God’s faithfulness is unshakable, like a rock, and this is the revelation of salvation not only for the people of Israel after the exile, as Isaiah announces, but for each one of us. Trusting in the Lord therefore means building our existence by going right to the root, because the deeper the foundations, the higher we will be able to build; the more we trust in Him, the more solid our actions will be. Family tensions When my brother D. who was angry at how he had been treated by R. (another brother) decided he no longer wanted to see him, I felt that at our age – we are all over 70 – we ought to be more merciful.  That is when I had the idea of bringing the family together for a picnic in Jells Park, on neutral ground. But R. did not show up on the date agreed. All I could do was pray that his stubborn heart would mellow. A few days later I called him.  I discovered he had not been well and had not eaten for some time. I replied that I would bring him a good soup. When I arrived at his place, he was grateful above all because I had not judged him. Later that day when I got home I called D. to let him know and he said he was prepared to visit his brother if I arranged it. The following Sunday, when the two of them met, there was some initial awkwardness but after a while they started talking quite normally.  In the end R. invited us for dinner. I am really happy with the result and hope that my small contribution might heal certain tensions in the family. (Gill – Australia) Tipping Before the recent increase in salaries for doctors and medical staff, it was common practice in Hungary for doctors to be given a tip for their services, like a predetermined fee. As a chief surgeon, as a matter of principle I did not want this to happen, not least because I knew that lots of people of limited financial means were having to borrow the forints for the doctors. That is why I refused to accept, even though everyone else was, until a colleague pointed out that not accepting a tip could be taken by the patients as a sign that I had not done the operation well. One day, seeing an elderly lady pull out the usual envelope for me, I said to her: “I as a doctor am at your service and I’m paid for it, but if you would be more comfortable to accept my offer, I suggest you give it to a family in need”. She thought about it for a while, then taking my hand said: “Doctor, what you’ve just said to me proves to me that you really care about people. I thank you and, if you agree, I would be happy to help someone in need with you”. (P.M. – Hungary)

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta

(taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VIII, no.2, November-December 2022)