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The Word of Life – Mt 5:29 (6/12/15 – 20/12/2015)
“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you;
for it is better for you that one of your members perish,
than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”
Reflection on Mt 5:29
“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you;
for it is better for you that one of your members perish,
than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”
Jesus speaks here about temptations and about the way of fighting them. The major battlefield is our mind. The devil attacks our mind through temptations more than anything else. This fight is relentless and does not stop as long as we are alive. You cannot allow thoughts to cross your mind as they like. We are accountable to God for every thought that crosses our mind, so we need to stop it and carefully check if this thought is obedient to Christ. We learn from the Scripture as well as from the experience of the saints that whatever communication between human and demonic powers takes place in the human mind. Every demonic temptation which seduces man is targeted on the human mind. The enemy also exploits the human body in order to win man over to his side and to win his approval. Therefore, at every moment of his tempting the enemy develops a certain thought, e.g. he arouses envy, anger or hatred.
What are you doing for the salvation of your immortal soul?
None of us will be here after one hundred years. We all will be in a cemetery, a pile of bones and dust. However, our soul is immortal, and it will be either in hell or in heaven. Purgatory is only a temporary state. The forces which try to drag us to hell are: 1) our pride and disordered passions, 2) the world and its system of lies, and 3) the spirit of lies – a liar and murderer. The three of them have one task: to get us to hell. So we must radically and uncompromisingly stand in the light, expose these three enemies and their destructive plan and declare war on them. We cannot serve two masters. We will either love the one and hate the other, or vice versa. We cannot serve both God and a demon (mammon or other idols). We must say a definite “yes” to God and a definite “no” to the enemy. Eternal life, and not only ours, is at stake. The eternity of people around us depends on us.
No expression of a living faith is in vain
We should live in the presence of God so that we may do the will of God, decide, speak and act not on our own
but in dependence on God. The condition for us to abide and walk in God is our practical faith. We should really walk in faith like Abraham and revive our faith again and again in all trials. Therefore, no expression of a living faith is in vain or without response.
The Word of Life – Mt 5:27-28 (22/11/15 – 6/12/2015)
“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.”
Reflection on Mt 5:27-28
“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.”
Original sin, which consists in revolt against God and His commandments, has deeply wounded all spheres of human life. In terms of carnality, this wounded nature becomes manifest in sinful lusts which affected Adam and Eve immediately after the fall (Gen 3:7). Therefore, God laid down the sixth and ninth commandments to prevent the infection of the sin of impurity.
In these words spoken in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus points out the root of adultery. He says that one can commit adultery not only physically but in one’s heart too if one unites oneself to a lustful thought. In such case, the instrument of sin is an impure look and the place of sin is the human heart – a lustful, impure mind.
Intellectual pride keeps man from bowing before God
Why do scientists reject belief in God? A certain scientist said: “If you are a believer and you are really a good scientist, science will bring you to even greater knowledge of God.” If someone is an atheist, it is because he refuses to acknowledge an intelligent and wise Being higher than himself to Whom he ought to give an account of his life. In other words, it is intellectual pride, which is, in fact, demonic pride. Similarly, the angels who became demons had refused to submit to the authority of God who created them. They wanted to be as God: “I am God and acknowledge no higher authority than myself.” Only hardened people refuse to know God, to bow before Him, to turn to Him and to give Him the first place in their lives, because they do not want to be dependent on Him.
How to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness in practice
Try it! Try if it works! Try it this week. Try to seek first the kingdom of God. Try to put your trust in God, knowing that He will care for you just as He cares for birds or lilies (cf. Mt 6:25-30). Try not to serve two masters but to serve God alone. Try it all and you will see that He is really a living God who cares for your life. He will give you the light what to do. Jesus is alive. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is with you. Do you have problems? Give them to Jesus. “Lord, this is my problem. I give it to You.” But give it to Him with faith. Do not ask Him without believing that He will hear you. Give Him your problems and put absolute trust in Him. He will solve them and work miracles because He is almighty and He loves you. He is with you always. But one thing is needed: you must be with Him too. Seek first the kingdom of God and He will solve all problems in your life.
Martyrdom of the Holy Virgin Tatiana of Rome, and those who suffered with her
Commentary: The Holy Virgin Martyr Tatiana was born into an illustrious Roman family, and her father was elected consul three times. He was a good Christian, but secretly. He raised his daughter, Saint Tatiana, to be devoted to God and instructed her in the Scriptures. When she reached the age of maturity, Tatiana decided to remain a virgin, betrothing herself to Christ, touched by His love. She served Him day and night in fasting and prayer, putting her flesh to death and subjecting it to the Spirit. In view of her fervent zeal and love of God, she was appointed a deaconess. Deaconesses were young virgins appointed by bishops to care for the poor and the sick, to assist at Baptism and to serve in the temple. The words of Christ were rooted deeply in her heart: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Her love of God and neighbours indeed made Tatiana worthy to receive a glorious martyr’s crown. Her martyrdom for the sake of Christ happened as follows:
B – Going on With Christ
How to fight bad moods
When a mood takes you or you slide into depression, ask yourself at once: What spirit is behind it?! The spirit of lies. If you yield to it, it will torment you for hours, days or weeks. Stop! Lift up your heart! Realize God’s presence and give your problem to Jesus. He will take it from you and fill your heart with peace which the world cannot give. It works 120%! You only need to practise it and come to Jesus time and again. Unless you have done so, you have not fulfilled the conditions and so nothing happens. God’s Word falls on deaf ears and God cannot work and touch your heart. You must give Him your problem, go for an X-ray – stand personally before God and tell Him: “Lord, You know me, You know my thoughts, feelings, everything. I won’t act unwisely and hide it from You.” Jesus says: “There is nothing covered that will not be revealed.” Everything will be revealed!
The Word of Life – Mt 5:21-22 (8/11/15 – 22/11/2015)
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,
and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that
whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger
of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger
of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.”
Reflection on Mt 5:21-22
You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
A) You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not murder!’
The Fifth Commandment says: You shall not murder! Evil thought connected with deceit and manipulation and resulting in hatred is the root of murder. There is not only physical murder but also psychological and spiritual one. Behind all three forms of murder there is a spirit of lies and death. Man is easily manipulated by his own self-deceit or is deceived by others whom he believed or immediately by the devil’s suggestive thoughts. The Fifth Commandment also includes ruining one’s own health. Today you can read on every pack of cigarettes: “Smoking kills!” The same is the effect of drugs, alcohol, immoral life (AIDS, sexual murders, revenge out of jealousy…), or risking one’s own or someone else’s health. Abortion and euthanasia are sins of killing too.
