Tag: English

Word of God Fulfilled

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Third Sunday in Ordinary Time [January 27, 2019] Luke 1:1-4;14-21

deacon1The synagogue is the place of prayer for the Jews. On the center during the service in the synagogue is the reading of the Hebrew Bible (or what we call the Old Testament) and the explanation of those readings. In the Gospel, we learn that Jesus stands as the leader of the service. First, He stands and reads the Scriptures, and the chosen portion is from the Prophet Isaiah. Then, He sits down, assuming the position of teacher. The Jews in the synagogue are eager to listen to Jesus. However, there is something different in Jesus’ teaching from other Jewish Rabbis. Jesus neither simply expounds the reading from Isaiah, nor makes commentaries on the text. He neither simply discusses the meaning of the readings, nor explains the context of the text. He fulfills what is written in the Scriptures. He says, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk. 4:14)

What Jesus does gives us a fundamental attitude for every Christian: any Christian ministry, prayer and life have to be rooted in as well as the fulfillment of the Word of God. It is true that many of us are not priests, religious or catechists, but laypersons, like parents, professionals, and citizen of the country. Many aspects of our life are not directly dealing with the Bible, like working, eating, sleeping, etc. So, why do we need to allow the Word of God to permeate various aspects of our life?

We remember that in the Book of Genesis, God created the world through His Word. “God said, ‘Let there be light!’ and there was light.” And at the end of the creation story, with His Word, God blessed the world. Every existence in this world, including our life, finds its beginning, meaning, and fulfillment in God’s Word. The air we breathe, the light we see, the sound we hear bear witness to the Word of God. Thus, no matter who we are and what we do, the Word shall inspire, guide, and animate our daily lives. If we allow the Word to take charge, our lives turn to be the fulfillment of the Word of God.

However, how can the Word of God influence our lives if we do not read or hear the Bible? One serious issue among the Catholics is that we seldom read the Bible, and when we attend the Mass, often we are not paying enough attention to the sacred readings. After the reading, we simply respond “Thanks be to God!” while in our hearts, we say, “whatever it means!” We have a Bible in our home, but often it remains hidden, dusty and untouched. This ignorance of the Scriptures does not only affect the lay people but even the clergy and the religious people. Pope Francis in his encyclical Evangelii Gaudium, has lamented of the priests who preach anything but the Word of God. Indeed, this is lamentable.

However, we are not hopeless. More and more lay people now are involved in Biblical apostolate in the parishes or dioceses. Bible Sharing, study and quiz now are something common among the Catholics. In my part, every time I give a talk, I make sure that the participants will bring the Bible and my discussion will be based on the Scriptures. And all of us can begin reading the Bible on our own. We can read five chapters every day, and within a year, we may complete the entire Bible.

Let the Word be the air we breathe, the light we see, the sound we hear, that in the end, we are able to say, “Today the Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Grace Abounds All the More

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Conversion of St. Paul, the Apostle [January 25, 2019] Mark 16:15-18

st. paul conversion 2Today we are celebrating the feast of the conversion of St. Paul, the Apostle. St. Paul is one of the greatest names in our Church. Many churches are named after him, like one of the major Basilica in Rome, St. Paul outside the Wall. Not only churches but also many Christians are named after him, including our brothers in the house of formation, Bro. John Paul Sontillano, Bro. Paulus Gabriel Rambang Ngawan, and our former formator, Fr. Pablo Tiong.

Paul is an apostle and yet, he was not part of the 12 apostles. It is through a special revelation, he was called by Jesus and sent to preach the Gospel to all nations, thus, he was called also as the apostle to the nations or of the Gentiles. Indeed, he was doing his job very well, as he preached zealously, traveled tirelessly, and founded many local churches in Asia and Europe, like in Corinth, Thessaloniki, and Galatia. Thirteen of his letters addressed to these communities or to his co-workers like Timothy and Titus, have become part of the New Testament, considered inspired, and thus, the Word of God. And from his letters, the Church has shaped her teachings, doctrines, and orthodoxy, like the primacy of love in Christian living in 1 Cor 13, that love is patient, love is kind, love never fails. Or, in 1 Cor 11, we discover Paul condemns those who failed to celebrate the Eucharist worthily, rooted in the doctrine of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Paul was so inspiring that he inspires St. Luke, the evangelist to devote half of his Acts of the Apostles, to the story and journey of St. Paul.

However, this is only half of the story. Before Paul, there was Saul. Saul was zealous Pharisee who hated Jesus and His followers so much. He went door to door just to arrest Christian, put them in jail, and persecuted them. Young Saul also consented to the murder of the first martyr, Stephen. The Acts of Apostles 9:1 described him as someone who breathes threats and murders. Saul was a dark character with much violence and anger.

However, the Good News of salvation for Saul: no matter dark, violent and broken Saul was, God, is more powerful than all these ugly things. God’s grace, mercy, and love can transform the persecutor of Christ into the vessel of grace. That is why we are celebrating the conversion of St. Paul, not only about St. Paul but the conversion. It is not about Paul’s greatness, achievement, and holiness, but it is God.

Like Paul, we all have our own darkness and brokenness, some may come from broken family, some having a broken family, some have traumatic experiences, some losing people we love in a painful way, some are victims of abuses, some struggling with sickness, with anger, with depression, with poverty or other problems. We are still wrestling with our sinful attitudes and tendencies. Yet, the Good News Paul received is also the same Good News we receive. All of these ugly things have not the last word on us. Our God is stronger than all of this ugliness of life.

As St. Paul himself says, “When sin abounds, grace abounds all the more!” (Rom 5:20)

St. Paul, the apostle, pray for us.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Jesus the Bridegroom

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Second Sunday in Ordinary Time [January 20, 2019] John 2:1-12

wedding ardiMary who was once a bride and has passed through the tiny-gritty of a Jewish wedding can sense immediately something goes wrong. The wine is running out. In the Jewish context, wine is an essential ingredient in every joyous occasion, as it is ordained by God to “gladden men’s hearts” (Ps 104:15) The lack of it can spell a disastrous result. It is the source of shame, and even a family dispute.

Everyone knows that it is the responsibility of the bridegroom to provide the wine, yet Mary does something unexpected. Instead of notifying the groom, she approached Jesus and points to him the gravity of the looming disaster. However, instead of getting an immediate favorable response, the plot twists even more. In a surprising statement, Jesus says to his mother, “Woman, how does your concern affect me?” (Jn 2:4). This statement is a Semitic expression indicating that the issue at hand is not Jesus’ problem. In a sense, Jesus is right because it is the job of the groom to fix the problem, but in a much more profound sense, Mary is also right because Jesus is the true Bridegroom.

Jesus understands that He is the Bridegroom, but the hour is not at Cana, but at the Cross. Thus, He says, “My Hour has not yet come.” (Jn 2:4) Yet, Mary as a mother knows her Son best. She has faith in Jesus, that Jesus is not only the Bridegroom at the Cross who gives His life for His Bride, the Church, but Jesus is also the Bridegroom in every marriage, family, a community that reflects this Church. Thus, when Jesus transforms the water into wine, it does not happen in historical level, but in a more profoundly symbolical way. Yes, Jesus helps the couple from disaster, but more than that, He supplies what is fundamentally lacking in every marriage: the best wine, the true joy of married life.

One of my duties as a deacon is to check whether the particular couple is canonically fit for the Church’s marriage. To fulfill this, I need to interview the couple and ask some pertinent questions. Yet, I usually go beyond, and I remind them why the Church does not recognize civil marriage. The answer is plain yet very basic: Jesus, the true Bridegroom, is not there, or to be precise, we make a deliberate effort to exclude Him in our marriage. The union between man and woman is not just a human, social and cultural phenomena but a divine reality. When a man and a woman commit themselves into marriage, God Himself who wills to make them one. Therefore, marriage is primarily and fundamentally God’s grace working in the human relationship. And if God unites them together, He will be the one who sustains and brings into perfection. This is why marriage is elevated into the level of sacraments of the Church.

However, I continue reminding the couples that marriage in the Church does not only mean to celebrate the sacrament of matrimony but to stay within the Church, the Bride of Christ, throughout their lives: to attend the Eucharist as a family, to participate actively in the Church as a couple, to pray regularly together. As the wine is impossible without a jar of waters, God’s grace will not work in our marriages unless we open ourselves to this grace. Like Mary who points Jesus what is lacking in the wedding in Cana, so the Church asks Jesus to fulfill every marriage with the best wine.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Fatherhood

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The Baptism of the Lord [January 13, 2019] Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Lk. 3:22)

baptism2One of the greatest joys of being a deacon is to baptize babies and little children. The joy is not simply springing from touching the cheeks of a cute little baby or be part of festive parents, but it is something deeper. In fact, my experiences with baptism are not always pleasant. I remember at my first baptism in Sto. Domingo Parish, Metro Manila, when I began pouring water upon the baby’s forehead, the little girl suddenly burst in tears and cried aloud. I realized the water has touched the baby girl’s eyes. I was shocked and almost paralyzed not knowing what to do next. The good thing is the parents were able to handle the situation well. As the little baby calmed down, I apologized and continued the rite. Traumatizing!

After that experience, the baptisms I minister do not seem to be any better. In Manaoag, Pangasinan, I could baptize 15 or more babies in each baptism. Often, with so many people jampacked in a small room, and with many babies crying, the experience, far from happy, could be stressful and forgettable for everyone including myself. So, where do I get the joy of baptizing babies?

It is springing from the Church’s understanding of baptism itself. Baptism as the sacrament instituted by Christ Himself as a means for us to receive the grace of salvation is not only Biblical and upheld by earliest Christian testimonies, but it is spiritually liberating and joy-engendering. Surely, we need one semester or more to discuss the biblical foundation and theology of baptism, and this is not the place for such discussion. Thus, allow me to share one of the reasons why baptizing is one of my most joyous moments as a deacon, and it is not far from our Gospel today.

Today we are celebrating the Baptism of the Lord, and our Gospel ends with an extremely rare revelation of God the Father in Jesus’ life. This reveals two things: First, Jesus is the Son of the Father; second, He is not only any son, but Jesus is also the joy of the Father. It is not just any rare revelation, but it is a revelation of joy. Yet, this joy is not surprising for it is natural for a father to be delighted in his newly born baby because he sees the best of himself in the baby. It is a joy of fatherhood.

One of the greatest gifts of baptism is our spiritual generation. It is true that in baptism, nothing much changes in our physical aspects, except our heads are getting wet. But, when the water of baptism touches our foreheads and the Trinitarian formula is pronounced, our souls are changed for eternity. We are not just the children of humanity, but wonderfully the children of God. And as we emerge from the baptism, our Father in heaven sees us, recognizes us as His own and says, “You are my beloved children, with you I am well pleased.”

It is my greatest privilege to share this spiritual fatherhood. As I minister baptism, I spiritually beget these little babies as my children, the children of God. As a young father rejoices in his baby, so I take delight in every newly spiritually born baby. I do not have my own children, and yet I am blessed to become a father. As looking forward to priestly understand, we understand why we call a priest “father” because he is indeed a father to his spiritual children. He begets his children in Baptism, he nourishes them in Eucharist, he leads the youth into maturity in Confirmation, he unites the love among them in Marriage, he brings back the stray in Penance, and he heals the sick in the Anointing. It is the joy of fatherhood.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Fear

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The Epiphany of the Lord [January 6, 2019] Matthew 2:1-12

three magi chineseThe third question Archbishop Socrates Villegas asked me during my ordination was “Are you afraid enough? Just like the first two questions, this one is also counterintuitive. One of my favorite phrases in the Bible is “Do not be afraid!” In many occasions in the Scriptures, this statement does not simply convey encouragement, but also a life-changing mission. When Abram was getting old and he was childless, he doubted to enter the convent with the Lord who promised him descendants like the stars in heaven, God said, “do not fear!” (Gen 15) Then, Abraham became the father of all nations. When God called Jeremiah to prophesy to Judah, he found an excuse in his young age, but God said, “do not be afraid!” (Jer 1:8) Then, Jeremiah became one of the greatest prophets of Israel. When Joseph felt betrayed and yet in his mercy, planned to divorce Mary in secret, the angel said to him, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.” (Mat 1:20) Then, Joseph became the foster father of the Son of God. When Mary received the Good News from the angel Gabriel, she did not understand what was happening, Gabriel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (Luk. 1:30) Then, she became the Mother of God.

We need in the Church, the people who are not afraid to follow God’s call to love and to serve. We need priests who do not fear to proclaim the Gospel despite hardship, trials, and even threats to their lives. We need religious men and women who do not fret to serve the poor, the marginalized and the forgotten. We need the clergymen who dare to say no to the comfort of life, to fight off laziness, and to serve and to be served. We need lay men and women who are courageous in making their daily sacrifice for their families and in witnessing to Jesus Christ. We can learn also from the three Magi who traveled a thousand miles from the east, braved all dangers including the bandits and violent weathers, and challenged the power-hungry Herod, just to see the baby Jesus.

However, to have no fear does not mean recklessness. In the same Bible, we discover also that there is one fear that is needed and in fact, holy. This is the fear of the Lord (Job 28:28; Psalm 110:10). It is not the fear that flows from the fearsome and vengeful image of God. We are afraid because God will punish us and throw us to hell! No, it is a wrong image. We fear the Lord because we are afraid to offend someone who loves, someone who has loved us tremendously. We should be afraid that we lose God because of our sinful attachments. We must fear that we are separate from God who is the source of our life. The priests should be afraid to celebrate the Eucharist unworthily. The lay men and women must be afraid to approach the Eucharist and other sacraments in vain. The clergymen should be afraid to steal the money of the Church. The men of God must fear to deny the spiritual needs of the people. Again, the three Magi are our good model. They dared many challenges and defied Herod the great, but before the baby Jesus, they prostrated themselves and gave homage. It is the holy fear of God.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Happy Mothers’ Day!

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Solemnity of Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God [January 1, 2019] Luke 2:16-21

mary and jesus - javaneseSome of us may wonder why the Church places the celebration of the solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God on January 1, or on the New Year. One may guess that the Church wants us to attend mass on the first day of the year, so as to start the year right. For those who wish to have a long holiday, it might be pretty a killjoy, but for some of us who wish to be blessed for the entire year, it is a nice thought. Yet, surely there is something deeper than that.

One reason is that the Church invites us all to reflect on the past year with gratitude as we count our blessings, and thus, we are able to look forward with faith and hope. In the Gospel, Mary is depicted as someone who always keeping things in heart and reflecting them (see Luk 2:19). Like Mary, we are asked to pause for a while on the momentous day of the year and ponder God’s works in our lives.

Another reason that I think more fundamental is that it is proper to conclude the Christmas octave with the Solemnity of Mother of God. “Octave” simply means eight, and in the Church’s liturgy, it means eight days prolonged celebration of particular grand events in the Church like Easter and Christmas. Like Christmas octave cover December 25 till January 1. If at Christmas day, we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, at the end of the Octave, we are celebrating the woman who gave birth to Jesus. Without a mother who receives the baby in her womb, carries the baby for nine months, and gambles her life in the process of delivery, a baby will not be born. In short, without Mary, there will be no Jesus.

To become a mother is a natural part of being a woman, and yet despite being natural, it remains a very difficult process for a woman. I am not a woman, but I can tell that it is a life of sacrifice because to take care of Br. Ruseno can cause a lot of high blood pressure! It is true that not all mother is perfect. Some have their own share of weakness and mistake, but the mere fact a mother has decided to give birth to her child, she has put her life on the line.

Now if to become the mother of any human being is super tough, how about to become the mother of God? We learn from Mary herself. She was pregnant out of wedlock, and this may lead people to stone her to death. She gave birth to Jesus in a dirty stable without professional help. This may cause her life. She raised the child Jesus who was often beyond her comprehension. Ultimately, she would witness with her own eyes how her only son was humiliated, tortured, and crucified. What a painful experience to bury one’s, own child! Simeon’s prophecy that a sword shall pierce Mary’s soul turned to be a reality (see Luk 2:35).

Indeed, Mary is most blessed among women, in fact among all human beings, but her blessedness does not mean an easy life. In fact, it is the opposite! St. Teresa of Avila once asked God, why He gives so many sufferings to His saints. God answered that it was the way He treated His friends. Then, St. Teresa replied, “That is why you do not have many friends!”

To become a mother is a blessing, but God’s blessing does not mean an easy life. God’s blessing means the opportunity and ability to love. To love despite challenges and trials of life, to give even when it hurts, and to sacrifice when it counts. At this New Year, we are celebrating the motherhood of Mary, indeed the motherhood of every woman. It is a Mothers’ Day in the Church. We pray for every mother that they may be blessed with the gift of love, and we also are given the same blessing in this year.

 

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Jesus and Joseph

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The Feast of the Holy Family [December 30, 2018] Luke 2:41-52

holy familyWe are celebrating the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the feast day of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The last event in the Bible that presents the Homily Family together is the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. After this event, Joseph no longer appeared in the Bible, and according to the tradition, he passed away even before he was able to see Jesus in His public ministry. Since this is the last episode where Joseph gets involved in the narrative, we shall reflect more about him.

In today’s Gospel, we discover a seemingly a fatal mistake of Joseph and Mary. They allow the child Jesus to be lost! That was careless! Yet, are Joseph and Mary really careless? Looking deeper into their context, it is not really the case. When Joseph and Mary go to Jerusalem for the festival of Passover, they do not go by themselves, but with other relatives and neighbors from Nazareth. Traveling together may slow them down, but it gives protection from robbers and avoids the food shortage. The responsibility of taking care of the children are also shared among the adults. After all, Jesus is twelve years old and big enough to take care of younger members of the group. Surely, it is not carelessness, but the trust is given to Jesus that allows Jesus to stay behind in Jerusalem. As dedicated parents, Joseph and Mary are looking for Jesus anxiously. To look for a boy in the capital city Jerusalem is just like finding a needle in the mount of straw, but, miraculously, they are able to find Him: Jesus is in the midst of teachers of the Jewish Laws, discussing and answering them with eloquence.

When Mary asks Jesus why he is missing, Jesus’ answer is mind-boggling, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk. 2:41) Mary does not understand with the answer, and she is pondering all these things in her heart. But, how about Joseph, the foster father of Jesus? What will be his reaction and feeling when he hears, “… I must be in my Father’s house?” Will Joseph punish Jesus for disrespect to him and Mary? Will he get furious after Jesus goes away without permission? Will Joseph disown Jesus after Jesus seemingly refuse to call him as a father?

Though it is hard to determine because Joseph is a silent man, I do believe Joseph will not do these violent things because he is a peaceful person. When Joseph knew Mary was pregnant out of wedlock, he could have thrown the first stone. Yet, he chose mercy and spared Mary from vengeance. As he was merciful to Mary, so he will be merciful to Jesus. Yet, there is something more. Beyond these initial reactions, I believe that Joseph is grateful and proud of Jesus. And why should he be thankful and proud? We recall that Joseph is described as the righteous man or in original Greek, “diatheke”. He is righteous not only because he knows well the Law of God, and abide by it, but because he loves the Law dearly. One of the basic duties of a Jewish father is to teach his children to learn and to love the Law. Thus, If Jesus is able to answers the teachers, to a certain extent, it is because Joseph has taught Him well. Moreover, Jesus prefers to engage with His Father’s affairs. This means Joseph does not only teach Jesus the technicalities of the Law but fundamentally, to love God above all.

St. Joseph becomes an example of every man, especially how to raise children. The first and foremost duty of every father is to lead their children to the Lord and to teach them to love God, and to love others for the sake of God. And how to do that? Like St. Joseph, we need to teach our children by example.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Tale of Two Mothers

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Fourth Sunday of Advent [December 23, 2018] Luke 1: 46-56

“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”  (Lk. 1:45)

5236277111_0c2ebf8133_bToday’s Gospel is truly beautiful. We have two protagonists. They are women, and they are both pregnant. Who are they? Mary and Elizabeth. Yet, why is the story beautiful? It is just natural for women to get pregnant. Unless we need to go closer to the stories and place ourselves in the shoes of Mary and Elisabeth, we can never see the true beauty of their story.

First, Mary, she is young, and at the same time, she is pregnant with no husband. St. Joseph is indeed the husband of Mary, but he is not the father of the baby. Perhaps, in our time, if a woman gets pregnant and yet without a husband, this is an unfortunate event, but life goes on for both the woman and child. however, if we go back to the time of Mary, way back two thousand years ago, that woman would be a great disgrace her family and community. She would be expelled from the community, and sometimes, they would be also stoned to death. Mary understands that when she accepts the will of God, to be the mother of Jesus, she faces death. Indeed, death is the future of Mary.

Second, Elizabeth. Elizabeth has a husband, so nobody will stone her, but her situation is also difficult. She is too old to get pregnant. Once I asked my medical doctor-friends, why is it risky to get pregnant if you are old? One said that as we grow old, so does our body and our muscles. With weaker muscles, a mother will have a difficult time during the process of giving birth, and this can be very dangerous to the baby and the mother.  I said further, why not caesarian? They said that it is also difficult if not deadly. As we grow old, our hearts weaken. If we place ourselves under the knife, with weaker hearts, there is a big possibility that we will not wake up. Like Mary, death may be the future of Elizabeth.

If Mary and Elizabeth know that it is dangerous and even deadly to be pregnant, why are they still following the will of the Lord?

The answer is at the very name of Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. Zachariah is from the Hebrew word “Zakar”, meaning to remember. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is formed two Hebrew words, Eli and Sabbath, meaning God’s oath or promise. So if we combine the two names, Zachariah-Elizabeth, they mean “God remembers His promise” or “God fulfills His promise.”

Elizabeth knows it is deadly to have John in her womb, but she still follows the will of God, because she is aware the baby was a fulfillment of God’s promise. Mary from Nazareth, the north part of Israel, travels to Judea, the south of Israel, in haste. But, why in haste? Mary is excited, and she wishes to witness how God fulfills His promise to Elizabeth. The moment Mary sees Elizabeth; she knows that the baby inside her womb is also a fulfillment of God’s promise.

Every child, indeed every on us is the fulfillment of God’s promise. Mary and Elizabeth never see the babies in their wombs as mere inconveniences in their lives or unplanned garbage that can be disposed of. Yet, to accept these babies as gifts of God, Mary and Elizabeth have to be courageous because they are going to sacrifice a lot including their own lives. Elizabeth and Mary are brave women and mothers.

The questions are for us: Who among us is not coming from a woman’s womb? We are all here because of a mother. Indeed, not all mothers are perfect. Some of them are not rich, some are having attitude problems, some are not good examples. Yet, the mere fact we are here now, one woman in our life, against all odds, has decided to courageously accept us as a gift, as the fulfillment of God’s promise. To all mothers, thank you very much.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Broken Enough

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Third Sunday of Advent [December 16, 2018] Luke 3:10-18

kneelingThe second question that Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan asked us during our ordination was, “Are you broken enough?” Once again his question raised eyebrows and was, indeed, counter-intuitive. We want to be flawless, whole and perfect. We desire to achieve more in life, to be wealthy, healthy and pretty. We wish to be socially accepted, respected and gain certain prominence. We want to become somebody, and not nobody. We like others to call us as the famous doctors, the creative entrepreneurs, or successful lawyers. Or for us, people in the Church, we like people to consider us well-sought preachers, generous and builder-priests, or skillful and well-educated sisters.

However, we often forget that the people we serve are broken people. They are broken in many aspects of life. Some are broken financially, some are struggling with health problems, and many are crushed by traumatic experiences in the families. Some are dealing with anger and emotional instability, and some are confronting depression and despair. Some are hurt, and some other are forced to hurt. Many fall victims to injustice and violations of human rights. And all of us are broken by sin. We are serving broken people, and unless we are broken enough like them, our ministry is nothing but superficial and even hypocritical.

Therefore, as the ministers of the Church, we ask ourselves: are we disciplined enough in our study and allow the demands of academic life to push us hard to kiss the ground and continually beg the Truth to enlighten us? Are we patient enough in our life in the community and allow different personalities and conflicts in the seminary, convent or community to shape us up, to make us realize that life is much bigger than ourselves, and to enrich us? Are we resilient enough in our ministry and allow different people in our ministries to challenge our small world, to confront us with failures, and to face a reality that it is not them being served, but us? Are we humble enough in our prayer and allow God to take control of our lives?

In the center of our Eucharistic liturgy are the Word and the Body being broken. The Word of God in the scriptures is read, and the preacher ‘stretches’ and ‘breaks’ it into more relevant and meaningful words for the people of God. The Body of Christ in the consecrated hosts is literally broken, and so this may be enough for everyone. These Word and Body of Christ are broken for the broken people of God. Jesus saves and makes us holy by being one with us, by being broken for us. He is a broken Lord for His broken brothers and sisters.

We the ministers of God are like Jesus Christ, and thus, the questions are: Are we willing to recognize and accept our own imperfections? Are we strong enough to admit that we are weak? Are broken enough that we may share our total selves to our brothers and sisters? Are we like Christ who is broken for others to live?

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Weak Enough

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Second Sunday of Advent [December 9, 2018] Luke 3:1-6

prayingDuring my ordination, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan asked this question to us who would receive the sacred order, “Are you weak enough?” The question was mind-blogging and unexpected because often we have strength, power, and talents as our favorite subjects, and even obsession. We like to show to the world that we are achievers and conquerors. We parade our good education, high-earning job, or a beautiful face. The ‘superior’ mentality does not only affect the lay people traversing in the ordinary world, but also people dressed in white walking through the corridors of the Church. The clergy, as well as religious men and women, are not immune to this hunger for approval and sense of worthiness.

I have to admit also that our formation in the religious life is colored with this kind of ‘spirit.’ The study is important in our Dominican tradition, and we are struggling to meet the academic demands of philosophy and theology. Those who are excelling are honored, but those who are falling, are facing expulsion. Prayer and community life are basic in our spirituality, and we are living to meet the expectations in the seminary or convent, like regular prayers and various community activities. Those who meet the standards may pass the evaluation for ordination or religious profession, but those who are often late or absent, are deemed to have no vocation. Preaching is our name, and we give our all in our ministries. Those who are successful in their apostolate are exemplary, but those who are not able to deliver a good speech may wonder whether they are in the Order or ‘out of order.’

The ordination is for the worthy ones, meaning for those who ace all the requirements. However, the good archbishop reminds us that relying too much on our strength and goodness, we may hamper the work of God in us. When we become too handsome, the people begin focusing on us, rather than the beauty of the liturgy. When we preach too brilliantly, the people start admiring us rather than the Truth of the Word. When we teach too brightly, we outshine the Wisdom made flesh. We forget that all power and talents we have, belong to God, not ours. What we have, are weaknesses.

However, it is only in our weakness that God’s strength is shining brightly. He called Moses who was a murderer and a fugitive, to liberate Israel from the slavery. He called Jonah, a reluctant prophet, to save Nineveh. He chose Simon Peter, who betrayed Jesus, to be the leader of His Church. He appointed Paul, the Pharisee and the persecutor of Christians, to be the greatest apostle. He elected Mary, a poor and insignificant young woman, to be the mother of God.

Are we weak enough to allow God’s strength working in us? Are we enough to allow God’s beauty shining through us? Are we weak enough to let other people see God’s wisdom in us? Are we strong enough to admit that we are weak?

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP