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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

Why Sheep?

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Fourth Sunday of Easter [A]

May 3, 2020

John 10:1-10

Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter and good shepherd 5traditionally it is also called as the Good Shepherd Sunday. This is for an obvious reason. The Gospel reading tells us about Jesus who introduces Himself as the gate of the sheepfold and the Good Shepherd. The other readings also point the image of God as the good shepherd, like the world-renown psalm 23, “the Lord is my shepherd.”

The gospel of John has no parables like the other three gospels, but John has something else. The gospel gives us the seven “I AM” statements.  “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51); “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12); “I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9); “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25); “I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14); “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6); “I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5). These statements reveal the particular ways Jesus relates with us His disciples. If Jesus is the bread of life, we cannot live without consuming Him. If He is the light, we cannot see and find our way home.

When Jesus proclaims that He is the door of the sheep and the good shepherd, this assumes that Jesus treats us as His sheep. The question is why sheep? Why not cuter animals like Persian cats or Shih Tzu? Why not something useful like German shepherd or horse? Ok, sheep can be useful also as farm animal. Lamb and mutton are one of the finest meats, and the wool can turn to be expensive cloth. But, does Jesus consider us as sheep because our cuteness or usefulness?

Together with goats, sheep is are one of the domesticated animals. Humans have farmed sheep for the last ten thousand years. In the Palestine at the time of Jesus, sheep is a very common animal, and despite working as carpenter, it is not difficult for Jesus to observe the life of shepherd and its flocks. What makes sheep different from goat is that sheep has no built-in self-defense mechanism. Unlike the goats, they are equipped by sturdy horns and can be aggressive when attacked. Sheep are basically defenseless and thus, they depend heavily on the shepherds to protect them.

We might raise our eyebrow and reject the idea that we are helpless like the sheep. Afterall, humans are on the top of animal kingdom because our intelligence and physical prowess.  Indeed, this is true, if we only limit ourselves to biological or natural aspect of our humanity. If we consider our spiritual life, we are no better than a sheep. Without God’s protection and His angels’, we are just punching bags of the evil spirits. Without God’s laws and guidance, we do nothing but harm ourselves. More importantly, without God, we cannot be saved.

In the final analysis, borrowing the words of Bishop Robert Barron, Christianity is the religion of salvation, and not self-help. No matter good we are, we cannot reach heaven without God’s grace. Our actions are only meaningful as far as it is aided by God’s love. The image of the sheep leads us to humble and grateful realization of who we are. We are nothing without God, yet no matter spiritually weak and defenseless we are, God remains faithful to us and will lead the green pasture because He is our Good Shepherd.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Road to Emmaus, Road Back to God

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3rd Sunday of Easter

April 26, 2020

Luke 24:13-35

emmaus 10The two disciples went back home to Emmaus. One of them was Cleopas, and his companion probably was his wife. Perhaps they got afraid of the Roman and Jewish authorities who might go after them after they killed Jesus, the leader. Or maybe, they just got their hope and expectation shattered when Jesus, their expected Messiah, was crucified.

Cleopas and his wife were doing what we usually do in times of sadness and troubles. They told stories and tried to make sense of what had happened. Yet, the thing did not go right. Their dialogue did not make them better. Instead, they became so depressed, and they even failed to recognize Jesus, who was very close. Indeed, we need someone to share our stories, but when this person is not prepared, despite his goodwill, our stories can go from bad to worse. We need to remember that the first dialogue in the Bible took place in the garden of Eden between Eve and the serpent.

Fortunately, Jesus intervened at the right moment. Jesus brought in the missing piece. Jesus offered the word of God. The couple was so blessed because they experienced the first-ever Bible study, and it was Jesus Himself who guided them. Yet, Jesus made it clear that they knew their scriptures, but they were lack of faith. When we read the Bible without faith, it is nothing more than a lovely and inspiring novel or an ancient and mysterious text. Only with faith, we encounter God who is telling His stories. No wonder Jesus said to them that the scriptures are about Him because Jesus is the same God who was present in the creation, who led the Hebrew peoples in their exodus, and who sent prophets to guide the Israelites in the promised land.

Cleopas and his wife remind us of the first couple who also failed to have faith in God, Adam, and Eve. After the first dialogue with Satan that led them to doom, they deserved nothing but death. Yet, God did not allow death to overcome them immediately, but instead He made them leather cloth as a sign of His protection, as well as the sign of the first blood sacrifice. When they left the beautiful garden as a consequence of their choice, it was also the last time we heard about what happened inside the garden. Why? God was no longer in the garden. He was following Adam and Eve. God did not wish they wondered even farther but guided them back to paradise. As God journeyed with Adam and Eve, he also walked with Cleopas and his wife, as they make their way to the new Eden. In the end of their journey, they recognized Jesus when He took bread, blessed, broke and shared it. These were the eucharistic gestures. They entered the new Paradise, the celebration of the Eucharist.

Our stories in life, even in the most destressing moment like now, make sense when God enters into the pictures with His stories. The journey to Emmaus sheds a brighter light on the purpose of the Holy Mass. In the Mass, we always begin with the reading of the scriptures because we are invited to see our little stories in God’s greatest stories. When we find the meaning of our lives in God, that is the time we discover Jesus alive and fresh in the breaking of the bread.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Divine Mercy

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Second Sunday of Easter [A]

April 19, 2020

John 20:19-31

ViaDolorosa0181The second Sunday of Easter is also known as the Divine Mercy Sunday. The liturgical celebration of the Divine Mercy Sunday is declared in the year 2000 by Pope St. John Paul II who had a strong devotion to the Divine Mercy revealed to St. Faustina. Though the feast itself is something recent, the truth of divine mercy is fundamental in the Bible and Sacred Tradition. If there is one prevailing character of God, it is not other than mercy. In the Old Testament, there are at least two Hebrew words that can be translated as mercy. One is rāḥam and the other is ḥeṣedh.

The word Raham is closely related to a woman’s womb. It is the feeling and action that flow from the womb, the source and nurturer of new life. Mercy comes from the realization that we belong to the same womb, that we are siblings. Thus, when one of our brothers is suffering or struggling with a difficulty, we easily empathize with him and are moved to alleviate his hardship. Yet, mercy can be also understood as a maternal impulse towards someone who has come from her womb. It is the genuine yearning that moves a mother to do anything for her children. Mercy in this sense, I believe, is more proper to God. He cannot but be merciful and embrace our sufferings and even weakness because we are coming from God’s spiritual womb. No wonder, the Church dare asserts that we are God’s children.

The word “Hesedh” is also a powerful word and it may mean a steadfast love or a relentless fidelity to a covenant. Our God is a person who is unthinkably bold to tie Himself to a covenant with weak humans like Adam and his descendants. Because of this, the Bible is nothing but a story of a faithful God who gives Himself to unfaithful men and women. From Adam who failed to his duty to guard the garden, down to Peter who denied Jesus three times, humanity is terribly disloyal, but God remains faithful and offers His forgiveness to rebuild the shattered relationship.

The choice of the Second Sunday of Easter to be the Divine Mercy is an excellent decision because the Gospel speaks powerfully how God’s mercy operates. The risen Jesus appeared to the disciples and gave them the authority to forgive sins. This is the story of the institution of the sacrament of reconciliation. Forgiveness is the first and foremost manifestation of mercy. Though the authority to forgive belongs properly to God, the risen Christ has willed that this authority is shared with His apostles. Since the apostles are the first bishops, the same power is handed down to their successors. And the bishops shared this divine power and responsibility to their co-workers, the priests.

The Gospel begins with the disciples who were afraid. They were afraid for many reasons, but one of the strongest reasons was that they were afraid of Jesus. They have abandoned and been unfaithful to Him, and they heard that Jesus has risen. They thought that it was the time of judgment, time to get even. Yet, Jesus appeared and His first word is not a word of anger or judgment, but “peace” or “shalom”. The disciples should no longer be afraid and be at peace because despite their unfaithfulness because they have been forgiven.

The Easter season begins with the assurance that God is merciful and offering us the forgiveness we do not deserve. And this season invites us to forgive more because we are forgiven, to become the apostles of peace because we have received peace from Jesus.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Empty Tomb

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Easter Sunday

April 12, 2020

John 20:1-9

ViaDolorosa0203Today is the day of resurrection. Today is the day Jesus has conquered sin and death. Today is the day of our victory. No wonder among the liturgical celebration of the Church, Easter is the grandest, the longest and the most spectacular. It is the time that the churches are flooded with the faithful. It is the time that parishioners got involved in many activities, practices, and services. It is the time when families gather and celebrate. It is the time the priests receive more blessings!

However, something strange this year. Our Easter celebration is silent and simple. It is like an empty tomb, quiet and dark. And like the empty tomb, our churches are also empty, the pews are without people, and our buildings are darker. This Easter, we do not hold burning candles in our hands. This Easter, we do not sing together the Exultet. This Easter, we still do not receive the holy communion.

We may be like Mary Magdalene or Peter who discovered the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene was confused and at a loss when she saw the empty tomb. She was weeping before the tomb because she thought the body of Jesus has been stolen. She loved Jesus so much, but she had to see His Lord tortured, crucified and buried. It was a painful and crushing experience to see someone she loved dying like an animal. As if not enough with all the pain, this time, the body was missing. Peter did not fare better. After he had told his Master that he would give his life for Him, less than a few hours, he denied Jesus, not once, not twice, but thrice. He realized that he was a coward, and this brought pain and terrible humiliation. To make things worse, he discovered the tomb empty and he failed to understand.

This year is different because God has invited us to go deeper into the tomb. In previous years, we may be dazzled by the shining angel. We focus ourselves on various preparations, on the beautiful songs, on the floral decorations, on a joyous atmosphere, or perhaps on the priests! But this year, God calls our attention to the empty tomb, to endure the silence, to bear the darkness, and to reflect deeper on how Jesus resurrected.

Jesus did not put a spectacular show on how He conquered death. Jesus did not take any selfies when He returned from the dead! Rather, Jesus rose in the secret of the cave. Jesus won over death in the silence of the tomb. Jesus saved us in the hidden and mysterious way. Yet, this is the resurrection, and this is the most beautiful moment in human history.

This year Easter gives us a powerful lesson. God has risen even in the empty tombs of our lives. God is alive even we are far from the church we love and serve. God is alive even when we feel the most powerless inside our homes. God is alive even when we are struggling with many difficulties caused by this pandemic.

Perhaps, it is the time we reflect more on how God works gently in our lives. Perhaps, it is the time to rethink our priorities in life and to place God in the center. Perhaps, it is the time to appreciate the people who love, to reconcile with people who are close to us.

 

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

 

 

God’s Loving Touch

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Fifth Sunday of Lent [A]

March 29, 2020

John 11:1-45

Daniel Bonnell, "Jesus Wept." Oil on canvas, 34 x 46 in. Tags: LazarusAmong the five human senses, the sense of touch is the most basic and foundation to other senses. The sense of sight needs to be in touch with the light spectrum. The sense of taste requires to be in contact with the chemical in the food. The sense of hearing must receive air vibration or sound waves. This sense makes us a human being, a bodily being. No wonder that many traumatic experiences [even mental problems] are rooted in the lack (or excess) of touch.

God, our creator, understands our fundamental need of touch. Thus, to fulfill our deepest desire, He made a radical choice and became a man like all of us. Because Jesus is true God and true man, the disciples were able to see, hear, touch and feel Him. Yet, He gave a more radical gesture as He offered Himself as food to eat and drink to eat, “for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink [Jn 6:55].” While the pagan deities were feasting on the human blood and sacrifice, our God does the opposite. He gave up His life so that we may live and feel His love.

Following the example of our Savior, the Church is filled with tangible means and bodily gestures as a sign and symbols of the divine presence. No wonder our churches are equipped with beautiful crucifixes, adorned with flowers, and mystified by the burning candle and incense. A sacrament is no other than the visible sign of the invisible grace, and sacraments really intend to connect to our bodies, like blessed water and oil that touch our forehead, the bread that we consume, and words of forgiveness that we need to hear. Amazingly, the Church is called the body of Christ, and our call is to unite as one people of God around this table of Eucharist.

However, the terrible thing befalls our Church. The pandemic caused by the Covid-19 is basically reversing the movement of our faith. We are facing a reality that touching can mean illness, the gathering may bring disaster, and worship may mean death. For the good of the flock, our leaders are forced to close the churches. We now feel the pain of separation from the Body of Christ.

Perhaps, we are like Lazarus who are experiencing spiritual suffering and death. Perhaps, we are like Martha who is asking the Lord, “why are you not coming sooner?” Perhaps, we are like Mary who cannot do anything but mourns and is reduced into silence.

The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus loves Lazarus, Martha and Mary as His close friends. Yet, Jesus did not rescue Lazarus when he got gravely ill, and even Jesus visited them after Lazarus died four days. Jesus allowed terrible things to take place in the life of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, not because He wanted to punish them, or He does not care, but because He loves them.

In His love, God allows us to endure the sense of losing God, and experience suffering and even death. God knows too well that through suffering, we may love even deeper, we grow in faith, and re-discover God, alive and even closer. After all, there is no true resurrection, unless we enter the darkness of the tomb.

My deepest gratitude and prayer for our medical personal who give their all in to fight the disease and save lives.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Spittle and Eyes

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Fourth Sunday of Lent [A]

March 22, 2020

John 9:1-41

In healing the blind man, Jesus did something a bit unusual: He spat on the ground, made clay with His spittle, and smeared the clay on the blind man’s eyes. In this time we are battling the Covid-10, the fast-spreading strain of the coronavirus, we are educated that one of the media of contamination is the human droplets like our saliva, and the entire point of this virus is contact with our eyes. When the infectious saliva meets the eyes, it is the sure reason we fall victim to this terrible virus.

However, Jesus was using the very same means of illness and transforming it into the means of healing both physical and spiritual blindness. Indeed, this kind of reversing action is the favorite pattern of Jesus. St. John Chrysostom, bishop of Constantinople, in his homily, mentioned that three means used by the devil to destroy humanity are the same means utilized by Jesus to save humanity. The three means of the devil are the tree of knowledge of evil and good, the woman which is Eve who disobeyed, and the death of Adam who brought along all his descendants. Jesus then transformed three means into His own ways of salvation: for the tree of knowledge of evil and good, there is the tree of the cross, for Eve, there is Mary who obeys, and for the death of Adam, there is the death of Jesus who saves us all. The devil thought he could outsmart God, but truly, it is God who has the final victory.

In Genesis 2, when God created the man, He was acting like a craftsman or a sculptor. In ancient Rabbinic tradition, God used His own spittle to create a formable clay from the ground. The act of Jesus in healing the blind man brings us back to this story of creation. Jesus is not merely healing, but He is recreating the man into His own image. Even the means of ugliness and illness can be transformed into the means of beauty and salvation.

The covid-19 virus has destroyed many aspects of human life. It spreads fear and panic. It forces the government to take drastic measures, including locking down cities and stop economic activities. It separates people from their friends and loved ones. The faithful are obliged to be far from the houses of the Lord. These are a painful and confusing time for many of us. Even some of us would cry, “Eli, Eli, Lama sabacthani?”

Yet, we must not forget that Jesus can always employ the same means of death and destruction to be His way of salvation. We ask the Lord to open our eyes of faith to see how God works through this time of crisis.

We thank for the gifts of our medical practitioners who put their lives on the line to care for those are sick; for our government officials who tireless work to contain the virus; for volunteers who spend their own resources to help battling the illness; for the priests and Church’s servants who serve the spiritual needs of the people despite many limitations. My prayer also goes for an Italian priest who made the final sacrifice as he asked not to be treated so that the limited respiratory machines may be used by younger and having a better chance to survive.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

True Glory

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Second Sunday of Lent [A]

March 8, 2020

Matthew 17:1-9

transfiguration 2The Church has selected the story of Transfiguration as the reading of the second Sunday of Lent.  We may ask how this kind of powerful story may fit into the entire season of Lent. The key is that the Transfiguration is fundamentally linked to the Cross of Jesus. In Luke’s version of the transfiguration, Jesus was talking to Moses and Elijah about His “exodus.” This reminds the ancient Israelites who exited Egypt, walked through the desert, and entered the Promised Land. Yet, the real end of the exodus is the city of Jerusalem, and eventually the holy Temple where God dwelled among His people. Just like the ancient Israelites, Jesus’ exodus has to end in Jerusalem.

The glorious moment of transfiguration is not intended to last long. Jesus has to go down and walk again toward Jerusalem. However, the disciples got it wrong when Peter offered to put a tent and to stay in the wonderful moment for good. Jesus reminded them that they need to go down. The disciples cannot stay there, and they must continue their journey.

There are moments in our lives that we believe that we have seen and reached the glory of God. We feel so blessed when we pray before the Blessed Sacrament. We experience peace during our retreat and meditation. We are inspired after we listen to the insightful preaching. We are re-energized by songs and praises. These things are good, but they are never intended to be the end of the journey. We must go down together with Jesus, and to carry our daily crosses. Jesus understands that there is no real love without suffering, no true glory without pain, and no salvation without the cross.

I am currently in the Holy Land, and I was walking in the same way Lord Jesus has set His feet. I was truly blessed that God allowed me to be on this Promised Land just months after my ordination. The joy is overwhelming. Israel is truly a land flowing with milk and honey, a truly beautiful land. I am studying the Bible for years, but only now that I truly see and touch these biblical places. My faith becomes truly alive. The more I walk through the land and places, the more I want to stay and learn. I have seen the glory of the Lord, and I want to pitch my tent. However, I cannot wait too long, and I need to go back because my mission is not [yet] at this Promised Land.

Last March 4, 2020, the house for the elderly and disabled run by the Missionaries of Charity in Aden, Yemen, was attacked by the terrorists. Four sisters were killed during the ambush. Their works for the elderly in one of the poorest countries is in itself a heroic act, but their true glory lies when they gave their lives totally for God and the people they loved. Every morning, the sisters always prayed together in the community, and this prayer [attributed to St. Ignatius of Loyola] have inspired them through the last moment of their lives:

“Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and to ask for reward, save that of knowing that I do Your holy will.”

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Temptations

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First Sunday of Lent

February 26, 2020

Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus is tempted - Matthew 4:1-11

The first Sunday of Lent begins the story of Jesus in the desert, fasting and being tempted by the devil. St. Matthew gives us more details in the story temptations, and from Matthew, we discover the threefold temptations of Christ. Why did Satan tempt Jesus? Why three temptations?

The temptation of Jesus took place after the baptism of Jesus and right before His public ministry of Jesus. His temptation brings us back to the first temptation in the garden of Eden. As Satan engineered the fall of humanity in deceiving the first Adam, the same evil agent executed the same assault to Jesus, the new Adam.

Why three? The ancient Jewish rabbis believe that the serpent who represented the Devil tempted Adam and Eve with three things. “..when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise [Gen 3:6].” Firstly, the devil made the fruit as something good to eat. Secondly, the devil made Eve perceive that the fruit was a sight to behold. Lastly, the devil made Eve believe that the fruit is the source of wisdom. The first temptation is called the sin of the belly since it attacks our weak flesh [gluttony and sexual sins]. The second is the sin of the sight because through the eyes, we see things we do not have, and we desire to possess them [envy, possessiveness, and stealing]. Lastly, but most potent is the sin of pride. This temptation makes people think that they can dethrone God and put themselves as the new gods.

When dealing with Jesus, the devil applied the same technique. The devil offered Jesus to use His power to satisfy His hunger. The devil brought Jesus to see all the beautiful things in the world to possess. And, the devil asks Jesus to demonstrate His power to show His divinity and authority to the people. However, Jesus did not fall into the temptation, and thus, undid the first Adam’s failure.

How did Jesus counter the devil’s attack? Three things: fasting and abstinence, almsgiving, and prayer. Fasting and abstinence have been an ancient practice to moderate one’s desires. While the devil wants us to fall into the sin of the flesh and enjoy the bodily pleasures, fasting and abstinence put in check our passions. While the devil influences us to get more and possess things even at the expense of other people, almsgiving enables us to be generous and feel sufficient with what we have.  While the devil tries to convince us that we can be the master of our lives, prayers remind us that there is God, and we are not Him.

This Lenten season is precisely a time for us to be aware of our human weaknesses and how the devil exploits them. Yet, we are not without hope; Jesus gives us His grace to counter this temptation and three Lenten practices [fast, abstinence, almsgiving and prayer] as our weapons.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Love at the Heart

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Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time [A]

February 23, 2020

Matthew 5:38-48

praying n persecutionAt the heart of Jesus’ teaching in the Mount is the formation of the heart. However, the heart in the Bible is not limited to our affective side or emotions. It also stands for the center of intellectual capacity and freedom. The heart is the seat of life itself, and thus, represents who the man or woman is.

Last week, Jesus told us to purify our hearts from evil thoughts and wicked desires [Mat 5:17-37]. It is not enough not to do violence to others, but it is necessary to cleanse our hearts from anger and vengeance. It is not sufficient not to commit adultery, but we are required to remove from our hearts the lustful desires. Forming the hearts is more fundamental rather than simply and blindly following the written laws and regulations. The formation of the heart is about building up good habits, and virtuous character. A virtuous person is avoiding evil, not because of fear of the external laws, but strong motivation from within.

However, in today’s Gospel, Jesus demands even something higher. The purifying of the heart is just the first step, and we need to go to another and more difficult step: to love. It is precisely tougher because love is not merely about removing impure desires in our hearts or preventing us from doing evil, but it is about actively doing good. Moreover, this love [agape] is only real and meaningful if we are doing good, not in the conditions that are favorable to us, but rather in the face of evil and sufferings.

Since its foundation around two millennia ago, Christians remain the most persecuted people. Opendoorusa.org reported that numbers of persecutions and violence against Christians are on the rise. In 2019, more than 260 million Christians [one out of nine Christians in the world] are living in the places where they experience a high level of persecution. Almost 3 thousand Christians were killed because of their faith. More than 9 thousand churches and Christian buildings like schools were attacked. In Nigeria, priests and seminarians were abducted and tortured. Some were lucky to return alive, but many were found lifeless. In China, the government made national crackdown against Christians and shut down the churches. In Indonesia, things are better for the Christians because our rights are enshrined in the constitutions. Yet, in the grassroots, we continue to feel discriminated against and fear of being targeted by the extremists and terrorists.

Our destiny as Christians are not better than our brothers and sisters who belonged to the early Church. However, as our brothers and sisters in the past, our mission remains the same: to love our enemies, to respond evil with utter generosity, and be ready to fight for justice with gentleness. Christians are accused as weak people, but this is plain wrong. The world that is built by violence and bitterness is self-destruct, and unless we dare to be true followers of Christ, we cannot stop the downward mobility towards total ruin. We thank our predecessors who refused to be controlled by violent anger despite so much evil they had to endure. The world is a much better place with whose hearts are pure. St. Tertullian believed that the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christianity, and we believe also that the love of Christians are the seed of a better world.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP