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St. Dominic’s Prayer

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The Solemnity of St. Dominic de Guzman

August 8, 2021

Mat 28:16-20

Today, the Dominican family is celebrating the solemnity of St. Dominic de Guzman, the founder and father of the Order of Preachers. This year’s celebration is extraordinary because we also commemorate the 800th anniversary of Dominic’s death. We call it dies Natalis, the day of birth. It is the birthday of the saint in heaven. Indeed, it has been 800 years since the death of St. Dominic, and the Order he founded is growing vital and ever young.

The Order of Preachers may not be the biggest congregation in the Catholic Church [we have only around six thousand brothers], but indeed, we continue to be blessed with vocations. In Indonesia alone, we have a good number of young brothers in the formation. In the Philippines, the formation house is packed with brothers.

Why is the reason behind this growth? Indeed, there are many overlapping reasons, yet may I highlight one of those: the prayer of St. Dominic himself. At his deathbed, St. Dominic promised his brothers, “Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.” [his words are powerful that they are quoted in CCC 956]

His prayers have been proved effective. The Order has been through thick and thin of the world and Church’s history, and it is not always glorious. The Order also shares some painful past and memories. There are times that the Order seemed to collapse under its weight or split into smaller and quarreling factions. Yet, the Order can overcome those. I do believe that the reason cannot be explained by purely human strength. It is God’s mercy and Dominic’s great love for his brothers and sisters.

What is impressive is that St. Dominic is not alone. He is also joined by other Dominican saints, like St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Martin de Porres, St. Catharine of Siena, and countless Dominicans who have entered heaven. Every day, the prayers are getting stronger and louder as more holy people join their chorus.

The Order of Preachers is a family and community, and what is marvelous is that the members are not limited to those who are here on earth but those in heaven. Our brothers and sisters in heaven are doing even more amazing things for us. I am maybe alone here preaching, but my heavenly family members are supporting and cheering for me. I am perhaps alone in my study time, but the Dominican saints are at the forefront in guiding me. The letter of Hebrews speaks of the cloud of heavenly witness surrounding us [Heb 12:1], and I know some of them. We may be small, but our strength is not only here on earth. The more excellent works are done in heaven for the sake of the Order and the salvation of souls.

Many of us may not be a member of Dominican Order, but we are part of a larger family of God, the Church. We have one Father in heaven, and there is no other greatest joy for a father to see his children helping and loving one another. As we help and love our brothers and sisters here on earth, we shall not forget to give thanks to our brothers and sisters in heaven who constantly love and support us till we meet them in heaven.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Doa St. Dominikus

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Hari Raya St. Dominikus de Guzman

8 Agustus 2021

Mat 28:16-20

Hari ini, keluarga Dominikan merayakan hari raya St. Dominikus de Guzman, pendiri dan bapak Ordo Pewarta. Perayaan tahun ini sangat khusus karena kita juga memperingati 800 tahun wafatnya Dominikus. Ini adalah ‘Dies Natalis’, hari kelahirannya di surga. Dan 800 tahun sejak kematian St. Dominikus, Ordo yang ia dirikan semakin kuat dan muda.

Ordo Pewarta mungkin bukan kongregasi terbesar di Gereja Katolik, [kita hanya memiliki sekitar enam ribu saudara], tetapi tentu saja, kita terus diberkati dengan panggilan-panggilan baru. Di Indonesia sendiri, kita memiliki banyak frater-frater dalam formasi. Di Filipina, rumah formasi Dominikan dipadati oleh frater-frater.

Apa alasan di balik pertumbuhan ini? Tentu saja, ada banyak alasan yang bisa dikemukakan, namun saya dapat menyodorkan satu alasan: doa St. Dominikus sendiri. Di saat kematiannya, St Dominikus berjanji kepada saudara-saudaranya, “Jangan menangis, karena saya akan lebih berguna bagimu setelah kematian saya dan saya akan membantumu di sana lebih baik daripada selama saya hidup.” [kata-katanya ini bahkan dikutip dalam KGK 956]

Doa-doanya terbukti berfaidah. Ordonya telah menjadi bagian sejarah panjang dunia dan Gereja, dan tidak semuanya baik. Ordo juga ambil bagian dari beberapa peristiwa kelam dan memori yang menyakitkan. Bahkan, ada kalanya Ordo tampak runtuh karena bebannya sendiri atau terpecah menjadi faksi-faksi yang lebih kecil. Namun, Ordo dapat mengatasinya. Saya percaya bahwa penjelasannya tidak dapat dijelaskan dengan kekuatan manusia saja. Ini adalah belas kasihan Tuhan dan cinta Dominikus yang besar bagi saudara-saudaranya.

Yang sungguh menakjubkan bahwa St. Dominikus tidak sendirian. Dia berdoa bersama dengan orang-orang kudus Dominikan lainnya, seperti St Thomas Aquinas, St Martin de Porres, St Katarina dari Siena, dan banyak Dominikan yang telah masuk surga. Setiap hari, doa-doa mereka semakin kuat dan riuh, karena semakin banyak orang suci bergabung dengan paduan suara mereka ini.

Ordo Pewarta adalah sebuah keluarga dan komunitas, dan yang menakjubkan adalah bahwa anggotanya tidak terbatas pada mereka yang ada di bumi, tetapi juga mereka yang di surga. Saudara-saudari kita di surga melakukan hal-hal yang lebih menakjubkan lagi bagi kita. Saya mungkin sendirian di sini saat saya memberi renungan, tetapi anggota keluarga surgawi saya mendukung dan menyemangati saya. Saya mungkin sendirian dalam waktu belajar, tetapi para kudus Dominikan berada di garis depan dalam membimbing saya. Surat Ibrani berbicara tentang awan para saksi surgawi yang mengelilingi kita [Ibr 12:1], dan sebagai anggota Ordo, saya mengenal beberapa di antara mereka. Kita mungkin kecil, tapi kekuatan kita bukan hanya di dunia ini. Bahkan, pekerjaan yang lebih besar dilakukan di surga demi Ordo, Gereja dan keselamatan jiwa.

Banyak dari kita mungkin bukan anggota Ordo Dominikan, tetapi kita adalah bagian dari keluarga Allah yang lebih besar, Gereja. Ordo St. Dominikus hanya sebuah cerminan dari Gereja Kristus. Kita memiliki satu Bapa di surga, dan tidak ada sukacita yang lebih besar bagi seorang ayah kecuali melihat anak-anaknya saling membantu dan mengasihi. Selama kita membantu dan mengasihi saudara-saudara kita di bumi ini, tidak lupa kita bersyukur kepada saudara-saudara kita di surga yang senantiasa mengasihi dan mendukung kita, sampai kita bertemu di surga.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Pray like Jesus

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7th Sunday of Easter

May 24, 2020

John 17:1-11a

man in prayer 2We are aware that prayer is a fundamental part of Jesus’ life. He prays on a regular basis, and especially when He is preparing to embrace decisive events, like Baptism on the Jordan [Luke 3:21], the election of the twelve apostles [Luke 6:12], transfiguration [Luke 9:28], and the Passion [Matt 26:36–44]. However, we seldom hear what Jesus says in His prayers. In the Synoptic Gospels [Matthew, Mark, and Luke], we are fortunate enough to hear Jesus’ compact and emotional prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before He enters into His Passion. However, John the evangelist makes sure that we are going to discover what Jesus prays, and it is substantially longer than we ever heard before.

John devotes the entire chapter of His Gospel for this prayer [John 17:1-26]. As expected, He prays to the Father with extraordinary affection and confidence. Yet, what makes it noteworthy is that Jesus does not say only about Himself and His mission, but also prays for His disciples. Jesus is acting as the priest who is interceding on behalf of His disciples. That is why we call this section the high priest’s prayer of Jesus Christ.

From Jesus’ prayer, we unearth some powerful lessons:

Firstly, if prayer is essential in the life of Jesus, it is because Jesus understands that prayer is His line of communication to the Father. Jesus knows well that communication is the key to every flourishing relationship. Perhaps, we fail to see this truth, and that is why we feel prayer is burdensome. We are not eager to attend the mass because we simply understand it as an obligation. We relegate personal prayer to the sideline as we make other things as our priority. Sadly, we immediately blame God if our plans do not work according to our whim, or we even threaten God to grant our wishes. Thus, changing perspective about prayer is crucial and even life-transforming.

Secondly, if prayer is communication, then it should always be a dialogue. Often when we start growing in prayer, we think that we need to always say something to the Lord. I remember one seminarian asked me, “Father, what else should I say if I am running out of words in my prayers?” I told him, “Perhaps, it is time to listen to God.” The next expected question is, “How do I listen to God?” Surely there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this, but I like what St. Jerome says, “You pray: You speak to the bridegroom. You read [scriptures]: He speaks to you.” Yet, we need to remember that dialogue of words is not the end of the communication. The end is the unity of the persons in dialogue. Jesus says, “I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you [John 14:20].”

Lastly, our prayer involves the third person. This is the direct consequence of Jesus’ priestly prayer. Prayer is a dialogue, but just like other dialogue, it may speak about other persons. This is when we pray to God for others. Because Jesus leaves us an example in His priestly prayer, it is all the more imperative for us to care for others through prayers. In time we cannot reach other people who need our help; prayers remain the best way to love them. Indeed the saints in heaven continue to care for us despite not able to physically appear to us through their prayers.

Prayer unites us with God in love and prayer also unites us with people we love in God.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Jesus and His Bride in Time of Pandemic

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5th Sunday of Easter

May 10, 2020

John 14:1-12

joseph n maryWe have closed our churches for public service for weeks. We shifted to livestreaming masses, and we are learning to adjust and to give priority to our health and life, we realize our hearts remain troubled. We long to see Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, we desire to receive Him in the Eucharist, we want to serve Him in the churches, and we miss the sacrament of confession. We are unsure when it is going to end and be back to normal.

We are like the disciples in the Gospel. Their hearts were troubled because Jesus was about to leave them. They were having a Passover meal, and it was supposed a festive celebration. Yet, Jesus announced to them that someone would betray Him, and He would be taken away from them. The disciples had thrown everything away and followed Jesus because they were hoping that Jesus, as the Messiah, would overthrow the Roman empire and restore the glory of Israel. They could not square with the probability of utter failure. Were they holding on false hope? Was Jesus a hoax? Were their sacrifices useless? We are like the disciples. After we give everything to follow Jesus, to serve His Church, and to work in His vineyard, we feel He is missing. Where is Jesus when we needed Him most?

Jesus knew His disciples’ hearts and assured them as He did to have in God and Jesus. Yet, what comes after this word of affirmation is that Jesus told the disciples that there are many dwelling places in His Father’s house, and He will go to prepare the places. To comfort the disciples, Jesus did not say that He would come back victorious, or He would destroy all enemies of Israel. He said that He is going to prepare a dwelling place. It is just not making much sense.

To understand this, we need to know the wedding ceremony at the time of Jesus. During this time, the wedding was done in two steps. The first one is the betrothal, and the second stage is the wedding celebration. During the betrothal, the couple has exchanged vows and have become husband and wife in the eyes of the Law, but they have not stayed together in one house. They had to wait for around one year before the final ceremony. After around year, the bride would be brought in procession to the home of the groom, and they will have a week-long celebration. Why one-year wait? The reason is practical. It gives enough time for the man to prepare for the celebration as well as build a proper place for the bride.

One particular image that the Church has in relation to Jesus is that she is the bride of Christ. If we apply this Jewish wedding rite to the Church and Jesus, we discover that betrothal has taken place, but not yet the final step. Jesus is not with His Church because He is Father’s House to prepare the dwelling place for us, His bride.

In the time of the pandemic, our hearts are sorely troubled, and with the churches are closed, we feel that our Lord is taken away from us. Yet, a difficult time can actually be a passage going to the much better dwelling place prepared by Jesus. We may not see yet the better things we will experience, yet Jesus assures us that God is in control. In this stormy life, we may see a beautiful place prepared by Jesus, our groom.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Jesus, Our Bridegroom

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Third Sunday of Lent [A]

March 15, 2020

John 4:5-42

jesus n samaritan woman 3We relate to Jesus in many ways. Some consider Him as a teacher, some call Him as a friend, and some others would simply acclaim Him as Lord and Savior. However, little known to us that the Gospel introduces Him as the bridegroom.

The idea that Jesus as our spouse is awkward and difficult to accept. One may say, “If I am a woman, it is fine to have Jesus as my husband. One may think, “If I am single, it is ok to get married to Jesus. But if I am already married, does it mean Jesus would be my second husband, or shall I divorce my first husband?” These kinds of concerns are surely valid, yet these are rooted in our human and even sexual understanding of marriage. Then, what kind of bridegroom Jesus is?

In order to answer this, we need to understand some symbols in today’s Gospel. Jesus went into a well and John the evangelist made it clear that it is not just ordinary well, but Jacob’s well. A Samaritan woman then came to fetch water and met Jesus there. For us, it is just an ordinary story of Jesus’ meeting any woman, just like when Jesus visited Mary and Martha, or Jesus helped a woman caught in adultery. Yet, when we know our Scriptures, the meeting is far from ordinary. It is something to do with a man finding a bride. In Gen 29, Jacob found beautiful Rachel near the well when she was about to water the sheep. In Exo 3, after Moses fled from Egypt, he went to the land of Midian, and near the well, he defended the women being harassed by unruly shepherds. One of these women would eventually become his future wife.

However, the Gospel clearly shows that Jesus neither sought any wife nor married the Samaritan woman. Yes, it is true that Jesus remained single for his entire life, but again, we are not speaking in the human and literal level. If Jesus is the divine Bridegroom, the Samaritan woman stands also for the true bride of Christ. No wonder, the fathers of the Church, would identify the Samaritan woman as the symbol of the Church. Like the Samaritan woman who is a gentile, the Church is also coming from many nations. Like the Samaritan woman who struggled with her marriage life, the Church also are struggling with many sin and weakness. Like the Samaritan woman who was waiting for a Messiah, the Church also is in need of a Savior.

It is truly weird to see Jesus as our groom especially when we are stacked in too humanly understanding. Yet, on spiritual level, to have Jesus as our groom means we have someone who loves us dearly and intimately, someone who will protect and provide for us, someone who will accept our imperfections and someone who will willingly give his life for our sake.

The covid-19 virus has wreaked havoc the world. What is terrible with this virus is not only it extremely contiguous and has no definite cure yet, it forces humanity to show its basic survival instinct: fear and even selfishness. However, this is the best opportunity to grow in faith. Our faith is not empty because we hold on to someone, and He is our Bridegroom.

 

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Jesus’ Ideal Parents

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The feast of Presentation

February 2, 2020

Luke 2:22-40

presentation 2If we are given a chance to choose our parents, what kind of parents will be our choice? Perhaps, some will prefer billionaire parents so that we can sing like Bruno Mars, “I wanna be a billionaire… Buy all of the things I never had… I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine, and Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen.” Perhaps some of us want to become the children of a king. So, royal blood is flowing through our vein, and people call us as a prince, princess, or royal highness. Perhaps, we want to be born from Korean megastars, because we want to become the prettiest or the most handsome.

Yet, if we ask the same question to the Lord, what would be His choice? The choice is obvious, Joseph and Mary. But, why?  Joseph and Mary are not wealthy, and even poor. They can only afford turtle dove, the offering of the poor. Indeed, Joseph is the descendant of King David, but in reality, he is a humble carpenter from the unknown village, Nazareth. I do believe that Joseph is handsome and Mary is beautiful! From here, we can deduce that richness, fame, and physical beauty as God’s criteria for His parents. So, what is it?

If we look closer into today’s Gospel and some other verses, we may discover the best character of Joseph and Mary as a couple and parents are their love and fidelity to God. Mary and Joseph know well the Law of God, and they are faithfully observing His Law.

Today’s feast is traditionally called the Presentation. Jesus is presented and consecrated to God in the Temple. Why do Joseph and Mary offer Jesus in the Temple? Because they are aware of the Jewish Law that any firstborn shall be consecrated to the Lord because they belong to the Lord [see Exo 13:2]. The feast of Presentation is also called the feast of the Purification of Mary. She is purified not because she is sinful, but because, according to the Mosaic Law, any woman who gives birth will be ritually unclean or unfit for the worship. She has to undergo 40 days of purification period, and at the end of the period, she offers a sacrifice to the priest [Lev 12:1-8]. From the Gospel of Matthew, Joseph is described as “the righteous man.” This means that Joseph is not only well-versed in Mosaic Law, but he is faithfully observing them.

Jesus does not concern Himself with His parents’ economic condition, social status, or physical appearance. Jesus is looking for whether His parents love God, whether His parents know and observe God’s law, and whether His parents have faith in God. Why are these characteristics crucial for Jesus’ parents? Because Jesus understands the best inheritance parents can give to their children is faith, because money can only provide you with security in this life, but faith will bring us to heaven.

The primary duty of parents is not merely to provide food, shelter, and clothing, not only send their children to schools and not only bring them to the doctors when they are sick but primarily to walk with them to heaven. Like Mary and Joseph present Jesus to God, we are also offering our children to God.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Orang Tua Ideal Yesus 

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Pesta Yesus Dipersembahkan di Bait Allah

2 Februari 2020

Lukas 2: 22-40

presentation 1Jika kita diberi kesempatan untuk memilih orang tua kita sendiri, orang tua ideal seperti apa yang akan menjadi pilihan kita? Mungkin, beberapa akan lebih suka orang tua miliarder, supaya hidup terjamin, mendapatkan Pendidikan terbaik, dan masa depan cerah. Mungkin sebagian dari kita ingin menjadi anak-anak raja. Jadi, memiliki darah ningrat, dan orang-orang memanggil kita sebagai pangeran, puteri atau bangsawan. Mungkin kita ingin dilahirkan dari megabintang Korea, karena kita ingin menjadi yang tercantik atau paling tampan.

Namun, jika kita mengajukan pertanyaan yang sama kepada Tuhan, apa yang akan menjadi pilihan-Nya? Pilihannya jelas, Yusuf dan Maria. Tapi kenapa? Yusuf dan Maria tidak kaya, dan bahkan miskin. Mereka hanya mampu membeli burung merpati, persembahan orang miskin. Memang, Yusuf adalah keturunan raja Daud, tetapi dalam kenyataannya, ia adalah seorang tukang kayu sederhana dari desa yang tidak dikenal, Nazareth. Saya tetap percaya bahwa Yusuf itu tampan dan Maria cantik! Dari sini, kita dapat menyimpulkan bahwa kekayaan, ketenaran, dan kecantikan fisik sebagai kriteria Allah bagi orang tua-Nya. Jadi, apa?

Jika kita melihat lebih dekat Injil hari ini dan beberapa ayat lainnya, kita dapat menemukan karakter terbaik dari Yusuf dan Maria sebagai pasangan dan orang tua adalah cinta dan iman mereka kepada Tuhan. Maria dan Yusuf mengetahui dengan baik Hukum Allah dan mereka dengan setia mematuhi Hukum-Nya.

Pesta hari ini secara tradisional disebut sebagai Yesus dipersembahkan di Bait Allah [Presentation]. Yesus dipersembahkan kepada Allah di Bait Suci. Mengapa Yusuf dan Maria mempersembahkan Yesus di Bait Suci? Karena mereka sadar akan Hukum Taurat bahwa setiap anak sulung akan dikuduskan bagi Tuhan karena mereka adalah milik Tuhan [lihat Kel 13: 2]. Hari ini juga disebut pesta Pemurnian Maria [Purification of Mary]. Dia dimurnikan bukan karena dia berdosa, tetapi karena menurut Hukum Musa, setiap wanita yang melahirkan akan menjadi “tidak bersih” secara ritual atau tidak layak untuk penyembahan, dan dia harus menjalani 40 hari periode pemurnian, dan pada hari ke-40, dia mempersembahkan korban kepada imam [Im 12: 1-8].

Yesus tidak peduli dengan kondisi ekonomi, status sosial, atau penampilan fisik orang tua-Nya. Yesus mencari apakah orang tua-Nya benar-benar mencintai Allah, apakah orang tua-Nya tahu dan mematuhi hukum Allah, dan apakah orang tua-Nya memiliki iman kepada Allah. Mengapa karakteristik ini penting bagi orang tua Yesus? Karena Yesus memahami warisan terbaik yang dapat diberikan orang tua kepada anak-anak mereka adalah iman, karena uang hanya dapat memberi Anda keamanan dalam kehidupan ini, tetapi iman akan membawa kita ke surga.

Tugas utama orang tua bukan hanya menyediakan makanan, tempat tinggal, dan pakaian, tidak hanya mengirim anak-anak mereka ke sekolah, dan tidak hanya membawa mereka ke dokter ketika mereka sakit, tetapi terutama berjalan bersama mereka ke surga. Seperti Maria dan Yusuf mempersembahkan Yesus kepada Allah, maka kita juga mempersembahkan anak-anak kita kepada Allah.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Like John the Baptist

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2nd Sunday of Advent [A] – [December 8, 2019] – Matthew 3:1-12

john-the-baptist-mafaJohn the Baptist is a prominent figure in four Gospels, and he powerfully appears before Jesus begins His public ministry. But, who is this John the Baptist? His name is simply John, and the Church calls him the Baptist to distinguish him from other John in the Bible like John the son of Zebedee, one of Jesus’ disciples. John the Baptist is the miracle son of Zacharia and Elizabeth in their old days. And since Elizabeth and Mary, the mother of Jesus, are relatives, John and Jesus are closely related to each other.

Certainly, there is something strange about this John. He is eating locust and honey. Surely, it is an exotic food, but we need to remember he is living in the desert, and this kind of food is common. He is wearing clothing made of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. It is just a fashion statement or he has nothing to wear. John’s clothing reminds us of the things Prophet Elijah wore in his time [see 1 Kings 1:8]. John is presenting himself as a prophet, and not any prophet, he is the new Elijah. The appearance of Elijah is an important sign of the imminent coming of the Messiah [Mal 4:5].

One thing for sure about John is that he becomes very popular, and people from all over the country come to him, to listen to his preaching and to be baptized as a sign of repentance. Yet, despite the great number of followers, he remains true to his mission. He is preaching on the coming of someone who is much greater than him, even he declares that “is unworthy to carry His sandals.” He is God’s instrument in fulfilling the prophecy, and he has a specific role to play.

Now, we know a little background about John the Baptist, what will be next for us? Certainly, we are not called to follow him in wearing clothing made of camel’s hair or to eat locust everyday, but we are to prepare the way for the coming of the Savior. How? Some of us are called literally to baptize people like myself. Some are commissioned to preach and educate people. Yet, all of us is to live a life of repentance. The repentance has to be alive and penetrating all aspects of life. The word used by John in Greek is “metanoiete” and it does not simply mean “repent!” but more precisely, “keep repenting!”

The first stage of repentance is certainly turning away from a sinful life, but it is more than that. Repentance is not about one-done-deal action, but a life-long process. The word “Metanoia” is coming from two words, “meta” meaning “changing” and “nous” meaning “mind”; Thus, “metanoia” means changing of mind, changing the way we see life and the way we live. Our mind is no longer earth-bond, but fixed into God. The transformation is not from sinful life to a good life, but a life that is even closer to God. It implies changing of priority. Do we make God our priority? It entails holiness. Do we do things that are pleasing to God? This presupposes the love of God. Do we love God more than other things, or do we love other things more than Him?

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Tanpa Melihat ke Belakang

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Minggu Ketiga Belas pada Masa Biasa [C] – 30 Juni 2019 -Lukas 9: 51-62

carrying cross 3Hari ini kita mendengarkan salah satu ajaran Yesus yang paling sulit dimengerti dan diikuti. Bagi mereka yang ingin mengikuti Yesus, Dia menuntut kesetiaan total, dan menjadi prioritas utama mereka dalam hidup. Baik dalam tradisi Yahudi maupun Kristiani, untuk menghormati orang tua kita adalah salah satu perintah tertinggi dalam Sepuluh Perintah Allah. Tetapi, ketika seseorang meminta Yesus untuk menguburkan ayahnya, Yesus mengatakan kepadanya, “Biarkan orang mati menguburkan orang mati.” Kepada orang yang meminta untuk mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada keluarganya, Yesus berkata, “Setiap orang yang siap untuk membajak tetapi menoleh ke belakang, tidak layak untuk Kerajaan Allah.” Tidak terbayangkan! Apakah ini benar-benar Yesus yang hatinya tergerak oleh belas kasihan kepada orang-orang miskin? Apakah Yesus tidak lagi memperhatikan Sepuluh Perintah? Bagaimana kita bisa mengerti kata-kata Yesus yang keras ini?

Kita dapat mengungkap jawabannya di awal pembacaan Injil hari ini. Yesus tahu waktu-Nya telah tiba bagi-Nya untuk pergi ke Yerusalem, dan Dia telah mengarahkan wajah-Nya ke kota ini yang akan menganiaya, menyiksa, dan membunuh-Nya. Jalan salib Yesus telah dimulai, dan bagi mereka yang ingin mengikuti-Nya, bukan lagi waktunya untuk terhibur oleh mukjizat-mukjizat-Nya atau terinspirasi oleh khotbah-khotbah-Nya. Mereka yang berhasrat untuk mengikuti Yesus, juga harus memikul salib mereka bersama Yesus, dan berjalan bersama Yesus ke Kalvari. Mereka tidak bisa tidak menyerahkan hidup mereka kepada Yesus dan menjadikan misi Yesus sebagai perhatian utama mereka.

Namun, kita perlu mengklarifikasi juga ucapan Yesus yang mungkin terdengar terlalu keras. Ketika Yesus berkata, “Biarkan orang mati menguburkan yang mati,” orang tua dari yang bersangkutan sebenar masih hidup, dan dia ingin mengikuti Yesus setelah orang tuanya meninggal, yang tidak tahu kapan akan terjadi. Ini menjadi sebuah alasan halus untuk tidak mengikuti Yesus. Ketika Yesus berkata, “Setiap orang yang siap untuk membajak tetapi menoleh ke belakang, tidak layak untuk Kerajaan Allah.” Yesus sebenarnya mengingatkan para pendengar-Nya tentang kisah Elia yang memanggil Elisa untuk mengikutinya [1Raj 19:19 -21]. Ketika seorang nabi memanggil, orang yang dipanggil harus segera merespons. Kalau tidak, kesempatan itu hilang untuk selamanya. Yesus juga menunjukkan kisah istri Lot. Ketika kota Sodom dan Gomora dihancurkan oleh Tuhan, malaikat itu memerintahkan Lot dan keluarganya untuk lari dan tidak melihat ke belakang, namun, istrinya melihat ke belakang. Dia menjadi tiang garam [Kej 19:26]. Seseorang tidak dapat secara efektif mengikuti kata-kata Tuhan dan memiliki kehidupan baru di dalam Kristus jika dia selalu melihat ke belakang dan melekatkan dirinya pada masa lalu. Para petani Yahudi juga tahu betul ironi bahwa ketika seseorang membajak tanah dan terus melihat ke belakang untuk mengecek hasilnya, dia hanya akan merusak seluruh ladang. Ketika seseorang fokus dalam tujuan dan keputusannya, ia akan mendapatkan hasil terbaik.

Ada kisah tentang seorang malaikat yang menampakkan diri kepada John. Malaikat itu berkata, “John, Tuhan memanggilmu untuk melayani Dia.” John berkata, “Tidak sekarang, aku masih 18 tahun, dan aku ingin fokus pada studiku.” Kemudian, malaikat itu datang lagi setelah beberapa tahun. John berkata, “Jangan sekarang, aku hanya 30, dan aku punya karier.” Kemudian, malaikat itu muncul lagi setelah beberapa tahun. John berkata, “Jangan sekarang. Saya baru berusia 40 tahun, dan saya punya keluarga. ”Kemudian, malaikat itu kembali untuk terakhir kalinya ketika Yohanes berusia 70 tahun. Yohanes berkata,“ Sekarang, saya siap untuk menjawab panggilan Tuhan.” Malaikat itu menjawab, “Ya, Tuhan memanggil kamu, tetapi tidak untuk melayani Dia, tetapi untuk menghadap Dia di surga!”

Seorang Kristiani yang memiliki banyak alasan untuk tidak mengikuti Yesus, dia bukanlah seorang Kristiani sejati. Hanya ketika kita mengikuti Dia dengan tekad, berjalan di jalan salib-Nya tanpa alasan, menjadikan Dia sebagai prioritas utama kita, kita dapat dengan rendah hati mengatakan bahwa kita adalah murid-murid-Nya.

Diakon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Heart

On By bayuopIn English, Ordinary Time 2018, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Reflection on the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time [March 3, 2019] Luke 6:39-45

prisoner prayer
Prisoner praying during church ceremony at Naivasha Maxium Security Prison. During the church service some prisoners pray on their own. – 24.11.2012. Copyright: Ulrik Pedersen

These past three Sundays, we have been listening on the series of Jesus’ teachings given at the Plain [Luk 6:20-49]. Two Sundays ago, we read about the Beatitudes. This is the set of conditions that leads us to true happiness and blessedness. Last Sunday we discover some practical steps to achieve this Beatitude, like we shall love our enemies. And this Sunday, we find the heart of Jesus’ teachings: it is the formation of the heart.

In our contemporary world, the heart generally symbolizes the source of affection, passion and love. Filipinos love basketball, and they give their best support every time their national team compete in international tournaments. Their battle cry is “Laban! Puso!” literally translated as “Fight! Heart!” Surely, the heart here refers to the burning passion to overcome enormous challenges during the ball game.

When a lady is not sure whether to accept or not a man to be her boyfriend, we often advise her to follow her “heart”. When she has a new boyfriend and is in love, she calls him as her “sweetheart”. But, when she suddenly loses her boyfriend because of unexpected betrayal, she suffers an immense “broken heart”. Because of this traumatic experience, she refuses to love anymore, and she now possesses “the heart of stone.” Surely, a lot of hearts!

However, the word “Heart” in Bible has a slightly different meaning from our common understandings. Heart in the Bible is not just the source of our emotional life, but the center of the human life, vitality and personality. It is also the seat of human intellect, judgment and conscience. Thus, when Jesus says “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good…” it does not simply mean that person has the emotions that support him in doing good. It means a person has a fundamental judgement, stable attitude and permanent character to choose and do good, despite the contrary feelings he has. Good-hearted person can do good even person he hates. For Jesus, heart is not only affection, but it is also action.

In the context, the formation of the heart means the formation of the entire human person. Jesus understands that unless we possess the characters of a good man or woman, we are just staging a play, and become hypocrites [meaning actors] before other people.

How are we going to form our hearts? Jesus gives us a hint as He says, “from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” The question then is: what fills our hearts? It is evil and wicked things, or good and holy things?

I am currently assigned in General Santos City, Mindanao, Philippines, and one of the highlights of my stay is when I visit and celebrate mass with the female inmates in the city jail. At first, I was hesitant and afraid to interact with them as I perceived them as being “criminals”. These are women with “wicked hearts”. But, I was totally wrong. When I prayed with them, I witnessed women prayed earnestly and deeply in faith. I met this woman, just call her Mary, and I listened to her story. She has been in the prison for five years, and due to ineffective justice system, her trial is still on going. She is a single mother with five children. She was caught using drugs, and she admitted it to escape from the reality of harsh life. She was crying as she narrated her story. And, I asked her what made endure her terrible situation. She simply answered, “I have God in my heart.”

We are living in much better condition than Mary, but do we have God in our heart? What fills our heart? Do we fill our hearts with Godly things? Do we allow God to reign in our hearts?

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP