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Word of Life – Mt 6:3 (18/9/2022 – 2/10/2022)
Post date: 2022-09-17Autor: BCP
"But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."
Reflection on Mt 6:3
Post date: 2022-09-17Autor: BCP
In connection with this statement, Jesus says: “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” And next, Jesus explains: “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” (Mt 6:1-2) And He continues: “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” So, Jesus emphasizes that we should not seek recognition, or even glory, from people. If we apply this counsel of Christ, we are spared many disappointments. Jesus points out that we should do good deeds in secret with the motivation to please God. In addition, it is true that we thus store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy them and thieves do not steal them. Such motivation requires faith. This involves sacrifice, and you can even expect that people will slander and discredit you for that. But you have all the more credit with God if you endure all this out of love for Him.
Reflection on Mt 5:44
Post date: 2022-09-17Autor: BCP
Jesus tells us what our relationship should be to our enemies: 1) we are to love them; 2) to bless those who curse us; 3) to do good to those who hate us; 4) to pray for those who spitefully use us and persecute us. Each of these four requirements may seem absurd at first glance and give the impression that by fulfilling them we open the door for evil to spread through evil people. The world has different standards, which are contrary to Christ’s requirements:
Word of Life – Mt 5:44 (4/9/2022 – 18/9/2022)
Post date: 2022-09-10Autor: BCP
"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."
BCP: Sabbatical year and koinonia (Part 3) /+video/
Post date: 2022-08-29Autor: BCP
There are two powerful means to deliver a person from the power of lies and evil, which is part of the human ego and the legacy of the original sin. They are interior prayer and koinonia. Jesus is in the midst of you, persons consecrated to God, if there is an inner unity among you (cf. Mt 18:19-20). An inner unity, however, is not possible without being united to Jesus crucified and His death. We were immersed into His death through baptism. The process of launching out into the deep even in our personal relationships is a form of deepest purification as well as a form of repentance. It means to build deep fellowship, biblical koinonia. We talked in several parts about the sabbatical year and its essence. We also asked ourselves how it should now help in reviving God’s servants and God’s people. Ideally, priests in a diocese should form seven groups. Each group would celebrate a different year as a sabbatical year. This appears unrealistic so far. But to start with, a group of 4-7 priests can ask the bishop about this possibility of spending a sabbatical year. Some of the bishops will probably argue there is a shortage of priests. They will only give permission if the priests celebrate Mass on Sundays for the faithful. For a start, even such a compromise should be accepted. May God give His blessing to those who will start the sabbatical year.
BCP: Sabbatical year and prayer (Part 2) /+video/
Post date: 2022-08-28Autor: BCP
Dear priests, bear in mind your calling by God and the importance of your inner relationship to God in a time of catastrophic apostasy from Christ. We live in a time of mass killing of unborn children, in a time of loss of conscience and often reason, in a time of strong manipulation by the mainstream media. We know about the plan of depopulation, or annihilation of mankind, to achieve a so-called golden billion. Purposeful steps are being taken to achieve this. Many people become totally addicted to manipulative smartphones. Some give them several hours of their time every day. As a result, this whole pseudo culture destroys true faith and true Christian life, and diverts the masses, including lukewarm Christians, onto the broad path that leads to destruction. Repentance must begin with devout Christians in the first place. So, you start today! And today you will also receive the light and strength of the Holy Spirit. Repentance means a change of thinking and a change of life. We must give the first place to God and the salvation of our soul. On the Day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter’s words of admonition were addressed to devout men rather than criminals: “You killed Jesus! Repent, and you will receive the Holy Spirit just as we did.”
Reflection on Mt 5:38-39
Post date: 2022-08-25Autor: BCP
This quote cannot be taken out of context; otherwise we would reach the wrong conclusions. The given principle applies to cases where it is necessary to prevent an avalanche of revenge. The fact is that when a person is harmed, he automatically seeks revenge, regardless of whether he himself provoked the offensive reaction or was harmed unjustly. This response, the will to revenge, proceeds from corrupt human nature. Rather than respect the principles of justice, a person is carried away by the spirit of anger and hatred. He burns with a desire to knock out all teeth for one tooth and two eyes for one eye. He will pay back in spades and not allow for forgiveness. Sometimes it goes so far that he takes revenge even on the offspring of the one who hurt him. This automatism of revenge coming out of the old self within us takes no account of God, our own guilt before God, or the reality of God’s just judgment and eternity.
Word of Life – Matt. 5:38-39 (21/8/2022 – 4/9/2022)
Post date: 2022-08-20Autor: BCP
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”
BCP: Sabbatical year – information (Part 1) /+video/
Post date: 2022-08-13Autor: BCP
Spiritual renewal, especially that of priests and consequently also of God’s people, is currently an urgent need. Ideally, priests in a diocese should form seven groups. Each group would celebrate a different year as a sabbatical year. During this year, the priest should go into the spiritual desert, figuratively speaking. A group of priests could use half-empty monasteries or other unused religious buildings for this purpose. Each diocese should allocate at least one sabbatical house, where the groups of priests could take turns after a year. But to start with, a group of 4-7 priests can ask the bishop about this possibility of spending a sabbatical year. He will probably require that they celebrate Mass on Sundays for the faithful. They need to begin and therefore even such a compromise should be accepted. The Church is in a deep crisis, but despite it, many bishops care deeply about the interior revival of the Church.
Word of Life – Gen. 4:7 (7/8/2022 – 21/8/2022)
Post date: 2022-08-06Autor: BCP
“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Reflection on Gen 4:7
Post date: 2022-08-06Autor: BCP
The Lord spoke these words to Cain before he committed fratricide. Why did he commit fratricide? Because his heart was filled with envy at his brother Abel, who was righteous before God and offered God-pleasing sacrifices of his first-born sheep. Cain, on the other hand, was an egoist and had no good relationship either to God or his brother. He reproached God for not hearing his insincere prayers from a heart full of jealousy, resentment, even hatred, which he felt towards his brother, and for no reason at all. The Lord says that it is not enough just to be passive, but we should do well both to God and to our brethren. If we do not do well, God warns us that sin lies at the door of our soul and seeks to blind us and dominate us like it did with Cain. That is why God commands us: You should rule over sin and not be its slave.
Reflection on Mt 5:32
Post date: 2022-07-26Autor: BCP
At the time of Jesus, marriage was not yet a sacrament, which is why, as we know, for example, King David had several wives. In this verse, which refers to the indissolubility of marriage, Jesus points to the Old Testament practice where it was said: Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce. But Jesus says: But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. What does the Catholic Catechism say? What is the sacrament of marriage? The sacrament of matrimony is a sacrament that sanctifies the indissoluble union between a Catholic man and woman and entitles them to special graces for the due performance of marital duties.
Word of Life – Mt 5:32 (24/7/2022 – 7/8/2022)
Post date: 2022-07-23Autor: BCP
"But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."
Reflection on Mt 5:29
Post date: 2022-07-15Autor: BCP
This verse is a continuation of the preceding verse speaking of an impure look, which is the root of the sin of adultery. Jesus gives the saving instructions in the words “cut it off and cast it from you”. In another place, He says “pluck it out”. It is not about physically cutting off your hand or foot or plucking out your eye, but rather about making an inner self-denial by cutting off a thought or feeling, that is, a momentary sensation which can take control of the human mind or will and lead a person to an irresponsible act, sin or even crime. The words about cutting off the hand or foot mean that we should not use our members as instruments of sin. Scripture says in another place: “Men should pray with holy hands lifted up to God.” (1Ti 2:8) Our feet should not walk where there is danger.
Word of Life – Mt 5:29 (10/7/2022 – 24/7/2022)
Post date: 2022-07-11Autor: BCP
"If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be cast into hell."
Reflection on Mt 5:27-28
Post date: 2022-07-05Autor: BCP
On the evening before His death, Jesus emphasized: “Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.” Many commandments are part of the Sermon on the Mount, which opens with the eight Beatitudes. Jesus touches on an issue that is extremely topical today, namely moral purity. He says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The Lord, through Moses, gave people the Sixth and Ninth Commandments of the Decalogue. Jesus speaks here as the supreme Lawgiver, saying: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you…” When a judge promulgates a law, he does so in the name of political authority and power, such as a kingdom or republic. Being God, Jesus promulgates moral laws by His own divine authority. He Himself says that He did not come to destroy but to fulfil the essence of what had already been given by God in the Old Testament before His coming. Jesus now clarifies the question of purity, and says: “Whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Word of Life – Mt 5:27-28 (26/6/2022 – 10/7/2022)
Post date: 2022-07-05Autor: BCP
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Word of Life – Mt 5:22 (12/6/2022 – 26/6/2022)
Post date: 2022-06-14Autor: BCP
"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire."
Reflection on Mt 5:22
Post date: 2022-06-14Autor: BCP
We must keep guard over our thoughts, our heart and our words, if anyone has a complaint against another. Even a mere half-truth can hurt a lot and, like slander, can hardly be corrected. However, one must also take into account another aspect, as mentioned by Saint Basil, namely that there are two cases when it is necessary to publicly point out someone’s negatives without it being considered slander. The first one is when there is a danger of evil being treated as good. And the other one is the need to correct a sinner.