On November 21, 2023, the Hungarian Parliamentary Prayer Group held its 143rd prayer breakfast.
At the beginning of the prayer breakfast, the members together with the Orthodox pastor Gaborij Damyan prayed together for the millions of victims who died during one of the greatest tragedies of the Ukrainian people, the Holodomor. After that, Imre Vejkey, the leader of the prayer group, spoke about the Gospel of Luke (Lk. 19:1-10) and shared his story with the members. The sinful tax collector, Zacchaeus, gave his wealth to the poor and welcomed Jesus, who arrived in Jericho, into his own house. Christ silenced the grumbling crowd by saying that despite his previous sins, Zacchaeus was saved by his actions. Imre Vejkey said that pretense is not suitable for our time. Our successes in life are all in vain if they do not serve the purposes and glory of the Lord. The question we have to ask ourselves is whether our hearts are really open to the Lord's message and to our fellow human beings?
According to Dr. György Bakondi, Emeritus Chair of the Board of Trustees, there may be moments in our lives when we have to confess our faith even if others do not like it or we are condemned for it. He said that - like Zacchaeus - we also need to recognize in our lives what is the Lord's real purpose for us? Prayer and daily examination of conscience can help us in this.
Róbert Szendrei stated that it is a difficult task to go against global trends and to firmly stand up for our Christian values. However, we all have to make sacrifices in our lives, because this is the only way the church can grow. However, according to prayer group member Józsefné Béres, we need helpers for this task, especially at a younger age. As she said, we must support students who face everyday challenges in daring to confess their Christian faith and represent its values bravely.