Tag: English

Jesus, Our Lamb of God

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2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time [B]

January 17, 2021

John 1:35-42

John the Baptist identified Jesus as the ‘Lamb of God.’ If we are attending the celebration of the Eucharist, we cannot miss hearing this phrase. Just before the communion, the priest will hold the consecrated bread and wine, and present them to the faithful, then saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, Behold Him who takes away the sin of the world. Happy are those invited to the supper of the Lamb!”

I am a cradle Catholic, and I could no longer remember when I heard this Lamb of God for the first time. Yet, I never bother asking why Jesus is called such because it does not make much sense. Perhaps, it is just another fancy title of Jesus. I gradually learn this beautiful truth as I go deeper into my theology study and scriptures.

If we put ourselves in the shoes of the disciples who were living in the first century Palestine, we will see a lot more going on. When the disciples heard ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” they quickly understood. It was undoubtedly mind-blowing, but they were expecting to hear that.

Firstly, a lamb was a primarily sacrificial animal in the Jerusalem temple. Every day lambs were slaughtered and offered to God. Especially during the feast day of Passover, thousands of lambs were brought to the Temple and sacrificed. It was a massive display of devotion to behold. Though the lamb’s sacrifice is not the only way to worship the true God, it serves as the ordinary way of worship. By calling Jesus the Lamb of God, we acknowledge that God’s true worship takes place in Jesus.

Secondly, one of the most important Jewish feasts is Passover. It celebrates the freedom from the slavery of God. One of the central features of this celebration is the sacrificed lamb. The Book Exodus gives the details of how the Passover has to be commemorated. An unblemished one-year-old lamb has to be slaughtered. Its blood was placed on the Jewish household doorpost, and its roasted body shall be eaten [see Exo 12]. To accept Jesus as the Lamb of God, we recognize that the sacrifice and blood of Jesus save us, and we need to eat also His body.

Thirdly, one prophesy that connects a person, and a lamb is from Isaiah. The great prophet spoke about the mysterious figure of ‘suffering servant of God.’ This man shall redeem Israel, but He has to endure great suffering and death, despite being innocent.  The prophet wrote, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter… [Isa 53:7].” By receiving Jesus as the Lamb of God, we accept Jesus as our Redeemer who has to suffer and die for us.

Now, we have recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God; we need to do like the first disciples did: they remained with Him. The disciples did not merely know and accept Jesus, but they followed and stayed with Him. It is not enough for us to see Jesus as the Lamb, but we are invited to remain with Him, to become His true disciples.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

photo credit: Daniel Sandvik

Baptism and the Cross

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Baptism of the Lord

January 10, 2021

Mark 1:7-11

Baptism of the Lord is one of the defining moments in the life of Jesus. The synoptic gospels [Matthew, Mark, and Luke] writes this event, though with their own perspective and emphasis. We are in the liturgical year B, and thus, we are listening from the Gospel of Mark. Mark’s version is noticeably the shortest, but it does not mean it does not deliver a powerful message. The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan is a turning point in Jesus’ life. After this Jesus will be in the desert for 40 days, tempted by the devil, but he will prevail. Then, from this, Jesus will begin His public ministry and unreservedly move toward Jerusalem, to Cross, Death, and Resurrection.

Often, we ask, “why should John baptize Jesus?” We are well aware that John’s baptism is an outward sign of inner repentance. If a person repents, it means that the person has been living a sinful life. Does it mean that Jesus is a sinful man, He asks for John’s baptism? Surely, Jesus who is God, is perfectly sinless, but the question remains, “why should Jesus be baptized?”  Mark does not give us a straight answer, yet the Church offers us the reason. Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners… Already he is anticipating the “baptism” of his bloody death… [CCC 536].”

Simply put, Jesus’ baptism speaks of this solidarity with us sinners, and this solidarity does not stop in the symbolic baptism of John, but this will find its fulfillment in the cross. As sinners, we deserve to die, but it is God who dies for us. The Church’s answer is beautiful, but is it truly in the mind of the evangelists, especially Mark?

When Jesus is baptized, Mark describes the sky as ‘torn apart’ and a voice came, “You are my Son, the Beloved…” The Greek word for ‘tearing apart’ is ‘schizo,’ and the same word is employed again by Mark when he recounts the happening in the Temple when Jesus died on the cross: the giant curtain that separates the holy place and the holiest place inside the Jerusalem temple [see 15:38]. Meanwhile, Mark also recounts a Roman centurion proclaims that Jesus is truly the Son of God, after witnessing remarkable events during Jesus’ death. From here, we can draw an interesting insight. With this basic pattern between what happens in baptism and in the cross, Mark is telling us that these two events are indeed related. The Baptism points to the Cross, and the Cross is the fulfillment of the Baptism.

It reveals the reason why the Father is so ‘so well pleased with His Son.’ The reason is through baptism, Jesus signals to all of us His eagerness to do His Father’s will. Though Jesus is sinless, He takes up our burden of sin and dies for us as proof of the Father’s love for us.

If in His baptism, Jesus accepts the cross, we, as the baptized Christians, are also called to carry our crosses. As we share Christ’s cross and carry it faithfully, we can hope to love radically. As we love deeply, we may hope for our salvation.

 

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Holy Families

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Feast of the Holy Family [B]

December 27, 2020

Luke 2:22-40

We are celebrating the feast of the Holy Family, and indeed, we are celebrating not only the family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph but every human family. Through this liturgical celebration, the Church is inviting us to recognize the importance and the value of our family. Not only acclaiming the fundamental worth of family, but we are also invited to embrace and celebrate family lives.

At a human level, many social experts have understood that healthy and thriving societies begin in robust families. The families do not only fill the communities with human populations, but they provide an environment where children can grow into physically and psychologically mature men and women. A healthy and mature adult turns to be an asset to society.

From the perspective of faith, the Church always considers family as the basic unit of society and the Church herself. In his apostolic exhortation, Familiaris Consortio, Pope St. John Paul II affirmed the family’s fundamental role as the intimate community of life and love. In the family, husband and wife learn to love each other deeper and deeper every day. In the family, parents offer unconditional and sacrificial love for their children. In the family, the children learn to give honor and respect to their parents and their brothers and sisters. Because only in love, human persons find their true fulfillment as God’s image who is Love.

The Scriptures also give premium to family life. To honor our mother and father is one of the Torah’s highest commandments [Exo 20:]. Sirach even claimed that honoring our parents can atone for our sins [Sir 3:3]. St. Paul himself, in his letter to the Colossians, instructed each member of the family on how to behave [see Col 3:12-21].

Yet, going back to Jesus, we discover that for Him, a family is indeed indispensable. As God, Jesus could have come to us directly from heaven. He did not need human aid. Yet, He chose to be born of the virgin Mary, and through the angel, instructed Joseph to become the husband of Mary and, thus, His foster father. When He became man, He entered a human family and grew through Joseph and Mary’s guidance and protection. Jesus has become part of a family, and His presence sanctified His human family. This is a poignant message for all that family is a school of holiness because Jesus is present.

We also admit that family life is not always smooth and sweet. Moments of frustrations, misunderstanding, anger, and sadness often come and struck us. Various problems ranging from economic stability to emotional immaturity beset our familial relationship. However, these ugly situations may be transformed into means of holiness if Jesus is present among us. Raising children can be tough and even irritating, but we can offer this cross to the Lord as prayer. A relationship with our spouse can be filled with misunderstanding, but before we vent our emotions, we may pause a moment and ask the Lord the best course of action we shall take. Thus, through these difficulties, we are made closer to the Lord.

We thank the Lord for the gift of life, love, and family.

Happy feast day of the Holy Family!

 

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Emmanuel

On By bayuopIn Christmas, EnglishLeave a comment

Christmas – Mass during the Night [B]

December 24, 2020

Luke 2:1-14

Christmas is one of the most beautiful and joyous times of the year. Christmas is the time to gather with the families and friends and to have an exchange of gifts. Christmas is the time to put up Christmas trees, place Nativity scenes, and play Christmas songs. Surely, Christmas is the time when families once again go to the church together.

However, this year, things do not go as we want them to be. The pandemic caused by Covid-19 continues to plague our societies, and it significantly affects how we do things and relate with one another. Some of us can no longer go home because of our nature of professions or travel restrictions. Some of us will not attend the beautiful Christmas vigil liturgy because the Church remained closed. Some of us have no special meals on the table because the poor economy hits us hard. For some of us, it is just a lonely and sad Christmas because some of our family members are sick or even have passed away.

Is this still a Christmas? In these difficult situations, all the more, we are invited to reflect on the mystery of Incarnation. The drama of salvation begins with a little baby with His poor parents. Joseph was David’s son, yet he was no more than a poor carpenter, who cannot even provide a decent place for his wife to give birth. Mary was a young mother who had to endure unimaginable shame and various threats to her life. And, at the center of Christmas is the baby boy who is God and yet chose to be born in the most unworthy place of all, a cave filled with animals. He did not opt for much grander places like a royal palace or a magnificent castle. He did not decide to be wrapped with a purple royal garment, but a simple linen cloth. He did not select a golden and comfortable bed, but an unhygienic stone manger.

Looking at the circumstances, Jesus’ birth is not that impressive, but this is what makes the mystery of Incarnation touch every human heart. He did not come as an imposing and authoritarian king like Augustus. He did not come as a shrewd military leader like Julius Caesar. He did not come as a smart politician like Herod. God comes to us as the weakest baby in the humblest place. He is a God who radically loves us and wills to embrace even our weak nature.

Christmas reminds us that Jesus is with us when we are broken by economic conditions; Jesus is with us when we cannot be with our loved ones. Jesus is with us when we are losing our family members. The first Christmas points to us that God does not always spare us from suffering, but He promises to be with us in these terrible times.

One of my friends just lost his father due to Covid-19. It was sudden and untimely death. And what made it very painful is they could not give the last farewell for him as the remain brought immediately to the cemetery. When I had a chance to talk to him, I discovered he could accept the death, and then I asked him the reason. He narrated to me that before his father was admitted to the hospital, he gave his father a brown scapular. He also learned that his father passed away when he was praying the rosary. He believed that his father was not alone when he died; God is with him. Indeed, Jesus is the Emmanuel: God is with us.

Merry Christmas!

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

photocredit: debby hudson

Mary’s Fiat

On By bayuopIn Advent, EnglishLeave a comment

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]

December 20, 2020

Luke 1:28-36

Christmas is fast approaching, and the Church is inviting us to reflect on the story of the Annunciation. Allow me to once more focus on the Blessed Virgin’s Fiat. To appreciate her answer to God’s will and plan, we need to see at least two things. Firstly, it is her historical and social context. Secondly, it is the language analysis of her response.

Mary was a young girl. According to tradition, she was around 13 or 14 years old when she got married. For many of us, living in urban settings, Mary’s marriage was remarkably too early. But, this kind of practice was nothing but expected. Lives were hard, and many people died too young due to sickness, famine, calamity, or wars. To sustain a healthy number of populations, young girls were prepared for the duty of motherhood.

Mary was betrothed to Joseph from the family of David. In the Jewish community, betrothal is the first formal step in a Jewish marriage. The exchange of vows was done in this betrothal. Mary and Joseph were spouses in the eye of Jewish law and society, except for the intimate relationship. The couple had to wait around one year before the bride moved to the house prepared by the groom from the betrothal. Usually, there was a light procession from the bride’s original place to the new house, where the wedding ceremony and reception would occur.

Legally, Mary was Joseph’s wife, and if something wrong happened, it was judged to be adultery. The Law of Moses abhors adultery since it reflects Israel’s infidelity toward Yahweh, breaking the sacred covenant. Thus, for those who were unfaithful, severe punishment awaited them. In Deu 20:22, the Torah explicitly stated that if a betrothed woman commits adultery, she and the man shall be stoned to death.  As a good Jew, Mary was aware of this terrible consequence when archangel Gabriel announced the glad tiding. If she gave her affirmation, she might face certain, untimely death. Nobody would believe her if she tried to defend her supernatural virginal conception. “She must be insane!” some would say. However, despite this imminent horrible future, Mary accepted her mission.

Now, why did she say her Fiat? I used to think that Mary’s fiat is about surrendering everything to God.  She did not understand, but her faith enabled her to trust in God’s providence. In the face of ominous dangers, to have this kind of faith is extremely remarkable. However, as I read more about this Fiat, I discover that Mary’s Fiat is more than an act of self-surrender. The Greek word used by Mary is “genomai.” This word is rather special because it expresses not an act of submission but an act of longing. This tiny detail spells the great difference. Mary did not just submit to the will of God, but she longed to do it. She was not passively accepting her fate but rather proactively fulfilling God’s plan in her. There were no traces of fear, doubt, and worry. Her yes was driven by passion, hope, and eagerness. Despite bleak tomorrow, she knew that she was about to depart into an unimaginably amazing journey. For her, the Lord’s plan is always the best and the only way to reach our utmost potential.

Do we have what it takes to have Mary’s Fiat?

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

photocredit: Phil hearing

Rejoice Always!

On By bayuopIn Advent, EnglishLeave a comment

Gaudete Sunday. 3rd Sunday of Advent [B]

December 13, 2020

John 1:6-8, 19-28

This Sunday is special. We are still in the season of Advent, and yet we see a different liturgical color. It is a rose color [not pink!]. This beautiful color symbolizes joy and hope, and it is in line with the spirit of the third Sunday of Advent, the Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a Latin word meaning “Rejoice!” The name is rooted in the introit or the opening antiphon of the Mass, from Phil 4:4-5, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near” In the second reading, St Paul reiterates the motif, “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].”

Yet, the real question is, “Is the Church too naïve in inviting us to rejoice in these difficult times?” This deadly and fast-spreading virus covid-19 has devastated practically the entire planet. While it does not physically destroy the earth like a nuclear bomb, it does kill countless people. It slows down the economy and forces many governments, even the strongest, to panic and struggle. The number of victims keeps increasing, and there is no sign of abating. Indeed, we are going to have a different experience of Christmas this year. Indeed, covid-19 is not the only thing that makes our day so bad. Personal issues, family problems, conflicts in the community, and many other things are still haunting our lives. How do you expect us to rejoice? If we examine the words of St. Paul in 1 Thes 5:16, we discover that to rejoice is not an option, but God’s will for us! It gives us more reason to ask how it is possible?

The key is to understand joy neither as a simple absence of pain nor bodily and emotional pleasure. The Greek word is “kaire” and Angel Gabriel uses the same word to address Mary [Luk 1:28]. If we look at the life of Mary, she does not have a fairy-tale-kind life. Her life will turn upside-down, a sword will pierce her soul, and she will see her son die on the cross. Nothing pleasurable and sensational about that! Yet, she says, “My spirit rejoices in God my savior [Luk 1:47]! Mary is able to discover something precious despite tons of ugly things in her life. She discovers Jesus.

In 1 The 5:16, rejoice cannot be separated from unceasing prayer and giving thanks in all circumstances. That is another key. Through prayer, we are connected to God, and in prayer, we learn to see God and His plan in our lives. Sometimes, we can only see good things in good time, but the Gospel has told us the opposite: there is God in the dirty manger, and even there is God on the horrible cross. When we see God in these broken pieces of lives, we cannot but give thanks. And, when we are always grateful, we are inspired to rejoice.  That is the spirit of Christmas, and we are trained in the school of Gaudete Sunday.

 

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

 

Mark and His Gospel

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Second Sunday of Advent [B]

December 6, 2020

Mark 1:1-8

On the second Sunday of Advent, we are reading from the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. After all, this is the beginning of liturgical year B, and it is fitting to start with the first chapter of Mark. Yet, unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark has neither infancy narratives nor the childhood stories of Jesus. Mark commences his Gospel with John the Baptist, who announces the repentance and the coming of Christ.

Mark, among the four gospels, is arguably the least popular. This happens for understandable reasons. Mark is the shortest Gospel, and it has only 16 chapters and around fifteen thousand Greek words. [Matthew has around twenty-three thousand while Luke has twenty-five thousand]. Many stories in Mark are also found in Matthew and Luke, but many materials in Matthew or Luke are absent in Mark. Thus, people who read Matthew tend to skip Mark because they believe they have read Mark. This is certainly unfortunate because Mark has its characters and emphasis.

Mark is action-oriented Gospel. It immediately starts with a man of action, John the Baptist. Mark presents Jesus as someone who always in the move and is active. Mark does not write much about Jesus’ preaching but focuses on what Jesus does. He preaches the good news, heals the sick, exorcises the demons, does miracles, calls disciples, and travels a lot. Mark’s Gospel is also fast-paced, yet, despite the fast-moving events, Mark often paints more details in his accounts, like the Gerasene demoniac story [Mar 5:1-20].

The traditional symbol for Mark is a lion. He acquires this symbol because his Gospel starts with John, who boldly preaches repentance, just like a lion. Yet, the Gospel of Mark itself displays the character of a lion: it delivers his point powerfully and effectively. Mark was not the twelve disciples of Jesus, and he might be an eyewitness, especially when Jesus was arrested [Mark 14:51]. The Acts of Apostles calls him John Mark, a companion of Paul and Barnabas in their missionary journey. Still, unfortunately, Mark became a source of disagreement between Paul and Barnabas [Act 15:39]. Yet, he finally reconciled with Paul [Col 4:10]. Along the way, he turned to be the companion and disciple of St. Peter in Rome [1 Pet 5:13]. Later, in the early second century, Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, testified that Mark was the interpreter of Peter and wrote down Peter’s teachings of Jesus. Because of Peter’s authority, we understand why Mark’s Gospel was selected as one of the canonical gospels.

What can we learn from Mark and his Gospel, especially this season of Advent? Mark gives us an example that we can approach Jesus in our unique characters. While Mark is writing about Jesus, he does not have to compose like John. Like Mark, we do not have to be someone else in loving God. While the saints serve as role models, we are invited to love Him with our unique personalities and ways. While we are united in one Church, our personalities do not disappear but rather enhanced in serving one another. Unless we recognize who we are fundamentally in Christ, we are going to fail to love authentically.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

photocredit: samantha-sophia

Sign of Hope

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First Sunday of Advent [B]

November 29, 2020

Mark 13:33-37

We are entering a joyful season of Advent. The first Sunday of Advent is also the beginning of the liturgical year of the Catholic Church. Advent is from the Latin word “adventus” meaning “the coming.” From this name alone, we can already deduce the purposes of this lovely season. It is to prepare us for the coming of Jesus, yet we must not forget that the Church teaches us that there are two comings. The first coming is two thousand years ago in Bethlehem, as a baby at Mary’s hands. The second coming is Jesus’ arrival at the end of time as the glorious king and the judge.

Our Gospel points to this fundamental truth of the second coming. Jesus will surely come, but He does not give us the timetable, and thus, we need to be prepared and be watchful. The illustration Jesus presents is a master who is travelling abroad. In ancient times, travelling is stunning different from our time. Nowadays, with the advances of technologies and modern transport systems, we can determine even the exact location of a particular train and even an airplane. We are used to following a fixed schedule of travel itineraries. However, the ancient people knew nothing about the internet or GPS, and travelling was often hard to endure. People who needed to cross the sea may get stranded because of the unpredictable storms. Some people had to spend weeks in a  town because the winter was unbearably chilling for travellers. Paul, the apostle to the gentiles, knew well how punishing travelling was. Robbers ambushed him, his ship was capsized several times, and he had to spend hours on the sea. The master will come, but nobody knows when, and thus, the servants have to be watchful.

Humanity is living in a time of great sadness and fear. We are still battling the covid-19 that kills thousands, renders countless people jobless, and changes the way we live and interact. Aside from this tiny virus, we are constantly scared by possible global catastrophe caused by nuclear wars, global warming, even zombies and alien attacks. Yet, this season of Advent gives us a reason for hope. Despite everything, Jesus will surely come, and He remains in control.

We learn from the advent wreath. This tradition attached to advent season comes from northern Europe, who knew well how dark and cold winter could be, especially in December. Unlike us, who live in tropical, our brethren living near the arctic zone sometimes experience brutal winter. They are living in freezing temperatures and often without sunlight. These gloomy and dark conditions may affect our mental health. However, our brothers and sisters refused to give up and look for the sign of hope. They discovered the evergreen leaves that decline to wither and found out that small light shines brighter in the dark. This advent wreath points to us Christ, our Hope. Every time we enter the season of Advent, we are assured that there is always hope, even in the face of our world’s brokenness.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

photocredit: joanna kosinka

King of Mercy

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The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe [A]

November 22, 2020

Matthew 25:31-46

To be the subject of a king is a foreign experience for many of us. I was born in Indonesia, and our country is a republic, and we espouse democracy to elect our leader. Some of us are citizens of kingdoms like Great Britain, Belgium, Thailand, and Japan, but the kings or queens here are serving under the constitution. When we speak of absolute monarchs, we are reminded of the powerful ancient kingdoms like Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian empires. Here, the king’s words are the highest law, and disobedient to the king’s wish is acts of treason. Surprisingly, we still have some existing absolute monarchs in our time, like Brunei, Saudi Arabia, and the Vatican!

Today we are celebrating the solemnity of Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe. Yet, it is a bit difficult to imagine Christ as a king. He never wears a crown except for thorns. He never sat on the throne except for the cross. And, He never possessed an army except for a bunch of coward disciples.  Is Jesus truly a king? The answer is an absolute yes. Jesus, as the king, is one of the dominant topics in the Gospels. Angel Gabriel announces to Mary, “the Lord God will give to him [Jesus] the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. [Luk 1:32-33]” One of the criminals crucified with Jesus cries, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. [Luk 23:42]” And throughout His public ministry, Jesus is tirelessly proclaiming and building the kingdom of God.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals that he is not just an ordinary king, not just a king among many kings. He is the king of kings, and only He can bring people to eternal life and everlasting damnation. We are reminded that since Jesus is the king of the universe, we are all His subjects. However, whether we are good subjects or bad ones, we still have to choose. Like with other kingdoms, we still need to at least two basic things: acknowledging Jesus as our king and being His loyal servant.

The good news is that He does not require us, His subjects, to wage war against other countries or pay taxes! He is the king of mercy, and thus, His order is: do the Works of Mercy. In the Catholic tradition, there are seven corporal works of mercy. These are: to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead. The seven corporal works of mercy are not complete with the seven spiritual works of mercy. These are: to instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish the sinners, bear patiently those who wrong us, forgive offenses, comfort the afflicted, and pray for the living and the dead.

Doing these are not always easy, but it is necessary because it proves our loyalty to the great king. Negligence to do works of mercy brings a serious consequence: to be expelled from the kingdom. The choice is ours, and the time is now.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

photocredit: robert nyman

The Master’s Trust

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33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 15, 2020

Matthew 25:14-30

The original meaning of talent is not God’s given ability, but a unit of weight and value, normally gold and silver. More importantly, talent is a huge amount of money. One talent is equal to around six thousand denarii. If one denarius is the wage of ordinary daily labor, one talent means six thousand days of works or approximately seventeen to twenty years of work.

To seek the value of this parable, we need to discover the surprising twists in the story. This time, I would like to invite you all to focus on the master of the servants. The master is giving a total of 8 talents to his three servants [literally slaves]. If we pause a moment, we begin to realize how fantastic amount of money they receive. The act of giving presupposes either two things: either the master is unimaginable rich that he does not care really about these talents, or he is utterly generous and trusting. I believe it is the second reason.

To entrust these talents entails grave risks. One possibility is that the servants may fail in their trading, and thus, the master may lose his money. Another chance is the servants may run away with talents, and therefore, the master may lose both his money and his servants. Yet, despite these nightmarish possibilities, the master is firm in his decision. He trusts his servants, and it pays off. Except for his lazy servant, the master earns double!

From this, we learn a precious lesson. The best way to expand our talent is by sharing it with others. The usual way to develop our talents is by practicing it often. However, this method does not bring us exponential growth. Yet, by sharing the talents, the possibility of growth is unimaginable. Yet again, the parable is not simply about talents, but the relationship between the master and the servants, on the trust and faith of the master and gratitude of the servants. Indeed, the ability to recognize the master’s trust produces gratitude, and gratitude propels the servants to do their best.

One probable reason that the servant becomes lazy is that he fails to recognize his master’s trust and focuses on the smallness of his talent. Ironically, one talent is still a huge amount of wealth! Thus, instead of gratitude, envy creeps in, and laziness prevails. We also notice that the servant is not losing the talent, but he still receives the punishment. Though the talent is not missing, the trust of the master has been lost. And when this trust’s lost, everything is lost.

Learning from this parable, we are called to have that ability to recognize God’s “trust” and love in us. Different talents we have are just a simple manifestation of this love. Slaves as we are, we do not deserve anything from God, but God has given us superabundantly. From this realization, only gratitude shall naturally flow. But, if we miss the point, we may fall into many other sins: envy, anger, slander, or simply laziness. Again, it is not about the talents we have, but the trust and love God has in us.

 

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP