February 2022

“Hypocrite, remove the woodden beam from your eye …“.  A warning sent to all of us. Because in each of us there is a little, and sometimes even bigger, hypocrite who likes to admonish and rebuke others, often doing not better himself. But Christ wants us to see ourselves differently. First look on myself, then on others. That we would see our beam and really care about it, because it is a real danger for us.  Hypocrisy is like a small worm that bites from the inside and works systematically, destroying what is still healthy. And again we hear the words “a tree is known by its fruit ...”.  And it is worth to remember this Gospel phrase.  Because it allows us to look at others and see the truth in life and be sure that we are doing well ourselves.  Let us also see this hypocrite in us, and not let him dominate too much.

Who enters an evangelical way of living must be prepared to meet enemies, which cannot be softened by adapting to their way of thinking and proceedings. Jesus was constantly surrounded by enemies focused on destroying Him. Neither did He gain them for Himself, nor did they win Him for themselves. Jesus’ disciples should go in the footprints of the Master. A disciple of Jesus should love even enemies. An enemy can use all sources: slander, calumny, gossips, violence, and Jesus’ disciple has only one answer – it is the goodness of heart filled with love. Such an attitude overgrown human opportunities requires a close relationship with Jesus. A Christian cannot destroy anyone, always should be focused to gain his opponent. It is about to win an enemy for God and His matter. Such love is fighting. Her victory consists on filling the heart of an enemy with love. Every day we say: Father, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Let’s ask ourselves, if our hearts are filled with love for our enemies?

Blessings, today’s Gospel speaks about, it is Jesus’ encourage me to: firstly looked at my own misery, hunger, tears and contempt, with which I would come…, and secondly, I would look at the agglomeration of misery around me. With this look at poverty, God becomes the greatest value and treasure with His kingdom and the other man – my neighbor.

We can see how some people do everything to achieve wealth at all costs. They can do harm a neighbor for money in various ways. Just to such Christ says: “Woe”. Material goods should be drawn into the service of the Kingdom of God and the other man living next to me. Who adores these goods and uses them, not watching God and neighbor, this deserves “Woe.” Money is not cursed, but a heart which stuck to the money. Even the poor are not blessed if they think about the bread only, and never about God. The rich people are not cursed because they have everything, but because they don’t need God. We are not allow to use material goods for purposes of goals which are opposite to the love of God and man; you cannot get rich by using an uncertain situation of your neighbor. A Christian – with the spirituality of the poor – always feel in solidarity with the poor and hungry man, with a crying and persecuted … not because of humanitarian reasons, but because faith in the Merciful God, who gave His only Son to redeem all of us. Thus, the heart and a life attitude decide about the blessing and curse, not poverty or wealth.