Tag: English

Gifts of Mercy

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laying of handsOne of the greatest as well as most humbling realization is that my life and existence is a gift from God. All that exist, from the sub-atomic particle to the purest seraphim owe their being from the Lord. If St. Thomas Aquinas defines justice as to give what is due, then existence is neither due to me nor to all of us. I cannot demand the Lord that He should create me to be the handsomest of all, the richest of all, and the brightest of all. Not even I can ask from Him to possess a face like a Korean actor! Then why did God create me?

The answer lies beyond the justice of God, and what is beyond his justice? It is His Mercy. If His justice asks for “tooth for a tooth” and “eye for an eye”, His Mercy enables one to “give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. (Matt. 5:42)”. If justice is to “love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” (Matt. 5:43), mercy is to “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you (Matt. 5:44 NAB).” If God simply exercises His justice, I would not have had my being, but a God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity (Exo 34:6).” And I am here now, alive and kicking, because of God’s mercy. It is a gift precisely because it does not come from my merit and achievement, but freely given.

However, the first gift of life is not the only gift He grants me. The precious gifts keep coming: the gift of family, the gift of faith, the gift of (Dominican) vocation.

This series of precious gifts are leading me to another even more precious gift: the gift of priesthood. Looking into myself, I am aware that I am far from worthy. I have been sinful man, a broken in many possible ways, and I have hurt a numberless people. Often, I am ungrateful for tremendous gifts and blessing God has showered me. And yet, here I am, quoting the motto of Pope Francis, “miserando atque eligendo” – by God’s merciful choice, in front of the great mystery of faith. As I am ordained by the laying hands of Most. Rev. Antonius Subianto, OSC, DD, I will be, as Bishop Robert Barron would point out, “the bearer of the divine mystery”. This gift does not simply add some sacramental works in my sleeves, but it transforms my very being and identity into the image and likeness of Christ the Head [in persona Christi Capitis]. I participate in the identity and mission of the bishops and fellow priests as bridge-maker [pontifex] between God and humanity, to allow the people of God to embrace the divine mystery.

Every time I celebrate Eucharist [thanksgiving], I shall give thanks to the Lord for the gifts of Mercy. As I have received the gifs, it is now my turn to share these gifts to others so that people of God may feel His Mercy. At the heart of the Eucharist is the thanksgiving over the most precious gift of all, the body and blood of Jesus Christ, being blessed, broken and shared. As I receive this precious gift, my lips proclaim the Word of God, and my hands lift the bread of life and the chalice of salvation, I shall offer my life, like the life of Jesus, to be broken and shared to nourish the people of God.

However, despite tremendous power and privilege the ordination brings, I keep confessing that I am weak, sinful, and not worthy. Thus, as I begin this new chapter of my life, I implore for God’s Mercy and yours.

 

 

Martha, Martha

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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C] – July 21, 2019 – Luke 10:38-42

To perform works to serve the Lord is certainly good and praiseworthy. And these works are numerous and varied. These acts may directly serve Him in the Church, especially during the liturgy. We may participate in the worship as the choir members, lectors, altar servers, ministers of the Holy Communion, or even as the presiders of the Eucharist itself, the priest. Yet, we may also serve Him through others as we involve in charitable initiatives to help the poor, to fight for justice and peace and integrity of creation. We have many ways, but the goal is one: to honor and glorify Him.

In today’s Gospel, we encounter Martha and Mary of Bethania. They both are serving Jesus, and they perform it according to their unique characters. Mary, more reserved and perhaps an introvert, chooses to stay close to the Master and listen to Him. While Marta, predominantly active and perhaps extrovert, prefers to provide Jesus with the best accommodation. Both want to make Jesus feel welcome in their way. However, there is a little problem. It seems that Jesus is playing little favoritism. He favors Mary over Martha and tells Martha that Mary has chosen a better part.

Surely Jesus does not play favoritism, and surely it is not because Mary is more beautiful than Martha!  Yet, we still have to explain Jesus’ choice. First, we need to see that both are good, but one is just happened to be better than the other. Is it the act of listening better than the act of giving hospitality? In an ancient Jewish context, to provide the hospitality to a guest is one of the prime values. We remember how Lot was offering even his daughters to protect his guests [see Gen 19]! By this standard, Martha is doing a better thing, but Jesus insists that it is not hers. Why?

Again, we need to understand better our Scriptures. The act of listening is fundamental in both Old and New Testament. Every devout Jew in the time of Jesus as well as in our time, daily prays a creedal prayer they call as “Shema Israel” – it was taken straight from Deu 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength.” Acts of listening do not only mean to hear voices and receive information, but it is also to obey what one has heard. Jesus Himself says, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Mat 7:24)” Mary is taking a better part because she has listened to Jesus, who is the LORD, and she listens because she loves her LORD.

Martha has a little problem with her service because she imposes her ways to Mary, perhaps thinking her way of service is the best one. But more than that, Martha becomes overburdened in her serving, and Jesus points out that Martha is anxious and worried with many things. Martha is losing the purpose of her service; she is losing Jesus in the process of serving. What a loss!

Learning from Mary and Martha, we may ask ourselves, “What is the point of our services? Where are we going with many activities we have in the Church? Do we hear the voice of Christ in our ministries? Do we love Jesus in our serving or we discover ourselves in the end?”

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Merciful Samaritan

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Fifteenth Sunday of the Ordinary Time [C] – July 14, 2019 – Luke 10:25-27

do it anyway 2The journey from Jericho to Jerusalem was notoriously dangerous. The path was narrow, steep, filled by sudden turnings. The road became the favorite spot for the robbers to ambush any unguarded traveler. Some criminals were often violent, not only they took everything from the victims, but they would beat them mercilessly. Up to early twentieth century, some tourists and pilgrims were caught off guard when they passed this path, as their cars were ambushed and robbed. The brigands would swiftly escape before the police came.

When the teacher of the Law asks Jesus, “who is our neighbor whom we shall love?” Jesus offers him three models to imitate. They are a priest, a Levite and a Samaritan. The priest and the Levite are a privileged social class in ancient Jewish society. They are consecrated to serve in the Temple of Jerusalem. The priests who are the descendants of Aaron, are to accept sacrifice from the people and offer the sacrifice to the Lord at the altar. Meanwhile the Levites are assigned to take care of the temple, to do other liturgical services and assist the priests. Both the priest and the Levite represent a group of people who are dedicating themselves to the Lord, the Law and the Temple, who love their religion dearly. Meanwhile the Samaritan represents what the Jews hate. The pure Jews look down the Samaritans because they are products of intermarriage between unorthodox Jews and other pagan nations as well as idolaters who worship God plus other smaller gods.

By religious standard, the priest and the Levite outrank the Samaritan, but Jesus drops the nuclear bomb as He makes the Samaritan as the hero of the story. We may ask why the priest and Levite refuse to help? One reason is that the priest needs to be away from any blood or dead body, otherwise he would be impure for seven days and he will not be able to serve the Temple [see Num 19:11]. The Levi seems to do little better as he goes nearer to the victim, but he decided not to help perhaps because he is afraid that the guy just serves a decoy to ambush him. Here comes the Samaritan who helps without hesitation. Not only coming to his rescue, the Samaritan makes sure that the victim will be healed and recover, though he must spend his own resources.

Placing ourselves in the shoes of the Samaritan man, we know that his decision to help the victim is daring and even reckless. What if it was just a set-up for ambush? What if he runs out of money? What if the victim would never thank him and even hate him even more? Yet, this is what to love our neighbor means. To love someone is to show mercy and to show mercy means to give beyond what is due.

One of the memorable works Mother Teresa did in Calcutta was to establish a home for the dying. One day, she walked pass a hospital and saw a woman who terribly sick. The mother rushed her to the hospital. Yet, the person in the hospital refused her, saying, “there is no room for her in the hospital!” Mother Teresa stayed outside of the hospital, embracing the dying lady till she breathed her last. Since then, the saint promised that she would make sure that the dying would die with dignity. In the early days of this hospice, Mother Teresa was ridiculed and criticized, yet she and her sisters persevered because they knew that for those who were dying, this may be the last act of mercy they received before they passed away.

If we expect something big in return, it is not love, it is investment. If we just want to be appreciated after doing good, it is not love, it is a showoff. If we do not want to get hurt, it is not love, it is comfort zone. Love is tough, mercy is heroic.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Seventy

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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C] – July 7, 2019 – Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

by twoIn today’s Gospel, Jesus is sending His seventy disciples for a mission. Yes, we are reading it correctly; it is not just twelve disciples, but seventy. While we are used to the celebrated mission of the Twelve, Luke informs us about the less famous mission of the seventy. We are not sure who are these people, but for sure, these are people who have the same commitment, dedication, and passion like the big names like Peter, John, Andrew, and Matthew. They follow Jesus, leave everything and are willing to be dispatched into a difficult mission to preach the Kingdom, to heal the sick, and to drive out the demons. The story of the seventy disciples gives us a hint about those dedicated and more numerous disciples of Jesus and yet somehow forgotten. While the Twelve represents the well-known figures of the Church like the pope and the bishops, the seventy bring to mind the nameless yet countless priests, religious men and women, and laity who are tirelessly building up the Body of Christs.

We might also ask why seventy? If Twelve apostles represent the twelve tribes of Israel, what will the seventy signify? Surprisingly, when we go back to the Old Testament, seventy is also a significant figure. It is the sum number of the descendants of Jacob who migrated to Egypt [Gen. 46:27]. It was the number of the elders who were elected to help Moses in his task in leading Israel and to offer sacrifice in the wilderness [Exo 24:1]. Thus, seventy become the symbol of both Israel itself and the leaders of Israel. According to Jewish tradition, seventy is also the number of nations that came down from Noah [see Gen 11]. By choosing and commissioning His seventy disciples, Jesus sends His message to the world that He is establishing His New Israel with its leaders, and this Israel will include all people from all nations.

One powerful lesson we can learn from these seventy is humility. When the disciples return in joy for the successful tasks, Jesus tells about enigmatic words, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from the sky!” One possible interpretation is that the disciples have rendered demons powerless in the name of Jesus. The disciples’ success is the failure of Satan. Another explanation is the temptation of pride. According to Christian tradition, Satan was formerly the highest angel who fell from heaven because he is too proud to serve God who became a man. Thus, Jesus reminds the disciples that their mission is essentially Jesus’ mission, and they are nothing without Christ. It is much important that their names are written in heaven instead of being boastful about their success.

Humility is a principal virtue of all disciples’ identity, while ambition and pride kill our identity as disciples. Lucifer used to be one of the seraphim, the highest ranks of angels, and the name Lucifer means “the bearer of Light.” Surely, there is no problem with serving God, but when Lucifer knew about the plan of God the Son to become man, and be born of a woman, and die for the salvation of humanity, he could not accept it. How can be God as well as spiritual beings like angel serve lowly and sinful creatures like humans? In his pride, he declined God’s plan; he refused to serve God. “Non Serviam.” I will not serve. He and his cohorts were then banished from heaven, and Lucifer turns to be Satan, the chief of demons.

When we serve God in humility, we do not get the medals, we do not receive the glory, and we are forgotten, but we are sure that our names are written in heaven.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

No Excuse

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Thirteenth Sunday of the Ordinary Time [C] – June 30, 2019 – Luke 9:51-62

carrying cross 2Today we listen to one of the most demanding and perhaps harsh teachings of Jesus. For those who follow Him, He demands total allegiance, and He shall become no less than their top priority in life. In both Jewish and Christian tradition, to honor our parents is one of the highest commandments. In fact, it is not a mere honoring, but it is to glorify [Hebrew word used is “kabad”] our parents. But, when a man asks Jesus to bury his father, Jesus tells him, “Let the dead bury the dead.” To one who requests to say goodbye to his family, Jesus says, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” Very harsh. Is this truly Jesus whose heart is moved with pity towards the poor people? Is Jesus no longer observing the Ten Commandments?

We may uncover the reason at the beginning of the Gospel reading. Jesus knows the time has come for Him to go to Jerusalem, and He has set His face toward this city that will persecute, torture, and kill Him. The way of the cross has begun, and for those who wish to follow Him, it is no longer the time to be amused by His miracles or to be inspired by His preaching. They who desire to follow Jesus, shall also carry their cross with Jesus, and to walk with Jesus to His Calvary, one cannot but surrender his life to Jesus and make Jesus’s mission as his utmost concern.

However, we need to clarify also Jesus’ remarks that may sound too harsh. When Jesus says, “Let the dead bury the dead,” most probably the parent of that man is still very much alive, and he wishes to follow Jesus after his parent passes away. A subtle excuse not to follow Jesus. When Jesus says, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God,” Jesus is alluding to the story of Elijah who called Elisha to follow him [1 Kgs 19:19-21]. When a prophet calls, the one summoned must respond immediately. Otherwise, the opportunity is gone for good. Jesus also points to the story of Lot’s wife. When the city of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God, the angel instructed Lot and his family to run and not to look back, and yet, his wife looked back. She became the pillar of salt [Gen 19:26]. Someone cannot effectively follow God’s words and new life in Christ if he always looks back and attaches himself to the past. Jewish farmers also know well the irony that when one plows the soil and keeps looking back at the result, he will just ruin the entire field. It is when one is focused and determined in his goal and decision, he will get the best result.

There is a story of an angel who appears to John. The angel said, “John, God calls you to serve Him.” John said, “Not now, I am still 18, and I want to focus on my study.” Then, the angel came again after some years. John said, “Not now, I am just 30, and I have my career.” Then, the angel appeared again after some year. John said, “Not now. I am just 40, and I have my family.” Then, the angel returned for the last time when John was 70. John said, “Now, I am ready to answer God’s calling.” The angel responded, “Yes, God calls you, but not to serve Him, but to see Him!”

A Christian who has a lot of excuses for Jesus is not a real Christian. It is only when we follow Him with determination, walk on His way of the cross without excuse, make Him as our top priority, we can humbly say that we are His disciples.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Eating God

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The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ [June 23, 2019] Luke 9:11-17

benedict n first communicantToday the Church is celebrating the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. In many countries like Indonesia, today is the best time for the children who are already prepared to receive their first Holy Communion. I still recall the day I partook of the sacred host and the holy wine. Many of us were around 10 years old, old enough to recognize the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and we were dressed in white. I was wearing long-sleeved white shirt with a tie and black pants. When the priest dipped the white bread into the chalice of wine and said, “the body and blood of Christ”, I said “Amen.” It was my first time to savor the sweetness of wine, and of course, alcoholic beverage!

At that moment, I just knew the reception of sacred host is necessary to complete the Eucharist, and I was aware I was receiving a blessing, but I never truly comprehend the profound meaning of the great mystery. For me, it was just enough that I attend the mass and consume the consecrated host. It has become a routine and tradition, from Sunday to Sunday, to from month to month, from year to year. Till we become parents and we also bring our children for their first communion. And when somebody asks us, “why do you bring your children to the first communion?”, our answer may be like, “Well, we want our kids to be like us. It is just a family tradition.” The answer is simple, but too simple that it draws more questions: why bread and wine? Why Body and Blood of Jesus? Why does it have to be eaten?

We often forget to realize that this sacred host and wine are the entire Jesus Christ Himself, with all humanity and divinity. Thus, God offers Himself to be eaten. Why eating God? The answers lie on the pages of our Old Testament. Firstly, we recall that our first parents fell because of the act of eating. Now, in the Eucharist, God uses the same act of eating to restore men and women into grace. Secondly, in the middle of the garden of Eden, there were two trees, the forbidden tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life [Gen 2:9]. Unfortunately, our first parents chose to eat the fruits from the forbidden tree. Thus, to restore humanity to grace, now God offers us the fruits from the tree of life, the tree of the cross of Christ. Thirdly, we remember the first Passover was about the story of how God liberated Hebrew people from the slavery of Egypt. The Passover began with the slaughter of the lamb, and its blood was sprinkled on the doors of the Israelite house so that their firstborns would be saved from death. Yet, the slaughter and the sprinkling of blood were not the summit of Passover. The Hebrew people had to consume the lamb as to complete their first Passover [Exo 12:8]. Now, Jesus the Lamb of God, has been sacrificed on the cross, yet it is not the end. Like the Hebrew Passover, we need to consume the Lamb of God to complete our New Passover, the Eucharist.

There are so much themes and aspects we may ponder on the Eucharist, and particularly today, the Church reminds us that the Eucharist, especially the reception of the Holy Communion is not just our Sunday routine, a family tradition. It is of the essential plan of God for our salvation, so that we may have heaven, our Communion with God, the Holy Trinity.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Image of the Trinity

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Trinity Sunday [John 16:12-15] June 16, 2019

sign of the crossThe distinctive mark of being Christian is the Holy Trinity. We share the claim of monotheism [only one God] with other prominent religions, yet our belief in one God in three divine persons enables us to stand unique among others. Doubtless, our God is one, yet the same undoubtedly, there are three persons in this one God. The Father is different from the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son is also unique. And, the Holy Spirit maintains His personal identity. Yet, they remain always one! How is this possible?!

Relax! The greatest minds in the Church, like St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Benedict XVI, have tried to dive into the mystery, and yet they just scratched the surface of this highest Truth. This is the core of our faith, yet it is the most puzzling if not intriguing teaching of the Church. However, if this is the unfathomable mystery, why should we continue to ponder, live, and celebrate it? The answer lays on the faith God has planted in us.

Often, we think Trinity as far distant reality, but we forget that our daily lives as Christian are living within the Trinity. We were baptized, we were baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. When we begin our prayer, we commence with the sign of the cross. This holy sign does not only point the victorious cross of Jesus but fundamentally to the Holy Name of Trinity. After we make the sign of the cross to open the Holy Mass, the priest will greet the people by saying, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” This is the Trinitarian formula that comes St. Paul himself (see 2 Cor. 13:13). At the Eucharistic prayer, the core prayer of the Holy Mass, the priest in the name of the Church, asks the Father to send His Holy Spirit that He may transform the bread and wine to be the body and blood of Jesus Christ. At the heart of Eucharist, the source and summit of Christian worship, is the Holy Trinity. What I mention is just the tip of the iceberg on how the Trinity permeates our worship and prayer.

The real challenge is to live and celebrate the Trinity in our daily life. Our rule of prayer should be our rule of life, as well. “Lex orandi, Lex vivendi”. Otherwise, we will fall into the trap of double-life mentality. We become Christian only on Sunday, but we turn to be people who never know God on weekdays. A hypocrite!

To live in the Trinity means to manifest to our daily lives that we are the image of God, the image of Trinity.  If the Trinity is the God of justice, do we act justly to our ourselves, our neighbors and our earth? If the Trinity is the God of mercy, are we merciful and perform the traditional seven corporeal works of mercy [feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit those imprisoned, and bury the dead]? If Trinity is the God who is love, do we love even the worst people in our lives and forgive our enemies? If Trinity is the God of Truth, are we eager to search for the truth around us or we uncritically believe in fake news?

We are people who are living in the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and we are confidently looking forward to the day we are united to this Triune God.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Pentecost and The New Law

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Pentecost Sunday [June 9, 2019] John 20:19-23

pray overToday we are celebrating the great feast of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit, the third divine person of the Holy Spirit, comes in the form of a tongue of fire and fills the hearts of the disciples. Why do we call this day as Pentecost? Why does the Holy Spirit just come 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead?

The simplistic answer will be: “It is the Holy Spirit’s business. It is up to Him!” Yet, our faith is not merely blind and stupid obedience, but a faith that seeks understanding. Our quest for an answer brings us back to the Old Testament. In the Jewish tradition and history, the feast of Pentecost or also known as the feast of Weeks is the day that they remember and celebrate the giving of the Law in Sinai. Fifty days after the Sabbath day of Passover, the Jewish people come together and celebrate another festival, the feast of the harvest. The big day is also called the feast of the Weeks because the Israelites wait for seven weeks. If seven is the number of covenants in the Bible, then seven weeks represents seven days times seven days, the fullness of covenant. In the Book of Exodus, we are going to discover that the day after seven weeks from the exodus from Egypt, God appeared in Mount Sinai, strike a covenant with Israel and gave them the Law to govern His people. If the Passover commemorates their liberation, the feast of the Weeks points to the day God gave His Law to Moses and Israel at Sinai. Then, if fifty days after the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites received the Mosaic Law, the disciples of Jesus, fifty days from the day of resurrection welcome the Holy Spirit, the new Law of Christ written in our hearts and souls.

To grasp the Pentecost, we need to comprehend the formative aspect of the Law. When God offered a covenant with Israelites, He expected them to behave like His people and not following the examples of other neighboring nations. To facilitate this, God gave Israel a set of Law to obey. The Law is to form Israelites as the people of God. With this in mind, we can now see the fundamental importance of the Pentecost for Jesus’ disciples. The Holy Spirit descends upon and dwells in the disciples as the New Law, and as the Old Law is to shape the old Israelites, so the New Law is to build the New Israel, the Church. That is why Pentecost is also considered the day that the Church was born, the birthday of the Church.

To receive the Holy Spirit in our hearts is an immense privilege, yet we are also to live in the Spirit. If ancient Israel calls themselves as the people of God because they obey the Law, so we may recognize ourselves the People of God when we follow the Spirit.  However, living in the Spirit is not about speaking in tongue or to join Charismatic groups. St. Paul clearly states to live in the Spirit is opposed to the urging of the flesh. When we detach ourselves from the works of the flesh like immorality, impurity, idolatry, hatred, division, wrath and jealousy [Gal 5:19], we already walk in the Spirit, and this is even harder than to speak in tongue. The Holy Spirit has given us His seven gifts, but do we strive to be wise, understanding, pious, persevering, knowledgeable in faith, fearful to offend the Lord [see Isa 11:1]? It would be the massive loss if we are celebrating the Pentecost, and yet we live as if we never receive the Holy Spirit.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Inevitable

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Ascension of Jesus Christ [June 2, 2019] Luke24:46-53

goodbyeIf you are a fan of Marvel universe movies, you will easily remember Thanos, the primary villain with twisted moral conviction. After he swept half of the living beings in the universe with the power of the infinity stones, he went into hiding. Yet, the Avenger found him and forced him to restore the world, but he said it was no longer possible because he has destroyed the stones, because what he did was inevitable, and he said, “I am inevitable”.

Thanos’ words echo the message of Jesus in today’s Gospel that any human relation will find its end. Separation is inevitable. Yet, it is natural for us that we do not want to be separated from our loved ones in life. Every separation surely will bring pain and anguish. I still remember when I needed to enter a seminary, and I had to be separated from my mother for good. My mother cried, and I shed some tears, too, but I guess my father was happy that I am leaving!

Thus, we can imagine that when Jesus is going up to heaven, and He will be no longer with the disciples, they are grief-stricken and full of anxiety. They would ask each other, what’s next? They are going to lose their Master, their hope, their expected Messiah and King. Yet, Jesus said that He is leaving for their own good.

Yes, separation can be painful and fearful, but Jesus assures us that separation is part of life, and it is good for us.

We take an example of my mother. Had my mother refused to let me go, I would not have been a priest and served you here in this celebration. Or another example, a mother who is pregnant. We know that she loves her baby, but she must let her baby go from her womb and let the baby breathe using his own lungs. Otherwise, the baby and the mother will both die. The separation is inevitable, but properly understood, it can be something good.

Separation can also mean allowing our loved ones to face life’s adversities and pain. After I entered the seminary, my life did not get any comfortable, yet it went in the opposite direction. No more mother to wake me up, no more father to bring me to school or help in my assignment. But what does not kill you, builds you up. Often, we love so much our children, and we want to shield them from life’s trials and pain, but it may backfire. It may create a soft generation with deadly entitlement mentality: children who believe that they are entitled to the privileges of life, people who too quickly complain about life.

Jesus understands this, and He leaves disciples so that the disciples may grow and bear fruits. Jesus knows that He will stay and protect them; they will remain a group of crying men. After Jesus left, life did not get any easier for the disciples. Eleven out of twelve were martyred. Other Jesus’ followers shared the same lot. Yet, through adversaries, they grew and flourished.  True enough, after two thousand years, the Church Jesus founded, has become the biggest community in the world with more than 1/3 of the earth’s population as its members.

The separation is inevitable, but properly understood, it can be something good and even fruitful.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Requirement of Love

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Sixth Sunday of Easter [May 26, 2019] John 14:23-29

“Whoever loves me will keep my word… (Jn. 14:23)”

adult and child hands holiding red heart, health care love and family concept

The basic form of love is obedience, and the minimum of love is to obey the Law. We can say “I love you”, but do not do what we ought to do as a lover. That’s a plain lie. A man asked a priest whether it is ok to say “I love you” during the Lenten season, especially during the days of fasting and abstinence. The priest immediately replied that it was a violation of God’s Law. The answer shocked the young man, and he asked why. The priest answered, “It is a violation because surely you tell a lie to your girlfriend!”

When we say that we love someone, but we fail to do what is required, we just hurt ourselves and the persons we love. When a child loves his mother, he will follow the instructions coming from his mother even though he does not understand why. Yet, sometimes, a child gets stubborn and refuses his mother’s plea to stop playing outside because it is time for study. This hurts the mother and father who have worked hard to pay the education and long for a better future for their son. In the long run, it also hurts the child and his future.

The same with our love for God, we need to do at least the basic, to observe His Law. From the Old Testament, we have ten commandments. We cannot say that we love the Lord, but we put our faith also in other “gods and idols”. We profess only one and true God, but we also believe in Horoscope, Feng Shui, and superstitions. We go to the Church every Sunday, but in our houses, we collect all kind of statues of animals for charm and luck. We believe in God who is just, but we steal the money or things from the government or the companies.

In the New Testament, we have the New Commandment: love one another as Jesus has loved us. Unfortunately, what we say is different from what we do. We attend the prayer meeting and shout to the top of our voices that we love Jesus, but we still are not able to forgive our enemies and still wish that they be dead. We pray the rosary regularly, but we do not even care for our ageing mothers at home. We say that we condemn the killing of the babies in other countries, but we get easily angry and make our wives as punching bags.

When we say that we love the Lord, but we do not keep His commandment, it hurts God’s heart. Perhaps, it is more hurtful than people who never say love at all to God. We can learn from our brothers and sisters who lived when the Church was still very young. Living in a hostile Roman Empire, they acknowledged that they were Christians means capital punishment. They were a good and a law-abiding citizen of Rome, except for one thing: they refused to worship Caesar. The Roman government believed that the unifying factor of the vast and diverse empire was the cult of the emperor as the embodiment of the Roman spirit. Any Roman citizen was required to offer incense and proclaimed, “Hail, Caesar is Lord.” Then, they may worship their other gods. Christians refused to do this because they loved Jesus dearly as their God, and as proof of their love, they were ready to offer their own lives.

It is the same with us. God loves us immensely that every time we do not observe His Law, we hurt God and make Him jealous. If we cannot do the essential requirement of love, our words are empty and our love cheap.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP