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10 Квітня, 2011

Дорогі радіо слухачі!

Сьогодні 5 неділя Великого посту. Євангеліє від Марка розповідає нам про оту подію, коли то двох братів Яків та Іван приступають до Христа з просьбою, щоб у його царстві могли вони сидіти один по правиці а другий по лівиці. У євангелії від Матея згадується подібне, тільки що там їхня Мати Соломія сама приступає до Христа по вище згаданій причині. Очевидно, батьки завжди журяться своїми дітьми, стараються вивисти їх в люди, щоби їм краще жилося, а при тому нераз не звертаючи уваги на інших. Можемо собі увити ракцію інших апостолів. Вони нарікають на Івана і Якова, називають їх самолюбами, що думають тільки про себе. Безперечно, вони самі мали подібні думки, не розуміючи Христового завдання тут на землі. Вони мріяли про визволення від Римлян і зовсім не звертали уваги на Христа який аж три рази навістив їм про свою смерть, але також згадав і про воскресіння. Апостоли не журилися, що станиться з Христом, не думали, що то означає, що Він воскресне з мертвих, а радше журилися що з ними буде, дбали тільки про своєю карієрою.

Добре є бажати великого, до того ми усі покликані, але при тому важним є щоб все діялося по справедливості, щоб інших не скривдити. Не завидувати їм коли їм краще поводится, і не старатися очорнити їх, щоб себе підвищити.

Дуже часто ми стаємо заздрісними долею, щастям або маєтком інших людей. Хотіли б бути подібними до них, або ще й кращими, хотіли б мати, що інші мають, або може ще й більше.

"Коли б я був багатий, як мій сусід, ото б мені добре жилося. Я був би щасливий", згадував часто один заздрісний чоловік у своїх молитвах. Легенда далі розповідає, що ангел приступає до нього і каже йому: "Небо почуло твої молитви, і післано мене сповнити твої бажання, але тільки під одною умовою. Врадований чоловік потер собі руки з радости, подякував сердечно і з цікавістю запитав: "А яка це умова?" Ангел йому тоді пояснив: "Кожного разу, як ти щось здобудеш, твоєму сусідов дасться подвійно більше. Руки чоловікові охляли, він глибоко зітхнув, покрутив головою і сумно промовив: "Краще хай такого не буде, не хочу нічого, бо це насправді не варта. Нема причини щоб мій сусід на мій рахунок збагачувався і мав ще більше від мене."

Незалежно кілько маємо, ми завжди хотіли б більше, І тяжко нам погодитися з думкою, що інші нас у чому небудь перевищують. У нас бракує скромности. Ми звикли вину за наші неуспіхи перекидати на інших, хоча у більшості ми самі при тому завинили. Не одну справу можна б легко полагодити, коли навчилиб ся ми більше слухати а менче говорити, більши вчитися від інших, замість старатися по всяку ціну їх навчати накидаючи свою думку, більше приглядатися як інші роблять, щоб могти зробити краще, а не робити по своєму, а потім завважувати, що інші мали кращі ідеї.

Заздрість поволи забиває людину. Ми стараємося по всяку ціну переконати інших, щоб вони про нас говорили добре, щоб нас хвалили, навіть як ми за це собі не заслужили. Нераз стараємося інших очорнювати, щоб себе ставити вище, і так поволи забуваємо про любов до ближніх, тішимося їхніми нещастями і поволи відходимо від дороги справедливости.

Просім Господа, щоб дав нам більше лагідности і скромноси, а забрав від нас заздрість і себелюбля, і бажання панувати над іншими.

Коли ми готові завидувати іншим, подумаємо, як ми насправді їх знаємо. Можливо вони мають труднощі яких ми несвідомі, тяжкі хрести, яких одначи вони носять без нарікання.

Одного разу нарікала якась жінка перед Господом: "Іншим все добре поводиться, у у мене завжди якісь хрести на моїй дорозі, наплечник моїх страждань затяжкий." І Господь їй сказав: "Вебирай наплечник який хочиш, тих осіб що їх добре знаєш." І зраділа жінка і сказала: "Ось вебираю наплечник моєї сусідки. Вона завжди усміхнена, у неї мабуть все впорятку." Але попробувавши його здевувалася, бо він був набагато тяжчий. "Чому так, Господи?" – запитала жінка і одержала відповідь, бо вона має багато більше від тебе переносити. У неї клопоти в родині, клопоти зі здоровям..." "Але вона завжди виглядає веселою!" " А то тому", сказав Господь, "бо вона пренимає все як випробування, і я даю її сили переносити різьні труднощі..." І сказала жінка: "Дякую тобі Господи, що показав мені дорогу якою маю іти. Поможи і мені переносити мої труднощі і не заломатися."

Дорогі в Хресті! Може також статися, що інші нам у чомусь завидують. Може нашому доброму родинному життю, може нашим талантам, нераз не використаним, може нашому здоров’ю.

Одного разу, розповідются, директоре банку переходить коло огородника і собі думає: "Так би хотілося бути у природі, не сидіти цілий час за бюрком, у задимлені кімнаті, повними грудьми дихати свіжим повітрям, бути здоровим, так як отой огородник." У той сам час огородник має свої думки: " Коли б так був я на місті цього директора банку. Був би багатий, щасливий, міг би купити собі, що душа забажає, сидів би за своїм бюрком у просторій кімнаті."

Як це правдиве. Чого нам бракує ми тогого бажаємо, а в той сам час не вміємо доцінювати цього, що нам Госодь дав, чим постійно втішаємося.

Постараймося використати це чим Господь нас обдарував, постараймося іншим допомогти використаи їхні талалнти, і тішмося їхніми успіхами. Якщо заздрість зайде у наше серце, молімся. Молімся за себе, щоб престати бути заздрісними, молімся за тих, що є причиною нашої заздрости, щоб вони мали ще більші успіхи і не журімся, що це можливо могло б нам пошкодити. Кожний і кожна з нас має сповнити своє завдання у житті. На це Господь нас покликав і дав нам можливостізєднатися колись з ним і бути по його правиці.

+ С.І.Х!

 (пісня)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Today is the fifth Sunday of our Lenten Journey and in today's Gospel reading, we hear the account of Jesus on the road to Jerusalem, and how the disciples followed behind Him.  Throughout St. Mark's Gospel, people respond to Jesus with both amazement and fear. They were amazed when Jesus healed a man who could not walk. They were amazed when he said that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. They were amazed when he instructed them to return to Caesar the things that were Caesar's.  The people were anxious when they realized that Jesus had healed a man who had been possessed by a demon. The disciples were afraid when Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, and we are told that their fear left them speechless.  And now, they follow Jesus on the road to Jerusalem and hear Him say, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise." (Mark 10:34).  This is the third time we have heard Jesus make this special announcement to His disciples in which He informs them, in increasing detail, of what the cross will involve. And each time, He includes the promise of the resurrection, which they never seem to hear.  St. Mark particularly indicates that this is a very tense atmosphere as they are going along the road.  He tells us Jesus went first, all alone, with no one accompanying him.  Behind Him came the band of twelve disciples, and following them came the crowd, the multitude who were following Jesus.

A man asked God how long a million years was to Him. God replied, "It is just like a single second of your time, my child."  The man then asked, "What about a million dollars?" The Lord replied, "To Me, it is just like a single penny." The man gathered himself up and said, "Well, Lord, could I have one of your pennies?" God said, "Certainly, my child… just a second."  The Gospel continues with a request from the Sons of Zebedee.  James and John do not ask Jesus for a millions dollars, but they do make a significant request: "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And Jesus said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." (Mark 10:37).  James and John were asking if they could sit at the right and left hand of God in His kingdom, but they did not understand what that involved.  Now, Jesus did not rebuke them for making this request. There is really nothing wrong with desiring to be close to Jesus, with desiring to be in His presence.  But Jesus had just shared with His disciples the truth concerning His sacrifice for the world; he was trying to communicate truth to them concerning the salvation of others, and James and John were too preoccupied with themselves to fully understand what they were asking of Jesus.  Further, they did not even understand the implications of their own desires. Jesus says, "You do not know what you are asking for.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?" (Mark 10:38). 

Jesus would have to go through great suffering. His position would cause Him to have to pay a great price. James and John wanted to be part of Christ’s glory, but were they willing to pay the same price?  Had they really thought through the implications of their request in terms of the personal cost?  Without much thought, they replied, "We are able to drink of the cup."  But they had no idea as to the extent of suffering which the Lord was referring to.  Jesus, of course, is referring to the Cross.  It is a cup given to Him by His Father, which He must drink. You recall, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not My will but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42).  So Jesus is speaking of the whole spectrum of events involving the suffering, the anguish, the pain, the rejection, the mocking, the scourging - every part of the Cross - as the Father's choice for Him, handed over for Him to drink out of love for the world.  Now, the disciples had no way of understanding the significance of this cup.  “The Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45).  Already, this Sunday of Lent allows a glimmer of the light of Holy Week to shine in.  Next Saturday will be the Saturday of Lazarus, whom Jesus will raise from the dead, followed by Palm Sunday, Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  The Church, therefore, urges us in anticipation of the feast which we will soon celebrate - to develop the proper attitude we should have as we come closer to Christ’s Passion and Resurrection.

"Verily I say unto you, in as much as you have done it unto one of the least of my brethren, you have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40).  They all lived in a rural area and they were experiencing one of the worst winters they had had in years. When Katherine answered the phone, Mary told her that they should visit their neighbor.  She suspected that all was not well.  She had not seen their neighbor Sabina in weeks. She did not run into the children at the playground, and the house looked too quiet. Something inside of Mary kept urging her to check on Sabina.  It was very cold out and the snow drifts were deep, but Mary and Katherine put on their boots and winter coats and trudged down the long driveway to visit their neighbor. Mary was right to be concerned, Sabina was sick. She was in bed and her three pre-school children were sitting around listlessly.  The dishes and laundry hadn't been looked after for weeks.  They didn't know if the children had even been fed. They had no idea how to contact her husband - but they knew she was in a serious depression.  Mary and Katherine fed the children, washed the dishes and did the laundry. When they did not know what to do – they simply went on to the next chore.  Hours later, after much tending to their neighbor and her children, they walked home.  But Mary and Katherine agreed that Sabina needed professional help, so they made some phone calls that night. The next day, a social worker came to see Sabina.  A week later, Sabina told Katherine and Mary that she would be going to a hospital for treatment.  They told her they would care for the children and look after them while she was recovering.  Katherine took care of the 12 month-old Thomas and Mary took the three year-old son Martin and the five year old daughter Marlene.  For three weeks they did not hear from Sabina.  The children adapted quickly and blossomed in the stable, happy homes where they were loved and cared for.  Soon after that, Sabina’s husband came to see them and thanked Mary and Katherine for all that they had done. Sabina’s husband was in the military and stationed away from home. He had no idea that his wife was battling depression with him being gone so long, but he promised Mary and Katherine that things would be different. When Sabina was able, she returned home to her husband and children and adjusted very well after her treatment.  She just needed a helping hand to get back on her feet again.  There is much to be learned from Mary and Katherine’s example of being a neighbor to someone in need – about serving others who need our help the most.  When God impresses on us to help someone in need – do we listen?  When I think of the people we pass on the street, the people in our own neighborhood or even within our Church community – What if Christ was one of them?  Would He be perceptible to us? Would we stop and listen to Him?  Much of what we miss out on is a result of our inability to make personal sacrifices.  Christ lives in each of us, the wealthy and the poor, the young and the old, every culture and every walk of life. What if we miss out on Christ, because we fail to hear him or see him in the people who need us the most?  Perhaps God has put someone on our path with a similar need.  Have we been there for them?  Have we served them and listened to the call of God in our own lives?

The Gospels teach us that Jesus came as a servant of His Father, and not as one to be served.  He behaved among His disciples, not as one who is sitting at a table, but as one who provided for them.  Christ took upon Himself the condition of servant so as to deliver mankind from our servitude to sin.  The goodness of Christ appeared greater and more godlike, and true to the image of the Father, when He abased Himself and became obedient to His death on the Cross.  This is what Christ chose to do; to accept the condition of servant in order to redeem the world.  Jesus further goes on to give us the key - what it is that makes for true greatness: "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant; and whoever would be first among you must be slave to all." (Matt 20:27).  Jesus is telling us that true authority arises out of servitude, out of meeting somebody else's need.  God has chosen every one of us.  He created each of us in his own image and likeness.  The Son of God was serving our greatest need, redemption, when He died on the cross.  Jesus did not live His life for Himself.  He gave His life as a ransom for many.  Jesus lived the most selfless life the world has ever known.  Jesus lived the most caring and compassionate life the world will ever know.  We are to be more than professors that know we are saved; we are to be confessors that show we are saved.  We are to be more than saved sinners; we are called to be serving saints.  Our motive is to honor God.  Our ministry is to help others.  My brothers and sisters, if we (like James and John) desire a seat in the Kingdom of God, then we must be willing to follow the example set before us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I once read an article about a statue of Christ that was damaged in a bombing raid in South Africa.  The hands were both broken off.  The townspeople first intended to repair the statue by replacing the hands, but then thought otherwise.  Instead of replacing the hands, they put an inscription on the statue that read, ‘He has no hands… but our hands.’

A-me-N

(пісня)