Tag: English

What is Gospel?

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Third Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]

January 21, 2023

Mark 1:14-20

Jesus began His ministry by preaching, “The time has been fulfilled, the kingdom is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel!” Yet, the question is, ‘What is the Gospel we need to believe in?’ Indeed, it is not the four written Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) since these were written years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. So, what is the Gospel here?

The most basic understanding of the Gospel is ‘the good news.’ It comes from the Greek word ‘ευαγγελιον’ (read: Evangelion). This word itself is composed of two elements: ‘ευ’ meaning ‘happy’ or ‘good,’ then ‘αγγελιον’ meaning ‘news.’ In the time of Jesus, the word ‘ευαγγελιον’ is not just any good news like “I passed the exam” or “I received a bonus.” The word is an imperial technical term to point to the emperor’s major victory or to the emperor’s birthday celebration. Every time ‘ευαγγελιον’ was announced, there would be great joy among the people because the enemy had been defeated, and now the residents of the empire may live in peace.

Jesus used the same imperial vocabulary but adjusted its content to His purpose. It was no longer about the good news about the Roman empire but about the Kingdom of God. It was no longer about the emperor’s glory but now about Jesus. Those living at that time may respond differently to Jesus’ Gospel. One could consider Jesus insane, delusional, or a liar, and thus, His Gospel was nothing but a laughable lie. Others might see Jesus as subversive; thus, His Gospel was a call to rebellion against the Roman empire. We recall also that this subversive understanding of the Gospel was later used to accuse Jesus before Pilate. Jesus was ‘the king of the Jews’ against the Roman emperor.

However, Jesus proved these assumptions were simply incorrect. Jesus did not preach empty words; He taught with authority and performed mighty miracles. Even the demons were obedient to His words. He was not also a revolutionary political fighter because His Kingdom is not of this world (see John 18:36), and how He refused to be made king by his supporters (see John 6:15). Jesus’ Kingdom is the Kingdom of God of holiness. The only way to enter is repentance (metanoia). The word metanoia presupposes a change of ‘mind’ or ‘lifestyle’ from a life of sins and far from God into a life according to God’s law and, thus, life with God.

Thus, from this perspective, we can say that ‘believe in the Gospel’ means that we believe in the Kingdom of God and Jesus, the king of the Kingdom, who saves us from sins and brings us back to God. And the way to believe is none other than repentance. To say, “I believe in Jesus,” yet we keep stealing other people’s money, is just nonsense. To say, “I trust in God,” but we keep breaking His laws and commandments, is useless. ‘

Another interesting fact! The actual Greek Mark used for ‘believe’ is ‘πιστεύετε’ (pisteuete), and grammatically, it is imperative mode in the present tense. In ancient Greece, this imperative presence means a command to do something, not one time but continuously. Thus, Mark wants to emphasize that belief is a continuous process rather than a one-time action. Belief in Jesus is something that is growing and dynamic rather than static.

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Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Name and Holiness

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2nd Sunday in the Ordinary Time [B]

January 14, 2024

John 1:35-42

At the beginning of John’s Gospel, we encounter three acts of naming. Firstly, when John the Baptist saw Jesus, he called Him ‘The Lamb of God’. Then, after staying for a day with Jesus, Andrew called Him the ‘Messiah’ or ‘Christ’ [meaning: the anointed one]. Lastly, after Jesus encountered Simon, Andrew’s brother, He named him ‘Cephas’ in Aramaic, or ‘Petros’ in Greek [meaning: rock]. Why the act of naming is important in the Gospel?

We recall that the act of naming fundamentally belongs to God. God is omnipotent, and so, with every name God uttered, that name became a reality, from nothing to something. “God said, ‘Let there be light!’ And, there was light.” Every time God named and created something, the ever-greater goodness took place. On the final day, God named ‘the seventh day’ as ‘holy.’ Holiness is when a name becomes a reality and that reality reaches its fullness and perfection according to God’s plan.

The Holy Spirit inspired John the Baptist to name Jesus as the Lamb of God. This brings forth the reality that Jesus would be ‘slaughtered’ and ‘consumed’ to save His people from the slavery of sin, like the Passover lamb that was slaughtered and eaten to protect the Israelites from death and liberate them from slavery in Egypt. The Holy Spirit also inspired Andrew to name Jesus as the Messiah. This reveals the reality that Jesus is the promised Anointed one who would fulfill the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament, especially as the King of the New Israel. Jesus’ name is holy because precisely in His name, God’s redemption plan reached its full reality. After all, He is the Word that was made flesh (see John 1:14).

When Jesus called Simon and gave him a new name, ‘Cephas,’ the new reality came into existence. Simon would become the rock where Jesus’ Church rested. Obviously, Simon was impulsive, short-tempered, and even cowardly. Yet, since Jesus named him, the name was part of Jesus’ divine plan. Jesus knew Simon was weak; Jesus allowed Simon to falter, yet Jesus also transformed and empowered him. The name that Jesus had planted at their first encounter finally became a full reality when Simon offered his life as a martyr of Christ in the city of Rome.

We believe that we exist not because of random chance, utterly unplanned, but because of God’s divine plan. We are in the world not only because of biological processes but because God gives us a name, from nothingness to reality. Indeed, God allows us to experience suffering and even failures, yet this is also part of His plan to make us holy.

Holiness is when the names God gave us become more and more reality. How? Like Simon, we do our best to follow His will in our lives, be more patient in suffering, and avoid anything that strays from Him.

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Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Magi and the Truth

On By bayuopIn Christmas, EnglishLeave a comment

The Epiphany of the Lord
January 7, 2024
Matthew 2:1-12 [B]

The Christmas season ends with the feast of Epiphany. This ancient feast is associated with the story of the Magi from the East who visited the child Jesus in Bethlehem. The story is a fitting conclusion to the Christmas season since the Magi represented the nations of the world who came and worshiped the newborn king. Jesus was born not only to be the Messiah of the Jews but also the Savior of the nations.

The identity of the Magi remains largely a mystery. The earliest depiction in the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem presented them dressed in Persian clothes (presently Iran). But, some fathers of the Church believed that they were Chaldeans (now Iraq). Others still argued that they were coming from northern Syria because they were thought to be the descendants of Baalam (see Num 22). Finally, we are not really sure. The Bible describes them as ‘Magos’; in the Bible itself, ‘Magos’ has ambiguous meanings. The word Magos can be negatively associated with a sorcerer, one who practiced magic and even to earn money and fame (see Acts 13:6). Yet, the term can also be translated as a sage or wise man, one who dedicated himself in search of Truth.

The Church’s traditions tend to see the Magi as the wise men from the East. These were people who offered their lives in search of the Truth. Yet, living two millennia before us, they did not enjoy the fruits of scientific revolutions and methods. They had to rely on limited resources and information, often mixed with myths and superstitions. They did not have chemistry yet, but rather alchemy (protoscience that aims to transform one material into something else like gold or medicine). They did not yet understand astronomy principles but contended with astrology (a pseudo-science that reads the celestial bodies and how they relate to human fates). The majority of their literature probably dealt with magic rather than true science.

However, despite their limitations, God recognized their sincere effort and thus led them to the Truth himself through the star. After all, God placed in their hearts the profound thirst for Truth. They proved their commitment as they left their palaces’ comfort and embarked on a long, dangerous journey. We are also not sure what Baltazar, Melchior, and Gaspar (as the tradition calls them) truly experienced when they discovered Jesus, the Truth. We are confident that the Magi are the symbols of humanity in search of Truth for God Himself.

Like the Magi, God also created us as beings that possess a fundamental hunger for Truth. Unfortunately, this hunger for Truth does not find its fulfillment because of sins. The sin of laziness poisons our desire for Truth and chains us in our comfort zones. The sin of lust turns our desire for Truth into carnal desire. The sin of pride makes us believe that we already possess the Truth and we do not need God’s grace. Learning from the Magi, we recognize that sciences are also parts of God’s providence to lead us into ultimate Truth to Himself.

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Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Wives, Husband and Family in God’s Plan

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Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

December 31, 2023

Luke 2:22-40

“Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord [Col 1:18].” To us, modern readers, the words of St. Paul raise our eyebrows. How come St. Paul instructed women to be subjected and even slaves to men? Were not men and women created equal in dignity? Is St. Paul anti-women or even a misogynist?

To answer these objections, we must understand the historical context of St. Paul and the Church in Colossae. In the Greco-Roman society of the first century AD, women were basically the household property of men. They were primarily responsible for producing legitimate heirs to their husbands and were expected to care for the house. They were to obey their husbands in all respects. Indeed, there were strong and dominant women, but these were exceptions. Even for the women of nobility, though they enjoyed rare lives of luxury, they also turned out to be political tools. They were offered as brides to secure political alliances and the families’ economic security.

Reading St. Paul in this context, his letter is, in fact, revolutionary. In the section of the instructions to the Christian families (see Col 3:18-21), St. Paul did not write, “Husbands, tell your wives that they need to be your subjects!” Instead, he addressed his female readers directly and made his instructions clear to them. This writing style unearthed Paul’s fundamental understanding of the relationship between men and women: wives stand on equal ground with their husbands. What is even more remarkable is that St. Paul mentioned the women first and the men second. This was unheard of! St. Paul transgressed the cultural limitations to preach, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus [Gal 3:27-28].”

Now, how do we understand Paul’s word, ‘be subordinate’? St. Paul used the original Greek word ‘ὑποτάσσω’ (read: hupotasso). It literally means ‘to be assigned under.’ So, the wives are assigned under the husbands. Yet, it does not mean that women are lower in human dignity and status in the family. St. Paul understood that the human family is also a form of human community, and any human community need ‘order’ to flourish. A leader is a responsible person who ensures that the order works properly and, thus, generates the greatest good for everyone in the community. In a family context, St. Paul recognized the husband is the leader of an order called family.

St. Paul further clarified this ‘subordination’ by his instruction to the husbands, “Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them.” For Paul, family is an order of love. Yes, the men are the heads of families, but they are not tyrants but the leaders of love. Men who are naturally stronger physically are expected to protect and provide for the family. Paul expected husbands to give up their lives for their families, as Christ gave His life for the Church (see Eph 5:25). Thus, ‘ὑποτάσσω’ means that wives are under the radical love of husbands.

We recognize that Paul’s ideal is not always happening. Because of our weakness and the devil’s attack, we fall into sin, and we fail to become a good husband or wife. Yet, we must not lose hope because this is God’s plan for us, and we continue to strive in holiness through God’s grace.

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Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Joy of Christmas

On By bayuopIn Christmas, EnglishLeave a comment

The Nativity of our Lord (Christmas)

December 25, 2023

Luke 2:1-14

Merry Christmas!

The Lord is born, and there is a great joy in heaven and earth. However, what is the reason behind this joy of Christmas? There is joy not because we can gather with our family and relatives and have a good Christmas party. The joy is not because we have gifts and bonuses, nor because we travel and have our vacations. So, what is behind this joy?

Christmas is the day that our Savior is born. This birth is not just a natural biological process involving a man and a woman. This birth is a supernatural event that takes its root from God’s love for us, pitiful sinners. God had countless options to redeem us, yet He chose the most intimate way. God the Father sent His Son, and the Son took His second nature, that is, human nature in the Virgin Mary. In this way, God becomes intimately close to us, thus, His title, Immanuel, God-with-us. He is with us not only in spiritual or mystical manners but in the most humanly possible. He is a baby Mary could feed, Joseph could embrace, and shepherds could see.

However, Christmas is the cause of rejoicing not only in a theological sense but also because it is a strong reminder for all of us. We are living in a changing culture and mindset. Many couples no longer want to have children. Indeed, there are some valid reasons, such as economic hardship that makes it impossible to raise children or certain medical conditions that can be dangerous for the mothers. Yet, many also consider having children a burden, and thus, want only to have the fun things in marriage but get away with the difficult parts, including raising children.

However, Christmas reminds us that while it is true that having children carries its own hardship, it also brings joy. It is true that after receiving Jesus, Mary and Joseph did not get a better life; in fact, they had to endure more suffering. Yet, Mary and Joseph celebrated the birth of the Son of God. We must not forget that the countless angelic community sang glory to the Lord in heaven, and on earth, the shepherds rushed to joyfully greet Mary and Joseph [see Luk 2].

Getting pregnant is indeed a painful and laborious process, and educating our children can often be economically and emotionally challenging. Yet, God also provides abundant joy for parents. There is immense and indescribable joy when the mother sees her newborn baby for the first time. When the parents lovingly interact with their babies, the bodies intensely produce ‘positive’ hormones like oxytocin and dopamine. A friend who recently had a baby recounted her joy every time she noticed simple yet significant growth in her baby. There is joy when the baby begins to pronounce words clearly. There is joy when the baby starts recognising and distinguishing her parents’ faces from others.

Christmas teaches us that there is great joy in heaven when a baby is conceived and born because this baby is a potential citizen of heaven. Now, it is our joy to bring our children entrusted to us to God and share the fullness of life with Him.

Rome

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Full of Grace

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4th Sunday of Advent [B]

December 24, 2023

Luke 1:26-38

‘Full of Grace’ is the most iconic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Every time we recite ‘Hail Mary,’ we immediately recognize that the first title after the name of Mary is full of grace. Not only is it her most recognized title, but it is also the most ancient. Even it goes back to the Bible, the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel. The angel Gabriel appeared and greeted Mary, ‘Hail, full of grace!’ (Luk 1:28). However, if we carefully read this passage, the title ‘Full of Grace’ is not there. What did the angel say to Mary? Why do we have ‘Full of Grace’ in the first place?

The title ‘Full of Grace’ appears in the Vulgate version of the Bible. Vulgate is the Latin Bible translation done by St. Jerome in the early fifth century. In Latin, it is ‘gracia plena’. Since Latin is the official language of the Roman Catholic Church, ‘gracia plena’ became the standard title of Blessed Virgin Mary and got translated into different languages. When ‘Hail Mary’ and the holy rosary became the most popular devotion in the Catholic world, the title ‘full of grace’ could no longer be separated from Mary, the mother of Jesus. But what is written in the Bible?

What St. Luke wrote in Greek is ‘κεχαριτωμένη’ (read: kecharitomene), and it literally means ‘one who has been graced’ or ‘one who has received grace.’ So, is St. Jerome mistaken? Not really. St. Jerome decided not to make a literal translation but rather a more poetic one, and by this choice, St. Jerome wanted to draw our attention to the total and continuous presence of grace in the life of Mary. Yet, why is the title ‘κεχαριτωμένη’ extremely important for Mary and us?

Firstly, we need to understand the meaning of the word ‘grace .’In Greek, it is ‘χάρις’ (read: Charis), and its most fundamental meaning is ‘gift’ or ‘favor .’Yet, in the New Testament, the word grace does not simply mean any gift, like birthday or graduation gifts, but it is the ultimate and the most important gift. Grace refers to God’s gift of salvation. The salvation is not only from sins and death but also for God. When we are saved, not only are our sins forgiven, but we are also enabled to share the divine life of the Holy Trinity. Grace is the gift of salvation, the gift of holiness, and the gift of heaven. (for a fuller discussion, see CCC 1996-2007)

Mary is wholly unique because she is the first person who has received grace even before our Lord was crucified and resurrected, and in fact, before He was born. The reality of grace perfectly manifested in her. It is not that Mary was worthy but that she was chosen. She did not earn it, but grace was given freely. It is not because of Mary’s plan but God’s providence. Yet, the moment of Annunciation also shows us that grace is free but never cheap. Though grace has filled her since the beginning, Mary still has to make the free choice to accept the grace and make it fruitful in her life. Thus, she said, “May it be done to me according to your word!” Mary’s yes to God’s grace is not only a one-time action but a lifetime commitment, even in the face of the cross.

Our Savior has died, risen for us, and poured out His grace for our redemption. Yet, like Mary, we must choose freely to accept the grace in our lives; through it, we flourish in God’s friendship. This is why we avoid sins, go to the mass regularly and devoutly, or do works of mercy. Not because we want to earn salvation, but to grow in God’s grace and express our thanks for the grace freely given.

Rome

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks

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Gaudete Sunday. 3rd Sunday of Advent [B]

December 17, 2023

John 1:6-8, 19-28

In this Gaudete Sunday, St Paul teaches, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. [1 The 5:16].” St. Paul gives us three fundamental characteristics of Christians: to rejoice always, pray ceaselessly, and give thanks in all things. St. Paul reminds us that these characters are not an option but God’s will for us. Yet, how can we be joyful amid suffering? How can we pray when we are occupied with our duties and work? How can we give thanks in times of trial?

The key is that we cannot rely on our power but on God’s grace that empowers us to do these three impossible tasks. Through God’s grace, we are empowered to rejoice always, even amid difficult times. Rejoice [Greek ‘χαίρω’ – chairo] is neither simply a fleeting emotion nor happiness that comes from externally induced substance. To rejoice is an action we choose to do. This action flows from the realization that God is in control of every event of our lives. Even in the most painful moments, God allows those to occur because He has a good purpose for us. Indeed, God does not tell us in advance His plans, making it complicated. Yet, the Holy Spirit comes and bestows us faith and hope in Him and His providence.

God’s grace also enables us to thank the Lord every moment. To be grateful and to rejoice are, in fact, closely connected, just like two sides of the same coin. We can give thanks in all circumstances because the Holy Spirit helps us to see that everything we do and experience has a purpose. And, when everything we do, we do for the love of God. This act became a blessing and a cause of joy. The word for give thanks in Greek is ‘εὐχαριστέω’ [eucharisteo], and it has the same root as the word Eucharist. Thus, every time we celebrate the Eucharist, we offer our sacrifice of Jesus Christ and our lives as thanksgiving to God.

Lastly, how do we pray without ceasing? To spend a little time for prayer every day is already difficult. Does it mean we have to resign from our jobs, abandon our responsibilities in the family, and enter seclusion to pray? Indeed, there are better things to do than this. To pray unceasingly can be done at least in two ways. Firstly, we pray as a community of believers, the Church, one body of Christ. Thus, when we cannot pray this time, other brothers and sisters in other places will pray for us and on our behalf. Since millions of Catholics pray worldwide, our prayers are unbroken and unstoppable.

Secondly, we rely on the Holy Spirit to pray for us. St. Paul himself told us, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words (Rom 8:26-27).” We ask the Holy Spirit to be present and sanctify every activity of our day, and before we rest, we offer our day to the Lord.

Rejoice always, pray ceaselessly, and give thanks in all things!

Rome

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Hope and Dream

On By bayuopIn Advent, BahasaLeave a comment

2nd Sunday of Advent [B]

December 10, 2023

Mark 1:1-8

What are your dreams and hopes in life? The answers can be extremely diverse. Students dream of finishing their studies and graduating from their schools with honors. Others wish to work in big companies or have respectable businesses. Others hope to achieve high-level careers or acquire cozy properties and flashy cars. Yet, we can also dream for other people, like parents, who wish their children to grow healthy and succeed.

Why do we have hopes and dreams and hopes? Unlike animals, we not only wish to survive but also want to become a much better version of ourselves. Our material and biological composition alone cannot explain this ability to hope. There is something beyond this body and this world. Pope Benedict XVI beautifully offers us an answer through his encyclical Spe Salvi, “Man was created for greatness—for God himself; he was created to be filled by God. But his heart is too small for the greatness to which it is destined. It must be stretched.” The reason that God has given us these immortal souls and through our dreams and hopes, we are enlarging our souls and eventually being ready, through the help of grace, to receive God.

Advent is the season of hope because this season teaches us to hope rightly. We can learn from our Gospel. St. Mark opened his Gospel by presenting John the Baptist, who announced the true hope of Israel, that the Lord is coming. During this time, Israelites lived through extremely harsh times under the Roman Empire. The taxes were choking their necks, the Roman-appointed rulers like Herod were cruel, and some Jews were stealing and scamming fellow poorer Jews. At this time, it was easy to fall into despair and stop hoping, or they developed a delusion that the Messiah would come as a military leader that would lead them to bloody victory against their oppressors. John told them to keep hoping because the Lord was coming, but he also reminded them that the best preparation was not political nor military ways but repentance. For, God of Israel is neither a god of war, nor a god of wealth, nor a god of politics, but He is the God of holiness.

We live in a much better time than the ancient Israelites, yet terrible things can always diminish or even corrupt our capacity to hope. Economic difficulties, broken relationships, and failures to achieve our dreams are to name a few. We may live depressed, hopeless, and in survival mode, no different from many animals. Or, we may grow delusions and false expectations. We falsely expect God to be a magician, so we go to the Church and pray because God will grant us anything we wish. We also may fall into the temptation to utilize evil and unjust ways to realize our dreams.

The season of Advent teaches us to hope and dream. The season introduces us to the biggest dream in our lives: to be saints, that is, to welcome God, and to be with God. We must dare to hope despite countless challenges and failures, yet we shall see our hopes and dreams into building blocks to stretch our souls to receive God.

Rome

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Third Coming

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First Sunday of Advent [B]

December 3, 2023

Mark 13:33-37

We are entering the Advent season, and the new liturgical year of the Church has begun. Advent itself is from the Latin word ‘Adventus,’ and it literally means ‘the coming.’ In light of the Scriptures and Tradition, the Church teaches two arrivals of Christ. His first coming was in Bethlehem around two millennia ago, and the second coming of Jesus will be at the final judgment as the king of kings and the judge of all. This liturgical season reminds and prepares us for both comings of Jesus. However, there is another coming of Christ, also called the third coming of Christ. What does it mean? And, how does the third coming of Christ connect the other two comings?

Before we answer this question, we shall reflect more deeply on the relationship between the first and second coming of Christ because how Jesus came for the first time should give us precious lessons in preparing ourselves for His second coming. How did Jesus come for the first time? He was born of Mary, a humble virgin married to Joseph, a poor carpenter, and neither to the powerful family of Herod nor to the ruling dynasty of Caesar. He was born in the most unworthy place, a dirty cave in Bethlehem, and not in a royal palace or a first-class hospital. He was born as the weakest human being, a baby, and not coming down from the skies like a superhero. The first coming teaches us a precious lesson that Jesus is present in the humblest places, among the simple people, and at the most unexpected moments. As Jesus arrived in Bethlehem most unexpectedly, so also, He will come for the final moment in His second coming.

As many people failed to recognize the first arrival of the Messiah, we might also fail to be ready for this last judgment. Then, how shall we do to anticipate His coming down from the heavens? This truth leads us to “the third coming of Christ.” What is it? The third coming refers to Jesus’ coming and presence among us in our daily lives, albeit in the most unexpected ways. In the Advent season, we prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ by reflecting on His first coming and, thus, recognizing and welcoming ‘His third coming’ in our lives. The more we can discover Christ in His third coming, the more we are prepared for His final appearance.

Then, what are the manifestations of the third coming of Christ? The first and foremost is the holy Eucharist. Here, Jesus is truly and really present, yet we need great faith to perceive Him, who appears in the forms of bread and wine. He is also present in the words of the Holy Scriptures. The Church firmly believes that the Bible is the Word of God in the written form. By reading and meditating, we encounter Jesus, who speaks to us. St. Paul also teaches us that the Church is the body of Christ. Thus, encountering Christ cannot be done without encountering His body, the Church. However, it is also true that often, it is the most difficult to see Christ in the Church because some members of the Church are far from Christ-like. Yet, this has become an excellent opportunity to perform acts of charity and be Christ-like. Lastly, we encounter Christ in our unfortunate brothers and sisters, as Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me (Mat 25:40).”

Rome

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Preparation for the End Time

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The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

November 26, 2023

Matthew 25:31-46

The solemnity of the Christ of the King of the Universe reminds us that the end time is real and will surely come to all of us. This is the moment when Jesus will come again as the King of kings and the supreme judge of all. For the righteous, heaven is ready to welcome them, and for the evildoers, hell is binding them forever. Then, many of us are obsessed with the question, “When is He coming?” With wars and conflicts raging around the globe, with deadly natural calamities, and with sickness that scourges the entire earth, many believe the end is near. Yet, to ask when is to ask the wrong question.

In the Gospel, Jesus did not reveal when He would come. The time is not important for Jesus; rather, ‘how to face the second coming’ is critical for Jesus. Why? It is useless if we recognize the time of the second coming, yet we must learn how to face the judgment. And, sometimes, when we recognize the time, instead of making a long and consistent preparation, we procrastinate and hope that our last-minute and instant effort will suffice. Therefore, Jesus and other writers of the New Testament consistently tell us that the time will come like a thief in the night. And if the question of the time of the final judgment still bothers us, we shall recall Jesus’ words, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today (Mt 6:34).”

So, How do we prepare for the second coming? St. John of the Cross sums it up nicely: “At the evening of our lives, we will be judged by love alone.” From the light of the Gospel, the Church recognizes this ‘love’ manifests itself in the works of mercy, especially to our unfortunate brothers and sisters. Jesus listed at least six acts: to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to shelter the homeless, to clothe the naked, to take care of the sick, and to visit those who are imprisoned. The Church adds the seventh act, that is, to bury the dead. This takes inspiration from Joseph Arimathea, who took care of Jesus’s burial and even offered his family’s new tomb.

The Church does not only limit the word ‘poor’ to the bodily, economic, and social poor but also extends to the spiritually poor. Thus, the Church also teaches seven spiritual works of mercy: to counsel the doubtful, to instruct the ignorant, to admonish the sinner, to comfort the sorrowful, to bear wrongs patiently, to forgive offenses willingly, and to pray for the living and the dead.

Interestingly, we don’t have to leave our homes to do the works of mercy. Husband and wife can patiently bear each other’s weaknesses and learn to forgive one another. Parents can feed their hungry children, buy them clothes for protection, and provide a good living place. Parents can also provide their children with a quality education, correct them when they commit mistakes, and console them in their moments of failure. Children can pray for their parents, especially those who have passed away.

This is our Good News. Christ our King has chosen charity as the path of holiness and made our families the first step to heaven.

Rome

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP