The flame of peace ignited on Debrecen’s Advent wreath
Like the heavenly messenger guiding the shepherds to Bethlehem 2022 years ago, like the shining star guiding the celebrants from the Old Town Hall to the Great Church in Debrecen, love guided the voices of the soloists or singers in the church on Golden Sunday. Ildikó Piros, Kossuth and Jászai Mari award-winning actress, welcomed the visitors at the fourth Advent candle lighting. Deputy mayor István Puskás said that love can provide the only meaningful solution to our human frailties, pettiness, finitude, and the often evil forces that reside within us. We claim this value for ourselves since 2022. We are preparing for the most important birthday in the history of mankind, he said, and he asked those present to stop, take a breath and remember what we are preparing for in the next few days, when the preparation requires a hectic pace and even causes stress. For the celebration of love.
– Buying gifts is part of the preparation, but the question is whether they will make Christmas real? We do not create Christmas, but we all received it as a gift from God. Because He can give us the real holiday, along with everything we need, including peace – added István Oláh, president-pastor of the Great Reformed Church of Debrecen to the previous suggestions. “Let’s let the Lord into our lives so that we can have peace with God, with ourselves and with each other,” he asked those gathered on the last Sunday of Advent.
Painted historical moments
Roman Catholic County Bishop Ferenc Palánki made a picture meditation, we can see a fragment of a fresco by Giotto di Bondone on the projector, on which we could see Mary when the Archangel Gabriel addressed her with the good news. – Mary actually meets God, even herself. With himself, as his God made him: full of grace. In our lives, it is also very important to make us aware that God created us good, wants to see us good and wants us to see each other as good, he pointed out. It has been said, it is worth taking an example from Mária in terms of the fact that she dared to ask. During our prayers and meditations, we can also ask God, we don’t have to understand everything first. The birth mother of Jesus receives an answer to the question of how this happens, and then says yes. Not that she will be able to become the mother of God’s son, but that nothing is impossible for God. In order for something wonderful to be realized through us here on earth, which we call personal and community salvation history, we need to see ourselves as God wants us and to say yes to what is up to us – he encouraged.