![]() ![]() As you see, dear friends, Jesus wants us to accomplish great things. We do not achieve greatness at the expense of others, but rather by serving them (cf. He accepts their desire for greatness, which is good, but he insists on one thing that we too must always remember: it is not by stepping upon others that we become great, but by stooping to help them. ![]() He does not say: “How dare you? Stop dreaming of such things!” No, Jesus does not shatter their ambitions, but corrects them about the right way to achieve them. It is worth noting that Jesus does not rebuke them for their audacity. Then, some time later, two of his young disciples blunder – his disciples often blunder! – and they ask Jesus the wrong thing, namely, to sit at his right and his left when he becomes king, because they wanted to climb higher. He does not want his disciples to be like schoolchildren who merely repeat lessons learned, but young people who are free and press ahead, fellow travellers of a God who listens to their needs and is attentive to their dreams. What do I seek? Jesus does not preach at them, but walks with them, and with each of us. My question is: “What is it that you seek? What are you looking for in life? What do you seek in your heart?” Silently, let each of us answer within ourselves. I too ask each of you a question answer it quietly in your hearts. The Lord turns to them and asks a single question: “What are you looking for?” ( Jn 1:38). Two of them, sent to him by John the Baptist, begin to follow Jesus. We can look too at Jesus’ first encounter with those who were to become his disciples. Hearing this question, Mary Magdalene opened her heart, unburdened her grief and revealed the deepest desires of her heart: “Where is the Lord?”. As she stood weeping by the empty tomb, Jesus came and asked her: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” ( Jn 20:15). We can also think of Mary Magdalene – a woman who had quite a past! – who on Easter morning was the first to see the risen Jesus. Don’t forget it! God always forgives he is always there to lift us up whenever we fall! With him at our side, we should never be afraid to move ahead with our lives. Keep this in mind: God does not want to condemn, but to forgive. Even as she speaks, she realizes that God wishes not to condemn her, but to forgive her. He is left alone with her and he gently asks her: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” ( Jn 8:10). I think of the time he found himself faced with the woman caught in adultery, at whom all were pointing their fingers. We read in the Gospels, that he, the Teacher, always asks questions before he responds. He is a brother, the best of brothers, and he is very good at asking questions. He is God in the flesh, the living God who draws near to us. Bertalan, you said that Jesus is not a storybook character or the superhero of a comic book, and that is true. That is true, and it is important that you have someone to encourage you and to listen to your questions, not to give you simplistic, pre-packaged answers, which are useless and cannot make us happy, but to help you fearlessly face the adventure of life as you search for the right answers. I thank each of you for being here today: I am happy to be with you! Thank you.īishop Ferenc has told us that youth is a time for important questions and responses. Dicsértessék a Jézus Krisztus! ĭear brothers and sisters, I would like to say köszönöm! for your dance, your song and your courageous testimonies.
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