Author: bayuop

A Dominican brother tries his best to preach the Gospel...

Mercy of the Father

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Fourth Sunday of Lent. March 6, 2016 [Luke 15:1-3, 11-32]

“His father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion (Luk 15:20).”

 

prodigal son 2The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most moving stories of Jesus and has been regarded as the all-time favorite. The parable is so beautiful that it moved one of the earliest heretics, Marcion of Sinope, to single out the Gospel of Luke as the only valid Gospel. Why does the parable gain such honor among Jesus’ parables? I guess one of the reasons is the unexpected twist of event appears in the parable. Like when we watch movies in the cinema, flat and predicted plot of movies will cause boredom, but movies with sudden and unforeseen twists often create breath-taking excitement. The twist of the parable is that the Mercy of God that goes beyond any human expectation and limitations.

The lost son would simply expect that he would be treated as one of his father’s servants after sinning so greatly. The elder son, meanwhile, expected the same thing would happen to the bad boy. But, the father did not subscribe to their human expectation. He did sudden yet amazing turn: he accepted both as who they really are, his sons. God’s mercy surpasses all our human limitations and logic, because we are all his children.

The story of Rudolf Höss may illustrate how unimaginable God’s Mercy is. Rudolf Höss was a commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp and he was practically responsible for the extermination of 2.5 million prisoners, mostly Jews, but also Christians like St. Maximillian Kolbe, and Edith Stain. At the end of the war, he was arrested, tried and received capital punishment for his crime against humanity. He was then imprisoned in Wadowice (the birthplace of St. John Paul II) and he would be executed at the very place he used to rule, Auschwitz. Höss was in great fear not only because of his imminent death penalty but also of cruel torture from prison guards. To his surprise, he was treated mercifully by the guards, notwithstanding the fact that their wives and children were also victims of Nazi’s cruelty. Their mercy moved him to tears and conversion. Höss was a baptized Catholic, but left his faith in his adulthood. He eventually asked for a priest for confession. It was truly difficult to find one, until they discovered Fr. Wladyslaw Lohn, a Jesuit who was the chaplain of the sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at the Shrine of Divine Mercy, Krakaw. Höss made his confession and received the underserved forgiveness. A day before he died, he was able to receive the Holy Communion, kneeling and in tears.

Sometimes, we are like the lost son that we have turned away from God and our lives have been so messed up, that we are losing hope of God’s mercy. Sometimes, we become the elder son who has lived a righteous and good life, but we forget how it is to be merciful to others. Thus, this is not coincidence that Pope Francis chose Luke 6:36 as the motto of the Jubilee of Mercy: ‘Merciful like the Father’. The jubilee of Mercy is both time for us to ask mercy as well as to give mercy. The lost son is in need of mercy and the elder son needs to be merciful. Are we humble enough to ask mercy and forgiveness from God and others? Are we ready to be merciful like the Father?

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Mercy: Our Second Chance

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Third Sunday of Lent. Luke 13:1-9 [February 28, 2016]

“It may bear fruit in the future (Luk 13:9)”

jesus n fig treeThe heart of the parable of the Good Gardener is God’s Mercy. Not only He is merciful, but He is the Mercy itself. Pope Francis fittingly wrote that the name of God is Mercy. God cannot but be merciful. We are like the tree that was fruitless and useless, but God gave us a second chance. Jesus, our Holy Gardener, even exerts His utmost effort to take care of us, making sure that grace of God in constantly pour upon us.

In my readings on Mercy, I stumbled upon this little story of a young French soldier who deserted the armies of Napoleon but was soon caught. He was court-martialed and condemned to death. His mother pleaded with Napoleon to spare her son’s life. Napoleon said that the crime was dreadful; justice demanded his life. The mother sobbed and begged for mercy. Napoleon replied that the young man did not deserve mercy. And the mother said, “I know that he does not deserve mercy. It would not be mercy if he deserved it.”

God’s mercy flows from His overflowing love. However, because God so loves us, He also allows us grow in freedom. God gave us a second chance, but it is up us to grab it or blow it up. Just like St. Augustine once said, “God created us without us, but He did not save us without us.” Thus, the greatest enemy of mercy is hopelessness. We assume that we no longer are no longer able to change. We refuse God’s second change because we see it as completely useless. Indeed, to cash despair is the chief work of the devil. Author, lawyer, economist, and actor Ben Stein says, “The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated. It is finished when it surrenders.” Our failures, weaknesses condition us to believe that we are worthless, and the moment we doubt the mercy of God, the devil is victorious.

England could have been lost to Germany in World War II, had not been for Winston Churchill. He was the prime minister of England during some of the darkest hours of World War II. He was once asked by a reporter what his country’s greatest weapon had been against Hitler’s Nazi regime that bombarded England day and night. Without pausing for a moment he said, “It was what England’s greatest weapon has always been hope.”

Pope Francis, through his own initiative declared this year as the Jubilee Year of Mercy, and He opens up the gates of mercy all over the world so that everyone may feel God’s love and compassion. Yet again, we never receive that grace, unless we pass through the threshold of that gates. We need to believe that His Mercy conquers all our limitations, and His Love covers multitude of sins. When Pope Francis visited the US in September 2015, he made a point to meet the prisoners and he said to them, “Let us look to Jesus, who washes our feet. He is ‘the way, and the truth, and the life’. He comes to save us from the lie that says no one can change. He helps us to journey along the paths of life and fulfillment. May the power of his love and his resurrection always be a path leading you to new life.”

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Belas Kasih: Sebuah Kesempatan Kedua

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Minggu Pra-Paskah ketiga. Lukas 13:1-9 [28 Februari 2016]

“Mungkin tahun depan ia berbuah (Luk 13:9)”

jesus n fig tree 2Inti dari perumpamaan tentang Pengurus kebun yang baik adalah kerahiman Allah. Tidak hanya Allah penuh dengan belas kasih, tetapi Dia adalah belas kasih itu sendiri. Paus Fransiskus dengan tepat menulis bahwa Nama Allah adalah Belas Kasih. Karena Ia adalah Sang Belas Kasih, tindakan pertama-Nya terhadap kita manusia adalah berbelas kasih. Walaupun kita seperti pohon ara yang tak membuahkan hasil dan tidak berguna, tetapi Allah memberi kita kesempatan kedua. Dan tidak hanya kesempatan baru, Yesus, sang pengurus kebun kita yang suci, bahkan memberikan upaya maksimal-Nya untuk merawat kita, memastikan bahwa anugerah Allah terus-menerus tercurahkan kepada kita.

Dalam pembelajaran saya tentang belas kasih, saya menemukan sebuah cerita tentang seorang prajurit Perancis muda yang melarikan diri dari tugasnya sebagai pasukan Napoleon, tapi ia segera tertangkap. Dia diadili di mahkamah militer, dinyatakan bersalah dan dijatuhi hukuman mati. Mendengar hal ini, sang ibu memohon Napoleon untuk menyelamatkan nyawa anaknya. Napoleon mengatakan bahwa kejahatan yang dilakukan sang anak sungguh melampaui batas; keadilan menuntut hidupnya. Sang ibu menangis dan memohon belas kasihan. Napoleon menjawab bahwa anaknya tidak pantas mendapat belas kasihan. Dan sang ibu pun berkata, “Aku tahu bahwa ia tidak layak mendapat belas kasihan, tetapi jika ia layak mendapatkannya, ini bukanlah belas kasihan.”

Kerahiman Allah mengalir dari kasih-Nya. Namun, karena Allah begitu mengasihi kita, Dia juga memungkinkan kita tumbuh dalam kebebasan. Tuhan memberi kita kesempatan kedua, tapi terserah kita untuk meraih kesempatan ini atau menyia-nyiakannya. St. Agustinus pun pernah berkata, “Allah menciptakan kita tanpa kita, tetapi Dia tidak menyelamatkan kita tanpa kita.” Dengan demikian, musuh terbesar dari belas kasihan adalah hilangnya harapan akan belas kasih Allah. Kita berasumsi bahwa kita tidak lagi tidak lagi mampu berubah. Kita menolak kesempatan kedua dari Allah karena kita melihatnya sebagai sama sekali tidak berguna. Sungguh, untuk menabur benih keputusasaan adalah pekerjaan sang Jahat. Penulis, pengacara, ekonom, dan aktor Ben Stein mengatakan, “Jiwa manusia tidak pernah selesai ketika dikalahkan. Ia selesai ketika menyerah.” Kegagalan dan kelemahan kita mengkondisikan kita untuk percaya bahwa kita tidak berharga, dan saat kita meragukan belas kasihan Allah, sang jahat telah menang atas kita.

Inggris bisa saja kalah dari Jerman dalam Perang Dunia II, jika bukan karena Winston Churchill. Dia adalah perdana menteri Inggris selama masa tergelap Perang Dunia II. Dia pernah ditanya oleh seorang wartawan tentang senjata terbesar negaranya melawan rezim Nazi Hitler yang membombardir Inggris siang dan malam. Dengan lugas, ia berkata, “Senjata terbesar Inggris adalah selalu harapan.” Sungguh harapan adalah senjata terbesar kita melawan sang jahat.

Paus Fransiskus, melalui inisiatifnya menyatakan tahun ini sebagai Tahun Yubileum Kerahiman Ilahi, dan beliau membuka pintu-pintu kerahiman di berbagai penjuru dunia sehingga setiap orang dapat merasakan kasih dan kemurahan hati Allah. Namun, kita tidak akan pernah menerima anugerah ini, kecuali kita memutuskan melewati ambang pintu ini. Kita perlu percaya bahwa rahmat-Nya mengalahkan segalanya keterbatasan kita, dan Kasih-Nya menghapus banyak dosa. Ketika Paus Fransiskus mengunjungi AS pada bulan September 2015, ia bertemu dengan para tahanan di sana dan ia mengingatkan mereka untuk tidak kehilangan harapan akan belas kasih Allah, “Marilah kita melihat ke Yesus, yang mencuci kaki kita. Dia adalah ‘jalan, dan kebenaran, dan hidup.’ Dia datang untuk menyelamatkan kita dari kebohongan yang mengatakan bahwa kita tidak bisa beruhah. Dia membantu kita di dalam perjalanan sepanjang jalan kehidupan dan kepenuhan. Semoga kekuatan kasih dan kebangkitan-Nya selalu menjadi jalan yang kamu mencapai kehidupan baru.”

 

Frater Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Go Down from the Mount!

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Second Sunday of Lent. February 21, 2016 [Luke 9:28-36]

“He took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray (Luk 9:28).”

transfiguration 2 For St. Luke, Jesus is a man of prayer. Luke fondly wrote in his Gospel that Jesus would pray before the decisive events in His life and mission. Jesus prayed the whole night before he chose His disciples (Luk 6:12). One of the reasons why Jesus cleansed the Temple of Jerusalem was that He was well aware of the main function of the holy Temple: House of Prayer (Luk 19:46). He reminded his disciples to pray especially in facing trials and tribulations (Luk 21:36). Before He was embracing His passion and death, He prayed at the garden (Luk 22:44). Finally, enduring a brutal torture, He saved His last breath even to pray for those who have crucified Him (Luk 23:34).

Another important event wherein Jesus spent time in prayer was the Transfiguration. Two evangelists, Matthew and Luke, placed the story of Transfiguration into their gospels, but only Luke who told the purpose of why Jesus and His three disciples went up to the Mount. It was to pray. For Luke, the Transfiguration is a prayer event. Indeed, reflecting today’s Gospel in the context of prayer will bring us a deeper understanding on our relationship with God.

Firstly, Jesus invited the disciples to climb the Mount and pray. Our desire to meet Him and to pray is actually God’s initiative. If we are able to pray, it is because God calls us and enables us to communicate with Him. Our Liturgy of the Hour prayer begins with a verse ‘O God, come to my assistance (Ps 51:15).’ It is a humble acceptance that without His grace and aid, we are not able to pray. We, Catholics, open our prayer with the sign of the cross and mentioning, “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Mat 28:19).” This was born out of conviction that apart from the Holy Trinity, our human words will be futile. St. Paul said it best when he wrote to the Romans, “the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings (Rom 8:26).”

Secondly, the Transfiguration teaches us that sometimes, our prayers give sense of delight and contentment, but this is not the most important. We are like the three disciples who were filled with awe in the presence of transfigured Jesus. It is the moment when we feel peace before the Blessed Sacrament. We are enjoying the recitation of the Holy Rosary. We are inspired by a good homily and feel nourished by the Holy Communion in the Eucharist. Sometimes, I attended Worship Service loaded with upbeat songs and electrifying preaching. Truly, the feeling was ecstatic and liberating, especially for persons with messed up lives.

Surely, like the disciples, we want to enjoy the delight for eternity. Yet, our good Lord did not want us to be rooted there. He asked the disciples to go down and face the world. If we rather stay and refuse to go down, then our prayers are no longer genuine and sincere. They become an addiction that helps us escape from the realities. If this happens, Karl Marx’ adage, ‘Religion is the opium to the society’ turns to be a reality.

St. Pope John Paul II reminded us that the Transfiguration would lead eventually Jesus and his disciples to that passion in Jerusalem. Prayer should then empower us to face life with courage and humility, and not to give us a venue to run away from life. The Eucharist, as the summit of all Christian worship, does not end by saying ‘Stay and enjoy some more!’ The last phrase in the Mass is always missionary in spirit, like ‘Go and preach the Gospel’. We are to share the fruits of prayers to others. If we truly find Christ in our prayer, then together with Christ, we shall go down from the Mount and bravely walk to our Jerusalem.

 Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Turun Gunung

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Minggu Prapaskah Kedua. 21 Februari 2016 [Lukas 9: 28-36]

“Yesus membawa Petrus, Yohanes dan Yakobus, lalu naik ke atas gunung untuk berdoa. (Luk 9:28).”

 

transfigurationBagi St. Lukas, Yesus adalah seorang doa. Lukas menulis dalam Injilnya bahwa Yesus berdoa sebelum menghadapi peristiwa-peristiwa penting di dalam hidup dan misi-Nya. Yesus berdoa sepanjang malam sebelum ia memilih murid-murid-Nya (Luk 6:12). Salah satu alasan mengapa Yesus membersihkan Bait Allah Yerusalem dari berbagai malapraktik adalah bahwa Dia sangat menyadari fungsi utama dari Bait Allah ini: Rumah Doa (Luk 19:46). Dia mengingatkan para murid-Nya untuk berdoa terutama saat menghadapi cobaan dan penderitaan (Luk 21:36). Sebelum Ia menghadapi sengsara dan wafat-Nya, Dia berdoa di taman (Luk 22:44). Akhirnya, saat Ia berada di kayu salib, Dia menyimpan nafas terakhirnya bahkan untuk berdoa bagi mereka yang telah menyalibkan-Nya (Luk 23:34).

Peristiwa penting lainnya dimana Yesus menghabiskan waktu dalam doa adalah Transfigurasi. Dua penginjil, Matius dan Lukas, menulis kisah Transfigurasi dalam Injil mereka, tapi hanya itu Lukas yang mengatakan tujuan mengapa Yesus dan ketiga murid-Nya naik ke Gunung. Yakni untuk berdoa. Bagi Lukas, Transfigurasi adalah sebuah momen doa. Sungguh, merenungkan Injil hari ini dalam konteks doa akan membawa kita pada pemahaman yang lebih dalam tentang hubungan kita dengan Tuhan.

Pertama, Yesus mengajak para murid untuk mendaki Gunung dan berdoa. Hasrat kita untuk bertemu dengan-Nya dan berdoa sebenarnya adalah inisiatif Allah. Jika kita mampu berdoa, itu karena Tuhan memanggil kita dan memungkinkan kita untuk berkomunikasi dengan-Nya. Liturgi Brevir selalu dimulai dengan ayat “Ya Allah, bersegeralah membuka mulutku (Mzm 51:15).” Ini adalah keyakinan bahwa tanpa rahmat dan bantuan-Nya, kita tidak dapat berdoa. Kita, umat Katolik, membuka doa kita dengan tanda salib dan menyebutkan, “Dalam nama Bapa, dan Putra dan Roh Kudus.” Hal ini lahir dari keyakinan bahwa terpisah dari Allah Tritunggal, kata-kata manusiawi kita akan sia-sia di dalam doa. St. Paulus menyatakan hal ini dengan sangat baik ketika ia menulis kepada jemaat di Roma, “Roh Allah datang menolong kita kalau kita lemah. Sebab kita tidak tahu bagaimana seharusnya kita berdoa; Roh itu sendiri menghadap Allah untuk memohonkan bagi kita dengan kerinduan yang sangat dalam sehingga tidak dapat diucapkan. (Rom 8:26).”

Kedua, Transfigurasi mengajarkan kita bahwa kadang, doa-doa kita memberikan kenikmatan dan kepuasan, tapi ini bukan yang paling penting. Kita seperti tiga murid yang sangat takjub di hadapan Yesus yang berubah wujud. Ini adalah saat ketika kita merasakan kedamaian di hadapan Sakramen Mahakudus. Kita menikmati doa Rosario. Kita terinspirasi oleh homili dan merasa diperkuat oleh Komuni Kudus dalam Ekaristi. Kadang, saya menghadiri worship service sarat dengan lagu-lagu pujian dan khotbah menggebu-gebu. Sesungguhnya, hal ini memberi perasaan sangat gembira dan membebaskan apalagi bagi mereka yang memiliki banyak permasalahan dalam hidup.

Tentunya, seperti para murid, kita ingin menikmati kegembiraan dalam doa ini lebih lama lagi dan membangun ‘kemah’. Namun, Tuhan tidak ingin kita tinggal lama di sana. Dia meminta para murid untuk turun dan menghadapi dunia. Jika kita memilih tinggal dan menolak untuk turun, doa-doa kita tidak lagi tulus. Mereka menjadi candu yang membantu kita melarikan diri dari realitas hidup. Jika ini terjadi, perkataan Karl Marx bahwa ‘Agama adalah opium bagi masyarakat’ sungguh menjadi kenyataan.

St. Paus Yohanes Paulus II mengingatkan kita bahwa Transfigurasi akan bawa akhirnya Yesus dan murid-muridnya pada sengsara dan wafat-Nya di Yerusalem. Doa sungguhnya harus memberdayakan kita untuk menghadapi hidup dengan keberanian dan kerendahan hati, dan tidak memberi kita tempat untuk melarikan diri dari kehidupan. Ekaristi, sebagai puncak dari semua ibadah Kristiani, tidak berakhir dengan mengatakan “Tetap tinggal dan jangan pulang!” Ungkapan terakhir dalam Misa selalu dalam semangat misionaris, seperti “Pergilah, kita diutus!”. Kita diutus untuk berbagi buah dari doa-doa kita kepada sesama. Jika kita benar-benar menemukan Kristus dalam doa kita, bersama dengan Kristus, kita akan turun Gunung dan berjalan menghadapi Yerusalem kita.

 Frater Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Word of God in the Desert

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First Sunday of Lent. February 14, 2016 [Luke 4:1-13]

“Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert (Luk 4:1).”

jesus temptationToday’s Gospel shows us that the Holy Spirit led Jesus to the desert. Yes, the Holy Spirit will not spare us from the desert! The desert experience can be anything that spells dryness and emptiness in our lives and souls. Out of nowhere, a seminarian enters into a desert as he is feeling unexplainable meaninglessness in his chosen vocation. A mother begins to experience exhaustion in fulfilling her difficult mission to rear her children. Through her journals, it was revealed that even holy person like Mother Teresa of Calcutta went through ’the eclipse of God’ when she did not sense the presence of God for almost 10 years in her life.

The Gospel reminds us as well that in the desert, Jesus was tempted by the devil. Walking through the desert experiences, the devil knows well that our defense is at its lowest and surely he will take his change to make us fall from our commitment. The seminarian starts seeing another way of life as more attractive and a solution to his emptiness. Now, not only dryness, he is also facing a crisis. Tired of spending time with her children, the mother starts thinking to shift her focus on something else like her career, hobbies, or friends. The devil is an extremely smart creature. He will manipulate our basic desires and longings. He offers us little compromises that eventually destroy all together our commitment. The seminarian begins not attending prayers, a student is becoming lazy in study and a husband starts spending more time outside his own house and family.

How then do we counter this situation? Jesus gave the answer: the Word of God. In the desert, Jesus was firmly rooted in the Word of His Father, and resisted the temptations. In the midst of life’s dryness and challenges, we shall turn ourselves into the Word of God. Doubtless, we can do our own bible reading and study. This very reflection and other reflections are an invitation to go deeper into the Word of God. Or, praying the rosary is one effective way to meditate the life of Jesus and to refuse temptation. But, the only place that the Word of God is in the most powerful and unique form is at the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, the Word of God is lavishly shared to us through the biblical readings and expanded through the homily. Most importantly, the Word of God finally is made flesh and we partake of it at the Holy Communion.

When the devil tempted hungry Jesus to change the stone into bread, Jesus resisted by pointing that we truly live because of the real Bread, the Word made flesh, the Eucharist. When the evil one attempted to allure the Son of God to exhibit His power at the temple of Jerusalem, Jesus outsmarted him by showing him that the Temple is the home of the Word, and not place of showoff. When the prince of darkness asked Jesus to worship him in exchange for the world’s glory and richness, Jesus confronted him with the truth that only God and His Word in the Eucharist worthy of all worship.

The Holy Spirit will indeed lead us into the desert, but it is not to destroy us, but to allow us to find how we truly are, persons rooted in the Word of God, in the Eucharist.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Sabda Allah di Padang Gurun

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Minggu pertama Prapaskah. 14 Februari 2016 [Lukas 4:1-13]

“Yesus, yang penuh dengan Roh Kudus, kembali dari sungai Yordan, lalu dibawa oleh Roh Kudus ke padang gurun (Luk 4:1).”

jesus temptation 2Injil hari ini menulis tentang Roh Kudus yang membawa Yesus ke padang gurun. Ya, Roh Kudus akan membawa kita ke padang gurun juga! Gurun bisa diartikan sebagai kekeringan dan kekosongan dalam hidup dan jiwa kita. Seorang frater tiba-tiba masuk ke pengalaman gurun dan ia merasa kehilangan makna dan semangat di dalam panggilannya. Seorang ibu mulai mengalami kelelahan dalam mengemban misi yang sulit untuk membesarkan anak-anak nya. Melalui tulisan-tulisannya, terungkap bahwa bahkan orang kudus seperti Bunda Teresa dari Kalkuta pun harus melalui ‘Allah yang diam’ ketika dia tidak merasakan kehadiran Allah selama hampir 10 tahun dalam hidupnya.

Injil mengingatkan kita juga bahwa di padang gurun, Yesus dicobai oleh iblis. Berjalan melalui pengalaman padang gurun, iblis tahu benar bahwa pertahanan kita berada pada titik terendah dan pasti dia akan mengambil kesempatan untuk membuat kita jatuh dari komitmen kita. Sang frater mulai melihat bahwa hidup di luar lebih menarik dan solusi untuk kekosongan hidupnya. Lalu, tidak hanya kehampaan, sang frater juga menghadapi krisis. Lelah menghabiskan waktu dengan anak-anaknya sang ibu mulai berpikir untuk mengalihkan fokusnya pada sesuatu yang lain seperti karir, hobi, atau teman-temannya. Iblis adalah makhluk yang sangat cerdas. Dia akan memanipulasi keinginan dan kerinduaan yang paling mendasar kita. Dia menawarkan kita kompromi-kompromi kecil yang akhirnya menghancurkan komitmen kita. Sang frater yang mulai tidak menghadiri doa dengan komunitas, seorang siswa menjadi malas belajar, dan seorang suami mulai menghabiskan lebih banyak waktu di luar rumah dan keluarganya sendiri.

Lalu bagaimana kita menghadapi situasi ini? Yesus memberikan jawabannya: Sabda Tuhan. Di gurun, Yesus berpegang teguh kepada Sabda Bapa-Nya, dan menolak godaan. Di tengah kekeringan hidup dan berbagai tantangan, kita hendaknya kita berpegang pada Sabda Tuhan. Tak diragukan lagi, kita dapat membaca Alkitab dan melakukan Bible Study secara mandiri. Dengan membaca dan merenungkan refleksi ini dan refleksi-refleksi lainnya adalah undangan untuk masuk lebih dalam ke dalam Sabda Allah. Atau, doa rosario adalah salah satu cara yang efektif untuk merenungkan kehidupan Yesus dan menolak godaan Setan. Tapi, satu-satunya tempat dimana Sabda Tuhan berada dalam bentuk yang paling kuat dan unik adalah di Ekaristi. Dalam Ekaristi, Sabda Allah dibagikan kepada kita melalui pembacaan Alkitab dan diperdalam melalui homili. Dan, yang paling penting, Sabda Allah akhirnya menjadi ‘daging’ di Ekaristi dan kita menyantap-Nya dalam Komuni Kudus.

Ketika iblis mengoda Yesus yang lapar untuk mengubah batu menjadi roti, Yesus menolak karena Ia tahu manusia hanya hidup karena roti yang nyata, Sabda yang menjadi daging, Ekaristi. Ketika si jahat berusaha untuk memikat Anak Allah menunjukkan kuasa-Nya di Bait Allah di Yerusalem, Yesus menolak dengan menunjukkan kepadanya bahwa Bait Allah sesungguhnya adalah Bait Sabda, dan bukan tempat pertunjukan. Ketika pangeran kegelapan meminta Yesus untuk menyembah Dia dan menawarkan semua kemuliaan dan kekayaan dunia, Yesus menghadapinya dengan kebenaran bahwa hanya Tuhan dan Sabda-Nya dalam Ekaristi layak mendapat semua sembah sujud kita.

Roh Kudus memang akan membawa kita ke padang gurun, mengalami kekeringan, lapar dan digoda oleh iblis, tetapi semua ini tidak untuk menghancurkan kita, tetapi memungkinkan kita untuk menemukan siapa kita sesungguhnya, yakni manusia yang berpedoman pada Sabda Tuhan, dalam Ekaristi.

Frater Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Vocation and Preaching

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time. February 7, 2016 [Luke 5:1-11]

“Then he sat down acalling the disciplesnd taught the crowds from the boat of Simon (Luk 5:3).”

Everyone has its own vocation story. Whether priests, religious or lay persons, we have those moments that open our eyes to where God calls us. One Filipino Dominican priest recalled that his vocation to the Order of Preachers started because of his former girlfriend. One day, his girlfriend brought him to Santo Domingo Church to pray before our Lady of La Naval, and when they were there, he saw a band of Dominican brothers entered the Church for the prayer. He was mystified with their appearance and he began to fall in love with the Dominican habit. The rest is history. For lay persons, the vocation stories might not be obvious, but there are those tipping points that brought them to serve the Lord passionately in the family, workplace or the Church.

Today’s Gospel introduces to us the vocation story of Simon Peter. The story appeared in all four Gospels and this points to the truth on how important Simon Peter is in the college of Apostles. Luke gave us a slightly different background from other Evangelists. He did not begin the story with Peter working as fisherman, but with Jesus preaching and teaching. Simon must be inspired by Jesus’ preaching, and this explained why Simon was so docile when Jesus asked him to go into the deep, despite the fact that Peter was a seasoned fisherman and Jesus was a carpenter’s son. Like the story of Peter, all sincere vocation stories takes its origin in the preaching of the Word of God.

Every time I have the opportunity to speak before the Dominican laity, I always make a point to explain that their first preaching has to be in the family. Before we have outreach programs for the poor or the imprisoned, family has to be our mission. To teach and raise their children into good Christians are never easy, but if the parents refuse to do that, who else will do? In fact, the vocations to the priesthood and religious lives may greatly diminish had the evangelization in the family failed. I owe my vocation and faith to my parents. They never ceased preaching both in words and in deeds to us. I always recalled how my mother taught me praying the rosary, and my father brought us to the Church every Sunday as family. They taught me also by example as they showed me the virtues of fidelity, sacrifice and love. I love God and the Church, because I saw how my parents also love God and the Church.

When St. Dominic established the Order of Preachers, the first religious congregation in the Catholic Church, that has active orientation toward evangelization, he did not abolish the community life. In fact, he included it as an essential element of Dominican life because before we go out, our community is the first preaching mission. A good preaching in the community surely safeguards and nurtures vocations of the preachers. Thus, I am deeply saddened when I heard that a brother or sister left the convent because they no longer felt happiness within the community. Or, children have problematic behaviors because their parents did not become a good example for them. This is the sign of our failure as preachers for one another.

Jesus reminded that our vocation is rooted, nurtured and flourishing because of preaching of the Gospel. We have different callings with their unique stories, but as Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP once said, we may enter the Order (or any state of life) for the wrong reasons, but we must stay for the right reason. We believe that one of that the right reasons is a good preaching among us.

 Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Panggilan dan Pewartaan

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Minggu ke-5 dalam Masa Biasa. 7 Februari 2016 [Lukas 5:1-11]

 

calling of peter“Lalu Ia duduk dan mengajar orang banyak dari atas perahunya Simon (Luk 5:3).”

 

Setiap orang memiliki kisah panggilannya sendiri. Entah itu seorang imam, biarawan atau orang awam, kita memiliki momen-momen yang membuka mata kita akan tujuan hidup kita sesaui kehendak Allah. Seorang imam Dominikan dari Filipina menceritakan bahwa panggilannya di Ordo Pengkhotbah dimulai gara-gara mantan pacarnya mengajaknya untuk berdoa di Gereja Santo Domingo, Quezon City. Ketika mereka ada di sana, ia melihat kelompok para frater Dominikan memasuki Gereja untuk berdoa. Ia terkagum-kagum dengan penampilan mereka dan ia mulai jatuh cinta dengan jubah Dominikan. Akhirnya iapun memilih masuk dan menjadi imam. Bagi para awam, kisah panggilan mungkin tidak selalu dramatis, tetapi ada titik-titik penting yang membawa kita untuk melayani Tuhan dengan penuh semangat dalam keluarga, tempat kerja atau Gereja.

Injil hari ini menceritakan kisah panggilan Simon Petrus. Kisah ini muncul di keempat Injil dan hal ini menunjukan bahwa betapa pentingnya Simon Petrus di antara para rasul. Lukas memberi kita latar belakang yang sedikit berbeda dari penginjil lainnya. Dia tidak memulai kisahnya dengan Petrus yang sibuk bekerja sebagai nelayan, tetapi dengan Yesus yang berkhotbah dan mengajar. Simon tentunya terinspirasi oleh khotbah Yesus, dan hal ini menjelaskan mengapa Simon siap sedia ketika Yesus memintanya untuk bertolak ke tempat yang dalam, meskipun faktanya bahwa Petrus adalah seorang nelayan berpengalaman dan Yesus adalah anak seorang tukang kayu. Seperti kisah Petrus, semua kisah panggilan berakar di dalam pewartaan Firman Allah.

Setiap kali saya berbicara kepada Dominikan awam, saya selalu menjelaskan bahwa pewartaan pertama mereka harus terjadi di dalam keluarga. Sebelum kita memiliki program pelayanan bagi masyarakat miskin atau kunjungan ke penjara, keluarga harus menjadi misi pertama kita. Untuk mengajar dan membesarkan anak kita menjadi seorang Kristiani yang baik tentunya sulit luar biasa, tetapi jika para orang tua menolak untuk melakukannya ini, siapa lagi yang akan melakukannya? Bahkan, panggilan imamat dan biarawan dapat sangat berkurang jika evangelisasi dalam keluarga gagal. Panggilan dan iman saya tumbuh dan berkembang di dalam keluarga. Saya selalu ingat bagaimana ibu saya mengajarkan saya berdoa rosario, dan ayah saya membawa kami ke Gereja setiap hari Minggu sebagai keluarga. Mereka mendidik saya juga dengan teladan mereka sebagaimana mereka menunjukkan nilai-nilai kesetiaan, pengorbanan dan kasih. Saya mengasihi Tuhan dan Gereja, karena saya melihat bagaimana orang tua saya juga mengasihi Tuhan dan Gereja.

Ketika St. Dominikus mendirikan Ordo Pengkhotbah, kongregasi pertama dalam Gereja Katolik, yang memiliki orientasi aktif dalam evangelisasi, dia tidak menghapuskan kehidupan berkomunitas. Sebaliknya, ia menjadikan hal ini sebagai unsur penting dari kehidupan Dominikan karena sebelum kita pergi keluar, komunitas kita adalah misi pewartaan pertama kita. Sebuah pewartaan yang baik di komunitas pasti menjaga dan memelihara panggilan para anggotanya. Jujur, saya sangat sedih ketika saya mendengar bahwa frater atau suster meninggalkan biara karena mereka tidak lagi merasakan kebahagiaan dalam komunitas mereka. Atau, anak-anak memiliki prilaku bermasalah karena orang tua mereka tidak memberi teladan yang baik. Ini adalah tanda kegagalan kita sebagai pewarta.

Yesus mengingatkan bahwa panggilan kita berakar, terpelihara dan berkembang di dalam pewartaan Injil. Kita memiliki pemanggilan yang berbeda dengan kisah-kisah yang unik, tetapi sebagai Romo Timothy Radcliffe, OP pernah katakan, kita mungkin masuk ke Ordo (atau panggilan sebagai awam) untuk alasan yang tidak tepat, tapi kita harus tinggal karena alasan yang tepat. Kita percaya bahwa salah satu yang alasan yang tepat adalah pewartaan Kabar Baik di antara kita.

 

Frater Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Nothing is Impossible

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Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. January 31, 2016 [Luke 4:21-30]

“Isn’t this the son of Joseph? (Luk 4:22)”

‘Impossible’ is not part of Jesus’ vocabulary. He multiplied the bread and filled the hungry multitude. He walked on water and calmed the storm. He healed the woman with hemorrhage, opened the eyes of Bartimaeus, and expelled the demons. He forgave the adulterous woman and challenged the legalism of the authorities. He raised Lazarus and Himself resurrected. Not even death can limit Him.

Yet, ‘impossible’ and ‘limitation’ seemed to be the mindset of the people of Nazareth. When they saw Jesus came home and proclaimed the Word of God with authority, the Nazarene amazement was short-lived and they turned the tide against Jesus. One might say, ‘That’s impossible! He is Jesus, the son of the poor carpenter Joseph. He is lowly, ordinary, and incapable. Who does he think himself? God?’ Grace was just around the corner, but they closed their hearts, limited their possibilities, and hampered their own growth. Not only they boxed themselves in narrow-mindedness, they also tried to impose their limitations on Jesus. When Jesus refused to be placed under their closed-mindedness, they attempted to get rid of Jesus. Thus, nothing much happened in Nazareth.

Jesus further explained that this refusal to God’s grace had been a perennial problems of Israel. The great prophets Elijah and Elisha could have done mighty deeds for Israel, but they did not because they were rejected by their own people. Now, this mentality of putting limits to oneself does not solely belong to the Israelites. Unconsciously, this attitude may creep into our lives. We may listen to the Word of God every Sunday in the Eucharist, but do we allow the very Word to be fulfilled in our lives? Is Sunday Worship all about feeling-good experience, and yet going home, we act as if nothing happens to us? We are celebrating the Jubilee Year of Mercy, but does it help us being more merciful and compassionate? Sometimes we are like ‘Shoe’, the main character in old comic strip Shoe by Jeff MacNelly. When Shoe is pitching in a baseball game, in the conference in the mound, his catcher says, “You’ve got to have faith in your curve ball.” “It’s easy for him to say,” grumbles Shoe. “When it comes to believing in myself, I am an agnostic.”

A friend of mine did the incredible in her young age. She finished her doctorate at the age of 27 in Japan. What makes her more incredible is she turned down lucrative offers of big companies and volunteered as elementary school teacher in a far-flung area. She is currently serving the people of Nunukan, North Borneo Province, at the border of civilization. Once she texted me and told how difficult it was to teach, especially when people do not really appreciate yet the importance of education. I was speechless, having no word of consolation, but she immediately replied, ‘It is difficult to love.” Her answer made me smile since I know that despite her troublesome situations, she never stops loving. In the Annunciation, archangel Gabriel said to Mary, “For God, there is nothing impossible.” We shall not put limit to God’s grace, to our own growth in faith and to our ability to love. When we believe and open our hearts to God’s grace, the ‘impossible’ things begin to happen in our lives.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno,OP