predication.net

The Fourth Commandment introduces the second plate of the Ten Commandments. The commandments of love for neighbor, respectively. Commandments that govern our relationship with others. And it starts with the most important thing – adjusting the most basic human relationships, starting with family.
Children are ordered to honor their parents. Innately, the love of parents is stronger than that of children towards their parents. For
A young person has a very important sense of freedom and therefore tends to escape from the family environment and create your own environment. This instinct leads to independence and leads to a weakening of love for parents. That’s why you’re kids they must be careful not to let their love cool. Parents represent the closest neighbor and relationship to the child with parents in the hierarchy of free relationships is most important. The parent personifies God’s authority. St. Paul it he suggests, “Therefore I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every fatherhood in heaven and on earth has its name” (Eph. 3:14-15).
Therefore, rebellion against parents, rejection of respect and obedience is rebellion against authority as such and its revolt it touches God Himself. Therefore, the primary moral duty of children is respect and obedience. Respect is virtue, a kind of righteousness through which man gives to the other what belongs to him because of his majesty and for the good received from him. The grandeur of paternity and motherhood is that they are the closest allies and collaborators of God in relation to the child, in passing on the secrets of life and the good that a child receives from parents is life and upbringing. And these are exceptional and big All right. Obedience is the lateness by which a person submits to the will of the superior if he instructs him to do so. Obedience, however, in the true sense of the word is not only the completion of the order, but the submission of the person by adhering to parental authority. It is “yes” to the order, the hierarchy of creation established by God, and is also “no” chaos, rebellion. Respect for parents, just because they gave us life, is irrevocable, but the level of child obedience it also depends on his age and independence. The child does not even obey the immoral command or in serious such as life partner choice or profession has freedom. In adulthood, the son or daughter is bound only by the so-called functional obedience if they still live with their parents: i. respect for domestic order, contributing to the running households, etc. Finally, he who honors and ob eyes his parents also shows deep respect for God-Father, and he promises a long life!
However, this commandment also implies the relationship of parents to children, namely paternity and motherhood. Parent – father and mother are life-giving beings, giving life is not only exhausted in the birth of a new human being, but mainly in education. Here you are
shows how dad and mom are, children are their mirrors. Upbringing brings a small person to fullness, to the maturity of being. Human a person is born with only the potential to be developed and the deficiencies to be broken and it is not possible for the child to do it by studying or thinking. Goodness needs to be “tasted” in one’s own experience, in deeds where one “gets a taste” act well. The aim of accompanying parents is therefore to help the child act correctly, but since human will has only general affection for doing good, so it is necessary to specify that good and at the same time reveal the apparent good, which is evil. This is the role of education. Education is therefore a vital and most important duty of parents relating (to) children. And then there are special tasks. Motherhood is characterized by tenderness from nature – the sealant of love, ‘Maintaining a domestic fireplace’. Mother’s tenderness is her first and her own task. Mother’s love is unconditional, it is usually not controlled by the child and cannot be obtained. Sufficient reason for the mother to love her baby is that it’s her baby. With such love, the mother sends a message of unconditional confirmation of the value of his life. Are  loved not because you are, but because you are mine, mine. In the tenderness of the mother, the child gains a love of life, a sense of security and a foundation altruism. Paternity is characterized by authority. The father is like a roof of a house, a shield, a cloak of a family. Fatherly love brings to education justice. Father’s love tends to be conditioned, deserved. The father expects the child to fulfill his ideas. Therefore, the love of the father can also be lost (after he is inherited or renounced). Father has to bring moral order into
education, submission to the law, conscience, sets clear and healthy limits of freedom, teaches the value of work and creativity, the father is indispensable in activities that stimulate the child’s physical and intellectual abilities in particular.Summasumarum: 4. Commandment serves to reconcile family relationships: Children call for respect and obedience and mother, fathers to responsible parenting – to beget and raise, a father to authority and a mother to deep tenderness. And promises, fruits of observance? “He who honors his mother acts as if he were collecting treasures. He who honors his father finds joy

Did you notice that last Sunday, March 4, was the European Free Sunday? I suppose not and so on this seemingly marginal topic has not even resonated in our society. The driving force behind this initiative is transnational Association of the European Alliance for Sunday (ESA), which advocates for the right to adequate working time, which theoretically eliminates work until late evenings or at night, on public holidays and Sundays. Interesting! Once upon a time, Jesus had a problem to convince Jewish fundamentalists to at least recognize that he can do well, today Jesus has a totally Conversely, convince European liberals and even people who are labor-hungry to relax and be present in the family and to even Sunday. Christ’s statement: “The Sabbath was set for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
2.27), also applies in the opposite guard. The third commandment of God in the original: “Remember the Sabbath day and dedicate it! You will work for six days and make all yours but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. On that day you will not do any work, neither you nor your son or your daughter, neither your servant, nor your servant, nor your cattle, nor the stranger that is in your gates! For the Lord for he formed the heavens for six days, and the earth, the sea, and all that was therein, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath and declared it holy ”(Ex 20: 8-11). The third commandment invites us to consecrate the seventh day, for it is a day blessed and declared “holy” by God. According to the Old Testament, “initiating” means “detaching”, “detaching from the ordinary”, “making others”. In which meaning to others, in what sense unusual? First, it is “the Sabbath of the Lord your God,” that the seventh day is God a day belonging to God and, secondly, it is a day of rest, more or less out of work. Initiating him means separating him for God and for rest. The six previous days God has appointed for work. The routine of six days is marked by regular work the rhythm, the development of man in his skills, knowledge and abilities is marked by the exertion of duty, “Then the faces of Adam”, the struggle for better living conditions, and today also stress … He has to rest on the seventh day. it”Relax” hides more depth than just hatching on the bed, or relaxing in an armchair  in front of the TV. Resting, of course, means mental and physical shutdown, as Hex put it: “Friday in the evening I will reset my head and maybe come up with the idea of ​​a healthy … “, but the third commandment in the original the social dimension of rest: “neither your son or your daughter, nor your servant or your servant, nor your cattle, nor a stranger that lives in your gates ”(Ex 20:10) In other words,“ Take care that your whole family rest, your employees and the nature you use “We have a rest together. Therefore, the seventh day is set for man he also strengthened other dimensions of his person, especially relationships – family, relatives and friendly. We could calm down It is my conscience to say that Sunday is a solemn day for the family, for friendship, for ecology. God’s commandment of the seventh so it brings harmony to the twin full of tension: work and relationships. Sunday is given to you, man, not to deity work, your success, but to build deep relationships that are ultimately the most important. Sunday is given to you to social rest, that is, to “work on relationships” … in relationships one finds one’s humanity, identity …
But consecrating means also earmarking for God. Therefore, Sunday also has a religious dimension. It is the Lord’s day – lat. “Dominica”. On this day, the creature is invited to attract more to the Creator, to engage more with Him, and especially to worship him. Sunday is the day of worshiping God in the broadest sense. To worship God is to express praise and gratitude and the immense gift of creation, acknowledging that from the Father of the Universe comes all life, even my life, and everything good for creatures, all my good. Sunday is the day of praise and celebration of the Creator, not because of these praise contributed to God’s greatness, but they serve us for salvation. That is, Love opens us, who wants to make us happy.
At the same time, it is a Thanksgiving Day for redemption, and that is why Christians dared to “leave Saturday” and keep the third commandment of God only on Sunday. For by the redemption that culminated in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in the morning On the first day of the week,  on Sunday, a new creation was created! Creation is the reason God proclaimed the seventh Holy Day. Therefore, if we celebrate our redemption as the creation of a new man, we will properly sanctify Sunday. At the same time, there is no noble and more effective praise for a new creation than the sacrifice of St. Mass. Therefore, in the third commandment it is the Church’s order to attend the Sunday Mass as if the stones of the eyes are in the mosaic of Christ’s face. “This day is dedicated to the Lord your God. Do not regret and cry! (…) Go, eat something greasy and drink sweet, but send some of it to those who have not prepared! For this, day is dedicated to our Lord. And don’t mourn for joy in the Lord is your strength. ”(Ne 8: 9,10)

2. God’s commandments
Dear brothers and sisters!
Do you know the town of Pavol Bielik? I assume you are now answering in my mind the question: The corrupt one Mayor of  Ratsha. Maybe with an ironic addition: Thief as well as other politicians. He was sentenced by a special court to 5 Years of bass … I do not know if you have noticed in the media that he was fully released from under indictment by the Supreme Court, as the evidence presented did not imply his guilt and one witness.
The statement is a statement against a statement. You may say resignedly: the judges were also bribed or out of it Attorney cut out … Law enforcement is minimal in our country … On the other hand, the fact that most of this we have cases from the media. If we are critical of each other, we have to admit that we have only the media about the reality of bribery. And the media is not always about the truth, but about the cause, the curiosity, the piquancy … where the truth adapts, not It reveals. Against the background of this picture, Bielik’s innocence today is hardly believed … Some media could be said to have killed his good name because they were pushing the public that suspicion as guilt, indictment as judgment, as a certainty … This damaged name or reputation can hardly be corrected …
2. God’s commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain! For the Lord will not leave him without punishment
His name in vain. ”(Ex 20: 7) God clearly states that He does not want His name to be taken lightly in the mouth, was disgraced. He cares about his name. Why does God protect him so much? What is a “name”? We understand it in two ways:
1. A name is something that “creates the possibility of addressing, calling” indicates the wearer, his identity. Name is
“Addressable Me” The name thus makes it possible to establish a relationship. God, by revealing his name to us, “enters relationship with us and allows us to enter into relationship with him. However, this means that in some way is embarking on our human world. He became reachable and thus vulnerable. It takes the risk relationship with us. ”(Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth I, p. 160)
2. A name as a reputation, that is, some of my media identity, a second identity, indicates how I perceive myself. Reputation = the rumor, “what is spoken of me writes.” Whether I want it or not, for people I am just like me  perceive. I exist for them as a photo. Based on this perception, they form a relationship with me. This perception does not really change the true identity of man, that is, what it really is, but determines our relationship to him. Reputation is often distorted. It conceals the truth, but not in pure form. That’s why God keeps watch your name, your reputation! He does not want us to be caught in a false image of him, a false one reputation. Because it is our cartoon of God that is in us that keeps us wrong that God, in fact, is
is how we think, and it causes our infidelity, indifference, distrust, distance … It makes us practically unbelievers ….
So if he commands us to deal with his name with great respect, it means to create the right opinion that frees us from wrong access to it. Since God is supremely good, has the right to a holy reputation. Therefore, curse in the name of God, wage unjust wars, commit terrorism, do forbidden things, to swear in the name of God, to limit the freedom and rights of man, God and his symbols to use on so-called. National policy against someone, justifying harsh parental approaches in raising children (Lord God will punish you …) or justify unsettled sexual relationships by the fact that God’s love always wishes for love is gross abuse of God’s name, tarnishing his honor.
Following the example of God, we too should protect our good name. For we are evil offended by the bad name. According to st. Francis
Sales is a good name as a signboard, which denotes the house where the virtue dwells. (Filotea VII) The Root of Good the name is the truth of good life. Virtue is like a scent that will break through. Therefore, if we are private individuals, we do not have to completely anxiously protect their reputation. However, if we have public offices, posts, offices, if we are public officials, for the sake of authority, we have a duty to defend our name. For many arise and fall with us. “Therefore, nobody in anything we give no offense that this ministry be without shame ”(2 Cor. 6: 3) says St. Paul.

1. God’s commandment
Dear brothers and sisters!
“I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. You will not have other gods except me!
You will not make an idol or any form of what is up in the sky, down on the earth or in the water below the earth! You won’t be them
worship or worship them! For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who punishes the iniquity of fathers in children to the third and
the fourth generation of those who hate me, but mercy shows up to a thousand generations what they love and keep my commandments ”(Ex 20: 2-6) The First Commandment teaches us who God is: that He is one and only and does not suffer other “gods” or manifestations of religion besides himself something outside of him. His name is Lord. The Lord God expresses His exclusivity. Only me and no one else! At Isaiah, we read, “I am the Lord and besides me there is no Savior. ”(Isaiah 43:11) Scripture expresses this exclusivity by the word“ jealous God, ” butin our time it has rather negative content. Jealousy = looking at someone as a competitive good. Woman eg. jealous
at the man because his gaze has gone wrong with him and makes him a scene to insist on his exclusivity. In human jealousy it is a bit of selfishness, arrogance, but also some defense reflex. The words “I, I am the Lord” seem selfish at first sight, but they hide a double deep truth:1. God cannot bear alongside other “gods”, gods or idols! Here, the ‘either or’ principle applies. I mean, gods they are just dummies, they are puppets, as the psalmist writes: “For nothing is all the gods of the Gentiles, but the Lord created the heavens!”96.5). There is no other god besides God. There are no two divine principles, good or bad. The devil is not a go devil, as other religions have. God’s jealousy against other gods is fundamentally contradictory to anyone
religious syncretism that promotes the spiritual flow of the New Age, that is, in all religion sis something divine and it is necessary to connect it, put it together and after all let the man choose what is for hi mall right. But here, man indirectly places himself at the level of God. “There is no Savior besides me!” Not even great personalities
other religions Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad, Krishna are not savers, but they brought some light. Also, the sects or spiritual currents of the East do not respect the First Commandment when members obey the leader, respectively.To a guru to whom they give freedom and manipulate them. This is God’s jealousy that reveals to us, that other gods are dummies.
2. God is also jealous of us, commanding us to love him with all his heart, all his soul and all his strength. (Cfr.Deut 6 Jesus himself described this as “the greatest and first commandment.” (Mt 22:38) Here we could say that God is#not that he enforces our love! But God is absolute perfection, nothing is missing, not even complete bliss
and since there are also the Trinity, the Father is perfectly loved by the Son and the Holy Spirit and equally God does not need our love. If he commands us, it has a sense for us. And if it’s firsthand greatest commandment, so there is nothing more important on earth that we should do than “love God above all”St Irene Lyon writes in his work Against Delusions that “God created Adam in the beginning not because he was he needed a man, but to have whom to include adventures. (…) Nor did he need our ministry when he did.
He commanded us to follow Him, but He wanted to give us salvation. ”(LH II, 41-42) God’s love is splendid, in His basically it is expanding, it is infinitely creative, it “flows” and gives many beings … Love God
is to be encompassed by the adventures of Him. Therefore, God is “allergic” when someone has these He seeks the benefit of “other gods,” the gods who are not and therefore cannot even bring them to him. Is allergic” to the various occult practices that a person seeks to bring him some good, these are often hidden by the evil spirit, the enemy of God, who deceives man. Practice works, it will bring good fruit, none gradually gets into captivity of the nameless forces that begin to manipulate him. And this is what it is God hates that his beloved is robbed of freedom and ultimately of his own happiness. In the spiritual world there is no neutral state. Either we belong to God, that is, we fulfill His commandments, or we belong to the devil when
we remain in grave sin. This is the second face of this divine “jealousy”: God was jealous of the actions of man, that deprives him of freedom and good. Therefore, we are commanded, “You shall have no other gods…! You won’t be tremor in a positive statement: “You will love the Lord of your God with all your heart, with his soul and with all his strength. ”(Deut 6: 5)Therefore, if I invoke ghosts, I go to the fortune-teller, if I practice esotericism and occult practices, if I go to the healer, adore nameless forces and energies that are not God. If I respect the signs and horoscopes adore the stars and destiny. If I believe the talisman, the healing power of stones, the non-physical energy of the elements, I adore nature. I open myself by practicing karate, yoga, or eastern meditation techniques …

Reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel

            The Lord spoke to me as follows: “The son of man, the house of Israel lived in his land, and defiled it with his behavior and his deeds. Therefore I poured out my wrath upon them: because of the blood they shed on the earth, and defiled it with their idols. I have scattered them among the nations, and they are scattered throughout the countries. According to their behavior and their deeds, I condemned them.

            They went among the nations, and wherever they went, they shamed my holy name because they said, ‘This is the people of the Lord, and he must have come out of his land.’

            And I care about my holy name, which has shamed the house of Israel among the nations to which they came.

            Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God: I will not do for you, the house of Israel;

            I will sanctify my great name, dishonored among the nations that you have defamed in the midst of them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, when I show to you before their eyes that I am holy, says the Lord God.

            I will take you from among the nations, gather you from all countries, and lead you to my own country. Then I pour out clean water on you and you will be cleansed of all dirt. I will cleanse you of all your idols.

            I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove the stone heart from your body and give you the heart of flesh. I will put my spirit in you and cause you to follow my command, to observe and fulfill my sayings.

            You will dwell in the land I have given to your fathers, you will be my people, and I will be your God. ”

Ez 36: 16-17. 18-28
            This reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel is extremely harsh. The Prophet first describes the punishment and the causes of punishment by which God punished His people. For the blood they shed and for the idols I will scatter them on the ground. But what did he accomplish? A change of mind? Not. Only He himself came into the evil light: “Wherever they got, they shamed my holy name, for they said, ‘This is the people of the Lord and must have come out of his land.'” He himself proved incapable. For he cannot bring up the people. If we see a rude child, we ask, “Whose are you?” “Who is your father?” If we see a mess in the house, we say, “This house has no master!” What kind of God is he who knows what he is to scatter his people because he has not mastered his upbringing?

            That said, we are the face of God. God is judged by how His people behave, by how we live. We know that God cannot be refused. Only the false image of God can be rejected. Therefore, if one rejects God, one has to ask him what the God he does not want. It is quite likely that after his reply we will tell him: “You are right, I would not believe in such a God. But God is different! ”

            What is my image of God? What did my parents give me? What have I experienced in the family where I come from, the parish where I grew up?

            But Ezekiel continues. It continues with a surprising statement. Indeed, we would expect a solomon solution in which God purifies his name, but at the same time punishes his people exemplary and shows him his nakedness. Instead, we hear words of hope: “I will take you from among the nations, gather you from all countries, and lead you to my own country. Then I pour out clean water on you and you will be cleansed of all dirt. I will cleanse you of all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove the stone heart from your body and give you the heart of flesh. I will put my spirit in you and cause you to follow my command, to observe and fulfill my sayings. ”

            There is the announcement of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ and the announcement of baptism, through which we will be purified and renewed. There is a beautiful picture of the heart that will change. From a stone heart to a heart of meat. But there’s one moment that doesn’t let me sleep. If God decided to show his love for us more effectively and convincingly, if He decided to purify us and renew our hearts, how is it possible that the outcome is still the same and that is the people’s unbelief? Does this not again give rise to doubts about God’s ability to carry out His plan of salvation?

            Imagine a person sick of heart. He lives but lives in constant tension. Failure can come at any time. As other illnesses progress and one sees the end coming, heart failure is the moment. It comes out in the morning and does not return in the evening. She runs to the lawn and just takes it away. Such a person, waiting for a heart transplant, is actually waiting for someone to die. Someone must die to live. However, if a suitable donor is found and the transplant succeeds, it is still uncertain whether the patient will accept the heart.

        Similarly, with the sacrament. This is guaranteed by the death of our Lord. If the sacrament is retired, it is always valid. But to what extent it yields fruit depends on how my heart’s soil is prepared. I will accept grace by receiving the sacrament, but without my consent, that grace cannot work and therefore cannot transform me. For the sacrament enables me to live what I am invited to live. No longer to live by one’s own strength, not to rely on one’s own abilities, but to be guided by grace.

            We have already received many graces from the Lord. What fruit does this grace bring? Of course, this question is not to be a hammer for us, it is not to support our hopelessness, but we are invited to motivate us. Each of us has already gone through that path and each of us longs to continue on this path. That’s why you’re here. Otherwise you would probably spend this time differently. This question should motivate us to find ways to work with grace. To motivate us to listen to the low voice that the Lord speaks to us. And which shows us where and how to go.

Believe in the Resurrection
Argentina, after a sharp economic growth of 90 years, was at the turn of the millennium nearly the crisis, which in 2002 led to state bankruptcy. The situation was much like ours. Thanks to economic reforms in the early 1990s, Argentina has become a fascinating country for foreign investors. There was a great development and rich middle and especially upper class. But development has brought about a lot of corruption at all levels. But no one dealt with it as long as the economy thrived. No bubble burst.

            Bergolio, as the new Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 2000 during the Te Deum ceremony, celebrated on a public holiday in the presence of the whole government in connection with the impending crisis, said: “The speeches I hear about the subject resemble funerals. Everyone pleases the survivors, but no one believes in the resurrection ”.

            What does it mean to believe in the Resurrection? Most people believe in themselves. He believes in his idea. He believes in what he can plan, he believes in where he sees adequate power to act. There he says: If it worked, if he heard me, if he came to help, if he could get the money. These are all things that may or may not occur. But we believe they will. Belief in the Resurrection is something else. Something more.

            In Paul’s Letter to Romans, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham’s faith: “He believed in hope in hope” (Rom 4:18). Humanly, it is impossible to have a child at that age, yet he is going. He received a command from God: “Leave from your land, from your relatives and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation ”(Gen 12: 1-2). And Abraham went away. Similarly, he was commanded, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of” Morja “! And he arose and went. Both commands put Abraham before a task that transcends him humanly. Neither gives him the assurance that the promise will come true or that the situation will be better than the current one. But he goes. He takes it as a fact. He treats the promise as a fact that is already present. It is this attitude that indicates what it means to believe in the Resurrection. To approach God’s promise as a reality that has already occurred. If we want to make sure that we keep our word, we say, “As if it happened”. This is how God assures us.

            Going on a journey to Christ and believing that the journey will be there, that it will be a step, that I will manage it, that I will not go astray. Often when we explain the way to someone, the person imagines the place. “You will come to the Red Gate,” “I know where it is,” “then turn left and see the big tuna”. “Wait, I’ve never seen a tutu there. I can’t find that… ” We have confidence as long as we have an idea, but we don’t want to go into uncertainty.

            Why is it so hard to believe in the Resurrection?

            We live in a time when it was too late yesterday. The current news is old after an hour. We want to have an answer to everything right away. That is also the temptation. It attacks our immediate desires and promises immediate and rapid fulfillment. It puts us pressured. If our desire is not immediately satisfied we are disappointed, angry, we feel deceived and abandoned. In such a situation it is unpleasant to stay and therefore we are looking for an escape. Something that immediately encourages us, brings other ideas, gives hope. Therefore, as soon as God does not act immediately, we tend to move away from Him and seek where everything will be simple and fast. The same applies to interpersonal relationships. If our request is not immediately heard, we are disappointed, we think they do not like us and want to seek help elsewhere.

            But the resurrection occurs on the third day. The third day is the day of God’s intervention. This is when the passions have already calmed down, the grave is sealed and everyone has gone home. It is already after we have spent one, two sleepless nights that we have already managed to stop and look at things from a distance when we are already on the road of adoption. Moreover, the Resurrection is quiet. He doesn’t get to everyone right away. First, those who count on him, who believe in him and come to meet him, will learn about him. Therefore, Mary Magdalene, who goes to the grave, appears first. It does not solve how and who rolls the stone. She goes there because she wants to be with Jesus. The third day is the day of God’s intervention.

            So what does it mean to believe in the Resurrection? To come from hope as a fact. Look at your problem as already solved. Work with him as if he were past. Go on the road and believe that the road will be there.

Do I already have the experience that when I handed over things, they stopped pushing them, so they started to solve?
What are my hopeless situations? What bothers me and I don’t see a way out?
What does it mean to look at my situation as solved?
Can I wait patiently?
acts

What if I do not act as it is?
Today I have prepared for you one provocative topic. We all have the desire to be perfect within us, and our sin is not at all consistent with this desire. I have already mentioned that the most difficult thing in spiritual life is to bear one’s own sinfulness. Despite all my progress, despite all my efforts, despite all prayers, self-denial, resolutions while I live and breathe, it will still hold true: I am able to fall. I am able to commit any sin, even the worst. How to live with it? Let’s read one event from the Acts of the Apostles:

            When Paul was in the Corinth, the Lord said to him at night in the vision, “Do not be afraid, just speak and keep silence, for I am with you and no one will touch you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.” a year and six months and taught the word of God with them.

            When Gallio was the proconsul of Achaia, the Jews stood up together against Paul, brought him to the court, and said, “He is guiding people to illegally worship God.”

            But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “Jews, if it were a wrongdoing or an evil crime, I would hear you how it belongs. But when it comes to disputes over the word, the names, and your law, that’s your thing. I don’t want to be a judge in such matters. ”And he drove them away from the court.

            Here everyone seized the superior of the synagogue of Sosten and beat him in front of the court. And Gallio didn’t care. (Acts 18: 9-17)

            Paul is in an unusual situation. Mostly he is the one who is judged and punished. He says how many times he has been whipped, stabbed, stoned, how many times he has been in prison, and so on. Here it also looks at first from Paul’s penalty. But in the end, they will beat Soften, the one who was arguing against Paul.

            Scripture addresses the situation with just one remark. I would personally wonder how a director would handle this situation. How would he introduce the scene? How did Paul react and how should he react? Let us imagine ourselves the situation – we are in the courtyard, in front of the judge. They brought Paul and they want to judge him. Suddenly, what we read, the crowd turns against the prosecutor. What is Paul doing? Where does it stand? Can they see Sosten beating? How does it react? How should it react? Why doesn’t he do anything? He doesn’t care? Are they looking forward to finally beat him, but another? But it can’t! He is a Christian, and a Christian should not behave like this! He has to set the other cheek, he has to throw the bread into him who throws the stone at him. For this is what Christ taught; for Paul himself also proclaimed this! And now?

            Personally, to be in Paul’s place, I can imagine the pleasant feeling of victory and satisfaction that the truth has finally been upheld and I do not suffer, but someone else. I would probably not intervene and give him a good shipment. After all – he needed it! But then I can imagine the remorse that would come: And is it Christian? How can you do that? You should intervene! How can you teach about love, proclaim forgiveness if you now enjoy your accuser’s battle and do nothing? I can imagine vividly how a biographer would accentuate the virtues of a martyr who would warm the attackers in a similar situation and stand up to defend the plaintiff they beat. Then the question would immediately appear in us: and would you be able to do that? The answer is – of course not. And the consequence? Hopelessness. I cannot be holy because I am incapable of given heroism.

            Here stands Paul, who was also incapable of given heroism and yet is holy. Here stands Paul, who shows us that this whole thought process is nothing but temptation. Temptation from the evil who wants to disgust us. For it represents the path of holiness as impossible.

            What to do in similar situations and temptations? The first and most important thing is to learn to distinguish what sin is and what sin is not. Sin is what I do consciously and voluntarily. That is, what concerns reason and will. So there is awareness and consent. Our feelings, our experiences do not belong in this area. They just are. Scientists have shown that emotion always precedes consciousness by a few hundredths. It is always present earlier. So we are not responsible for what we feel. We can be cruel to each other just as we begin to blame ourselves for what we are experiencing. The devil gets us into a vicious circle. I am experiencing restlessness, anger, but I must not, therefore I forbid it, but it cannot be ordered because it is stronger. So I am angry at myself also because I cannot cope with anger.

            As I said, we are not responsible for our feelings, and it is good to learn not to let the temptation provoke remorse for our feelings. What we are responsible for is what we do with those feelings. Whether we nourish them, whether we give them a free run, and even support them, or try to accept them, but sit in the back seat in the car, where driving is not a decision. They are ours, they come with us, but

Follow in everyday reality
accepting our sinfulness and how God loves us despite it, there is much more to be said. I recommend going back to the previous catechisms from time to time because there are many inspirational thoughts. But let’s move a little further now. If not our sinfulness or aimlessness is decisive in our relationship with God, then what? The decisive factor is the following of Christ. But what does it mean and how is it done?
            I will now draw from Cardinal Tomáš Špidlík’s book SJ Sources of Light. Already the pagan philosophy of Ancient Greece has come to believe that complete happiness can only be found with one who has all perfection, ie. j. with God. We Christians believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that God whom no one has ever seen us revealed to Him and that He is the only gateway to the Father. Therefore, for us to come to the Father is to follow Christ.

            So far, it is quite clear and familiar. But what does it mean to follow Christ? We often imagine Christ as the perfect person who fulfills the will of the Father and therefore is a model for us in keeping the law. In this way, no man can accept Christ. As a perfect human model. But this view is inadequate and leads to an unsolvable situation. For Christ is not just a model, he is the way. And that is a significant difference. Ideals are needed because they motivate us, but they are also dangerous because they lead to despair if we cannot fulfill them. Therefore, following Christ as a model of perfection brings despair. We can’t do it. We don’t have it. Therefore, although at first sight Jesus, as a perfect man, seems acceptable to all to follow, it is a desperate journey to hopelessness.

            The pursuit of Christ, fortunately, is not a copy of the pattern of perfection, but of living by His grace. He is the way, he is the power, he is the one who allows us to come to the Father. Therefore, following Christ means the art of putting himself in his mind and acquiring his spirit. Is it the art of asking questions and problems of everyday life in this light: “what would Christ do?” Or “what would Christ advise me to do?”

            To avoid any mistake, it should be pointed out immediately that this is not a mechanical application of the Gospel – Jesus drives the sellers out of the temple; Jesus praised Mary for sitting at his feet and reminded Martha that he was doing everything but the essence, and so I would stop doing the household and just reading the Scriptures. That would be a misunderstanding. Following Christ does not mean copying what He does. To follow Christ is to understand the logic of Jesus’ mindset, what attitudes he takes, what is value to him, how he motivates people to warn them, then to follow today’s time, which is different from that of Christ, and try to apply Christ’s attitudes even nowadays.

            It is not enough to look at Christ as a historical person, but to see and accept Him in the history of the world. Among the Jews, Jesus could have been recognized as the Messiah by those who saw in Him the fulfillment of all that the historical evolution of the Old Testament was directed to. Those who understand that the history of the Old Testament is the history of the faithfulness of God and the unfaithfulness of the people, those who understand that history is heading for the Messiah to come, who will remove the burden of original sin and remove stone hearts from our bodies and give us hearts of flesh. . It was these who could receive Christ. Who did not understand these historical contexts and saw only social injustice, loss of authentic religion, political oppression by the Romans, so Jesus disappointed because he did not solve these situations according to his imagination. A misunderstanding of Jerusalem, his temple, kingdom, prophets, led to the condemnation of Christ and his extradition to death. This is precisely what the Apostles point to, and therefore they are happy to explain and summarize the history of the chosen nation in their sermons.

            Similarly, we can receive Christ only in our life’s context. Where is my life going? What is the point and purpose? Why do some things happen? What does the Lord bring me through? We are invited to live our daily lives from the perspective of our goal. And not from the perspective of happiness and trouble-free life that we would like to have. Our daily lives are related to our eternity and not just to our earthly happiness. Therefore, the pursuit of Christ is not detached from everyday reality. Not true: I go to the robots, I make money there to survive, and then I can devote myself to my family and my salvation. I will build a pastoral center so that there is finally a space for pastoral work and then it can finally be evangelized. Maybe I didn’t say anything new. It is completely natural and clear and yet how often we forget it in a particular life. To follow Christ means to live here and now your salvation. Perceive every event of life as such that affects my salvation. And then ask how he was acting

We’ve been meeting for some time. Maybe we have already shaken things and incorporated new activity of meeting in the cells into life, perhaps the magic of novelty has passed and it goes into everyday life. And maybe even a little evaluation and waiting for some fruit. We always have the desire to change something and always look for an adequate tool. After a while, we assess whether something has moved. If not, we are looking for another tool. This is perhaps a perfectly legitimate attitude in business growth or economic growth. But it’s very dangerous in spiritual growth.

            Of course, spiritual life also has its dynamics of growth. Either I have greater or lesser participation in God’s life. Even Jesus grew in wisdom and popularity with God and with men (cf. Luke 2,52). But there is one danger. To perceive conversion to God as some radical transformation, where one leaves forever evil and imperfect and begins to live well and integrity. Some even argue that a converted person must not often go to confession because it is hypocrisy. How can I say that I love God when I commit the same sin every week? We are tempted to think that spiritual growth is to do something so that we can finally do something else. I’ve already mastered the first chapter, the lesson, so I can start with the second.

            This belief grows when we get information that St. Augustine, who had a morbid problem of being faithful, after his conversion so radically put an end to sin that he had never committed a grave sin. But it is forgotten that the conversion of Augustine was not a one-time event, when a sinner became a saint day by day, but a long-term search, discernment, struggle, falling and getting up and falling again.

            It is precisely in this way that spiritual growth is perceived by St. Paul. Even baptized Corinthians are not yet “spiritual” but still “corporeal”, they are tiny and immature in spiritual life (cf. 1Cor 3,1). He tells the Ephesians to grow to the fullness of the age of Christ (cf. Eph 4:13). The goal of spiritual life is not to manage something once and for all, so that we can finally do something else, but to constantly work on “managing”.

            The development in God’s grace is invisible. Nevertheless, one can get to know each other in some hints. It manifests itself in the actions of man, in his efforts and in desires. It is also reflected in the quality of our interpersonal relationships. But beware, it’s not easy to read these characters. For evil seeks to discourage us from spiritual growth, and therefore either makes us impatient, tends to constantly measure, compare, or disgust us with our sinfulness that comes to the surface during every step in spiritual life.

            We have already said that one of God’s greatest graces is that he will not allow us to see the truth about ourselves – our sinfulness, because we would fall into despair. Therefore, he reveals to us our sinfulness to the extent that we are able to believe and receive His mercy. It is quite natural and normal that when one begins a difficult journey to God, the first thing he encounters is God’s own iniquity. Here, he may be frightened and run back to the beginning of the journey, he may also be disgusted and still blame himself and analyze himself. Or he can rely on God and be guided by God. Receive the truth about yourself and trust in God’s love.

            So let’s try not to analyze the state of our soul according to how we feel, but rather learn to focus on our actions, efforts and desires. Spiritual life purifies them. But not in the sense that we no longer have sinful desires, but rather that the desire for God is perfected in us. In this sense, Greek fathers talk about those “who are afraid” of “those who hope” and of “those who love”. A beginner leads to a good fear of God’s punishment. The more advanced hopes for God’s reward, the perfect ones already live out of God’s love. So spiritual growth can then be perceived by the fact that it grows in me, this desire is perfected.

            A different distinction has taken place in the West. There are three ways: purification, enlightenment, unification. (via purgativa, illuminativa, unitiva). On the way to God, we must first purify ourselves of everything that hinders us. Then it begins to grow in the knowledge of the truth. Finally, the soul longs for unity with God.

            Of course, these stages are not separate from each other, they are different aspects of spiritual life, where some always prevail. It means, therefore, that one who strives to unite with God must also continue to purify himself. Grades overlap and it is difficult to tell who is. Therefore, we must not be disgusted when we think that we have already advanced somewhere and suddenly discover that we are again struggling with the initial temptations.

            Although preachers often call for constant progress, true conversion, patient work on self-improv.

Order is another necessary means of ‘sustainable’ spiritual growth. Keep order, order will keep you. This is the old Latin proverb. But today we don’t like routine, stereotype. We do not see any perspective, dynamics in this, and we do not know how it could make us happy. We desire more spontaneity, where we see the freedom and realization of all our dreams. But maintaining order does not mean routine and stereotype, but means having boundaries that help us to develop equally so that we do not run into extremes in anything and, on the other hand, do not neglect something.

            The enemy of our salvation enjoys itself to the extreme. Either he convinces us not to do anything because we don’t have time, it’s not necessary, it doesn’t matter anymore, or then when it shines to us that she doesn’t know anywhere, she presents us with a huge mass of tasks that we’ve been neglecting so far and pushing us to do everything right and fast. The result is then fatigue disgust and a return to nothingness. Thus, order is an effective means of preventing this.

            There is, of course, the other extreme – the world requires flexibility from us, today it has been moving since working hours. Then we would also like to have some routine that will help us to have room for things other than just chasing, but it just isn’t possible.

            Of course, the situations are different. But it still holds true – it is necessary to have a vision and try to realize it as much as possible. What is the smallest possible step I can and am able to take in the near future to have more order in my life?

            Why is order needed? The same holds true in spiritual life as in teaching, sport, music. It is better little and regularly, as much, but occasionally. Spiritual life is not a performance to be mastered, but a sense of life that directs us to the essence of God every day. We also have other things like work, learning, health. But in these things, we also have enough external pressure to act – chasing the boss, pain appears, thrown out of the test, embarrassment. There is no such pressure for spiritual life. Therefore, there is no other way than to set a daily, weekly regime, set fixed points and try to respect them.

            Order is an excellent means to help overcome the noon demon. By this term, the elderly ascites call them a state of disgust, fatigue, laziness, which comes to the monk after morning enthusiasm when it begins to feel tired around noon. Such a demon attacks us around that half of life, somewhere around 40. He also comes after his initial enthusiasm for a new spiritual activity. At that time, we have no appetite or strength for anything new, and we often keep things just because we are used to it. There’s no need to worry about it if we do things out of habit. That’s why we try to get them to hold us in such situations and not let us fall deeper. God works in us even in these times.

            Of course, extremes must be avoided – order should not be another opportunity for the evil to torture us: You see how you are, you haven’t done it again, yet you are not even capable of it. But on the other hand it is not even a tear-off calendar – but if it succeeds, it succeeds, if not, then even tomorrow is the day. And then a week, a month passes, and I’m not going anywhere.

            There is one interesting dilemma. Someone will say – I will read from Scripture every day – but he will pass all day, he is flying, and tried in the evening he will sit down at the table and still have to catch up with all the things he has to do. So he will read those two chapters from Scripture. It takes him half an hour because he sleeps after every sentence, but he gave it. Does it make sense? Of course, he doesn’t. So, he will say nothing in such cases I will leave it that way and I will not read. He starts skipping occasionally, then skipping completely, because there is always a lot. So what’s better?

            The first thing is what the Psalmist says: “I do not make wrongly resolutions” (Ps 101: 3). I mean, the daily routine doesn’t serve to fill it with many activities and constantly add new ones because that’s the ideal of doing more. The daily routine is used to make everything I need on a given day. So he had time for prayer, work, rest, family, etc. Not to spend too much time costing other things. Such a daily routine then teaches me confidence. I have already fulfilled the time I had set for the task. I don’t care anymore, but I give it to God, He will take care. Can I say that I’ve done enough? You can always add, you can always improve, always costing sleep, prayer, health, family still have time to cut. Where does it then have a border? Just the order I set myself.

            Second: if I sometimes fail to do something, if there is an exception because I travel, we have a great celebration,