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Today’s Gospel begins with a shocking contrast.On one síde stand Jesus,who hast just healed a man and restored life.On the other side stand the Pharisees,who leave not wit gratitude but with a plan to destroy Him.Matthew tells us plainly.The Pharisees went out and consipired against Him,how to destroy Him.

It is one of great tragedies of the human heart.The same event that leads one person to fait can lead another to hatred.Miracles alone do not convert a hardened heard.A heart that refuses humility will always find a reson to reject the truth.

Jesus knows of the plot againts Him,yet He does not respond with anger or revenge.He quietly withdraws.This is not cowardince but divine wisdom.He does not seek conflict for its own sake.His enemies by force but to conquer hearts through love.

Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice.”
Dear brothers and sisters,
In today’s Gospel, we witness an interesting encounter. Jesus’ disciples are hungry. As they walk through a grainfield, they pick some heads of grain and eat them. The Pharisees immediately accuse them of breaking the Sabbath law.
At first glance, this seems to be a dispute about religious rules. In reality, however, it is about something much deeper: our image of God and what is truly most important in our faith.
The Pharisees saw only the law. Jesus saw the human person. The disciples were not stealing or trying to enrich themselves. They were simply hungry. God never gave His commandments to burden people, but to help them live.
Jesus reminds them of King David, who ate the consecrated bread when he and his companions were in need. He also points to the priests who work in the Temple on the Sabbath. In doing so, He teaches that even Sacred Scripture recognizes that love and genuine human need take precedence over external regulations.
Then Jesus speaks the central words of today’s Gospel: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
These words are just as relevant today. We may faithfully observe religious practices, attend church regularly, and pray every day, but if we lack love, patience, forgiveness, and compassion, we have not yet understood the heart of God.
Jesus teaches us that true religion is revealed through works of mercy. God rejoices when we help someone in need, visit the sick, comfort the sorrowful, forgive those who have hurt us, or share what we have with those who have less.
Finally, Jesus declares: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Christ is the Lord of our lives. He reveals the true purpose of God’s commandments. They are not chains that enslave us but a path that leads us to freedom, love, and authentic holiness.
Today let us ask the Lord to help us become Christians not only in outward observance but also in the attitude of our hearts. May our hearts become like the Heart of Christ—full of mercy, kindness, and love—so that everyone who meets us may experience the goodness of God through us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tell us three short but powerful parables:the parable of the wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed,and the yeast.

The first parable surprise us.A farmer sows good seed,but during the night an enemy comes and sows weeds among the wheat.When the servants notice this,they ask:Do you want us to pull them up?

We might expect the master to answer;Yes,remove them immediately.But instead he say.No,lest in gathering the weeds you root up the weeds along with them.Let both grow together until the harvest.This is often difficult for us to understand.We want justice now.We wonder why God allows evil,suffering,injustice,and sin to exist.Why doesn’t He remove everything that is evil?

Jesus teaches us that God’s patience is greater than our impatience.He sees what we cannot see.Sometimes what appears to be a weed today may become good wheat tomorrow through repetance and conversion.Think of Saint Paul once a persecutor of Christians,who became one of the greates apostles.Think of Saint Augustine,whose sinful youth ended in heroic holiness.God never gives up on a sinner while there is still time for repetance.

The servants wanted to separate the wheat from the weeds immediately.How often we are tempted to do the same.We quickly label people as good or bad.We judge appearances,mistakes,or past failures.But only God knows the human hearts.

This does not mean that good and evil are the same.Jesus clearly says that will be a final judment.Evil is real,and it will not have the last word.Yeat until that day,our task is not to condemn other but to remain faithful ourselves and to pray for the conversion of all.

Jesus than compares the Kindom of Heaven to a mustard seed -the smallest of seeds- which grows into a large tree.God often works through what seems insignificant.A short prayer.A kind word.A hidden sacrifice.A visit to a lonely person.These small acts may appear unimportant,but in God’s hands they become something much greater than we can imagine.Many of the saints changed the world not by spectacular miracles but by daily faithfulnes.

Jesus compares the Kingdom to yeast mixed into flour.Yeast is almoust invisible,yet it transform the whole dough.That is how Christians are called to live.We do not need to dominate society or seek attention.We are called to transform the world qietly -through honesty,forgiveness,humility,generosity,and love.A teacher who lives the truth becomes yeast for students.An employee who refuses dishonesty becommes yeast in the workplace.Wherever Christ’s disciple live their faith authenticaly,the Kingdom of God is already growing.

Finally Jesus explain that at the end of time there will indeed be a separation between good and evil.Justice will come,but it belongs to God.This gives us hope.

Many people suffer because evil seems to prosper.Yet today’s Gospel reminds us that history is not out of God’s control.The harvest belongs to Him.No hidden sacrifice is lost.No injustice escapes His sight.Jesus concludes with beautifel words. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.That is our destiny -not merely to survice this world,but to share forever in God’s glory.

Today’s Gospel invites us to three resolution.

Let us trust God’patience instead of demanding immediate answer.

Let us avoid judging others and instead seek our own conversion.Let us faithfully sow small seeds of goodness every day trusting that God knows will bring them matury.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel ist one of the most beloved titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary.The Turtle comes from Mount Carmel a mountain in the Holy Land closely associated with the prophet Elijah,who defended the worship of the one true God and trusted complety in the Lord.

In the Middle Ages,Christian hermits settled on Mount Carmel and dedicated a chapel to the Blessed Virgin Mary.From these hermits grew the Carmelite Order,which has always regarded Mary sa ist Mother,Patroness,and perfect model of prayer and contemplation.According to Carmelite Tradition,on 16 July 1251,the Virgin Mary appears to Saint Simon Stock and gave him the Brown Scapular as a sign of her maternal protection and of a life dedicated to Christ.The scapular is not a magical object,rather is  a reminder to live faithfully as a disciple of Jesus through prayer,trust in God and love of neighbor.

The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated each year on 16 July.On this day Catholics thanks Mary for her to lead them ever closer to her Son, Jesus Christ.

 In the middle of July, the liturgical calendar commemorates St Bonaventure, bishop and teacher of the Church. Saint Bonaventure, also known by his birth name John Fidanza, was a respected monk and teacher of the Church. He was born around 1221 in Civita, part of Bagnoregio near Viterbo in Italy, and died on 15 July 1274 in Lyon, France. Among his attributes are a cross and a cardinal’s hat on a tree.

Pope Leo XII. called St. Bonaventure as “prince among all mystics”. Pope Sixtus V gave him the title “Doctor Seraphicus” (Seraphic Doctor) in recognition of his mystical religious activities. Along with Thomas Aquinas, with whom he was reportedly friends, Bonaventure is considered to be the most important theologian of scholasticism.

Bonaventure is also known as the second founder of the Franciscan order because he brought a new spirit to the order and reorganised its activities effectively. According to legend, his name was given to him when his mother brought him, a sick child, to St Francis of Assisi, who blessed and healed him. When he was five years old, his mother brought him to Francis again to thank him, and Francis reportedly exclaimed “Buona ventura” (What a happy event), which became his name.

Bonaventure joined the Franciscan order at a very young age. From 1236 to 1242, he studied in Paris, where he later obtained a doctorate in theology. In 1257, at the age of 36, he was appointed the seventh general of the Franciscan Order. He ran the order in Paris for 17 years, during which time he was known for his foresight and skill.

At the behest of Pope Gregory X, who appointed him cardinal of Albano in 1273, Bonaventure organised the Second Council of Lyon. He presided over the entire proceedings of the council from May to July 1274.

St.Kamilus of Lellis was an Italien priest and  the founder of the Familien Order,devoted to the care of the sick.Born on May 25,1550,in Bucchianico,Italy,he faced a troubled youth,marker by a rebeľlious spirit and a tendenciu Howard gamblling.His life Room a transformative turn after experiencig a serious illnes that led hím to reconsider his life choices.

In 1582,Kamillus dedicated himself to serving the sick in hospitals.He founden the Order of the Servants of the Sick,later knows as the Camillians,which emphasized the importance of providing compassionate care to the ill.The order received official trom the Pope in 1591.

St.Kamillus was know vor bis deep compassion,dedication and innovative approaches to healthcare.He emphasized the spirituel Dimension of care,advocating for the sick not only to receive physical treatment but also spirituel support.

He was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 1746 and is recognized as the patron saint of the of the sick,hospitals,and healthcare workers.His feast day is celebrated on July 14,a day to honor his contribution to healthcare and the importance of compassion in Dating for others.

st. Henry II.

Henricus II.

BIOGRAPHY

He came from Bavaria and was a prince from the age of two. At the age of 22, he became Duke of Bavaria. At the age of 26, he married Kunigunda (czech Kunhuta), with whom he took a celibate vow. At the age of 29 he became the German king, at the age of 31 he also became the Italian king, at the age of 41 he became the emperor, which he was until his death at the age of 51. And he received his highest title in 1146 – he was declared a saint.

As monarch, Henry II had a tendency towards spiritual values, felt responsible for the faith of his subjects, supported missions and reform movements in the church, gave large gifts to monasteries and for the construction of temples. At the same time, he had to endure misunderstanding and perfidy in his relatives and among the princes of office, even among some bishops.

BIOGRAPHY FOR MEDITATION

HOLY MONARCH AND HUSBAND WITH SUPERNATURAL LOVE

He was born on the 6th. 5. 972 in Bavaria. Abbach, Hildesheim is given as the place. Gisela’s mother was the daughter of a Burgundian prince, and Henry’s father, called Krátký or Svárlivec, was a Bavarian prince. Henry and his sister Gisela (blah., with monument 7. 5.) were raised in Regensburg (Reznu) by Bishop Wolfgang (saint with monument 31. 10.) and Abbot Romuald.

Henry II became Duke of Bavaria after his father’s death in 995. At the beginning of 997, his sister Gisela married Stephen, King of Hungary and later saint (s by monument 16. 8.). Two years after this, the 26-year-old Henry married Kunigunda (Kunhutu), daughter of Count Sigfrid, and at her suggestion that they promise themselves to God, they made a vow of permanent restraint. After the wedding ceremony, Jindřich dedicated a precious cross to her, in memory of the commitment to a celibate life, to which they both managed to be faithful all their lives and showed, that even such an ascetic path is possible out of love for God. Their special marriage was a manifestation of God’s grace and took place in holy supernatural love.

Such a life was not easy, although Kunigunda was a faithful and great Christian helper to the ruling man. Due to his childlessness, he had to fight with relatives and brothers Bruno and Arnulf. He came to a victorious peace with them thanks to his sister Gisela.

Later, for the elevation to the imperial throne, malicious people took care to stir up false rumors about Kunigunde’s infidelity, and in order to put an end to them and prevent general outrage, Henry’s wife graduated from the so-called. “God’s judgment” and barefoot walked over the red-hot plowshares unscathed.

Kunigunda helped her husband at every suitable opportunity during the marriage. To God’s honor and glory, she wanted to be as generous as possible, so she humbled herself as much as possible and lived in considerable humility. With its large share, both built temples, monasteries, houses of Christian mercy in Germany.

Henry did not forget his beloved teacher, Bishop Wolfgang, who died in 994, and went to his tomb in the Regensburg Church of St. Emerana to pray. After about two years, he had an unusual vision. He thought he saw Wolfgang pointing to a wall with the words mysterious: “Six each”. At first he came up with a warning that he was going to die in six days. With that thought, he prepared for six days for an important day with prayers. But nothing happened. The second option was six months. And even after that time, when he was full of health, he decided on the possibility of a third. After six years of pious life, it was clear what the vision meant, he became an important German king.

After the death of Emperor Otto III. Henry II, the last descendant of the Saxon royal family, was crowned in Mainz and then according to custom 3. 9. 1002 installed in Aachen on the throne of Charlemagne. King Henry’s wife was then proclaimed queen in the Paderborn Temple. Some influential princes were dissatisfied with the new government, but Henry won them all over the course of eight months with his balance, purposeful behavior and determination. He ruled wisely and justly.

Soon after ascending the throne, the Polish prince Boleslav the Brave began to cause him great difficulties for a long time. The fight with him dragged on with alternating successes for 6 years. Some reproached Jindřich for using the help of the pagan Lutics and Redars.

The first of three expeditions to Italy occurred in 1004 against Arduino of Ivrea, who claimed the royal crown of Lombardy. At Pavia, Henry defeated him and then became king of Italy. After the coronation with an iron crown, the local people attacked the palace in which Henry was located at night, and he then made his way to the camp of his army in an unusual way. The next day it set out for retaliation, and as a result of both experiences the Christian king was averse to staying again.

On the advice of the Archbishop of Cologne, he hurried back to Němec. The Polabian Slavs, mainly Bodrci, rose with Mečislav and Mstivoj II. against the Germans, they declared obedience to the king and suppressed Christianity in the country. Boleslav the Brave also started to fight again. King Henry was forced to forcefully repel the attacks of enemies and more than once intervene in the political affairs of neighboring countries. Especially when in his court the wrongly affected party begged for help. There were problems with the discordant Přemyslovs in Bohemia after the death of Boleslav II. during the rampage of Boleslav III. Ryšavý, who ordered the mutilation of his brother Jaromír and almost killed his second brother Oldřich. The two pleaded for help in achieving their rights. So far, things have changed rapidly on the Czech princely throne due to other circumstances.

In 1004, Henry was able to restore the activities of the Magdeburg bishopric and later in 1007 also in Bamberg. At the same time, he led an active spiritual life and also tried to reform in some monasteries.

During the second expedition to Italy in 1014, he helped Pope Benedict VIII. organize affairs and received the imperial crown from him and his wife Kunigunda. He made his third and final expedition to Italy at the request of the Pope in 1022 to suppress the rebellion of the Greeks living there against papal fiefdoms. On the way, he also visited the monastery of Monte Cassino, where he probably interceded with St. Benedikta achieved recovery from kidney disease.

To explain Henry’s interventions in church matters (, which in his case used to be only for the benefit of the Church) –, at that time the German emperors used to have the title “Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”, therefore, their wider scope. Henry II also prevented the sale of slaves not only in the empire, but also in the surrounding Slavic lands.

In 1023, he met for the second time with King Robert of France, son of Hugo, to consult on important secular and spiritual matters, including reasons for the Ecclesiastical Assembly. Even more significant was their earlier meeting over the Moselle River, especially when remembering Otto I’s prediction that France would belong to Germany. At that time, although the troops prepared for battle, on the right side of the German river, on the left French, met against each other and the emperor was to exercise his right over the kingdom of France, the expected violence did not occur. On the fourth day, Henry II swam across the river with a small entourage and renounced his claims against the vassal. There was then talk of a “visit to the Carthusian emperor”. The next day, the 11th. 7., Robert retaliated against Henry’s friendly visit, and so the war between Germany and France ended before it began, because this emperor really lived Christianity.

His death occurred quite suddenly and prematurely, at the age of 52, at his own estate Gróna near Halberštad (Göttingenu) in lower Saxony. Nevertheless, he managed to penitently prepare for death even with a request for forgiveness of an already abandoned suspicion, and after receiving the sacraments, he peacefully fell asleep on the way to eternity.

According to his wishes, he was taken to the bishop’s cathedral in Bamberg for burial, which he had built in. 1002. Later, Kunigunda was buried next to him, who died on 3. 3. 1033 (or 1039) in Kaufunga, Hesse, near Kasel. The ceremonial transfer of her remains to the imperial husband took place on the 9th. 9. 1201.

Emperor Henry II, to whom history gave the epithet Pious, was canonized in 1146 by Pope Eugene III. and his wife’s canonization took place on the 29th. 3. 1200.

In 1372, the church of St. Víta in Prague and our ancestors of Henry II. included among the provincial patrons due to his merits in maintaining the Přemyslov family and returning peace in the country.

In 1513, a sarcophagus was created by Tilmann Riemenschneider in Bamberg Cathedral over the remains of the imperial couple and decorated with their larger-than-life figures.

St. Benedict of Nursia

July 11, holiday
Position: Abbot and patron saint of Europe
Death: 547
Patron: Europe; teachers, miners, copper engravers and speleologists—cave explorers (since 1957); students, agricultural workers, civil engineers, architects, and the dying; invoked against magic and in temptations; in fever and inflammation, poisoning, and stone disease; also for help in fulfilling religious duties.
Attributes: Benedictine, crutch, small snake or dragon, raven, bread, book, ball, cup, cracked bowl, sieve, thorns
CURRICULUM VITAE

He was an Italian from the Umbrian mountains. He studied briefly in Rome, revered the Virgin Mary and, with her help, kept his heart intact. He left everything and went into solitude. He became an exemplary teacher to the people who followed him. At first he founded small monasteries and later built the extensive monastery of Montecassino. He founded the Western religious movement and contributed to the preservation of classical culture. His advice for creating a spiritual balance in man is reminiscent of the sign of the cross rising above the plow. In the spirit of his rules, prayer was also work, and work was prayer.
CV FOR MEDITATION

FATHER OF WESTERN MONASTICS AND PATRON OF EUROPE
He was born around 480 in Nursia (Norica, near Perugia) in the Umbrian mountains in central Italy as a twin. He had a sister, Scholastica, who also later became a saint, whose memory is celebrated on February 10. Their mother, Abundancia, died in childbirth, and their father, Euprob, who belonged to the rural nobility, entrusted the children to a foster mother.

Due to his above-average intellectual abilities and the nobility of his family, he was sent to Rome to study law. He was satisfied with the school, but not with the morality of the Roman students. The moral side of these classmates led him to interrupt his studies and go east to the settlement of Affile in the hilly region near Subiaco. There, a small group of ascetics lived in prayer and self-denial, whose company suited him better. Nevertheless, he soon took refuge a little farther away, in a lonely cave near the Ania River in Subiaco, and began to live a harsh hermit’s life. He was soon beset by temptations from which solitude does not protect, and Benedict, in order to overcome sensual desires, sometimes threw himself into thorns. Even then, he had extraordinary experiences and miraculous abilities that accompanied him throughout his life. He tried to live in such solitude and concentration on God that he did not notice time. He only discovered that Easter had arrived during a chance meeting with a priest.

After three years of solitary life, he came into contact with a monk, who gave him a habit and who occasionally brought him food. His other guests were shepherds, and as news of his life spread, other visitors appeared. After the death of the superior of a nearby monastic community, the monks came to Benedict to urge him to take his place. With considerable hesitation, Benedict accepted and began to establish the order according to what he considered best. The monks, accustomed to a relatively simpler life, disliked the practice introduced by Benedict, and according to legend, one of them tried to poison him with poison mixed in wine. Benedict, as was his custom, made the sign of the cross over the drink, and at that moment the poisoned cup broke.

After this show of hostility, Benedict left the monks and continued his life in a cave above Subiaco. However, he did not close himself off from people and when young people who wanted to live according to his example of work and prayer sought him out, he received them. Twelve new small monastic communities were then established in the hills of Subiaco, which submitted to Benedict’s leadership.

In addition to the admiration of the nearby inhabitants, there was also the jealous hostility of a priest who tried to destroy Benedict’s work through intrigues. Probably for this reason, Benedict and some monks set off in a southeasterly direction and chose a suitable place for the future monastery, the ruins of the temple of Jupiter above the city of Cassino. Then he dedicated the pagan-marked area to the service of God and, together with his brothers, began to build the cradle of Benedictine monasticism for the glory of God.

They built the monastery on Montecassino Hill between 529 and 532 and made it a center from which a living faith and Christian culture later radiated throughout Europe.

After his life experiences, Benedict saw that a strict rule was necessary for monks to govern their communal life. He compiled the “Regula” for them, rules that justify his title “Father of Western Monasticism.”

The “Regula Benedicti” became the basis of all Benedictine monasteries in the West that adopted its model. The Order of St. Benedict also has later branches and offshoots. These include the Carthusians (who supplemented his order with Camaldolese regulations originating from the so-called White Benedictines), the Cistercians and the Celestines. Many houses according to the Benedictine order were also organized into several congregations.

Benedict, while working on the order, consistently drew on the Bible and established the basic rules of monastic life. He placed the main emphasis on consistency in the service of God, perfect obedience, humility, and diligent and conscientious work. He determined the main tasks to be a contemplative life, a common choir, work in spiritual administration, teaching students, and manual work, especially cultivating the land. Therefore, the Benedictine motto became “Ora et labora” (“Pray and work”). It denotes the search for God through prayer and through physical and mental work.

In drawing up the rule, Benedict considered both Eastern and Western traditions and personal experience. He also remembered the need to adapt to various circumstances to some extent while maintaining a clear organizational structure.

In the life of Benedict, we can observe how his ideal of monasticism developed. At first, he was influenced by Eastern models, such as Egyptian and Syrian hermits. To this was added the concept of monastic life, as understood by Basil the Great. Experience and charisma then led him to a type of life in which he combined the glorification of God with all-round service to people. This is the most beautiful and attractive thing about his order. He excluded from it a wandering life and isolated asceticism that does not look at the needs of other people, but focuses only on personal perfection. All this leads to the all-round usefulness of the Benedictine monasteries, the model of which was created at Montecassino. The noble titles later conferred on Benedict, as well as his elevation, are connected to all this.

After completing his monastery on Montecassino, Benedict helped his sister Scholastica establish the first Benedictine monastery beneath the same mountain. They met once a year in the courtyard between the two monasteries for advice and spiritual conversation. Three days after their last meeting, Benedict had a vision of his sister’s soul ascending to heaven in the form of a dove. He then had Scholastica’s body transferred to a tomb prepared for him in the Montecassino monastery. Soon after, on Holy Thursday, March 21, 547, while praying before the altar with outstretched hands, Benedict also died and was buried in the same tomb next to his sister. Above their grave is the main altar of the Montecassino basilica.

Benedict’s feast day has been celebrated on this day since the 8th century as the anniversary of the alleged transfer of his relics. Pope Pius XII called him the “father of Europe” and Pope Paul VI solemnly proclaimed him the patron saint of Europe on 24 October 1964. The title was also confirmed by John Paul II, who proclaimed other co-patrons.

It is interesting to note that by the eighteenth century, the Benedictine order had produced 42 popes, 200 cardinals, and almost 6,000 archbishops and bishops, as well as numerous saints and prominent scholars and writers.

Circumstances of growth …

“The sower went out to sow” (Mt 13, 3). One of the most famous parables of Jesus Christ begins with these words. We know perfectly well that the sower of the gospel is God himself, who sows the seed of his sanctifying grace in the fields of human hearts. Every grain of God is valuable and life-giving. There is no chaff or low-value grain. God constantly goes out to the flower bed of human hearts with the sowing of his word, which leads to the knowledge of God’s love and the achievement of eternal salvation: “For the word of God is living, effective, and sharper than any two-edged sword; it penetrates to the separation of the soul from the spirit and the joints from the marrow and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4, 12). Today, the seed of God’s word is sown on the field of the Church of Christ by priests when they fulfill their teaching mission. God’s Word is still up-to-date, alive and indicates what we should do in order to achieve eternal salvation and live in love and harmony here on earth.

The heart of each of us is God’s horn, on which the sowing of God’s word constantly falls. The Lord, on his part, is doing everything possible to make it bear a rich harvest. And there will come a day in the life of each of us when we will have to account for the harvest of the sowing of God’s love. John the Baptist predicts it: “He has a winnowing winch in his hand to clear the threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn the chaff in unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:17). Accepting the teachings of the Lord Jesus in life leads to the achievement of life fulfillment and eternal salvation. Waste of this priceless gift will result in eternal damnation. And none of us will then be able to say that we didn’t have a chance, an opportunity, or a way to get to know Christ, His holy Gospel, and to live according to it.

But as Jesus himself predicted in today’s Gospel, God’s sowing brings a different harvest. May there be a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold harvest as much as possible. But the Savior, knowing human nature, foresaw that, unfortunately, there would always be people who would waste the gift of God’s grace. For some, the reason for this will be looking at the things of this world; for others, a lack of perseverance and readiness to make sacrifices. Still others will trivialize God’s love as they choose convenient selfishness. But we must not forget one more factor that affects crop yield. This is the other person who can help or greatly hinder himself.

Even the most fertile soil needs tilling to produce a harvest. Even the best grain, sown in uncultivated black soil, has little chance of sprouting and growing. It is the same with the human heart. Each of us present here owes our faith experienced and realized in our everyday lives to the people who brought us to Jesus and helped us grow in faith. Without their direct involvement, efforts as well as personal testimony of a life of faith in Christ Crucified and Risen, we would not be here in the sanctuary today. It was our parents and grandparents who taught us about God and faith and, above all, showed by their example that faith is not folklore or tradition or an addition to everyday life, but a value that guides our daily behavior. We owe our faith to our catechists, priests who prepared us for the reception of individual sacraments and who preached God’s word to us for years. We enrich and develop our faith with content drawn from the press, Catholic books, and Catholic media. Without all those people, we would not be here today, and the grain of God’s grace could not bring the Lord’s desired harvest in our hearts. So when we owe our faith to another person to a great extent, let us try to help so that the lives of other people also bear the fruit of faith and holiness.

When we travel to the Holy Land, we stop in the Judean Desert, in the places where Jesus fasted for 40 days. We see all sorts of things on the ground after heavy rains. The land of the Judean Desert is very fertile. But there is no water. Even the best grain sown on that parched land has no chance of bearing a harvest. Similarly, you sow grain on a beaten dirt road, which may even be the most fertile soil, but not at all ready for sowing. In other places, we see what is happening to the fallow fields, which formerly produced a great harvest but, deprived of the hands of the harvester, have become overgrown with weeds that are difficult to pull up. If each of these lands were cultivated responsibly and the harvester took care of it, it would yield multiple harvests. The quality of the soil is very important, no less important than the quality of the grain. But the work of those who work the land cannot be overestimated.

Once the artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti was stopped by an elderly man who had painted several paintings and wanted Dante to appreciate them, as well as give an opinion on the talent of the author of those paintings. Rossetti looked at them carefully. After the first few, the artist realized the paintings were worthless and that their author lacked talent. Dante, being a delicate person, did not want to hurt the elderly person, so he respectfully said that the paintings were not of much value, but their author had some talent. He was uncomfortable, but he couldn’t fool him. The assessment also froze the older man, but it looked like he expected it. Then, apologizing to Rossetti for taking up his time, he asked if the artist could paint the young student. Dante looked at them, brightened considerably, and enthusiastically said, “These are good. The young man has great talent. He must be given every help to develop his talent. He has a great future if he works hard and persevering”. Rossetti saw the great excitement of the older man and asked, “Who is that young, talented artist? Your son?” “No – replied the older man sadly. That’s me from 40 years ago. If I had heard that praise then, I wouldn’t have wasted my talent, I wouldn’t have given up so easily”.

God sows the grain of his grace, but if I trample it in the heart of my neighbor, when I am a source of doubt about the meaning of faith for him, then there will be no harvest. If my presence in the sanctuary as a confession of faith in Jesus Christ has no reflection in everyday life, then what attitude do I teach others? I saw an eloquent film on social media: “I salute all the Catholics who go to Holy Mass every Sunday and lie at work.” Did our parents and catechists teach us such a faith? Does God’s word preached by priests prepare us for such behavior? Would it be possible to encourage anyone to get to know Jesus more closely and live the faith in the Catholic Church with such behavior?

The effectiveness of the grain of God’s grace sown in another person’s soul depends on each of our testimonies. Jesus says: “He who has received much, much will be required of him, and to whom they have entrusted much, of him they will require more” (Lk 12, 48). The most depends on how the priests implement in their lives the doctrine they preach from the pulpit in the church. The greatest responsibility rests on them, for in their hands God places the deposit of faith. But none of us is exempt from the obligation to bear witness to our faith, which will help all those who, for various reasons, are far from Christ. The angry ground can be plowed through the grace of prayer, conversation, and the witness of one’s own faith. Weeds of sins can be pulled out when we show the joy of living in friendship with God and our neighbors. We will not water the scorched soil of our neighbor’s heart with anything other than our understanding and kindness. The harvest of our faith is the joint fruit of the grace of the grain of God’s word, the help and testimony of those who brought us to Jesus, and our own efforts. Out of gratitude for the gift and fruit of our own faith, let us strive to help others so that they may bring forth the harvest of eternal life that day. Amen