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Have you ever experienced a storm in your life? I don’t want us to remember the natural cataclysm. A storm in us, in the family, in the neighborhood can last not hours, but weeks, months, or years. Who counts the tears, sleepless nights, days of waiting for the other to realize a mistake, a mistake, a fall… And comes and says: “Sorry, … forgive, … forget, … help to change, .. .let’s start again…” It’s hard when we see what a natural storm destroys. It is more difficult, much more painful when a storm is caused by a loved one – for no reason, without a cause, when he stomps, slowly injures, bloodlessly murders, and at the same time does not see, does not hear, does not want to admit it…

In the Gospel, the frightened apostles on the stormy sea see Jesus as “he threatened the wind and said to the sea: “Shut up, calm down! The wind stopped and there was a great silence” (Mk 4:39). From time to time we hear people claim that God is not interested in the world. Many also believe that God created the world, but then left the world to fend for itself. God exists. The above is proof of the existence of God, God is in us, and we are in God. Our paths in life are also his paths. We read about God already at the creation of the world, that he saw everything he had created, and it was good (cf. Ex 1:12, 18, 25). We even know that “God created man in his own image” (Ex 1:27). Even after people’s sins, God does not stop loving humanity. Good God, God – Love does not forget its children. But we, God’s children, must return to God, return our love to him. Can we say that in the Holy Scriptures, there is something written that God wants us to do badly? Is it bad when the Church, for example, teaches about respect for parents, that we must not kill unborn children, that none of us even in old age and neither in illness nor in misfortune must he decide to end life, euthanasia? Is it bad when we hear teachings about the need to respect conscience? We are created in the image of God, but even if someone does not believe in God, he must feel moral responsibility for life and what about it is related to him.

In the storms of life; life conflicts; battles, and matches with our “I” again and again God speaks to each of us. Converts and all who found strength and reconciled with God rediscovered God, speak of a God who still loves. God loves every person, even when a person insults, ignores, does not accept, or expels God from his life. When we open ourselves to God, and accept God as our Lord of life and the goal of life, we can say that God has called to us many times: I need you! I require your consent of reason and free will to end your suffering. I want to help you. I require your approval.

We, the people, do not wait for consent to change the style or the way of life of our neighbors. Whoever lives in sin is blind, deaf, dumb… Does he not see that he is causing pain, suffering, and sorrow to those around him, dear ones… – is God to blame for that? Man is gifted by God with reason and will. Man can also say to God: no! It is Christian when we understand Christ’s words: “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Mt 5:38n)

The teaching of Christ does not hinder true love, on the contrary,
only God knows how many of you there are, which not only at today’s Holy Mass but often in prayers you turn to God for your dearest ones. Your loved ones will often understand your love for them only after your grave. What you endure for the love of God for your loved ones!
A friend says to a friend: “Get a divorce! He drinks, he beats you, he embarrasses you, even the children will agree.” And she remarks with tears in her eyes: “I promised that I would not leave him in any adversity.” Another
example: Both students. When she informs him that she is expecting a child, she immediately adds that she will not keep the child. Surprised, he says: “No! Have we done something stupid and should we do it even more? No, our child must live!”
Another example: She visited her brother to talk him out of a bad acquaintance. Other examples: One is devoted to a friend who has fallen into the power of automatons. The second devotes a lot of time to a friend who got into the dubious company of a sect. Third, even though she has many responsibilities in her family, does not forget to help her sick neighbor every day. why are they doing that? What makes them do it? They don’t know the saying: What doesn’t burn you – doesn’t burn?

They have one thing in common. They understood and put Jesus’ words into practice: “And whoever gives one of these little ones a glass of cold water to drink as a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will not lose his reward” (Mt 10:42).

A believing Christian realizes that if God asked a great thing of him, he would not refuse. The a more Christian knows the teachings of Jesus, the more he recognizes the greatness of God’s love in his life. True love becomes the driving force to more consistently realize communion with God in life. In the spirit of faith, the Christian realizes that every person has the right to love God, in a specific life.
The words of the Lord Jesus are often difficult and difficult to implement. And God does not bargain with man. God says in favor of man: “He who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:38). Jesus redeemed us without us, but he will not save us without us. We are not alone on the path of our salvation. Living in community requires caring for brothers and sisters. True love for God teaches us to love God. We are to love God above all else. Love for God must not be hindered by love for one’s neighbor and also for oneself. That is why Jesus says: “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” And whoever loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:37). When Jesus says it, we cannot wave our hands at it, but we are obliged to stand up to his words with all our hearts, even if we should lose everything else. God cannot say otherwise and want otherwise, that would be contradicting himself. Don’t be surprised that Jesus puts us in front of difficult and inevitable decisions in life. We should not be surprised that he makes these great demands on us. No man can take the place in our heart that belongs to God. And it is not enough to give the first and honorable place to God only in the theoretical field, but in everyday life. Only he can be our true and eternal love. In a life united with Christ and in love for him, we cannot avoid experiences marked by the cross and other sacrifices. It is indeed difficult to love Christ as those closest to you who have renounced him. How often do Christians forsake God for love of men! By doing so, they show that they love God less than their neighbors. Every sin we commit speaks of a greater love for our neighbor or for ourselves than for God. When we sin, we forget that whoever renounces his love will not get anything more, better, better or more beautiful, on the contrary, loses much more. It must be remembered that Christianity cannot be separated from the cross. From the moment when Jesus set out on the way of the cross, the cross became a part of our Christian life. We each have our own cross. Nature resists the cross. He wants to avoid the cross. She doesn’t want to go his way. A Christian cannot stand on the opposite side of the line.
However, Christ does not prevent anyone with his teaching from walking the path of joy. He wants us to embrace the supernatural path of love. Human love, if it is not based on God’s love, will not bring true joy and true happiness to a person. It can even rob you of eternal joy. When many do not realize that they are walking on the wrong path in their lives, every Christian must point out his brother or sister about his bad, wrong, and incomplete view of life’s path.
Love can become blind, and false, against which Jesus warns: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:37). How many parents wrongly love their children when they love their bodily and natural goods more than their souls. They do not want and cannot deny children things, forbid them, do not lead them to renunciation, self-denial, asceticism, work, to the true values ​​of life. Superficial life of faith and an insufficient approach to spiritual duties by parents is a school of unbelief for children. If they ask children, just to learn something before receiving communion or confirmation, a few definitions, it happens that for children God is an inanimate abstraction. Faith requires realizing Christ’s words: “Let your speech be “yes-yes”, “no-no” (Mt 5:37). Unhealthy Christianity but also the social approach of parents to raising children is quickly manifested in the fact that demands are increasing, but obligations are decreasing. And what happens that parents do not expect from children is that children commit violence against their parents, even criminal activity.
We can observe similar situations with the husbands themselves. It cannot be called love that we can afford everything. Spouses must not forget that their promise also binds each other. And everything that does not agree with the teaching of God is against their love. Relegating God to second place sooner or later brings the breakdown of love and disappointment. True love is a medicine against egoism, selfishness, infidelity, hypocrisy, and separation. If natural love is to have true value, it needs to be based on supernatural values. Natural carnal and spiritual love need love for God. When God is respected in the first place, then natural love will also grow.
True love cannot do without looking at old age. Thus, those who are living the higher years of life should not forget their goal in life, and they should also be a role model for their successors. The young should honor the years, the gray hairs, and the life of the old, and in specific expressions towards the elders, they glorify God and obtain a blessing for their lives.
Every deed we do out of true love for our neighbors in the spirit of Christ’s teachings can be compared to a glass of cold water, for which a reward from God is promised. It is not only physical deeds but also spiritual ones.

It is appropriate that we learned to see, and hear, but also to react appropriately and quickly to things and events in life around us. Many are ashamed to come to the surface with their shortcomings of body and soul. A Catholic Christian cannot be satisfied only with the salvation of his soul.
It is right that we believers know how to talk about matters of the soul on various occasions. It is beautiful to hear that we pray for each other, and what is more, that our actions say that we value each other’s souls.
It is the praise of a father when a grown son says to him: “Father, I have never heard you say not only God’s name in vain but also the words of indecency.” It is the praise of a mother whose daughter says: “Mom, thank you for being an example of a Christian woman. She knew how to properly maintain well-being, peace, and love in the family.” It is praise for neighbors who can be said to be able to live in understanding, mutual respect, respect, and love. It is a praise that not even inheritance can divide siblings, quarrel, and destroy the love between them. There are other things to praise…
Why is it praising? Because they put God first. And their life becomes the reality of the Lord Jesus’ words: “He will not lose his reward” (Mt 10:42).

Already today, we pray to persevere in true love. Already today, now, let God be in the first and most honorable place in our life, in our relationships. Already today, now, we pray and ask not only for the dearest but also for distant relatives, and co-workers for the true love of Catholic Christians. What about the fact that maybe over our grave or in eternity they will know that we loved them more than they thought.

On the wall of one of the concentration camps, they found a beautiful confession of faith left by an unknown prisoner. It read like this: “I believe in the rays of the sun, even when I can’t feel them. I believe in God even when God is silent”. Christ tells us about how important faith is in our lives in today’s Gospel when he praises the attitude of the Roman centurion. So let’s think for a moment and look at this fascinating character.

The centurion was Roman and could despise the Jews as almost all Romans did. But this centurion not only respected the Jews but also treated his servants and slaves very humanely. He proved it by how much he cared about his servant’s recovery. To better see the whole picture, it should be remembered at this point that slaves and servants had almost no rights at that time. The owner could treat them however he wanted. He could even kill his slave without breaking the law. The centurion was above all a deeply religious man. Christ praises his attitude when he says: “I tell you, I have not found such faith in anyone in Israel”. This praise makes the Roman centurion a model for us Christians living in our century.

The attitude of the centurion is worth following, especially today when people are leaving God and the Church for petty reasons. Why is that so? We simply lack humility. And because we lack humility, we lose faith. Unfortunately, we are many times wiser than God… We know better what the world should be in order. Many times we dictate to God what to do. And we can say that we are almost always dissatisfied. We criticize others, but we have done nothing good. For many of us, the Holy Liturgy, confession, sacraments, and devotions are just an experience and a boring reality. When we behave in this way, we deprive ourselves of the connection with the most important source of graces for us, which is the Eucharist and the holy sacraments.

We must remember that faith is a great grace from God for each of us and that it is given to us not only as a gift but also as a task. So we must not only thank God for our faith but also do everything to persistently deepen and cultivate it. And that requires effort and persistence. God never leaves us, never fails us. We leave Him… when we start with the excuse that we don’t have time for personal prayer, for the Sunday Holy Liturgy, or confession at least once a year… And then, when something in our life starts to go wrong, and we don’t succeed, we blame God and complain that He has left us.

“With faith, we stumble over every blade of straw, with faith we move mountains” – wrote Sören Kierkegaard and Karol Lehmann noted that the one “who believes in Jesus Christ does not have to die alone”. So let us value our faith and deepen it with good prayer, participation in the Eucharist, frequent confession, and living according to the voice of our conscience. We understand our faith as the greatest and most valuable treasure.

FROM will end this reflection with the thoughts of a soldier who died in one battle. In the pocket of his military coat, they found the words of this prayer: “I prayed for health, that I might accomplish great things; fragile health was given to me so that I could do good things. I asked for wealth so that I could be happy, I received poverty so that I could become wiser. I asked for many things so that I could enjoy life; I was given life to enjoy many things. I didn’t get anything I asked for, but I got everything I needed. Against my pleas, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am the most blessed among men”.

We experience happy events in our lives. Balls and entertainment are held. In the middle of these days, we can notice that there are people around us who are not laughing, not rejoicing. Why? They are sick, the pain distorts their faces instead of smiling. Indeed, many cannot remember the last time they laughed. Today, the Church wants to remind us of something in the Gospel. Jesus loved all people. After all, his arrival on Earth is the biggest proof of that. Jesus did not preach sorrow. His teaching – the gospel means glad tidings. Although we have no record of Jesus laughing or joking, we cannot say that he did not know how to enjoy himself. He was happy when mothers brought their children to him. He rejoiced when he returned a living daughter to Jairus, the wife of Naim with an only son, Martha, and Mary, the brother of Lazarus. but he was happy, even though he was recovering, and this Gospel also says: “I want you to be clean!” (Mt 8:3).

In our surroundings, we must also notice the suffering and those who need our help. The sick man of this gospel was very courageous. He came to Jesus himself. He disregarded the prohibition under the Mosaic Law. He left aside what should have been waiting for him for violating this order, or the consequences. The desire to be healthy was stronger than everything else. In those days, such a person did not arouse the interest of others, he was condemned to a slow death. But he wanted to live! That is why he came to beg for life from the Giver of life, from Jesus Christ himself. He did not disappoint. Jesus fulfilled his wish.

When we look around us, we find that there are many suffering and those who require our help. They will not turn on us, they will not come to us like the sick from the gospel to Jesus. They won’t for many reasons. Some cannot come because their health no longer allows it, others will not come because they are ashamed. Indeed, we must realize that there are also those among us who, out of some tact, do not raise their hand for help. Many are full of hopelessness and melancholy, so they want to die forgotten. And we should focus on those. We have to help them, give them a helping hand. How beautiful it is when such a person feels that he is not needed. According to the Church, a sick person is necessary and with his suffering, he purifies the world. All sick people are a warning to us, they are a nuisance. Who will count the sufferings, the sacrifices, the prayers, which are weighted in gold in the plan of redemption of the world?

Suffering is not an insignificant thing. Look how many people and families came to their senses, and returned to God, when one of them had to carry the cross, illness, and suffering from life! It is beautiful when the sufferer hears words of comfort from our lips, that his suffering is an enrichment of our life. True, only one who has faith, i.e., a believer, can evaluate this, because he understands the value of sin and the value of repentance. Saint John of the Cross, the lover of the cross, says: – Brothers, our suffering here on earth cannot be compared to the suffering that awaits us after death for our sins. If we had to choose, let us choose to suffer here on earth and to rejoice with God as soon as possible after death. – Conscious and voluntary acceptance of suffering saves a person from further sins and helps him to voluntarily cleanse himself from sins already forgiven. Suffering properly understood raises the mind to higher values.

Let’s remember this and never make it feel, true, if it is not exaggerated, when our elderly and the elderly need our help, that it is a nuisance to us, that they are a burden on us. Let’s not talk insultingly about them. Let’s not wish them death! Only God can withdraw from this world. As long as a person is alive, he has the right to be given attention and love. Let’s not forget this, especially when it comes to those who gave us life, who made more sacrifices for us than ours, when we have to make more effort even for several months, when there is less sleep, free time, etc. Jesus himself is a role model, strength, and example. Jesus also teaches us that where modern medical science can no longer help, a good word, care for them, a visit, and the like can help, or at least alleviate pain and suffering. Sick of the gospel did not give up. And that is an example of the sick. He did everything in his power. He did not resign! And this is necessary for the sick and old to realize. Many are impatient when they don’t get everything they want right away. Such a person is then really a burden, a weight in the family.

Brothers and sisters, sick and old, in your prayers often remember those who take care of you, but do not forget yourself, so that you can bear your crosses patiently. Realize that this suffering of yours has meaning. Be an example of patience to your dearest. Don’t forget to thank them for the good they have done. You yourself know that today’s world is very busy, that even those who take care of you do not have it easy. They have other responsibilities besides you. Don’t say they don’t like you. I believe that this is a matter of honor for every Catholic Christian, how he can approach this problem. The sick and the healthy must realize that in such situations tensions and misunderstandings arise from small things, and therefore we must be able to rise above them, forget, forgive, and not immediately turn small things into anger, inconvenience, which are often forgotten and forgiven only after death. Why spoil what we worked hard to build before? Sickness and old age must not break a single Christian heart. We should not blaspheme, often ask: why me?! After all, I haven’t sinned in anything! Only one who has not understood the teachings of Jesus Christ speaks like this. It has certainly happened to you that you have visited such people and left them ashamed. Why? Many a suffering believing Christian knows how to encourage and please more than we who are healthy. Such a meeting is what we have to adopt and learn today. I know many positive and negative examples. It has certainly happened to you that you have visited such people and left them ashamed. Why? Many a suffering believing Christian knows how to encourage and please more than we who are healthy. Such a meeting is what we have to adopt and learn today. I know many positive and negative examples. It has certainly happened to you that you have visited such people and left them ashamed. Why? Many a suffering believing Christian knows how to encourage and please more than we who are healthy. Such a meeting is what we have to adopt and learn today. I know many positive and negative examples.

I like to go to one disease that doesn’t feel unnecessary. She is not demanding on domestics, she prefers to be kept in a room. He doesn’t mix with young people. What is her strength? Pray! She says that when she was young, she did not have much time for prayer. Now she takes this illness as a gift from God to survive it in prayer and to apologize for her sins. But he doesn’t forget the home team. She won’t tell them, only she and the Virgin Mary with Jesus know how many graces she has already begged for the family and others. And this is not unnecessary, although I know that many consider such old age a loss and would rather see their mother-in-law, mother, or father doing something, even if they are ruffling feathers. Mammon! No, such a person, who thinks like this, must be careful not to live to a sad old age or a tragic one. I believe that this reflection was not harmful. However, we should also be careful about souls. We should not give offense.

Today we celebrate the feast of the apostolic princes of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Today we celebrate the day when the holy apostle’s Peter and Paul gave the highest testimony of their faith that the crucified Jesus is alive. They let themselves be martyred in the firm belief that they would live forever with the Risen Christ. Together with the entire Christian world, let us journey in spirit to the tomb of St. Peter in the Vatican and to the tomb of St. Paul outside the walls of Rome. Saint Peter and Saint Paul – these are two wings of one eagle. They are two columns that carry the vault of a single building – the building of the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. They were quite different personalities. It could be said that each of them was a typical representative of one of the two directions in the Church, and yet they maintained mutual respect and mutual love throughout their lives. Such an example of unity in diversity is as necessary for us today as it was in the ancient times of the Church.

The apostle Peter personifies the authority and the governing center: the papacy. Apostle Paul is a believer in individuality and personal freedom. The sign of Saint Peter is the keys of supreme power according to the words of the Lord Jesus: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of God.” Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” Saint Peter holds in his hands the keys that guard the sacred treasures of Tradition. Saint Paul holds a book in his hand because he is the Teacher of the Nations. And he also has a sword with him, with which new paths are cut in the jungle of the pagan world and new methods are sought in spreading the kingdom of God. And with the sword, which is his sign, Saint Paul was executed for his faith in Christ the Lord. Peter could also have another identification mark, namely a rooster. I think this symbol would be very telling for our Christianity today.

About that rooster, the Lord Jesus told Peter that he would start singing when Peter succumbed to unbelief and fear. And when Peter, on that evil night when Christ the Lord was arrested, began to deny that he belonged to his followers, the rooster crowed. Three times the rooster had to crow before Peter’s speech got stuck in his throat before he stopped crowding among the enemies of the Lord Jesus before he went away and wept bitterly from shame and regret for his cowardice and lack of faith. Don’t you think that we would also need that rooster today – and a good one? That those who, under the influence of modern scribes and Pharisees, waver in the true Catholic faith would need it? That we, little-believing priests, would also need it when we prepare Sunday sermons – so that in them, we do not complain about today’s world and corrupt youth, but realize that the world was just as sinful in the time of Christ the Lord when not only the youth but the apostles themselves ran away from Jesus! One of them – Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ, the other – the apostle Peter – denied him three times and renounced him, and the other apostles fled.

Only one of the Twelve – the holy apostle and evangelist John, the Beloved of the Lord – persevered, did not run away, and went with Christ to Calvary. Lord Jesus did not have better listeners than today’s preacher has. There are no other times but sinful ones – just as today as in the past. We, priests, need Peter’s cock even today. And I think that even you, today’s Catholics, should have that rooster in front of your eyes. That you may hear his cackles when small-mindedness and unbelief come upon you. When you lose faith in God’s love. It is very good that the Gospels have preserved for us the portrait of the apostles untouched, and that some “pious censorship” has not deleted what is not an apostle to honor. It is good that we have a story in the Gospel about the fact that even the apostles knew the temptation of small-mindedness, they had moments of hopelessness, weakness, and mistrust.

So when something similar happens to us, we can trust, following the example of St. Peter, that we will get out of it, and that the merciful and benevolent God will forgive us – just as he forgave Peter for his threefold denial. So it’s about not hearing the rooster crowing in the bad moments of our lives. God’s voice calls us in many ways, and it calls us tenaciously, persistently. God’s voice is constantly calling us to get out of our bad ways, to sincerely mourn our betrayals, and then to hear again the question of Christ the Lord, which he asked Peter after his Resurrection: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others?” And how will you answer this question of Christ the Lord – you, me, him, each of us? I wish we could answer it with the words of the holy apostle Peter, who confessed: “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you!” God’s love to this day has not stopped making the rooster’s voice into nets of love, with which it catches and saves not only the princes of the apostles but also you, me, him – each of us, the little fish of God’s kingdom. Therefore, I would like to give Saint Peter a rooster in his hand as a sign. And I think that St. Peter would willingly agree that we should always have the “cock’s lesson” in front of our eyes: To err is human. However, to be told and corrected is truly Christian.

Saint Peter the Apostle is for us the embodiment of the rock in which the Church is securely anchored. The Apostle St. Paul is, in turn, an instrument of the storm of the Spirit of God, which propels the Church to the forefront of human history and events. And now let’s imagine that these two people with such different personalities met. What did that mean? When these two apostles met, the fate of the young Church was decided. Will these two strong personalities bump into each other and there will be a split? Will Christ’s church split into Peter’s Judeo-Christian church of “conservatives” and Paul’s pagan-Christian church of “modernists”? But we know that nothing like that happened. When they met for the first time in Jerusalem – a rock with a whirlwind – Paul wanted to get to know Peter from his own experience and stayed with him for two weeks, as St. Paul in the letter to the Galatians. Why did Paul go to Peter? He wanted to know with his own eyes the first of the apostles, taught by Christ the Lord himself. It was from him that he wanted to gain recognition as an apostle. What do you think? Will Peter do it? Will he, a simple fisherman, trust a learned Pharisee from the famous school of Rabbi Gamaliel? Will Peter not be jealous of Paul’s achievements? All credit to Peter. When making decisions, he was guided by common sense, love, and the Holy Spirit. He shakes Paul’s hand.

All credit also goes to Paul. When a dispute broke out about the style of missionary work among the Gentiles, Paul went to Jerusalem for the second time to see Peter. Before the apostolic council, he patiently explains his rich missionary experience and achieves unity of opinion. At the third meeting in Antioch, although he reproaches Peter for allowing the will of the harvest to be imposed on him and fights hard with him for compliance with the council’s conclusions, he maintains his respect and love for Peter and calls him “the first of the apostles” and “the pillar of the apostles”. In the same way, for Peter, Paul always remained a “beloved brother”. The fourth meeting of these apostolic princes in Rome was the last. Both were brought to Rome with the same idea: to be where Christians are at their worst, where the cruel enemy of Christ, Nero, is liquidating them. It is there that they want to testify about their faith in Christ the Lord, about their faith in eternal life with the Risen One, whom they both saw alive with their own eyes. Peter was crucified, and Paul as a Roman citizen was beheaded.

Together, their blood sanctified pagan Rome as the seat of the head of the Church. Their united love gave the Holy Church solid support of Peter’s Rock and the eternal youth of Paul’s missionary zeal. The holy apostle’s Peter and Paul also give the Church today a great lesson: it does not matter the diversity of opinions as long as there is unity in love. Only when the smile among people fades, when people start frowning at each other because of different opinions, Christianity also fades away. Therefore, following the example of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, let us strive for the unity of all Christians in the love of Christ. Therefore, following the example of Saints Peter and Paul, let us love Christ the Lord with a burning heart, try to seek and find his holy will, so that one day – when our time comes – we may receive from him eternal life in perfect joy. Holy apostles Peter and Paul, pray for us! 

There is a lot of resentment between us. A bad example, inciting sin and not punishing sin has a bad effect on those around us, and at the same time, it robs us of grace. A passage from the Gospel reminds us of this: “Do not give what is holy to dogs and do not cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn against you and tear you apart” (Mt 7:6).

Every believer must be aware that the gifts he received from God – reason and free will – are to help him discern. We are all called to proclaim the Gospel. This means that we are responsible for it in our surroundings. Not only words are needed, but above all an example. Our approach to fulfilling the responsibilities of our faith is like an open book to unbelievers. They, too, know the words: “Verba movent, exempla trahunt!” – “Words move, but examples attract!” Therefore, let’s realize what the Lord Jesus wants to say with the parable about pearls and swine. It was known to the Jews that what was sacrificed in the temple did not belong elsewhere. For example, the meat of the victims was not allowed to be given to dogs or pigs. From this, we can conclude the following: Just as it was useless to feed inedible pearls to unclean pigs, so it is useless to present the truth to people who are not ready for it, or who do not have the desire or willingness to accept it. He who proclaims the pure must not pollute it, allow it to be dishonored. Because if the preacher of the Gospel preached the teachings of the Lord Jesus excessively and without consideration, he would do more harm than good.

The holy things are the truths of faith and all the means of grace which the apostles received for the good of the faithful. Therefore, they should not be unnecessarily awarded to people who would only make fun of them or humiliate them in some way. Perhaps this place also gave rise to the fact that the Church has been hiding sacred things from pagans for a long time. The so-called golden rule of love for one’s neighbor shows without long paragraphs that the core of the Christian attitude toward other people consists of Everything you want people to do to you, and do to them. We talked about how we can forgive others, so let’s expect others to forgive us. That is the essence of biblical morality. True love for God is proven precisely by love for one’s neighbor. The Gospel passage ends with a call to those who follow Christ not to follow the path of the masses. Lord Jesus explained it with a figurative comparison of two gates. The wide gate through which the masses of people pass who reject the words and teachings of the Lord Jesus, or do not take his truths seriously, leads to damnation. The believer must break out of this group, even if it is difficult when there are many temptations, such as stating that the majority is doing it, that it is not so bad, and so on. The Christian must pass through the second gate, the narrow one that leads to eternal life. Lord Jesus wants to emphasize the other teaching that he said earlier. Only by a narrow path can one pass into eternal life. The young man did not know how to renounce wealth. Pharisees of their pride. Herod and Herodias each other. So these did not pass through the narrow gate. Through it, we see John the Baptist, the Virgin Mary, and Joseph, who fulfill the will of God, and do what God requires of them.

 There are people who, in order not to see, prefer to squint their eyes. But of course that doesn’t change reality. On the contrary, they harm themselves. So it is with the existence of God. Whether God exists does not depend on us. God is not dependent on our knowledge to exist. Those who have studied philosophy know that there are people who do not regard the material world, perceptible to the senses, as an objective reality. According to them, the material world does not exist outside of us, independently of us, it is a product of thought, an idea. That is why we call this philosophical direction idealism. Any sober-minded person will recognize that this philosophical idealism contradicts our everyday experience. We reject this direction as objectively wrong, and misguided. To the other extreme fall those who maintain that there is only matter, matter. That is why they are called materialists. Materialists, while admitting that there is something higher than matter, maintain that everything spiritual has its roots in matter and does not exist without matter. Therefore, materialists do not admit the existence of any spiritual being. Thus they do not admit the existence of God. They regard God as a figment of human imagination, as something unrealistically mistaken. This is roughly the basic position of MATERIALISTS. According to the Christian worldview, there are spiritual realities independent of our knowledge True spiritual realities cannot be perceived directly by the senses We can only understand them by knowing them in varying degrees with our reason. We recognize both the material and the spiritual as real, therefore we call our worldview Christian realism. God is an objective reality for us. But we can neither see nor hear God; we cannot perceive Him. But our knowledge can be lifted to God using perceptible things. Even in the material world, some things can be known only by instruments or calculations. Thus most of the stars are invisible to the naked eye. To observe them, we need powerful telescopes. Bacteria, on the other hand, are so tiny that they can only be seen with a microscope. Even atoms are so unimaginably small that they cannot be seen even under a microscope. We know them only from their effects. So also God can be known, from His activity, and His observable works. The greatness of the universe and the beauty of nature speak of God. They speak of the fact that these things did not come into being of themselves, that man did not create them, for they were here long before man. In the laws of nature, we see rationality purposefulness, and planning and this cannot be the work of chance. And it cannot be the work of chance. Whoever says that is blind. Friend, if you are reading these lines you need to realize that God exists and start looking for Him. And do it right away.

We are all faced with a decision in life. Narrow gate or wide road. One of these two paths can be chosen. We have a choice—the narrow path with the Lord Jesus, or the broad path of the world. Most people would prefer there to be a third way between faith and unbelief—a mixed zone. According to the words of the Lord Jesus, however, there is no such third way. I either stand in faith or I don’t. I am either saved or lost.

Now we can think, “Am I standing on a wide or narrow road?” When I go only with the flow of the Internet, fashion, and television, I live on my terms, just for fun and only for my happiness – then I stand on a wide path. The Broad Way is the path of a person who does not have close fellowship with the Lord Jesus—and most people walk it. The narrow road is arduous and it is not worn today. Many quickly give up to make some exertion.- Should I get up and go to church on Sunday morning? think about my future? read the Bible?, forgive?, help? -All this takes effort and time.

It is also difficult to answer the questions: what is good and what is not, who is a Christian and who is a fascist, what is character and what is not, what is life, love and what is death, who is God and what is an idol. Yes, even if we tell others about faith, even that will be difficult. If we invite them into communion with the Lord Jesus and set an example of Christian character for them, this will also be our narrow path.

When you have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are given new strength to go further toward the goal described above both gates. On the wide is the inscription – the goal is death. This is not noticed by many. They’re just interested in who everyone is already going through that gate and how fun it is. Above that tight gate is an inscription – the goal is life. But, as the Lord Jesus says, few notice. Therefore, let us rather choose the narrow gate, the narrow road! Difficult, but leading to eternal life. Let us accept the Lord Jesus as a guide to our lives, so that we may walk the joyfully narrow path together to eternal life!