of the North against South America, the fate of South America was decided. President Abraham Lincoln’s advisors urged him to punish the Southerners for all the bloodshed they had committed and proposed various punishments. The President listened to them attentively, and when they had finished, he said in a humble voice, “Is it possible to destroy my enemies when I plan to make them my friends?” replied the President, who, instead of revenge, made a generous plan of restoration.

Of course, this example has its flaws, but it tries to show an unconventional way of getting rid of enemies. Every child of God should naturally distribute graces around him out of love and selflessly. No one has the right to ask the Heavenly Father for grace and mercy who cannot be merciful himself. Let’s try to make our life coincide with God’s will. God’s will represents life according to the gospel. We have reason and free will at our disposal. But we must also take into account our weakness, which is manifested in our sinfulness. Despite our ingratitude, our God offers us weapons against sin. Resistance to sin is a very effective weapon. Resilience must be nurtured by prayer and sincerity to God. To be able to resist sin, God’s grace is needed. After all, we all want to achieve salvation. I wish you to be open to the action of God’s grace and to develop sufficient resistance against sin

During the last week of Easter, we will discuss one of the six truths of our religion every day. As an echo of the biggest holiday of the year. 

Let me start with a question. Do you know which athletes are the holiest? …they are said to be cyclists because they constantly take care of their souls (on a bicycle). Yes, it is meant as a joke, but at the same time, it expresses a great truth. It expresses that we too should constantly take care of our souls. Well, not the one we have in the tire of our car or bicycle, but the one that is part of our personality, our self – the immortal soul that animates our mortal body.

Lord Jesus said on a certain occasion: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt 10:28). The human soul is immortal; this is the fifth truth from the small Confession of Faith. Biblical speech does not recognize the term “immortality of the soul”. If he mentions immortality, then only about God. There is no expectation of an afterlife in the Old Testament, but the dead exist in Sheol; the book of Wisdom and the book of Sirach’s son tells about the immortality of the whole man. Words that are used in the Old Testament to refer to the soul (nefesh – throat, waist; literally breath, life), to the spirit (ruach – wind, breath, spirit, life force, life), to the body (bass – flesh, body, kinship, family) mean the whole person. There is no contradiction between them: nefesh and ruach = man about God; man does not have a body, but he is a body, he does not have a spirit, but he is a spirit that is open to God. Both mean the whole human person. The body is not the prison of the soul, nor the source of sin, as taught by the ancient philosopher Plato. When the soul and body form a unity, the old idea that death is the separation of the soul from the body falls away. So death is an event that affects the whole person. So what about the immortality of the soul? Philosophers explain the immortality of the soul by its simplicity. It cannot be divided, it cannot disintegrate, and it cannot therefore disappear. Theology explains it better. Man cannot perish because God knows and loves him. And since all love tends to permanence, God’s love not only wants permanence but also causes it. Let’s face it, isn’t it beautiful to know that I will not perish because God knows about me, created me, and loves me? I am God’s property and therefore I will not perish. I can respond to God’s love with my love, I can believe: “Whoever believes in the Son already has eternal life” (John 3:15). Faith in immortality is a joyful certainty for us Christians. Despite the above, faith in immortality remains by faith and not by knowledge. It cannot be proved by scientific experiments. No surgeon will find the soul as an organ in the human body. No one can prove by experiments in the laboratory that the soul cannot be killed, or broken, that it is immortal. It is and will remain a part of our faith in God, a part of our Creed, that I believe in the resurrection of the body and eternal life. It is part of the belief that the God of our beginning – the Creator, is also the God of our end – the Finisher God. God is Alpha and Omega.

We already know that our life does not end with death. On the contrary, it is just beginning. And thanks to God who gifted us with an immortal soul. The question is appropriate: What will our life look like after death? It will look exactly as we design it in this earthly life. At the end of the ages, God will pay everyone a just wage for his earthly stewardship. He will weigh our deeds justly. Which way will the weight of our life lean? To the one where all the good we have done during our journey to the heavenly homeland is located? Or to the one where all the evil that we have committed and at the same time the good that we have not done, are neglected?! What path do we follow to reach our eternal goal? After a wide, which is tempting at first glance, but treacherous? Or along the narrow path recommended by Jesus?! The world we live in offers us many paths. He promises us that he will fulfill all our desires. Even if we reach the goal – the fulfillment of some desire, we will always lack something, because the world offers us only the earthly: wealth, fame, success, career… Can the world give us love or eternal life? Probably hard! “After all, what good would it do a man if he gained the whole world and harmed his soul?! Or what will a man exchange his soul for?!” (Mt 16:26)Let’s embark on the path of holiness, the path to the kingdom of God, which is nothing but following Christ. When we look at any part of his life, we always find a pattern of how Jesus behaves and what he does. And this can be done by each of us; but if we do not know Jesus’ life well, we will not know how to follow him. That is why we need to get to know his life more and more deeply. This is how we learn to fulfill God’s will from Jesus. By fulfilling God’s will, we follow Christ and walk step by step, each with his daily cross, into the kingdom of God.

A young palm tree grew on the edge of the oasis. One day a man walked by who had a mania for destroying everything. He saw a small tree, took a heavy stone, and placed it in the crown of the tree. Then he went on. Palma tried in every possible way to shed this burden but to no avail. The stone sat firmly in her crown. The palm tree did not want to give up so easily: it planted strong roots and went deeper and deeper into the ground to ensure a rm support. So she came across a water vein, from there she drew strength and growth. Only now did she notice that it was growing? It soon became the biggest and most beautiful palm tree in the area. Years later, the evil man passed by again and wanted to see the work of his destruction. He imagined that he would find some small, deformed tree. Suddenly, the most beautiful palm tree approached him, showed him the stone, and said: “Thank you, man. Your burden has made me strong.”

Even on our shoulders, the devil often places a burden that we think we can no longer bear and we often give up. But let’s realize one thing that the Lord God allows, but does not abandon. That is why he sent us his Son, who is the water vein that we should tap into. Let’s draw life-giving power from it, like the palm tree in the story. When we live from Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, then we will find that we are really growing and our life will be a real life; experiencing God’s kingdom already here on earth. Let’s not allow the Evil Spirit to destroy us – destroy us. Let us keep in mind the words of Jesus: “Do not be afraid of them; which kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt 10:28). An old Latin proverb says: “Quidquid agis, prudent agas et respice finem!” “Whatever you do, do it wisely and with a focus on the goal!” Let’s remember that our goal is a blissful residence in the heavenly kingdom, the salvation of our immortal soul.

What is the good news of today’s word of God? The soul cannot be killed. The human personality is immortalized by God’s love. So what awaits us when we reach the end of this life? Nothing? – Not! Everything – that is: God! God in all his goodness, as revealed to us by his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. So let’s confess together that we believe in God the Creator, that we believe in God the Finisher, and that we believe in eternal life.

During the last week of Easter, we will discuss one of the six truths of our religion every day. As an echo of the biggest holiday of the year.

Let’s imagine that a person who is not “angry” at his brother in quotation marks comes up to us and says: “What did I do to him that he doesn’t call me?” And he adds: “If he speaks first, I am the elder, so I will speak.” This is how he imagines justice. What kind of justice is he talking about? Let’s think about a just judgment to be able to understand the fourth main truth: God is a just judge, he rewards the good and punishes the bad.

The Holy Scriptures tell us about this truth in the Acts of the Apostles, where we read: “But God overlooked the times of ignorance and now proclaims to people that everyone and everywhere should repent because he has appointed a day when he will judge the righteous on earth through a man whom he has appointed for this and testified to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).
Let’s talk about justice, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us, and let’s think about what justice should be towards God and our neighbor. Justice is a moral virtue that consists of a constant and firm will give God and neighbor what belongs to him. Justice towards God is called the “virtue of religion” (virtue religionis). Justice toward people makes a person capable of respecting the rights of everyone and bringing harmony to human relationships that promote a reasonable attitude (aequitas) toward people and the common good. A righteous person, who is often mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, is characterized by the constant directness of his thinking and the correctness of his behavior towards his neighbor. “Neither favor the poor, nor take sides with the wealthy! When we strive for this righteousness, we will be approaching our goal, and at the end of time, when God’s kingdom reaches its fullness, after the general judgment, we will reign as righteous forever with Christ, glorified in body and soul. Then the Church “will be completed… in heavenly glory, when… along with the human race, the whole world will be perfectly restored in Christ, which is closely connected with man and through him achieves its goal.”

“Neither do you favor the poor, nor take sides with the rich!” And now where is justice when we do not have faith properly instilled in us? We are prejudiced against people, we are looking for our truth, which often meets resistance, which is logical. How to open ourselves to justice? first of all, we have to come out of ourselves, by starting to value ourselves, by accepting ourselves as God’s gift that has a mission in this world. We will not mock each other, humiliate, humiliate, disparage , and degrade the human dignity of our neighbors. We as Christians often surpass non-Christians in their approach to their fellow man. Why? Because they realize that they are dependent on each other and one without the other has no chance in this world. Meanwhile, we – Christians mistakenly explain our relationship to God, and our relationship with our neighbors is also derived from this. This relationship to God must be assessed by each one of us. To be able to assess this relationship correctly, let’s try to confront it with the life of Jesus Christ. Only then will we be able to have a proper relationship with God and people, otherwise our life will be empty and it is against both God and people?

Let’s think about the fable about the bear family, which began to interpret justice in its own way. Once upon a time there lived a bear with a bear and cubs. It was indeed a modest family and very popular in its animal community. The little bears were playing with the other animals and were happy. But once there was a turning point in their life because they started to direct their lives according to the public opinion of the animal community. They cared a lot about public opinion and began to manage their lives accordingly. The little bears got into the wrong party, which looked perfect on the outside, but inside was full of envy, malice, slander, intrigue and manipulation, so the little bears learned to live their hypocritical lives. And it grew to such heights that they began to be hypocritical even to themselves. They began to compete with each other until they hated each other. Parents saw the rivalry but they let it go because they benefited from it. Each of the little bears wanted to please them, so they always brought something. They were satisfied. And once, after a good lunch, they said to each other: “How well we are, we have full bellies and little bears (grizzly bears) who take care of us.” And they said to themselves that: “We raised them well.” After some time, small grizzlies became grizzlies – bears. Here the parents already noticed a mistake in the upbringing of the bears. Grizzly – the bears had everything, only one thing they could not do – to be fair. They weren’t brought up to it, and they didn’t want to be brought up to it themselves. They wanted justice but did not know how to get it. They really wanted to get closer and be little bears again, but that was no longer possible. after a good lunch they said to each other: “How well we are, we have full bellies and little bears (grizzlies) who take care of us.” And they said to themselves that: “We raised them well.” After some time, small grizzlies became grizzlies – bears. Here the parents already noticed a mistake in the upbringing of the bears. Grizzly – the bears had everything, only one thing they could not do – to be fair. They weren’t brought up to it, and they didn’t want to be brought up to it themselves. They wanted justice but did not know how to get it. They really wanted to get closer and be little bears again, but that was no longer possible. after a good lunch they said to each other: “How well we are, we have full bellies and little bears (grizzlies) who take care of us.” And they said to themselves that: “We raised them well.” After some time, small grizzlies became grizzlies – bears. Here the parents already noticed a mistake in the upbringing of the bears. Grizzly – the bears had everything, only one thing they could not do – to be fair. They weren’t brought up to it, and they didn’t want to be brought up to it themselves. They wanted justice but did not know how to get it. They really wanted to get closer and be little bears again, but that was no longer possible. Here the parents already noticed a mistake in the upbringing of the bears. Grizzly – the bears had everything, only one thing they could not do – to be fair. They weren’t brought up to it, and they didn’t want to be brought up to it themselves. They wanted justice but did not know how to get it. They really wanted to get closer and be little bears again, but that was no longer possible. Here the parents already noticed a mistake in the upbringing of the bears. Grizzly – the bears had everything, only one thing they could not do – to be fair. They weren’t brought up to it, and they didn’t want to be brought up to it themselves. They wanted justice but did not know how to get it. They really wanted to get closer and be little bears again, but that was no longer possible.They did not know justice in their lives and could not be fair to others.

Aren’t many of our families similar to this bear family? We always try to explain justice according to our disposition, that is, whether someone is sympathetic to us, unsympathetic, whether he showed us love or not, whether he offended us, etc. Let’s try to overcome all this and look towards our eternity about our neighbor. Keep in mind that these frog-mouse wars are nothing compared to eternity. We will not be judged by this but by our relationship with God and our neighbor.

I believe that none of us wants to be like these bears, neither me nor you, even if we are inclined to do so. Let’s try to be little bears and reshape our lives in the light of justice. This light of righteousness is the fear of God, not fear and cowardice. If we always keep the Lord God in mind, we will not deviate from justice either to him or to our neighbors. Let us confront our life with the life of Jesus Christ, let us sanctify ourselves with his Spirit. So that we can say: “I try to be just.” We know that one of God’s truths is: God is a just judge who rewards the good and punishes the bad. Let us always keep this in mind when we receive punishment or rebuke.

During the last week of Easter, we will discuss one of the six truths of our religion every day. As an echo of the biggest holiday of the year.

Do you know how many cardinal truths we have? Do you know what the third one sounds like? I won’t bother you. I’d rather tell you about an incident. Once upon a time, there was a large swing bridge that spanned a river. Most of the day it was turned along the river, allowing ships to pass on either side of it. When a train was coming to the river, that’s when the bridge swung across the river to allow the train to pass. In a small booth on the bank of the river sat an operator who controlled the turning of the bridge and it’s securing with the bolts when a train was about to pass. One evening, he was waiting for the last train. He looked dreamily into the distance until he saw the lights of the locomotive. He walked up to the controller and waited until the train was at the prescribed distance when he was supposed to turn the bridge. He did so at the crucial moment but was horrified to find that the mechanism did not work. If the bridge is not secured, it means that the train will crash into the water. And that was a passenger train full of passengers! So he left the bridge set across and ran across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever that he could use to control the system by hand. But suddenly he heard a voice from the side of the control booth that froze his blood: “Daddy, where are you?” His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge looking for his father. At first, he wanted to shout at his son: “Run, run!” but the train was already close. The man wanted to let go of the lever to run out and save his son, but he realized that he would not be able to get back to the lever in time. Either the people on the train or the son will die. He decided in an instant. The train whizzed by on its way, and no one on board had any idea that it had hit a four-year-old. His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge looking for his father. At first, he wanted to shout at his son: “Run, run!” but the train was already close. The man wanted to let go of the lever to run out and save his son, but he realized that he would not be able to get back to the lever in time. Either the people on the train would die or son. He made up his mind in an instant. The train whizzed its way, and no one on board knew that it had run over a four-year-old. His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge looking for his father. At first, he wanted to shout at his son: “Run, run!” but the train was already close. The man wanted to let go of the lever to run out and save his son, but he realized that he would not be able to get back to the lever in time. Either the people on the train would die or son. He made up his mind in an instant. The train whizzed on its way, and no one on board knew that it had run over a four-year-old.

The third main truth is: “The Son of God became a man to redeem us.” Today, God tells us about himself in the Holy Gospel: “God so loved the world that he gave him only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but that had eternal life”(John 3:16). These words speak of God’s love, which God has for us, humans. It is the selfless love of the Father that made him go to extremes. Freely, the Father decided not to leave humanity in the misery of sin, but to help it rise. His intention is obvious – to save humanity. His love is so great that he does not hesitate to sacrifice his only Son. This means that He gives everything in this gift. He keeps nothing. He gives a lot because he gives everything. It’s unheard of. After all, God knows that we will never be able to repay him for it. And that’s exactly what selflessness is. The Father’s gift is freely given. He can’t go back. At least not in the same form. It is a big deal if God, who is almighty, decided to lower himself to the level of man. It was a decision by which the Son of God – the second divine person – became a man. He became quite similar to us people. Absolutely in everything, except sin, as St. Paul. We know that the people of that time saw him primarily as a man. His humiliation went even further, down to the level of man. Death on the cross was considered the most humiliating at that time and was intended for the biggest outcasts of society. God went to the extreme in his Son. And that even though he had to know how we humans will deal with his unique Gift. And yet he underwent it all. He did not hesitate for a moment. Why all this? Wasn’t it pointless? Naive? We must bow in humility before this. It’s a secret for us. It is often difficult for our human reason to understand such greatness of love. We can hardly understand the magnitude of such an undeserved gift to us. God himself decided to give such a great gift to people.

We can see the parallel of the father from the story at the beginning, with our Heavenly Father. If we can at least partially imagine the feelings that filled the heart with the man in the story, we can begin to understand the “feelings” of our Heavenly Father when he gave and sacrificed his only-begotten Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Both gave their sons to save others. It was mutually selfless. They gave a lot, not for themselves, but for the sake of others. Even though they knew that their intention would not be fully appreciated. They gave a great gift and gave it freely. They did not expect a reward, because such a gift cannot be given in any way repay. It was not a loan that could be paid back. It was a selfless gift that only a very loving heart can give. We are in the role of passengers. Whether we want to accept it or not. We are on a journey through life here on Earth. While the passengers on the train were completely unaware of this sacrifice, because they did not even know about it, we cannot claim that we know nothing about redemption. This is where we differ from them. But isn’t it the case that we live as if we know nothing? After all, if we know about such a great gift of love towards ourselves, why doesn’t our life change? Why are we so quarrelsome with each other? Why don’t we also imitate the Father in love? We can accept or reject the value of Jesus’ redemption as something imaginary. Either – or, there is no third way. Either we will believe in this great mystery of God’s love, and accordingly, we too will imitate our Lord in love, or we will reject it all and continue to suffer at home, in families, at the workplace, in schools… We certainly ask what it looks like – imitate the Father in love and conform to Christ. This is what a real event tells us.

The doctor travelled around Africa. Several blacks on the ship were being taken to work. One of them got sick. Our doctor treated him for free. When he was leaving the ship, the doctor asked him to take the letter to the post office in town. “I’ll take it away, but pay!” was the short answer, along with his gratitude. The doctor showed what it means to share his ability and be a gift to another. He served selflessly because he knew that a poor person could not pay for his service in any way. The other behaved as we often do. He would have helped, but for something, calculatedly. His main motive was what I would get out of it. Not for free, selflessly, but for something, for money. This is not how a better world is built, but a world of quarrels and hatred.

Let us show that we believe as Christians, that we live as redeemed people who know what God has done for them. Let us also bring more love to our surroundings. Let’s be a gift to others. Let us sacrifice ourselves freely for others. After all, we are the hope for this world. At this Holy Mass, let us give thanks for the Father’s great, selfless gift, which he gave us in his Son. Let us apologize to him for our inattention to him and others, and promise him that from now on we will selflessly serve our brothers and sisters.