“With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience.” (Wis 2:19)

Gentleness is connected with patience. It expresses the full respect for the dignity of the other person. It is not just a simple reaction to somebody’s nice and kind behavior. It comes from the depth of my heart. The heart staying close to God, grounded in His love and rooted in His Word. Gentleness is the result of the fight with my own weakness and and the only proper attitude towards another person.

“One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Verse before the Gospel)

…”The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once to your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved… But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, “Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people,
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand?… So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.”

The Lord said to Moses, Moses implored the Lord. So the Lord…. God”s friends, like Moses. They keep this world going. They talk to Him and He answers them.

When we pray, we can change the future of our world. Even as small as my marriage or my family.

“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life” (Verse before the Gospel)

“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” (Is 49:15).

Never. Which means: we are ALWAYS in His heart. When we are away from our loved ones, we use letters or various little things that remind us of those people. He doesn’t need any of these. He will never forget us. There is no person in this world who is forgotten by Him. Among us, it is much easier, when we send to each other some nice reminders. It helps. The more we receive from God, the more we can share with the others.

“God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved trough him” (Jn 3:17).

“When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him,“Do you want to be well?”.” (J 5:6)

To be well. Especially for a man, who has been ill for 38 years. “He had been ill for a long time”. Jesus saw him and asked him: “do you want”? Our Lord can see in us all our illnesses. And He has the same concern for all of us. He asked him and He is asking each of us. So sensitive (“Jesus saw him lying … and knew that he had been ill”), so delicate.

Our Lord invited the man to be a part of his healing. He does not save us without us. He respects our dignity, He needs our answers, our cooperation. Even if finally “the man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath” (J 5:15-16). He gave him all the best without expecting anything in return. Gift, not demand.

“A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation”. (Verse before the Gospel)

“The man believed what Jesus said to him…” (J 4:50)

God. Man. Between them: the word of God. Reaction of the man – he believed. And because he believed, he left. He put his faith into action.

God speaks to us every day. He sends us answers for our prayers. And the reaction for the word should be our action.

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope, for with the Lord is unfailing love” (Ps 130:5.7)

“Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all she were in the mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast.” (Entrance Antiphon)

“…You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.” (Eph 5:8-9).

Today is the Sunday which is called “Laetare” – Rejoice! In today’s Mass, the rose-coloured vestments can be used by the priest, and the altar may be decorated with flowers. Today everything is about joy. Why? Because He is our Light with which we can see the whole world from a different perspective, from His perspective. We can discover the beauty of His look. “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart”. And in our hearts He can see not our weakness, but our love for Him and all our efforts. We can entrust ourselves to His love.

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life”. (Verse before the Gospel)

“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself… But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed…” (Lk 18:10-13)

“Went to the temple area to pray”. The same time, the same purpose, different prayer. One “spoke this prayer to himself”, the other “at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven”.

It is not enough go “to the temple area” to call this act a prayer. Even there we could forget to worship Him.

“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Verse before the Gospel)

“Take with you words, and return to the LORD” (Hos 14:3).

How important are words. They help us to return to the Lord. Words can repair our relations with others, too. And we should have a lot of words of love, respect, gentleness… We can use the same words when we talk to Him, to our Lord and when we talk to our neighbors – because He joined the words of love in one commandment.

“To love God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself, is worth more than any sacrifice” (Prayer after Communion)

“Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they did not listen to me, nor did they pay attention.” (Jer 7:23-24)

Our freedom. Blessing and curse. When we listen to Him, we are closer to our identity as God’s children. When we don’t, we are alone. Without Him as our Father we can’t be His children. And without being His children we can’t enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. We are not only alone but also without the goal in life.

“Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, for I am gracious and merciful” (Verse before the Gospel).

“…whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:19)

Probably majority of us will concentrate on the words: “commandments” and “obeys.” Because we have some idea how difficult it is. Only some of us focus on the word – teaches. Unless you are a teacher.

And every of us would like to be called “greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” But the most important thing is that “these commandments” are His. And His words brings life. And happiness.

“Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.” (Verse before the Gospel)