St. Brunos, priest monk, founder of the Carthusian order..

Posted on 4. October 2024 by Peter Prochac
Holiday: Oktober 6

* around 1031 Köln, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
† 6 October 1101 Monastery of Santa Maria dell’s emo, Tal La Torre near today’s Serra San Bruno, Italy

Meaning of the name: brown (German)

Attributes: book, skull, cross, seven stars – as a symbol of Carthusian silence

Patron of the possessed; against the sea

Sv. Bruno

St. Bruno

St. Bruno was born around 1035 into the religious noble Hartenfaust family in Cologne. Even as a boy, he made an unusual impression – he was not interested in children’s games, he did not play with other children. From an early age, he was very religious, kind, and behaved well. He studied in his hometown, later in Reims and in Tours, where he attended philosophy under the guidance of the teacher Berengár. He was very diligent There’s no text between the quotes. and acquired deep and thorough knowledge. He obtained a doctorate in theology. In 1057, the Reims archbishop Gervaz entrusted him with the administration of the school where Bruno previously studied. The archbishop Additionally, he was granted a canon at the Temple and later appointed administrator of the archbishop. Consistory. He remained the administrator of the school until 1075. Many students not only graduated during his tenure but also improved in Christian virtues. After the death of the archbishop, thanks to the bribery of the royal advisers, Manassas, who lived a scandalous life, became bishop. When Bruno – as the only brave one – reprimanded him for his immorality, Manassas deprived him of his office and all income. Since Bruno had already thought about withdrawing into solitude, it came in handy. Although two years later the unworthy archbishop was deposed and Bruno was called back, he did not return. They went to Grenoble with their six friends. The local bishop, St. Hugo, who was his pupil, kindly received them and, at Bruno’s request, provided them with a barren, inaccessible plot of land in the Chartreuse hills (Cartusia in Latin). It was about 24 km north of Grenoble. He also gave them the use of the surrounding forests. The companions built a chapel there and around it lonely hermitages – hermitages, and lived according to the way of former hermits in Egypt and the Holy Land. In the morning and the afternoon, they gathered in the chapel for services. After the prayers, they went to work. They never ate meat. During fasting, they ate only once a day. Everyone prepared the food themselves. Their clothing was coarse and rough. Once a week, they didn’t talk at all. The woman did not have access to their premises. Although they lived such an austere and ascetic life, many young men came and begged to be accepted. Bishop Hugo liked to visit them and would prefer to settle there permanently. However, Bruno, as superior, made sure that no one overdoes it with acts of self-denial.

Six years have passed. Bruno and his companions transformed a wild wasteland into a beautiful, flourishing place. In 1088, Urban II, real name Odo de Chatillon, a former pupil of Bruno, became Pope. He called Bruno to Rome to help him administrate the Church. Bruno left his beloved solitude with a heavy heart, but the following year, out of obedience, he set out on a journey with several brothers. The Pope accommodated the monks in his palace. However, they did not get used to the noisy city. The brothers returned to Carthage. Bruno was left alone and felt that he lacked solitude. At that time, the Pope had to escape from Rome before Emperor Henry IV and Antipope Clement. That’s when Bruno asked him to be released from duty. The Pope complied with the condition that he would not go to France but stay in Italy to be nearby. The Sicilian magnate Roger gave Bruno the desolate region of La Terra in Calabria. In 1094, Bruno established a monastic settlement of the Virgin Mary there, modeled after the Carthusians. In 1099, he founded another group of monks of St. Stefano with milder rules. In the same year, Bruno was visited by Landing, his successor. Bruno sent a heartfelt letter to his monks through Landing to Munich, urging perseverance and consistency in observing the rules. During his time in La Torre, he wrote extensively on the Holy Scriptures, offering insightful interpretations. When illness struck in 1100, Bruno sensed the end drawing near and exhorted his followers to live a conscientious life. He summoned the monks to his bedside on his deathbed, where he confessed his sins, prayed, and professed his faith before passing away in La Torre on October 6, 1101; his body was interred in the local cemetery. The hermitage of St. Stefan was discovered intact in 1513 and relocated to La Torra, where it remains. The following year, Pope Leo X granted recognition to the Carthusians, even though Bruno, the order’s founder, was never officially canonized. The Russians had permission to venerate him, and the veneration was later extended to the entire Church by Pope Gregory XV in 1623. Bruno never wrote rules for the Carthusian Order, a task left to his fifth successor, Guigo. It wasn’t until 1176 that the order gained definitive approval. Known for being the strictest in the Church, it once had two monasteries in Slovakia, located on the Roc. k of Refuge (Lapis Refugii; today the Monastery near Letanovce; founded in 1299) and in the Red Monastery on the Dunajec (founded in 1319).

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God reveals himself in Scripture.

Posted on 3. October 2024 by Peter Prochac

WE ARE ALL CREATED in God’s image and likeness and have an inner desire to be united with our Creator. This is manifested, among other things, in a constant effort to get to know him better. However, our intelligence alone cannot gain access to its innermost secrets. Therefore, the most profound things we know about God are what we have received through Revelation, what He has made known to us through inspired writers and prophets, and above all, through His own Son.

When the apostle Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, the answer was immediate: “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). Christ is the image of the Father. The invisible God who appeared to Moses as a burning bush now has a face and hands. In addition, he appeared as a child in Bethlehem to a shepherd (cf. Lk 2, 16-18), as a teenager among the teachers of the Law (Lk 2, 41-50), as a penitent before John the Baptist (Mt 1, 4-11). His many manifestations are an image of the Triune God who walks among people. For this reason, one of the best ways to know God is to read and meditate on the Gospel.

St. Josemaría wrote: “Every time I preach in front of the nativity scene, I try to look at Christ, our Lord, as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger on straw. And even though he is still tiny and doesn’t talk, you can see the Master and the Teacher in him. I need to look at him like that because I’m supposed to learn from him. And so that you and I can learn from him, we must try to get to know his life – read the Holy Gospel and meditate on the scenes described to us in the New Testament to uncover the divine meaning of his earthly journey” [1]. When reading the Gospel, the Holy Spirit speaks to our soul; by showing us more and more deeply who God is, he also shows us our deepest essence: by revealing God to us, he reveals ourselves.

Discovering God in creation …

Many artists often reflect a part of themselves in their works, whether consciously or unconsciously. Similarly, God imprinted a part of himself when he created the world. “Besides the Revelation itself, contained in the Holy Scriptures, there is a divine manifestation when the sun shines and when the night falls “[2]. Through creation, we can enter into the knowledge of God; what fascinates us when we contemplate a sea, a mountain, or a sunset reflects aspects of its nature. In contemplating creation, we can discover something about it that the Lord wants to pass on to us. “Faith therefore involves being able to recognize the invisible by discerning its traces in the visible world. A person of faith can read the great book of nature and understand its language (cf. Psalm 19, 2-5)”.

“The entire material universe is the language of God’s love, God’s boundless affection for us. Land, water, mountains, everything is God’s caress” [4]. Saint Francis of Assisi knew how to recognize this language in everything. Therefore, his Heart needed to thank God for everything that came out of his hands: for the sun, because it illuminates our day; for the moon and stars that show us beauty; for the wind and the clouds that give us sustenance…[5] As the Catechism of the Church teaches, “the various creatures that God willed in their being reflected, each in their way, a ray of God’s infinite wisdom and goodness” [6]. This contemplative spirit led the three youths to sing when God saved them from martyrdom: “Bless the Lord, sun and moon, praise him and exalt him forever. Bless the Lord, stars of heaven, praise him and exalt him forever” (Dan 3, 62-63), and after them all mountains, peaks, birds, wild animals and springs.

Simple in Heart… 

“I PRAISE YOU, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little ones” (Mt 11, 25). God wanted to reveal himself to everyone, and simplicity of Heart is the best way to know him. In the Old Testament, when the prophet Samuel was looking for a new king for Israel, the chosen one was David, the youngest of the brothers, whom his Father did not consider a possible candidate. When Jesus considered who would be the pillars of God’s new people, the Church, he chose men who were not distinguished by wisdom: almost all of them were ordinary people who earned their living by manual labor.

Sometimes, we may think the Lord chooses us because of our qualities. In addition to the biblical texts showing us the opposite – that God chooses the weak – such an approach is dangerous because it cannot sustain us when we experience our weakness. That is why St. Paul called on the Corinthian Christians to reflect on the uniqueness of their calling: “Just look at your calling, brothers, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, nor many mighty, nor many born; but the foolish things of the world God chose to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world God chose to shame the strong” (1 Cor 1, 26-27).

Jesus does not call us according to human criteria. He transcends the boundaries of appearances: he perfectly knows our shortcomings and, therefore, only asks of us the simplicity of the Heart. “Jesus understands our weakness and draws us to him as if on an inclined plane, desiring that we try to move a little higher every day” [7]. The Virgin Mary was decided as the Mother of God for her simplicity and discretion. We can turn to her to obtain a heart resembling her Heart.

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27. Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year b

Posted on 2. October 2024 by Peter Prochac

There are values ​​around us that we should respect and protect. If we don’t protect them, they will be destroyed, so let’s protect nature, clean air, the environment… The older and more advanced humanity is, the more relevant and necessary these questions are. In today’s Gospel, Jesus appears as the protector of marriage. His words are absolutely clear and unequivocal: Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. And so they are no longer two, but one body. So what God has joined together, let no man separate! The Pharisees referred to the law of Moses, in which a wife can be divorced. 

But Jesus argues that Moses gave them this law because of the hardness of their hearts. Men very often simply dismissed their wives, therefore the law required them to issue a certificate of dismissal, which made every such case legally verifiable. However, we see that the situation is not changing and even today many religious people talk about divorce quite seriously and consider it a part of life. They defend themselves with a judgment in the name of the Republic, civil law, common sense, happiness, and the dignity of a person… Many imagine divorce as a change of shirt, which puts them in league with the Pharisees and asks Jesus: Is it permissible to divorce a marriage?

Even today, as two thousand years ago, Jesus acts as the supreme Lawgiver and uncompromisingly reminds us that God created man as male and female and declared that the two will be one flesh that no one can divide. If, after all, someone wanted to divide this body, he sins against God and man and destroys his temporal and eternal happiness. However, many do not want to understand Jesus’ words, which is why we witness the breakup of dozens of marriages every day. However, Jesus still says: What God has joined together, let no man put asunder! God gave us this hard and unexceptional law to protect ourselves. After all, let’s just imagine if the marriage was dissolvable, what uncertainty would reign in people? When my face wrinkles, some accident happens, and I remain bedridden or grow old, the other person can leave me at any time, find someone else, and live with me only as long as I suit him. Say for yourself, wouldn’t that be terrible and tragic? But since God has declared marriage indissoluble, such a thing cannot happen. Spouses should be together in good times and bad, in happiness and misfortune, in health and sickness… 

This is how they voluntarily promise each other before God and people. And there is one more very important fact that speaks for the indissolubility of marriage. Jesus ends this argument with the Pharisees by blessing the children, taking them in his arms, and hugging them. By this, he wants to say that children suffer the most when marriages break up. A question may come to mind at this moment: Why do marriages break up? Jesus also answers her in today’s Gospel: Because of the hardness of the heart. It is harshness towards God, who gave men the law of indissolubility in defense of their good. It is harshness towards the partner, who may cry days and nights and defend in every possible way against the separation. Not only that, but it is harsh towards children who immediately after divorce become “half-orphans”, although they have a loving father and mother and one of them does not care for them.

But someone could defend themselves by saying: OK, but what if the spouses start hating each other? Look, this should not happen to a Christian, who is supposed to love even his enemies, and especially in the family. Christ tells us to forgive. And who to forgive, if not your closest neighbor, husband, or wife? So Jesus does not even allow this alternative, that the two start to hate each other. Let’s look now at our family, at my family. How is it with us at home? We may not be divorcing publicly, but what does it look like in my heart? Do we belong to each other and the children completely and honestly? Jesus’ words also apply to us: What God has joined together, let no man put asunder! The father of three used to go home after work in a “good mood”. He and his co-workers often sat for a drink, and when he came home, he was crude and vulgar. The wife typically had to leave with the children to live with her sister, who was married in the same city. 

Relatives were worried about this situation and advised her to get a divorce. Some claimed that in such cases, the Church also allows divorce to a certain extent. This woman, although she suffered a lot, appealed to the fact that before the altar she promised to be faithful to her husband in good and bad, and therefore she must not leave him. She added: I have to pray for him even more. Maybe you don’t have these problems in your marriage, but many families among us have them and are thinking about divorce. Let us pray for them to persevere in faithfulness and mutual love. Let’s pray that spouses will be able to forgive each other and that they will solve all problems by looking at the crucified Christ. And don’t forget, dear husbands and parents, that your marriage will be truly happy if you let Jesus into it and allow him to walk with you on the path of life. Because only he is the true protector of marriage and family.

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29. Reasons to believe in God.

Posted on 2. October 2024 by Peter Prochac

1.) Because it is real.  God is real, and when we know that, that should be one of the most natural reasons for believing in Him and wanting to know Him.

I am the first and the last, besides me, there is no God. (Is 44.6)

(Some proofs and arguments are also presented on these pages or in the video Proofs of God? )

2.) God is good – always! Regardless of the circumstances in our lives, God is still good.  Knowing God’s character and His goodness leads us to real change and inspires us to follow Him.

The Lord appeared to me from afar. And I love you with eternal love, therefore I am continually showing you mercy. (Jer 31,3)

3.) Without Him we are lost. This means that without Him in our lives, we wander and look for the meaning and happiness of life in various other wrong things.

But it was proper to feast and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead, and came to life, was lost, and was found. (Luke 15:32)

4.) We don’t have to fear death and what comes after, because we have the promised Eternity with Him – Heaven.

…he destroyed him who has the power of death, that is, the devil.  And he freed them, all who had been kept in slavery for the whole time of their lives by the fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

But I am drawn to both: I have a desire to die and be with Christ…. (Philippians 1:23)

5.) We were created for Him and by Him, as an expression of His love.

And the Lord God formed Adam, a man, taking dust from the ground and breathing into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. (Gn 2,7)

He made everything beautiful in its time, and put eternity in their hearts… (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

For from him, through him, and for him are all things, to him be the glory forever. Amen. (R 11.36)

6.) Only in Him can we fulfill the meaning of our lives.

I am the vine, you are the vines. Whoever abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me, you can do nothing. (John 15,5)

Whoever would save his soul will lose it, and whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it. (Mt 16,25)

7.) The forbidden “fruit” is sweet but poisonous. God’s presence is much sweeter and more beautiful than anything else.

Thou hast loved righteousness and hated ungodliness; therefore, hath God thy God anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Ps 45.8)

Many say: Who will show us the good?! Lift the light of your face upon us, O Lord! And you will put more joy in my heart than they have when they have an abundance of goods and when they press a lot of wine. (Ps 4, 7-8)

8.) He offers real Life in fullness and not just survival. Religion alone does not bring the life of God, but a personal relationship with Him does.

A thief does nothing but steal, kill, and destroy.
I came so that they may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

9.) You are no longer alone in every problem, but you have someone bigger with you, who when you call, immediately goes to help you.

And when they cried out to the Lord in their distress, he rescued them from their distress. (Ps 107.6)

And behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen (Mt 28:20b)

10.) He loves YOU! 🙂  His love for us does not change no matter what state we are in, but we can change so that it can be perfected in our lives. It is even bigger than we can realize or see now.

But God proves his love for us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners (R 5:8).

11.) He has the answers to all questions…  Why? Because he loves you and is not selfish at all. Of course, this is also included in the fact that he is good and that he loves us.

And you will seek me and find me when you ask me with all your heart. (Jer 29,13)

12.) Freedom in Him is true freedom.   Freedom from sin, the devil, fear, self, and other things that bind and imprison us. So that we can be free and be who we are.

And the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2Cor 3,17)

So when the Son sets you free, you will be truly free. (John 8:36)

13.) God wants only the best for you (more than for himself). Why, because He loves you and is not selfish.

For God so loved the world that he gave him only-begotten Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

14.) God himself has certainly never done anything bad to you.

Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the mountain from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or turning of the shadow. (Jk 1:17)

The folly of man perverts his way, and his heart is angry with the Lord. (Ex. 19.3)

15.) When you also love Him, He will cause all things in Your life to work together for good.

And we know that to those who love God, everything works together for good… (R 8,28)

16.) He gave everything for You when He gave His Son to win You.

Who did not spare his own Son, but gave him for us all, how could he not also give us everything with him!? (Rs 8.32)

17.) Only Jesus can forgive you all your sins and cleanse you from them.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given to anyone among men in which we should be saved. (Acts 4:12)

18.) Only He offers You His righteousness and a clean garment without wine before God the Father.

No instrument formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the inheritance of the Lord’s servants and their righteousness from me, says the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17)

19.) He will take care of Your worries and needs.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything with thanksgiving present your requests to God in all your prayers and supplications. (Phil 4.6 + Mt 6)

PS This verse does not mean that we are to be passive and do nothing, but that we are to rely on Him for all our concerns.

20.) He will heal you, he will be your doctor if you let him.

…who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases… (Psalm 103,3)

21.) He has the power to set you free from addictions, depression, demons, and every bondage…

Well, come on, and let’s talk then! Saith the Lord: If your sins were as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; if they were red as a worm, dyed twice, they would be like wool.  If you will and obey, you will eat the good things of the earth. (Isaiah 1:18-19)

22.) He will give you authority over all evil spirits to trample them.

Behold, I have given you authority and power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall harm you. (Luke 10:19)

23.) He will teach you the way you should go.

The Lord said: I will give you understanding and teach you the way you will go; I will give advice, turning my eye on you. (Ps 32.8)

24.) He is sensitive and gentle when he teaches us. (Matthew 10)

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden; I will give you rest! Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls… Mt 11:28-29)

25.) Being in service with Him and His work is easy and useful. 

…for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

(Matthew 11:30)

26.)  He will never deceive you, leave you, or leave you…

… For he said: I will certainly not leave you nor forsake you, so we can boldly say: The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. (Hebrews 13.5-6)

27.) Whatever we lose because of Him, He will repay us many times over here on earth.

And Peter said: Behold, we have left everything and followed you -. And he said to them: Amen, I say to you, no one leaves home or parents or brothers or wife or children for the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time and in the age to come eternal life. (Luke 18:28-30)

28.) Every person will come before Him at the Judgment.

Because we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one of us will take away what he has done through the body, whether it was good or bad. (2Cor 5,10)

29.) We have everything in Him, and He is exactly the kind of God and Lord that we humans need. 🙂

Who did not spare his own Son, but gave him for us all, how could he not also give us everything with him!? (Rs 8.32)

God is extremely good. I am sure it is much better than we think or realize. The reason I didn’t give 30 reasons to believe in God is that I didn’t want it to work, that I listed all the possibilities… there are many more reasons. 🙂

As for the proof of these statements, there was no place in this short article to encourage it, but all of them can be further confirmed biblically or scientifically, or substantiated by experience. Would they even believe it?! 🙂 Anyway, I wrote the truth here, and what I am convinced of. To believe is up to you, but what I wanted to summarize here is that God is worth going to!

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To be children who need others

Posted on 1. October 2024 by Peter Prochac

Jesus’ response to his disciples’ question about greatness in the kingdom of heaven is surprising and counterintuitive. He calls a child and says, “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” This exchange subverts human logic, highlighting that achievements alone do not guarantee entry into the kingdom, but rather a willingness to become humble and childlike. This call to humility encourages us to emulate such humility in our own lives.In this profound statement, Jesus redirects our focus from external accomplishments to the inner workings of our hearts, revealing that true greatness lies not in our earthly achievements, but in our capacity to receive the kingdom of heaven with a sense of childlike dependence and humility. A child’s inherent quality of trust, vulnerability, and receptivity becomes the benchmark for entrance into the kingdom, starkly contrasting with the conventional understanding of greatness as a badge of power and authority.

By invoking the metaphor of childhood, Jesus underscores the necessity of setting aside our pride, our ego’s tendency to control, and our relentless pursuit of power and status. This countercultural wisdom whispers to us that genuine spiritual maturity lies not in self-aggrandizement, but in embracing a posture of humility, surrender, and openness to the divine. As we grapple with this paradoxical teaching, we are nudged to confront the illusions of our own self-importance and consider the radical implications of conforming our existence to the depths of humility revealed in the person of Jesus.

Furthermore, Jesus’ encouragement to emulate this childlike humility encourages us to reflect on the implications for our relationships, spiritual practices, and life choices. As we release our hold on the notion that greatness is measured by external success or applause, we begin to appreciate the freedom to receive and respond to others with an open heart. By tenderizing our instincts towards defiance and self-reliance, we make space for deeper connection, richer empathy, and more authentic relationships.

This childlike humility offers a profound sense of liberation from the crushing expectations that often define our lives, whether in the realm of faith or the world at large. By surrendering our need for control and influence, we unlock the possibility for growth, discernment, and radical dependence on the One who stands ready to enfold us into the kingdom of heaven. As we cherish this call to humility and endeavor to embody the meekness of a child, we gain an unobstructed glimpse into the mind of Christ and take the first, stumbling steps towards participating in the mysteries of the divine.

Children live with abandon, trusting adults to solve their problems without worrying about their reputations. They understand that their true wealth comes from God and others. Observing children’s behavior, we see that they strive for the attention of elders, not out of pride but because they need to feel protected.

As we grow, we become more independent and often reach a point where we believe we are self-sufficient. However, maturation is acknowledging that those around us contribute significantly to who we are. Similarly, in our inner lives, we learn to communicate with God from our parents, catechists, or priests, but we may eventually think we no longer need their help. Saint Josemaría noted that this self-sufficiency stems from pride and can lead to isolation and disorientation.

Saint Josemaría encouraged people to desire to be like children and make their lives big. He shared his experience of being a child and throwing himself into the arms of the Virgin Mary and the heart of Christ. This attitude allows us to recognize that we need help and guidance even as adults.

Children also love to play and often want their parents to join in, requiring adults to set aside their logic and concerns. By applying this attitude to our relationships with others, we can prioritize their needs and show kindness. Saint Josemaría believed such expressions of love and appreciation are essential for achieving happiness and connecting with others.

Ultimately, Saint Josemaría encouraged his followers to think of others and recognize that the Lord interacts with us first. By serving others, we not only become more sensitive to God’s love and action in our lives but also experience the joy of fulfilling His will. Caring for those who may seem insignificant, such as children, the sick, and the elderly, brings us closer to the Lord. Every act of kindness towards them is as if we were doing it for God himself. This helps us develop a heart like the Lord’s, which loves without expecting anything in return.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta reminded us that giving love is not always reciprocated, but that’s not the point. The act of giving itself is an opportunity for our own hearts to grow in love. Our Lady can help us develop this attitude, trusting in her example as a mother who gives herself to those she loves, without expecting anything in return. This emphasis on love should make us feel loved and cared for, knowing that our acts of love are not in vain.

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Therese of Lisieux, virgin, teacher of the Church.

Posted on 30. September 2024 by Peter Prochac

Holy

Holiday:October

* January 2, 1873 Alençon, Normandy, France
† September 30, 1897 Lisieux, France

Meaning of the name: huntress (Greek) or friendly and powerful lady (German)

Emblem: lily, rose (rose petals)

Patroness of missions, missionaries, aviators

Sv. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese of Lisieux is one of the most revered saints. Born on January 2, 1873, in Alencon, France, she was the youngest of nine children, with four brothers dying in childhood. Her family was deeply pious, and all five sisters eventually entered the convent. After her mother Zélia’s death in 1877, her father cared for the daughters. He entrusted Therese’s education to his eldest daughter Paulina, who was twelve years her senior. Despite her youth, Pauline was a skilled educator, balancing affection and discipline. When Pauline entered the Carmelite monastery in 1882, Therese, determined to be an exemplary Christian, devotedly prepared for her First Communion, documenting 818 sacrifices and 2773 good deeds in her diary. Inspired by the positive response to her prayers for a death-row inmate, the 14-year-old Therese sought to follow her sisters into the Carmelite monastery. She even petitioned Pope Leo XIII for permission, and shortly after visiting Rome, the bishop granted her request.

Life in the monastery was not easy. The bed consisted of three boards and straws. Only the sick could eat meat. Fasting and silence were prescribed. However, Teresa was happy to accept it. Before the veil, each postulate had to state why she entered the monastery. Teresa said: “I came to save souls and especially to pray for the priests.” Even though she was only fifteen years old, she was not pampered in the monastery, on the contrary, the performances seemed to test her faith. It was difficult for her, but she endured it bravely. On September 8, 1890, she made her eternal vows as Teresa to the Child Jesus and the Most Holy Face. She wanted to go to the missions in Vietnam, but her poor health did not allow her to do so. Her father died in 1894. Her sister Celina also entered Carmel, and another sister Leona entered the Monastery of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary.

At the beginning of 1895, at the behest of Mother Superior Agnes (her sister Pauline), Terézia began writing her biography, which she called The History of Souls. There she wrote the memorable words: “My vocation is love.” I would like to love Jesus as fervently as no one has ever loved him. The smallest act of love benefits the Church more than all other skillful deeds.” She wrote to her sister: “If you want to become a saint, have no other goal than to make Jesus happy in the little things!” She herself was a role model in this. Furthermore, she patiently endured the daily whispering and interruptions of a certain sister who sat next to her in the chapel, or calmly endured the splashing of dirty water on her face by another sister while washing. She suffered a lot because of the poor diet, she had severe stomach pains. She also suffered because of the harsh winter, because the monastery had no heating at all. However, she never complained, only on her deathbed did she tell the matron about it. She got tuberculosis. She was coughing up blood. Furthermore, she died on September 30, 1897, at the age of twenty-four.

As she had predicted, she sent down a “rain of roses” from the sky. In 1923, Pope Pius XI. declared blessed and two years later a saint. On December 14, together with St. declared Francis of Xaver was the main patroness of the missions, although she had never been or worked in them. On October 19, 1997, Pope John Paul II declared a teacher of the Church, although apart from her biography and a few reflections and poems, she did not write anything theologically important.

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7 practical tips for effective reding of the Holy Scriptures.

Posted on 28. September 2024 by Peter Prochac

7 practical tips for effective reading of the Holy Scriptures

Almost everyone knows that the Bible is a collection of several smaller or larger books capturing the history of our salvation, and that it is God’s word to man. Many of us also took courage and decided to read it. However, we often encounter disgust if we do not understand the texts or if they seem too difficult. So how do we start reading the Bible, to which the Church constantly calls us, and at the same time read it effectively and with benefit, so that this reading brings the desired fruit in us?

7 practical tips for effective reading of the Holy Scriptures
 

This article aims to present seven practical tips that can help us get the most out of the Bible for our lives:

1. Read regularly and in order

If we want to start reading the Bible effectively, then we mustn’t do it three times a year. One of the basic and first rules is the regularity of our reading. We can read and meditate on it every Sunday, for example, but it would certainly be better every day. If the interval of our reading is too long, it will bring only small results for our life.

This rule of regularity also includes systematic reading, i.e., reading in order. We should avoid opening the Scriptures at random, not because God can’t speak to us anyway, but because we will understand the biblical texts much better if we read them in context.

For example, we can choose one chapter for one meditation, or one paragraph marked with a subtitle. But to begin with, it is better to take one chapter so that we can read the entire Holy Scripture as soon as possible. Only then will even the less well-known and more difficult texts become clearer to us. It does not necessarily mean that we have to start reading the Bible from the beginning, that is, from the Book of Genesis. We can easily start with the Gospels, which are more familiar and understandable to us at the beginning, continue with the New Testament to the end, and then return to the Old. The important thing is to read the Bible all the way through… and then continue over and over again. Since it is the Word of God, we cannot simply “know” it all or exhaust its treasures.

2. Prayer to the Holy Spirit

The first rule talked about our reading in general, and how to set up our mode of biblical contemplation (it is clear to us that reading alone would not solve anything special, it would only give us a general biblical overview, but it would not satisfy our soul). Now let’s look at how such reading and meditation of biblical texts should take place.

We know that the biblical texts are ALL inspired by the Holy Spirit, so if we want to understand them correctly, we have to ask the original author what he meant. And that is the Holy Spirit. The texts were created under his guidance, and we must read them under his guidance. We can do so with a short prayer at the beginning, such as: “Holy Spirit, enlighten my mind so that I can correctly understand this word of God, so that I can find out what you want to tell me through it and so that I can put it into practice.” Without such a prayer we should not start reading the Bible at all, because it is not some history textbook or a historical novel, but the word of the living God speaking to man.

3. Read without prejudice, carefully, and with faith

This rule may be a little laughable, but no less important. Many times we approach the biblical text with big prejudices, for example: “I would read the Bible, but it’s so difficult to write!” or: “I read the Gospels sometimes, but the Old Testament, it’s just battles and wars.” We must give up such and similar prejudices because they prevent us from penetrating the deeper essence and message of the biblical text. Of course, this is ancient literature, so let’s not expect politically, democratically, and sociologically correct texts according to the understanding of a person living in the 21st century, but their message and God’s truths are timeless and still just as relevant. The Book of Wisdom or the First Book of Maccabees is just as much God’s word speaking to modern man as the Gospel according to Matthew.

4. Don’t be afraid of working with text

We have already said that this is ancient literature, through which scribes guided by the Holy Spirit capture the history of salvation and the experience of God’s people with God’s saving actions. It is therefore completely natural that we cannot understand all the metaphors and similes that people of that time used to express themselves. Even in 1000 years, people may not understand what it means to be “in” or “out” or to “hate” something. That’s why they are biblical scholars, and thus experts specializing in God’s word. They research his texts, history and work it into footnotes under the text. Although it is written in small print and sometimes quite technical, it is worth looking at and reading things that often completely explain our questions about the text we are currently contemplating. In the Jerusalem Bible, we also find the so-called marginalia where there are references to other texts within the Holy Scriptures talking about the same or a similar subject as the given verse.

5. What does this text say to me personally?

In the vast majority of cases, we do not meditate in order to preach it in religion, in church, or to explain it to someone else. We meditate because we need to be fed with God’s word. This means that our first question should not be: “What does this text want to say in general?” but “What is God saying to me through this text?” to take one idea from him and stay with it until we are satisfied with it. Only then should we continue.

6. To capture what appealed to me

Since we are forgetful people and even with our best intentions we always miss something, it is highly recommended to have a diary or other notebook in which we write down what appealed to us during biblical meditation. There is also no need to be afraid of highlighting and writing in the Bible itself. Many people have a problem with this because it seems undignified, but the truth is that it is not the pages of the Bible that are sacred, but what is written on them. This means that it is always more commendable to have a Bible scribbled and be able to navigate in it, than to have it placed on a shelf in the living room in a place of honor and to wipe the dust from it once a week. But the rule remains that everyone does what is most convenient and natural for them.

7. Prayer based on the meditative text

Again, our contemplation should end with prayer. This is a kind of summary of what appealed to us. For example, if the sentence speaks to me: “And behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world” (Mt 28:20), then I can pray: “Thank you, God, for never leaving me.” Thank you for choosing to accompany us until the end of the world. Forgive me for forgetting this matter so often…” And so on. Prayer based on a meditative text helps us better assimilate and accept the text through which God spoke to us.

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Magdalena of Nagasaki, virgin and martyr

Posted on 27. September 2024 by Peter Prochac

Holiday:September 28

* 1611 Nishizaka, Japan
† October 15, 1634 Nagasaki, Japan

St. Magdalena was born in 1611 in Nishizaka near the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Her parents were convinced and zealous Christians. She was beautiful and kind to everyone. When she was still young, her parents and brothers were sentenced to death. They died for their loyalty to the Christian faith. In 1624, Magdalena met two Augustinian monks – Francis from Jesus and Vincent from St. Anton. Their deep religiosity attracted her greatly. She decided to consecrate herself completely to God as a Dominican Tertiary. She helped Christians who were suffering from widespread persecution at the time. She gave courage to those who were losing her, taught catechism to children, and begged Portuguese merchants for alms for the poor.

In 1629, together with other Christians, she sought refuge in the mountains around Nagasaki from the persecutors who spread fear and suffering everywhere. She tried to encourage everyone in their faith, took care of wounded and tortured people, visited the sick, baptized children, and pleased everyone with her words and service of love. To effectively prevent the apostasy of tortured and abused Christians, she decided to voluntarily register as a Christian. She put on her tertiary habit, and took a small backpack with her, full of spiritual books, so that she would have something to meditate on in prison. They imprisoned her and tried in every possible way to break her faith. But neither the offers of an advantageous marriage nor the threat of torture could convince her. On October 1, she was hanged by her feet on the gallows, while her head and chest were already in a pit dug directly under the gallows. In addition, they also covered her with a blanket to make it difficult for her to breathe. The heroic young woman resisted the torture for thirteen days, invoking the names of Jesus and Mary. There was a big downpour on the last night. The pit in which her head was filled was filled with water and Magdalena drowned. It happened on October 15, 1634. The tyrants burned her body and scattered the ashes into the sea.

She was declared a saint together with a group of sixteen Dominican martyrs of various nationalities. All were killed in Japan. The first killed from this group was St. Vavrinec Ruiz, who was of Filipino nationality. The entire group was beatified on February 18, 1981, in Manila, Philippines, and canonized on October 18, 1987, in Rome. We celebrate the memory of the entire group of martyrs on September 28. The symbol of St. Magdalena is a palm tree.

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27. Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Mr. 9,38-43,45, 47-48

Posted on 26. September 2024 by Peter Prochac

Among the terrible deaths is drowning. In the past, when they wanted to punish someone with this death, they attached a heavy stone to his shoulders so that he could not save himself at all. If he wanted to swim, the stone pushed him to the bottom. According to Jesus, there is something more terrible than such a death. It’s an outrage. If someone offends others, “it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and thrown into the sea”. Why do we hear such harsh words from the mouth of Jesus? Because the one who offends destroys the inner, spiritual life. And it is a tough act when it destroys the other’s focus on God. So it destroys his faith. If someone causes a person to resent God, Christ, and the Church by his offense, then it would be better for such a person if he died prematurely. Death would help him so that he would not have such a sin in his soul and before God. The grace of faith, or the grace of turning to God, is given by God himself.

He is the first reason someone starts thinking about him and accepting him into his life. God helps himself by various means to open man to himself. Most often, people and events open the hearts of others so that God can enter them. God will never break this relationship with him. Only a human can break it. He does so when he decides to do so himself or when others help him. Today, we are thinking about this second variant. There are people whose faith has not matured, whose faith has disappeared because others caused it. We could call them faith killers. Each of us has a great responsibility for the faith of our brothers and sisters. If we are to live responsibly, we must also live the gospel responsibly. Christ even speaks of a certain radicalism. After all, how else can we understand his words that we should cut off our hands and legs and pluck out an eye if they tempt us to sin?

This radicalism is directly aimed at achieving the kingdom of God. However, it is also indirectly aimed at others because the sins we do not remove from our lives will be a scandal for them. If they are an offense to others, then we cannot enter the kingdom of God. The most stupid opinion of a Christian is when he says that no one should care about his life. We certainly have a right to privacy. But we do not have the right to forbid people from being utterly interested in our lives. And if we wanted to appropriate such a right, we could only exercise it if we did not come to the light of God. We would have to “wall ourselves off” at home. We know from our own experience that those who completely isolate themselves from people are not normal. Ordinary people live their lives with other people. But those others are constantly watching us. They can watch us from a different point of view.

It is serious for us when we are observed from the point of view that we are believers. Then they compare our words and our deeds with our faith. If they see a discrepancy there, they may become disillusioned. Disillusionment would not be the worst thing yet. It becomes wrong when our behavior causes us to help them laugh at our faith, to see it as a sham. And if God forbid they say that I should be such a Christian, then I’d rather be a non-believer or be interested in another faith. In life, we will never have the security to say no one has offended us. Neither I nor you can tell. If someone were to take offense at the fact that we are good Christians, that is not our problem. Then, we are dealing with a person who is hostile to God. Or he is offended because our life makes him rightfully reproached.

Our problem is whether he wants to find a way to God and the Church through us or live his religious life more fully. Then we must tremble before offending him. Today, when we meet young people whose parents offended them so much that they resented religion, but now they receive the essential sacraments, they will usually tell you that good young Christians helped them to do so. They met such people who not only believed in Christ but also lived according to Christ. If they met us, they would be baptized and go to the First St. reception. If someone could do business with millstones today, he would become rich quickly. Not because mills are being built, but because, unfortunately, so many Christians deserve them. Although no one hangs them around our necks, let us think very seriously about Christ’s terrible comparison to those who offended us.

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St.Vincent de Paul,priest.

Posted on 26. September 2024 by Peter Prochac

* April 24, 1581, Pouy (today Saint-Vincent-de-Paul) near Dax, southern France

† September 27, 1660 Paris, France

Meaning of the name: winner (lat.)

Patron of associations, businesses, priests, children’s homes and hospitals, prisoners, in search of lost things

Sv. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul was born on April 24, 1581, in the village of Pouy near the town of Dax in France at the foot of the Pyrenees. His parents were poor farmers. They had six children and had to work hard from an early age. From an early age, Vincent had a sense for the poor and gave them gifts wherever he could. When the father saw this, he decided to do everything for his son to become a priest. That’s what happened. He went to the Franciscans, where he acquired basic knowledge. He was very gifted and diligent and soon earned his living by tutoring others, so he was not a burden on his parents. In 1597 he transferred to the University of Toulouse. That already cost a lot of money. The father sold the oxen and plow so the son could study. In 1600, Vincent was ordained a priest. He then continued his studies in Zaragoza and Toulouse. In 1605 he traveled from Marseille to Narbonne. It was a short trip, he went by boat. However, they were ambushed by pirates on the way, captured, and dragged to North Africa. There they were sold as slaves. Vincent worked as a doctor’s assistant, later on a large estate. He was an exemplary worker and encouraged his comrades to persevere. He told them stories from the lives of the saints and taught them psalms. It reached the ears of one of the farmer’s three wives. She went to Vincent and liked what he was talking about. Together they agreed and secretly left Africa with her husband. In 1607 they landed in France. In Avignon, she was baptized and her husband, who was an apostate Christian, rejoined the Church.

In the same year, he visited Rome and then became a court priest in Paris to Queen Margaret of Valois. But Vincent didn’t like it. In 1612, he became administrator of a parish in a Paris suburb. Later he was appointed parish priest in the village of Chatillon-les-Dombes. He influenced the count family of Gondi, he helped raise three sons, one of whom became an important duke and the other a cardinal. With the financial and moral support of Countess Gondiová, he started preaching, going from village to village together with several priests. The archbishop was happy because many sinners found their way back to the Church. In 1625, he dedicated to them the house where Vincent organized his brotherhood, which was confirmed in 1631 by Pope Urban VIII. as a congregation. Vincent called them Lazarists after the house of St. Lazarus, which they received as a gift. Vincent built a house for the sick and poor, went to prisons, and tirelessly cared for those in need.

In addition to the male congregation, he founded in 1633 with St. Louise de Marillac apostolic society of women – Daughters of Christian Charity. He did not prescribe them a closed monastic life or solemn eternal vows. He wanted them to devote themselves as much as possible to those who need it, e.g. illegitimate children. He took care of fallen women and the elderly, founded a hospital for them, and built an insane asylum. He introduced spiritual exercises for priests, but also ordinary people. He sent his priests as missionaries to Poland, Hungary, Scotland, Ireland, Tunisia, and Algeria… In addition, he did not miss a single day of contemplation, deep prayer, St. mass, and breviary. He fought against Jansenism – a pessimistic delusion that was spreading in France at the time. For the past eleven years, he had suffered greatly from a painful cold. He died suddenly – on September 26, 1660, he became very weak. They provided him with the sacraments of the dying and the next day, September 27, 1660, he died. He was eighty years old. Fifty years later, his body was found intact. In 1737 he was declared a saint. He is the patron of all acts of love for one’s neighbor.

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