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Reflection on Mt 18:18
Post date: 2023-07-08Autor: BCP
This promise applies on several levels. It applies to religious leaders, who are allowed to specify – in line with the teaching of the Church – some of the requirements of the Gospel and bind our conscience by a church regulation; for instance, they can lay down that eating meat on Friday is a sin. They can also loose it and say that the Friday fast may be replaced, for example, by prayer or an act of penance. This is an area that concerns those who are responsible before God for the Church in a particular territory.
Word of Life – Psa 82:5 (25/6/2023 – 9/7/2023)
Post date: 2023-06-27Autor: BCP
"They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken."
Reflection on Psa 82:5
Post date: 2023-06-27Autor: BCP
This verse of the Psalm is very relevant for today. It applies primarily to men of political power and men of the Church, but to some extent it applies to all of us. What to do to be able to know and understand and not walk about in darkness but in the light? We must be serious about Jesus in our lives, because He is the Light of the world. In Him is the fullness of wisdom and knowledge. If we are just influenced by so-called mainstream or smartphone wisdom, we know absolutely nothing about the essential things, namely the salvation of the soul, and we do not understand what we should do for its sake or how to overcome lies and deceit. In this blindness, then, all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
Word of Life – Mt 7:26 (11/6/2023 – 25/6/2023)
Post date: 2023-06-13Autor: BCP
"But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand."
Reflection on Mt 7:26
Post date: 2023-06-13Autor: BCP
Keeping God’s commandments is hard for those who have the spirit of the world. These commandments become a burden to them, which they try to throw away sooner or later. Those, however, who have been sincerely converted and put Jesus first, committing to daily prayer for His sake, be they men or women, receive grace and keeping God’s commandments literally becomes a joy for them. Even amid the greatest suffering or humiliation, they are united to Jesus and filled with deep peace which the world cannot give.
We need to be purified so as to become effective instruments of God
Post date: 2023-06-07Autor: BCP
The power of God is manifested in our powerlessness. If we give rein to our ego, Christ – the almighty power of God – cannot work. We take everything into our own hands. We are guided by our perception, by our feelings. Admittedly, we can do something, but we are like a steam locomotive, puffing, sparks flying in all directions… Yet it keeps running, though the efficiency is only 5%. We run on the same principle. What shall God do with us? He takes us as we are. However, in order to use us, God must first purify us so that we may become His effective instruments. We must be dependent on God; therefore we freely choose to become slaves of God. This is true freedom.
Word of Life – Mt 7:24 (28/5/2023 – 11/6/2023)
Post date: 2023-05-28Autor: BCP
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
Reflection on Mt 7:24
Post date: 2023-05-28Autor: BCP
Jesus continues: “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (v.25) At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says this parable of two builders. One built a house on the rock, the other on the sand. It is said that the one who built on the rock not only heard God’s word but also put it into practice. That is why in life’s trials, likened in the parable to wind, storm or sea waves, the house did not fall because it was built on the rock.
Who gives the life-giving strength? (video)
Post date: 2023-05-23Autor: BCP
Who gives the life-giving strength? + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Self-humiliation and little sacrifices
Post date: 2023-05-22Autor: BCP
The first form of love is constant self-humiliation. But you need not fabricate anything. You only need to accept the truth! If you feel bitterness towards your neighbour, remember his good qualities and his good deeds, and on the other hand your bad qualities and evil done in the past, and humble yourself before him in spirit and see Jesus in him. And God will then give you the light and fill your heart with love for this person.
Heaven is at hand!
Post date: 2023-05-21Autor: BCP
Heaven is at hand, for I will die soon. Just a few more years and I shall stand before the gates of heaven. And should I even live a hundred more years, they will pass in no time. How powerfully the thought of heaven should motivate me! The thought of heaven filled many a saint with the fire of zeal, urging them to make the best of the short time and to lay up for themselves treasures in heaven.
Word of Life – Mt 7:21 (14/5/2023 – 28/5/2023)
Post date: 2023-05-13Autor: BCP
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
Reflection on Mt 7:21
Post date: 2023-05-13Autor: BCP
After these words, Jesus continues in the Gospel: “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practise lawlessness!’” Jesus speaks here about a false disciple, saying that such disciples will not be saved because although they use religious phrases and hide behind the name of Jesus they do the exact opposite. Moreover, even if they prophesied, cast out demons or did many wonders, it would not help them to be saved.
Word of Life – Mt 7:19 (30/4/2023 – 14/5/2023)
Post date: 2023-04-30Autor: BCP
“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Reflection on Mt 7:19
Post date: 2023-04-30Autor: BCP
Jesus does not speak here about a physical tree, but rather about man and his evil works. He says it at the end of the statement about false prophets, who come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Jesus continues: “You will know them by their fruits.” And then He adds: “Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” And then: “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” With a nature corrupted by original sin, we can’t really bear fruit that lasts for eternity. The root of original sin is the seed of the devil. This is the pride of self-deification and rebellion against God, either overbearing pride and arrogance or subtle spiritual pride of pharisees, which is even worse. All this grows from a poisoned root, and that is why Jesus says: Deny yourself, i.e. the source of evil within you.
Word of Life – Mt 7:15 (16/4/2023 – 30/4/2023)
Post date: 2023-04-15Autor: BCP
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."
Reflection on Mt 7:15
Post date: 2023-04-15Autor: BCP
This warning of Christ is highly topical too. Today many shepherds of the Church are no longer servants of Christ, but servants of the antichrist. Naturally, this is not outwardly recognized. They really wear sheep’s clothing and use psychological methods to manipulate people. They speak of love, compassion, listening, discerning, welcoming, accompanying, and all this is actually a trap of ravenous wolves baring their fangs and tearing up naïve and often sincere deluded souls. These shepherds only talk about love, but they avoid true love – the cross of Christ.
God gives victory (video)
Post date: 2023-04-08Autor: BCP
God gives victory. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Word of Life – Mt 7:13 (2/4/2023 – 16/4/2023)
Post date: 2023-04-06Autor: BCP
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
Reflection on Mt 7:13
Post date: 2023-04-05Autor: BCP
Jesus’ advice is very serious. It concerns each of us. Heeding this earnest counsel brings forth the fruit of eternal life and eternal happiness in the kingdom of heaven. The gate which leads to life, however, is narrow, and unfortunately many do not know it, do not want to seek it, and if it is pointed out to them, they boycott it to their temporal and eternal detriment. On the other hand, Jesus warns of the wide gate and the broad way that leads to eternal destruction. It is a tragedy and a painful reality that there are many who have chosen this broad path of life that ends in destruction. This broad way does not bring true happiness and true peace in this life, but unrest of the soul and uncertainty. Then at the hour of death comes despair which is followed by eternal damnation. This is not an exaggeration or just some scaremongering; this is a serious warning from our Saviour to walk the narrow way of which He said: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”