Bethlen Naptár, 1958 (Ligonier)
Highlights in Hungarian Life…
BETHLEN NAPTÁR 233 The ten year old Communist reign of terror has gained one great thing: once and for all it has driven communism from the souls of even those who had once believed in it. Today there are no longer any “believing” Communists in Hungary. The first ones to fight the system came from within it. The revolutionary writers, intellectuals came largely from this group. Many party members took part in the revolution and lost their lives in the battle against tyranny. Communism will be overcome by disenchanted communists. The power of suffering to change men is a great fact of life. Here man’s true status is revealed. Out of forced labor and prison the wheat is separated from the chaff. In suffering many former communists became believers, and unfortunately many church leaders became slaves or spies for the secret police under the bolshevist system. Man stood alone and was revealed for what he really was. Too much prosperity destroys the spirit. History teaches that culture is usually developed through suffering, grows under prosperity, and dies in overabundance. There is a possibility of cultural renewal in the suffering of people in Central Europe and Russia. How else can one explain the return to religion that characterizes the life of people who sought churches when the Gospel and not politics was heard? This explains why the Hungarian people stood as one man through the revolution and thousands gave their lives for a life more worthy of man. They believed that life does not end with death and that “No greater love hath any man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Alongside the Iron Curtain separating the East from the West there is an ’’Iron Curtain” in the souls of men. One side of this curtain are those whose lives are dedicated to materialist ends, whose Church is irreligiousness and who in this way overcome their consciences. On the other side are those who belong to live a full life, life based on the dynamism of faith in God, who longingly await the return of the Son of God. Who knows where THIS Iron Curtain crosses? Are there more on the spiritual side in the East or in the West? TREMBLING THE BUSH Reszket a bokor. Trembling the bush, for a Little bird lit on it, Trembling my spirit, for I have remembered you. I have remembered you, Little, so little girl, In the big universe You are the biggest pearl! Only rose! love you me? Truly I love but you, Father nor mother could Love you more than I do. 1 know you love me when We were together, dear, Then it was summertime, Now the cold winter’s here. Bless you, my darling, if You may not love me more, But if you love me still, Thousands of blessings more! Brim full the Danube and Maybe it overflows, My heart has hardly room For passion’s flooding glows. Alexander Petőfi.
