Rebirth. The value of baptism.

Time flies fast for you, too. We have finished the Easter Octave of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. We will live the Easter season until the feast of the Sending of the Holy Spirit, which is on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

When Jesus met Nicodemus, he said: “Truly, truly, I say this: Unless someone is born of water and … of” (Jn 3:5). The third chapter of the Gospel of St. John can also be called “baptismal catechesis” that is, instruction about the sacrament of baptism. We were helped by Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish council, an educated, respectable man, who is not satisfied with what the preachers bring to the board about the teachings of Christ, the itinerant teacher, but visits Jesus himself and talks with him. He is so impressed by the conversation that he comes to Jesus again under the cover of darkness. And so we can say that this is where the faith that Christ’s miracles awakened in him begins. Nicodemus was a man who desired the truth. Jesus sees this and tries to initiate Nicodemus into the mystery of salvation.And this was precisely what Nicodemus was concerned with because otherwise he would not have even called Jesus a teacher. In their conversation, we learn, thanks to Nicodemus, that entering the kingdom of God is possible only through rebirth from water and the Holy Spirit, that is, with the help of the sacrament of baptism. This means that there is a new birth, i.e., a new life – supernatural. Nicodemus first mistakenly believes this is absurd – to be born again in the body. However, this is not a physical rebirth, but a spiritual one with the help of water, a symbol of life. This visible sign – the baptism of resurrection means that the Holy Spirit awakens in the baptized a new life, a new life principle, namely sanctifying grace, and it is through this that the carnal person becomes spiritual, i.e., filled with the Holy Spirit.

As Christians, we speak of a dual existence, that means we have also received a spiritual reality from God. This act is a matter of faith. It’s a secret for us. However, we see various secrets in the surrounding nature, for example, the wind that blows where it wants without our consent. The Holy Spirit also opens the way to a new life for us without our intervention. To be born of the Holy Spirit means to receive the inspiration of God and to believe in God. Only when a person decides to accept the Holy Spirit in faith, then a person is reborn by the Holy Spirit without his merits. This means that we can receive baptism only once in our life, but the grace that began at baptism can be multiplied, and regained, in the sacrament of reconciliation, when we put our conscience in order. It follows us that we must constantly try to renew the baptismal grace we have received, to keep increasing it, that is, to grow spiritually. Nicodemus did not understand this at his first meeting with Christ.

Let us often remind ourselves of the value of our baptism. Let us gratefully remember our parents, godparents, and the priest who baptized us because then he gave us a great treasure that opened the gate of heaven. Let us also pray for ourselves, so that we never lose our baptismal grace.

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Pope Francis on the devil.

 I may be getting on the devil’s nerves, and he certainly enjoys it when I sin.

It's possible that I'm getting on the devil's nerves, and he certainly enjoys it when I sin

The Pope commented on the testimony of a young possessed nun and whether the devil can work in the Vatican. According to his own words, he would not do the exorcism alone.

Pope Francis commented on topics related to exorcism and the devil’s work.

In the previously unpublished interview, which is part of the newly published book by the Italian journalist Fabio Marchese Ragona Esorcisti contro Satana ( Exorcism against Satan ), Pope Francis repeats that the devil always tries to attack everyone, sow discord, even in the church, and tries to set some against others.

The new book hit the shelves of Italian bookstores on Tuesday, and part of the interview with the Pope was carried by the English edition of Vatican News .

The book  Esorcisti contro Satana sheds light on the devil’s work in the world based on the testimonies of prominent exorcists and victims of demonic possession who found the courage to tell their stories to the Italian journalist Ragon.

The journalist first asked Pope Francis about the testimony of one possessed nun, when the devil spoke about the pope, that she hates him because he always says badly of him and that he causes many problems for the pope.

The Pope responded that he was unfamiliar with this case and could not comment on it. “But yes, it’s possible that I’m getting on the devil’s nerves because I’m trying to follow the Lord and do what the gospel says. And that irritates him. At the same time, he is certainly pleased when I commit some sin. He strives for human failure, but he has no chance if there is prayer,” says Pope Francis in the book.

When asked by a journalist if he had personally dealt with possessed people, the Pope replied that such people came to him when he served as archbishop in Buenos Aires. Archbishop Bergoglio sent them to two exorcists. One was called Carlos Alberto Mancuso and was an exorcist in the Diocese of La Plata, and the other was Bergoglio’s confessor Nicolas Mihaljević, a Jesuit of Croatian origin.

“They both told me later that only two or three of these people were actually victims of demonic possession. The others suffered from the devil’s oppression, which is quite different, because they did not have the devil in their body. This should be clarified,” the Pope said in the book.

At the same time, Francis says that he did not perform exorcisms as pope, and if he did, he would ask for the support of another exorcist, as he used to do when he was archbishop.

When asked if the devil can work in the Vatican and attack the Pope, the Holy Father answers that “the devil tries to attack everyone without distinction and tries to hit especially those who have more responsibility in the church or society.”

The Pope recalled that the devil also tempted Jesus himself and is attacking the Pope himself.

“We are human beings,   and he is always trying to attack us. It’s painful, but it doesn’t stand a chance in the face of prayer! And then, yes, it is true, as St. Paul VI said, that the devil can also enter the temple of God, sow discord, and turn one against another: divisions and attacks are always the work of the devil. He always tries to suggest to corrupt the heart and mind of man. The only salvation is to follow the path indicated by Christ.”

In the interview, the Pope also recalls Jesus’ warning that when an unclean spirit is driven out, it wanders in the desert in search of relief, but at a particular moment it becomes bored and returns to the “home” from which it was expelled, and sees that the house is in order, it is beautiful.

At that moment, according to the Pope, the demon “calls other demons, angrier than himself, brings them, they politely enter the house, ring the bell, politely take possession of it. The soul, not paying attention to the questioning of conscience, ignores them or lets them in out of spiritual lukewarmness. These demons are terrible. Because they kill you, it is the worst obsession”.

Francis added that the devil either destroys directly through wars and injustice, or he does it politely, very diplomatically, as Jesus tells about it. Discernment is necessary, the pontiff concluded.

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To go for Jesus, with Jesus, around the world.

Do you know that repetition helps in many, many ways? Through repetition, we learn, become more skilled, and much more confident… Again and again, Jesus advises us: “Go into all the world…” (Mk 16:15).

Why? What for? Jesus wants us to spread his teaching, name…, and resurrection worldwide. Jesus rebukes unbelief and hardness of heart. From these words of Jesus, we can feel instruction and encouragement for us in our struggles for a deeper faith, for a stronger attachment to Christ.

An excerpt of the Gospel from Mark’s supplement, where he recapitulates the appearance of the Lord Jesus after his resurrection; first to Mary Magdalene, to the two Emmaus disciples, and finally to the eleven apostles at the table. After his resurrection, he must start over with his disciples. All the enthusiasm, the zeal of the three years they spent with Jesus seems to have evaporated. However, Jesus continues and frees his apostles from sadness and hopelessness, and even here, we encounter real unbelief, the hardness of the apostles’ hearts, because they did not believe those who saw the resurrected Christ. Jesus approaches the apostles again and awakens faith in them, in this small group of people, because he knows that they will soon become the foundation of the future Church. Even this doubt of theirs will serve many to accept the faith and teachings of Christ. That is why Jesus seems to be working again to awaken the shaken faith of his apostles. Mark uses the words “to all creation” in the Gospel. We can say that this designation is a missionary terminology used for Christians from paganism, where we understand that all people, the whole creation meets the preaching of the Gospel and be transformed for us.

The Gospel is a kind of struggle of Jesus for Peter, John, and Thomas,… “Eleven”, but it is also a struggle for us. After all, we have not seen Jesus; we have not touched his pierced hands and side, and yet we believe. Why? Because Jesus addressed us, wrestled with us as with his first apostles. And so he also invites us to follow him, bear witness and proudly multiply the ranks of those who believed in one, universal apostolic Church from the beginning. Because whoever believes in Christ must persevere with him, he must try to get rid of doubts and cowardice because this is what Christ wants us to be. Christ wants us to be spirited and joyful heralds of the good news. This is our task. Everyone who has accepted baptism also accepts this task. Who he wants to accomplish this task, he must believe and not doubt. Jesus rebukes unbelief.

From the life of St. We know the teachings of Francis of Assisi. Once he invited one of his fellow brothers, who was a well-known and famous preacher, to preach. From the morning, this brother and František walked the city streets. In the evening, he impatiently asked František when he would preach. Then Francis said to him seriously: “My brother, since the morning you have been preaching to those with whom we meet.”

We should set an example in our own life and our family.

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They are learning true love. The Easter season reminds us of true love in Peter.

Every person longs for love. Someone more, more insistently, more often, quietly, without words, with a request to love, to be loved. Love is the greatest blessing for man. That is why people long for love. Not only men long for love. God, who is love, desires to be loved by his creation – man. Everything God does is an expression of his love. All God expects is love. Even after man’s sin, God did not stop the loving man.

In his third appearance to the apostles, he asks Peter: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these” (Jn 21:15)? Do these words seem meaningless? Unnecessary? Unnecessary? Why are these words addressed to Peter? What do we, and should, they remind people until the end of time? After the third answer of the apostle Peter in the presence of the other apostles, in which Peter confesses: “Lord, you know everything, you know well that I love you” (Jn 21:17), Jesus says to Peter: “Feed my sheep!” (Jn 21:17). Peter receives the commission of a shepherd who, for the sake of the salvation of the people, he is supposed to catch, not like fish, but to bring them to Christ. With these words, Jesus reminds Peter, and the apostles present that the mission of the shepherd, who does everything out of love for his brothers and sisters, service is inherent. The greatest commandment is the commandment of love. Love for God, our neighbor, and ourselves should be a daily thing, not only a duty but also a task. The Church must, and has and wants to – teach love. Thus, he fulfills the will of Christ. Love is the basis for following Christ and once obtaining eternal life. 

On the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret, in thought, where the Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter is located, a statue of the handing over of the Primacy to Peter is erected near this church. The apostle kneels before Jesus, with one hand timidly reaching for the staff that Jesus hands him and raising the other hand towards Christ. The whole position of Peter is very dynamic; on one side, Peter takes the lead, but on the other hand, he trembles and imploringly raises his other hand to Christ as if to indicate his request for help. This statue reminds us of the Pope’s mission today as the successor of the Apostle Peter and the representative of Jesus Christ. Love for God is the first step to human happiness. Peter from the Gospel is an example. He betrayed but came back. Genuine regret for personal and common sins and tears of repentance help us to be forgiven by God and people. Praying for each other helps strengthen the love between us. Here is a call for husbands and wives to pray together, to pray for each other. Families must pray together. It should go without saying that children pray for their parents and parents for their children. Prayer for neighbors, co-workers, and siblings… helps to build friendship and love between people. Jesus also asks us, like Peter: “Do you love me?” (Jn 21:17) – I DO.

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IS IT GOOD TO BE A RELIGIOUS PERSON?

COMMENT:
Is it good to be a person of faith? Well, how about this… There are many faiths in the world. We Christians believe that there is only one God in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jews also believe in one God, but they believe there is only one Person, the Triune JHWH, who loves them and has chosen their nation as His own. Muslims also believe in one God, except that He is called Allah, hating the Jews and calls for the killing of infidels. Hindus believe there are many gods. Buddhists believe that the question of God does not is important, especially if one reaches nirvana, that’s all that matters. Agnostics believe that no one can in any way to know if a god really exists or not. Atheists nevertheless firmly believe that no God nor gods exist. And the Rwandan Hutus believe just as firmly that if they eat a forest dwarf, they gain an extraordinary ability to navigate the bush – which is why to this day they have slaughtered and eaten most of the pygmy population on their land… Good gallimaufry, eh? And there are many more of those beliefs!

The world encourages us to treat all of these beliefs as equal. Every man according to has some beliefs, no one’s beliefs are better or worse, we have all beliefs and opinions therefore accept them with equal respect and tolerate them equally. We Christians, then, are even more prone to add, as it were, “after all, they’re religious people too” (except atheists, of course), because “in something they’re up” and that’s great, because first of all that’s why they get saved after death, since they’re already believing people they are, aren’t they? Just… Imagine this situation: four friends get together and want to go to the movies. One believes, that the movie The Shack is showing at the Smile Cinema for 10€ at 8:00 p.m., another beliefs it’s at 4:00 p.m., the third believes it’s at 4:00 p.m. it’s at the Partisan Cinema for 15€ and the fourth believes it’s free and therefore doesn’t take any money with them. Are their beliefs equivalent? Of course not! Either one arrives too early, or the other too late, or one arrives at the wrong cinema, or the other doesn’t go to the film because he can’t afford the ticket. Only the one who believes the right information – that is, the truth, and therefore his belief is true – has no problem. The others, at best, have issues and inconveniences, at worst they miss the film altogether…

The Hebrew and the Greek word for faith (the Scriptures are written in these languages) both have the meaning of certainty – something that we have convinced ourselves is true and so we can make it absolutely reliable and unreservedly accept it. In other words – faith is only faith in the Christian sense if it is true. Faith in something that is not true is worthless, even harmful – and from the perspective of Scripture Holy Scripture, it is therefore no faith at all, for certainty cannot be false or untrue! It is not important that I am a “religious person” and “believe in something” – I must believe truthfully and truly! Only then is it is true faith, and it has value – precisely because of the truth I accept by it and that is all that matters! That is why Jesus said: “If you continue in my word, you will truly be my disciples, 32 knowing the truth and the truth shall make you free” (Jn 8:31-32 ). Notice, not “believing something will set you free” but “the truth will set you free”! He also says that “foolishness … defiles a man” (cf. Mk. 7:22-23). He also says the parable of the virgins, where the wise enter the wedding and the unwise – in the original, literally foul, dull – stay out, in the darkness. In the parable of the sower, he repeats that while the evil heart does not understand the Word of God, a good heart is one that not only hears it, but truly understands it. And it neither not to mention Peter, who loves Jesus, sincerely wants only the best for Jesus – and yet his Jesus rubs it hard in his face, “Get out of my way, Satan! You are an offense to me, for you have no sense of the things of God, only of the things of men” (Mt. 16:23 )! In other words – your faith is false because it does not correspond to God – and that makes you, Peter, though caring and loving, my Satan, that is, an adversary and enemy of God, because out of ignorance you pursue things that are contrary to God!

As we can see, it is extremely important that we not only “believe in something” but that our belief is clear, understood, clear and certain, indeed true, that it be a true vision and understanding of the world, of ourselves, of life, of God, of everything as it really, truly, and objectively is. In this, however, we are also many Christians are reprehensibly reckless! How many times have you too surely heard someone, even a Catholic, say: “I believe it this way…”, “I think it’s somehow…”, “I feel this way…”, “To me, it’s this way I was taught and this is how I believe it…”, “It’s good enough for me…it suits me…” – without verifying it in any way, if that’s really the case! In that most important question of life and death, eternal life and eternal death, in that the only thing Jesus is talking about: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and himself lose or destroy himself?” (Luke 9:25 )-they are blithely content with feelings, with assumptions, with uncertain conjectures and superstitions, and they don’t mind at all that they have no certainty! Terrible, isn’t it? Let’s be therefore very watchful and attentive, lest perhaps we ourselves fall into something so reckless!

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I believe in the resurrection of the body—my relationship to faith.

The evangelist Saint Luke commented on the reactions to Jesus’ words after his resurrection: “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). Who among us will count the prayers, holy masses, communions, confessions, window displays, and alms that we have sacrificed for the church? …and our faith is correspondingly so strong?

After the resurrection, Jesus makes direct contact with the apostles to help them that he is not a spirit, that he has a body, that he really rose from the dead, that he has a body that they can touch, that they can see the wounds of the nails and the spear, and since he is still he says to the disciples: “Do you have anything to eat?” They handed him a piece of baked fish. And he took it and ate it in front of them (Lk 24:41). This is how he wants to strengthen the disciples’ faith. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus was not a return to life on earth, as it was in the cases of those he raised from the dead. They did not have glorified bodies. So the young man from Naim, the friend Lazarus or the daughter of Jairus, had to die once more. In the case of Jesus, we see the transition from death to a new, eternal life. In this, we can see the work of the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus gives the disciples proof of the goal of human life, that life does not end with death. What he taught and predicted is being fulfilled. In Jesus, the predictions of the Prophets, the words written in the Law of Moses, and also the words in the Psalms are fulfilled (cf. Lk 24:44). We know that the testimony of two or three was an argument with the Jews. Jesus presents a condition that binds those who believe in him, that they are bound by the mission “to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Lk 24:48). And this activity should be manifested as Jesus himself defines it: “You are witnesses of this ” (Luke 24:48). He invites the disciples: “Touch me and see for yourself” (Lk 24:39). These meetings have their gradation in the life of the apostles. At first, they are afraid; they are so scared, but gradually they become convinced that Jesus is among them.

Questions may be asked: Why does the Risen One care so much that the disciples become convinced that he is not a spirit? Why does he specifically manifest his bodily rapture by taking food? The answer will be that we do not limit our faith to spiritual things, only to the historical Christ, while forgetting the meaning of his bodily raptureA man should seek the final goal of his life: the resurrected Christ. It would be a fundamental mistake for anyone to approach their mission on earth superficially, irresponsibly, and badly. Doesn’t a person have an obligation to search for a reasonable meaning of his existence, where death is not the “last word”?

The resurrected Jesus teaches us to accept theoretically and through everyday life that life does not end with death. We believe that the soul does not die. We believe that even our mortal body will have a time when it will rise to a new life. Let us not be surprised that even in our life, it is up to us to show with our lives that we believe in the resurrection of our body to a new life.

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Let’s choose Jesus as our life guide.

The Risen One makes himself known to us in not rare events, and our hearts burn. The Emmaus two disciples say about their encounter with the resurrected Jesus during the breaking of bread: “Didn’t our hearts burn when he was talking to us on the way and explaining the Scriptures?” (Lk 24:32).

The experience of the Emmaus disciples shows that the resurrected Jesus will take care of the growth of his disciples’ faith. We have no witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. None of the people were there and did not see when and in what way the Lord Jesus won over his death and rose to a new life. However, Jesus cared for the witnesses who saw him after the resurrection and met him, by whom he could be recognized. Among them is Cleopas and the second disciple, who leave Jerusalem on Sunday morning for Emmaus, about twelve kilometers from Jerusalem. We call them Emmaus disciples after the place where they met the resurrected Christ during their fellow pilgrimage. The disciples were probably among the seventy-two disciples who accompanied Jesus on his travels during his three years of ministry.

On the way, they talk about Jesus, “who was a prophet… how the high priests and leading men had him condemned to death and crucified” (Lk 24:19-20). In the words of the women who returned from the tomb before dawn and “claimed that angels appeared to them and said that he is alive” (Lk 24:22-23), they did not believe what their journey proved. Jesus, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, explained to them what was related to him in the whole Scripture” (Lk 24,25,27).
The event experienced by the disciples of Emmaus is more than just a simple discussion. Still, it is like a Eucharistic catechesis, a “liturgy of the word,” followed by a “liturgy of the Eucharist,” where they recognized Jesus in their fellow traveler – “neighbor.” Jesus’ words can be understood as a model for announcing the good news of Jesus’ teachings. The fact that Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead becomes the core of the gospel, which will be talked about, proclaimed, and died for this teaching until the end of time.

Already, the first Christians approached the reading of the Holy Scriptures as a sacrament. St. Jerome says: “We receive Christ not only in the Eucharist, but also in the Scriptures.” And St. Augustine clearly states: “The true Christ is both in the word and the Eucharist… I say that Jesus is no less present in the Word than Eucharist.” Not only did the first Christians hold Christ in the Eucharist in great esteem, they built tabernacles – shrines, but the Scriptures were always kept in a place of honor. We see what God gives us to know himself. And to experience the closeness of God is an experience for which it is worth doing much more. The Easter season offers us more witnesses of Christ’s resurrection, whose hearts burned when they discovered the love of Jesus.

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Jesus is the Messiah

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles»On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jews: (36) “Let the whole house of Israel know with certainty that this Jesus, whom you crucified, God has made both Lord and Messiah.” (37) When they heard this, pain pierced their hearts, and they said To Peter and the other apostles: “What shall we do, brothers?” (38) Peter said to them: “Repent and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) After all, that promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far away, to all whom the Lord our God calls.” (40) And with many other words he swore and encouraged them: “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation! ” (41) They accepted his word and were baptized; and about three thousand souls joined that day.

When we use the phrase Lord Jesus Christ, we rarely realize the consequences of what we are actually saying. These three expressions are not just a dull part of our Catholic greeting, which seems so long to us and therefore tends to be shortened to a minimum in the form of “commend”. They hide a depth, part of which helps us explore today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles; right in its introduction, all three are found. The meaning of the name Jesus – God is salvation – perhaps there is no need to elaborate. It is a little different with the terms Lord and Christ.

The two Easter readings so far from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 10; Acts 2) have led us to the knowledge that Jesus is the messiah/anointed one (Gr. christos; and hence our Christ). Isaiah’s prophecy about the anointing of the spirit (Isaiah 61) applies to him, as well as the psalmist’s words that his body will not decay in the grave (Psalm 16). Israel’s messianic expectations and ancient promises were thus fulfilled in Jesus. But he is not the messiah/anointed one for himself; he wants to share the anointing with the Spirit and the experience of a new life. This dimension of the person of Jesus is repeated by Peter even today: God made the crucified Jesus the Messiah.

Along with the title of Messiah, Peter gives Jesus the title of Lord. The word Lord (Gr. Kyrios) is the biblical designation of God. Peter actually says that God made Jesus God (Kyrios). Not that Jesus was not God (the second person of the Holy Trinity) before that, but let’s realize that from the point of view of the Acts of the Apostles, the clear formulation of the doctrine of the Trinity and precise Historically statements will lead to a relatively long way.

When Peter says that Jesus is Lord, he is making a connection for his listeners with the prophet Joel. He quoted from it a little while ago the prophecy about the outpouring of the spirit. He ends his quote with the words: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2:21; Joel 3:5) The Old Testament prophet was thinking of the name of the God of Israel. From the Acts of the Apostles, we know the practice of invoking the name of Jesus (cf. Acts 9:14, 21; 19:13; 22:16). Again we see an ancient text being applied to Jesus to reveal something of his divine identity.

There is one more reference to Joel’s prophecy in today’s reading. Here we are talking about the promise of the Spirit, which belongs to “all whom the Lord our God calls” (Acts 2:39). Who is it that calls and distributes the Spirit? It is of course the God of Israel that Joel writes about. But it is also Jesus, Lord and Messiah, in whose face we recognize God’s face. Let us give thanks today and rejoice that the selection of candidates for the gift of the Holy Spirit is not made by some person or committee, according to their criteria, based on nepotism, bribery, or the weather, but that it is in the hands of Jesus – God with a human face and a man with a divine face.

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Life is stronger than death. Forgiveness and mercy are more powerful than sins and guilt.

He rose as he said!

Illustration photo

Some words are hard to believe. If you have a student at home who doesn’t want to, starts wearing bad grades, and keeps promising to improve, the willingness to believe him will decrease.

Faith needs reasonable reasons. Otherwise, it would be fatalism or a fixed idea that borders on a psychological disorder. Reasons for faith in ordinary life are necessary and possible. Whoever fulfills what he promises and has the prerequisites for some activity, we will probably entrust it to him without fear if he undertakes it.

Without reliability, there is no trust, and without trust, there is no faith.

When we read about John’s Passion, we are surprised by the details of Jesus’ way of the cross. Whoever listened to it or watched the film or saw the Stations of the Cross play will experience strong emotions. He will feel the horror and pain of the suffering that a person can inflict on another.

The evangelist takes care to report the details. Apparently with the intention that we understand that this story touches everyone personally. It is different to read a report about a traffic accident and to be a participant in it. Looking at bloodied faces, bent sheet metal, and experiencing the shock of running firemen and paramedics, it makes waves with everyone.

If we experienced an inner movement while listening to John’s passion, then we know that Jesus died on the cross. His death was long and painful because he took our sins to the cross.

Without Good Friday, there would be no Easter Sunday.

The Son of God did everything so that we would believe in him. During his three-year pilgrimage, he healed, preached, and forgave. He spoke of the kingdom of God, which came to God’s people in him. In particular, his miracles proved that he is not a folk healer, but the Son of God, because he not only restored health but also forgave sins, which he could not do as an ordinary person.

In this way, he showed that his mission was greater. The superficial crowds did not understand this, the apostles knew more. Jesus often spoke in images, almost mysteriously. Those closest to him suspected that his life would have a special ending. Pain replaces life. They learned the details of Jesus’ predictions firsthand in his last hours.

“Isn’t this another meta-fairy tale with a happy ending that has helped generations to stay from going crazy in this cruel world?”

The empty tomb seems like a bad joke to everyone at first. Was he so dangerous that he shouldn’t even have a grave? Or did he have such fanatical followers that they wanted to have him for themselves at any cost and build some new cult?

Personal meetings confirm what the empty tomb indicated. As in the event of the Annunciation, here too the angel will say the decisive word: “He has risen as he said!” The disciples had many reasons to believe this, and except for Thomas, they believed immediately. Personal meetings with the Risen One confirmed this belief.

Life is stronger than death. Forgiveness and mercy are more powerful than sins and guilt.

He got up as he said. We believe it too. Not only that. We have a personal experience with the Risen Christ. In baptism, in the Eucharist, in the sacrament of reconciliation, in prayer, and in self-sacrificing love that comes to us through others. Everyone can believe in Jesus. According to Matthew’s Gospel, when they heard this news at the woman’s grave, according to the evangelist, “they ran to tell his disciples with fear and joy.”

When we struggle with ourselves, and our sins, and somewhere in the distance there is a spark of hope, we are also afraid. We ask if that hope is real if we are not living in some illusion or chimera. At the same time, we are happy to have discovered it.

The angel’s words “He rose as he said” are good to hear because they bring hope. At the same time, fear remains hidden in the heart. From own incapacity, weaknesses, and fears. Skepticism and cynicism are lifelong partners for many. There is no place for faith in a better tomorrow. A doubting question may arise: Isn’t this another meta-fairytale with a happy ending that has helped generations not to go crazy in this cruel world?

A single actual encounter with the Risen One is enough to know that it is a reality. That the Hope of Easter is not a fairy tale, but a story of pain and death that turns into life. It is enough to listen to the word of God, to attend the service. Pray.

We believe in Jesus because he is the Son of God. The stories about his life, as they are described in the New Testament texts and as the church thinks about them in the first centuries in a world where it was a minority, are the message of God who saves. They remind us that the Lord has never abandoned his creation.

On the cross, Jesus freed us from the slavery of sin and death and reconciled us to the Father. He rose as he said!

May his resurrection forever remind us that life is stronger than death.

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Easter Monday Lk 24.13-35

What does an ostrich do when it gets scared? He hides his head in the sand and waits to see how the situation develops, no matter what. He does not realize that he may lose his life. We also react in this way in some life situations. We don’t want to or are afraid to face the truth. Even if we realize that we will have to do it one day. No one will do it for us. And yet we save it for the last minute, like this animal. We underestimate the spiritual life, which forms an essential component of our life.

Is it stupidity, desperation, or audacity on our part? To wait for your salvation at the last moment, when Jesus shows us the way of salvation with his resurrection, the truth, which is pure, unadulterated, and without fear.

Jesus preached the truth, but the chief priests and elders questioned it. Jesus’ resurrection was and can be disputed by assumptions and rumors. Saint Matthew the Evangelist writes: “They took the money and did as they were instructed” (Mt. 28:15). Who are they? These are the ones who wanted to remain faithful to lies, half-truths, and darkness, because they benefited from it. They did not want to open the door of their heart to the resurrected Christ and let themselves be penetrated by the brightness of his light. But at the same time, they are so far-sighted that they did not let the brightness of this light even into the hearts of others. People were kept in half-truths, fear, and darkness. Therefore St. Matthew emphatically emphasizes that such accusations against Christ are false.

We too desire the truth, but we often let ourselves be seduced by half-truths, and they negate the truth in us. This causes darkness, pain, and fear. This fear manifests itself in different forms: what will others say about me when I differ from the established custom? I may suffer from an inferiority complex – I don’t accept myself as I am. After all, they are better than me. Or I’m afraid to show my limitations and weaknesses. Another manifestation of fear is aggressiveness. I am aggressive when the other person is interested in me and I imagine that they want to control my actions. Or sometimes I pretend to be a perfect individual and I don’t even realize that I am showing a lack of my freedom. The last manifestation of these most common fears is the fear of failure, everyone sees me in a bright light, but only I see myself in black colors. These forms of fear express only one thing, that we have not accepted ourselves and are afraid of ourselves. We believed half-truths about ourselves. Why? Because we benefit from it. And it doesn’t even occur to us to look at our own life with open eyes, because if we did that, we would have to give the truth many times to our neighbors and not to ourselves. This untruth about us also has several other advantages: e.g. financial and material security, career… These cause us to become comfortable not only in this material world but also in our spiritual life. In a word, we become frivolous egoists who have stopped seeking, receiving, and giving. We always desire to have more and always to be less. We become children and not adults. Only words come out of us: give, give, give, or I, I, I, but not the ones that should: you, you, you, or you, you, you. We don’t want to become responsible people who give ourselves entirely to love. Let’s not be surprised at the young that they are what they are because today’s time is full of perversion. Let’s start with each other first, open our hearts to God and our neighbor, and let the light of Christ’s resurrection penetrate us. Only when we accept Christ into our lives, we can accept ourselves, we can accept our neighbor, we will not believe in half-truths and we will not be afraid of the darkness, i.e. death. After all, Christ conquered death! He broke the chains of death! The shackles of our weakness, sin, and fear of it. Only through dreams are we able to live this early life in joy, even if not without suffering. And with him, we will also go into eternity, where we will rejoice together that we have reached the ability to see God face to face through the risen Christ. After all, that is our goal here on earth. and let us be penetrated by the light of Christ’s resurrection. Only when we accept Christ into our lives, we can accept ourselves, we can accept our neighbor, we will not believe in half-truths and we will not be afraid of the darkness, i.e. death. After all, Christ conquered death! He broke the chains of death! The shackles of our weakness, sin, and fear of it. Only through dreams are we able to live this early life in joy, even if not without suffering. And with him, we will also go into eternity, where we will rejoice together that we have reached the ability to see God face to face through the risen Christ. After all, that is our goal here on earth. and let us be penetrated by the light of Christ’s resurrection. Only when we accept Christ into our lives, we can accept ourselves, we can accept our neighbor, we will not believe in half-truths and we will not be afraid of the darkness, i.e. death. After all, Christ conquered death! He broke the chains of death! The shackles of our weakness, sin, and fear of it. Only through dreams are we able to live this early life in joy, even if not without suffering. And with him, we will also go into eternity, where we will rejoice together that we have reached the ability to see God face to face through the risen Christ. After all, that is our goal here on earth. of sin and fear of it. Only through dreams are we able to live this early life in joy, even if not without suffering. And with him, we will also go into eternity, where we will rejoice together that we have reached the ability to see God face to face through the risen Christ. After all, that is our goal here on earth. of sin and fear of it. Only through dreams are we able to live this early life in joy, even if not without suffering. And with him, we will also go into eternity, where we will rejoice together that we have reached the ability to see God face to face through the risen Christ. After all, that is our goal here on earth.

But this requires us to let ourselves be penetrated by Christ’s life and to stop believing in half-truths, superstitions, and all the lies with which we justify our actions. If we don’t do that, we will never move forward. We will always languish in lies and fear.

I would like to share an experience I had on Easter Monday last year. After St. mass on the way home, I stopped at the cemetery, where I wanted to pray in silence for the deceased residents of my native village, relatives and acquaintances. As I was walking, a grieving man was sitting by one of the graves. So I thought, at least I’ll greet him. And so I directed my steps towards him. I approached him and said hello. He looked at me and asked me: “Father spiritual! Can I ask you something?” I was taken aback because I’m only a theology student, but when he addressed me like that, I left it at that. I answered: “True.” He looked at me and said: “I don’t believe in the afterlife, there is no life after death!” Everything ends with death!” I was at a loss as to what to say now. Lord God, help now, because that person has lost hope. After this question, I thought about it and tried to bring a little light into his life from the joy of the resurrected Christ, because I knew that he goes to St. mass and approaches St. reception. I told him not to despair because man is a being created by God. We came from him if we return to him after our journey here on earth. Our body must return to the grave because it was created from the earth. But a person does not consist only of a body, he also has a spirit, which will return to the one who breathed it into him – to God. There we will see God face to face with our glorified body, which was glorified by the precious death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our bodies will be conformed to his glorified body. However, this requires us to use all the means we possess as a gift from God to improve ourselves. In order to better understand ourselves, why we are in the world and where our path leads. Our journey should be a journey of service to our dear ones in the family, at the workplace, friends and enemies. That should be our sanctification and goal, nothing else. When we build our existence on something else, everything falls apart and we start to despair. Our goal is to be the resurrected Christ, who destroys all our half-truths, lies, so that we are not afraid, but believe and have hope for eternal life. When I finished, the gentleman smiled at me and said thank you. I also thanked him, we greeted each other and I went to thank God. who destroys all our half-truths, lies, so that we do not fear, but believe and have hope for eternal life. When I finished, the gentleman smiled at me and said thank you. I also thanked him, we greeted each other and I went to thank God. who destroys all our half-truths, lies, so that we do not fear, but believe and have hope for eternal life. When I finished, the gentleman smiled at me and said thank you. I also thanked him, we greeted each other and I went to thank God.

Let’s realize that rising from the dead means accepting Christ into your heart. Let’s get rid of the gods in our lives. We all have many of them in our lives. These are our half-truths that lead us astray, so we lose hope and fear death. Let us believe that Jesus rose from the dead. When we believe, only then will we be able to be His witnesses to this world. So that we and others can say about us, like Blaise Pascal: “I believe in the witnesses of the risen Christ.”

Let’s not be like an ostrich that waits for the situation to develop. Let’s try to witness the resurrection, that is, life and truth. Let’s believe the truth, let’s get rid of fear, and be people of hope. A hope that is needed in today’s age of sin and half-truths. Hope that will help our neighbors with whom we come into contact to rise so that they believe in Christ through us. So that one day it can be said about us: I met a witness of Christ’s resurrection.

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