Head of PMD carried a pastoral visit to Ukrainians in Budapest and celebrated Sunday Liturgy

“Very often in our lives we practice doing good things, pray now and again, and get nothing in turn, I guess. Today we hear a response: God has his own jewelry box, where we put our good deeds in, thoughts, help, sacrificial service. And He, in turn, take it all out and distribute among crippled, those affected by sin and grief, so everyone might be saved”, said the Bishop in his homily. – Quite often a person cannot get rid off her paralysis because there was no one who could put their own donation there, which is lacked in order to give that crippled one. Besides, there might be simply no one to land a helping hand to that distressed person in time of an extreme grief, drawing him closer to God. Regularly, we lack confidence to appeal to God to such extent, so the ceiling must be opened to get to”.

God teaches us, the bishop stressed out, so we, getting into one community called Church, might be ready and able to bear the burdens of one another. The Lord says: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”.

Bishop Joseph indicated that Lent is a special time when God gives everybody an opportunity to perform some bravery. “How many good things we can perform and we cease doing them, what is also a transgression. The Lord said once: “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”. Let’s learn from this Gospel teaching today – the crippled didn’t do anything, however having loyal friends, became healed. Let’s try to live a life with doing good things, putting them into God’s jewelry box. So, in time of need God may refer to us with the same words: “Get up, take your mat and go home, your sins are forgiven”.

From pmv.ugcc.org.ua