Tag: English

Love, not for the Fainthearted

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7th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). February 19, 2017 [Matthew 5:38-48]

“Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, (Mat 5:44)”

john-paul-n-ali-agcaLove is not for the fainthearted. It is difficult to love, even those whom we are supposed to love naturally and easily. At times, we feel regret in having committed ourselves in marriage to someone who turns out to be moody, demanding and no longer attractive. Sometimes, we want to kick out our children who become too stubborn and rebellious. Sometimes, we also think that we enter the wrong Congregation or convent.

However, Jesus wants us to go beyond, and even love our enemies. If we have a hard time to love those who are close to our hearts, how is it possible to love our enemies? How are we going to love those who bully us in the office or in the school? Is it viable to be kind to people who spread malicious gossips about us? Why should we be nice to those who have cheated us and even exploited us? Do we need to forgive those who have abused us and left us a permanent traumatic experience?

Though it is extremely difficult to love, even almost impossible, Jesus is not out his mind when He asks us to love our enemies. He knows who we are, away better than we know ourselves. We were created in the Image of God.  St. John reminds us that God is love (see 1 John 4:8). Therefore, we were made in the image of love. It is our identity to love, and only in loving, do we find our happiness. Yet, again how do we love people we hate?

When Jesus commands to love, the Gospel deliberately chooses the word ‘agape’ for love. In Greek, Agape is slightly different from the other kinds of love like philia and eros. If philia and eros are the love that is born out of our natural affections for someone, agape basically comes from the power of the will, courage, and freedom. It is easier to love someone when we like them, but we were not created only in the image of philia and eros, we are the image of Agape. We have a built-in ability in us to love even despite the unpleasant and repugnant feelings.

St. Thomas Aquinas put in quite succinctly that ‘to love is to will the good in others’. We do not have to feel good about the person, in order to do good to the person. In the Church’s Tradition, we have various acts of charity and works of mercy, and all of these cannot be simply based on emotions. Many dioceses and parishes in the Philippines are actively helping the rehabilitation of drug-addicts in the communities. Nobody likes junkies, some even want them dead, but why do the Churchmen and women continue to help them, despite criticism? Because Jesus wants us to love them, and it is possible with our freedom to do good to them.

True love is difficult and not for the fainthearted. It demands courage, strength, sacrifice. Yet, without love, what is the point of living? Danny Thomas, an actor, and producer, said, “All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’t discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.”john-paul-n-ali-agca

 Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

 

Surpassing the Pharisees

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6th Sunday in Ordinary Time. February 12, 2017 [Matthew 5:20-37]

 “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:20)”

phariseeThe word ‘Pharisee’ has a rather negative connotation for us. In the Gospels, they are the bad guys. They often argued with Jesus and Jesus challenged their way of life. Even some planned to get rid of Jesus (see Mat 12:14). In our time, the term ‘Pharisaic’ simply means hypocrite.

However, if we look from another angle, the Pharisees are not that ugly. In the time of Jesus, they had important roles to play. They, in fact, revolutionized the Jewish society itself. What did they do? They brought the Law, various rituals and devotional practices from the Temple of Jerusalem to the Jewish communities and families in Israel. Many Pharisees took care of the local synagogues and made sure that the people would observe properly the Law and its traditions, like the Sabbath and rituals of cleansing. Unlike the priests who served in the Temple, the Pharisees were lay people who loved the Law in their ordinariness of life. Thus, when the Temple was destroyed by the Roman army in 70 AD, the priestly clan also disappeared, but the Jewish cultural fabrics and religion continued to live because of the Pharisees, the lay people.

Jesus criticized them not because they were following the Law and traditions, but because of their ‘interpretations’ of the Law. Doubtless, the Pharisees loved the Law of Moses dearly, but they fell into fundamentalism. They absolutized the letters of the Law and the traditions, and trivialized what or who is actually at the service of the Law: God and fellow human beings. To become a fundamentalist means we opt to follow the dead letters of the Law of the Bible, which is easier, rather than to dialogue with the Person behind it and persons in front of it.

Without realizing it, many of us are acting like the Pharisees. Like them, we love God, His Law, and His Church, but sometimes, we are too busy with the trivial things. I am sad when some people are arguing on how to receive the Holy Eucharist, kneeling, standing, by hands or directly to the mouth. Some accuse Charismatic mass as heretical. Others label the Latin Mass as ultra-conservative. I am also saddened with a young Catholic apologist who is zealously debating on the Internet, yet does not lift a finger to help his sick mother. Yes, Sacred Scripture and the Liturgy is an essential part of our faith as the exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ and means of salvation, but if we are disintegrated because of details of the rituals, we miss the point.

We forget to transform our love for God and His Church into love for others. St. Dominic sold his expensive books made of animal skins so he could feed the poor, and argued, “Would you have me study from these dead skins when the living skins are dying of hunger?” Who among us are involved in feeding the poor around us? Who among us are doing something meaningful to the victims of injustice in the society? Who among us have the patience towards our ‘difficult’ brothers and sisters in the family or community? Remember that we are called to surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

 

Why Salt?

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time. February 5, 2017 [Matthew 5:13-16]

“You are the salt of the earth… (Mat 5:13)”

Picture 006
Picture 006

 Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth. We note that He does not say we are ‘like’ the salt of the earth. In literature, we learn that the former is called a metaphor and the latter is a simile. The two sentences look similar, but actually, the difference is significant. Take note of the difference: I am Bayu and I am like Bayu.  The two illustrate that the usage of ‘like’ makes things different considerably. One gives us an essential connection, while the other points only to an accidental relationship.

Jesus sees that being the salt of the earth is not merely accessory, but essential and defining to the identity and mission of His disciples.  Like I cannot be Bayu in the morning and be John in the evening, so we cannot be salt on weekdays and be sugar in weekends. We are salt every second of our lives. This is what we call a vocation. Being salt is our vocation.

Ordinarily, salt is for seasoning. We hate it if the food is too salty, but we hate more if the food is tasteless. Once at our Lenten observance in my minor seminary, we ate salt-less food, and the taste was truly awful. Yet, since we were hungry, we still consumed the food. That was the moment I appreciated the importance of salt. Being salt, we are to make the difference in the world with our good deeds, yet not ‘too salty’ that we simply draw the attentions to ourselves. Again, we do good all the time, not only when others are looking at us, not only when we feel good and motivated, not only when we expect a reward.  A good mother will not do good to her children only Monday to Friday. Nor a good father will only raise his potentially successful children and abandon the rest.

However, we may ask a deeper question: why does it have to be salt? We are well aware that aside for spicing up, salt has practically no nutritional values. Even some scientists link excess salt to health problems like high blood pressure. Why not something more substantial like rice, pasta, or noodles? The answer may be simple: it is not our vocation to become the true source of sustenance and nourishment. It belongs to Jesus. That is in the Gospel of John, Jesus called Himself as the Bread of Life (Jn 6:35). In the Philippines, we have this popular bread called ‘pandesal’ (literally means bread of salt). It is a small bread made of flour, yeast, egg, sugar and salt, a bit sweet rather than salty. The amount of salt is insignificant, and yet it enhances the taste of the bread, makes it pleasurable to our senses. Yet again, salt is not the real thing, but the bread.

As salt, it is not us who give the fullness of life, but our vocation is to bring Jesus to others so that they may have the life. Our goodness, our achievement, our ministries are not to draw praise to ourselves, but through our good deeds others may feel God even more. That is who we are: Salt.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Disciples not Crowds

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Fourth Sunday in the Ordinary Time. January 29, 2017 [Mat 5:1-12]

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him (Mat 5:1).”

sermon-on-the-mountMatthew chapters 5 to 7 are well known as the Jesus’ sermons in the Mount. The section contains classic teachings and parables of Jesus like Beatitudes, the love for one’s enemy and the golden rule. Before Jesus began his sermon, He was sitting down. This gesture actually symbolizes the teaching authority of Jesus. On the Mount, Jesus was the teacher, and as a good teacher, He would expect people to listen attentively to His words. Thus, before Jesus commenced His sermon, He went up to the Mount to separate Himself from the crowd. Jesus knew that being part of the crowd was practically effortless and usually motivated selfishly: to be cured, to be fed and to be entertained. It could turn out to be very superficial, as a mass of people is drawn to one charismatic and powerful leader like Jesus, yet the moment its need is served or its leader is no longer satisfactory, it would be naturally disbanded.

The Sermon on the Mount was intended not for the crowd, but for a small group of people who would sit around Jesus and listen to Him carefully. These were the disciples.  Indeed, the teacher-disciples relationship is one of the most fundamental for us Christians. If we seek Jesus merely to be emotionally satisfied and economically profitable, we are just part of the crowd. And this is not our vocation. Jesus calls us into a more rooted and mature relationship with Him. He wants us to be His disciples, to listen to His teachings and follow Him.

However, to become a disciple in our time is seriously challenging. We are now part of the digital generation. We are people who hold latest iPhone or Android on our hands, access internet 24/7 and are exposed to countless TV channels. We move from one TV program to another, jump from one web to another, use one app to another, go from one entertainment to another. As a consequence, the span of attention of many people especially the young people is sharply declining. I am teaching Theology and Scriptures to young people, and I have to be always engaging and using various methods and multimedia. The moment these young ones lose their interest, they will not listen and immediately be busy with something else. Thus, no wonder that people cannot stand the boring and tedious homilies. Some choose another mass with a better preacher, some opt to look for another parish, others decide to attend worship service in other churches, and the rest find it altogether meaningless going to the mass.

Certainly, it is a challenge for preachers like myself to improve our preaching, to be more engaging and sensitive to the needs of the contemporary listeners. Yet, it is also true that we, the disciples of Christ, are invited to regain that humility and listening ears. Jesus and His Church are not a global amusement park. We come to Jesus not as crowd looking for instant happiness. Otherwise, we treat Jesus as a mere drug, and we are a kind of religious drug-addict! We pray that we continue to listen to Him even in times that we do not feel it as fun. We pray that we go beyond the crowd mentality and become Jesus’ true disciples.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi RUseno, OP

Capernaum

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Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. January 22, 2017 [Matthew 4:12-23]

“He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali (Mat 4:13)”

journeyJesus began His public ministry by moving to another town in Galilee. From his hometown Nazareth to a bigger and more dense Capernaum. It was an ancient urbanization! Nazareth was small and scarcely populated, while Capernaum was one of the fishing centers in the Sea of Galilee. It was where people came, gathered, and interacted with each other. Had Jesus commenced His mission in Nazareth, probably, it would have taken more time to grow. Capernaum gave critical advantages for Jesus. It was easier to gather people, preach and attract followers. As a port city, it eased up Jesus mobility to other places in Galilee. And, Capernaum provided Jesus with shelter and other resources for His preaching. The reason for migrating was practical and yet decisive.

When St. Dominic started his Order, one of the first things he did was to send his small and fragile group of friars to big university cities like Paris and Bologna. His move was criticized as careless and dangerous. It could have swept away the infant community of Dominic. But, He insisted. “Stored seeds rot!” Dominic was actually able to think like Jesus. In bigger cities, it was much manageable not only to study, but also to preach and invite generous souls to be part of the community. Thus, Dominic made a clear instruction as he sent his brothers: “to study, preach and build community.

Our time is characterized with mega migration. Countless people move from town to another, from one country to another, and from one continent to another with ease and speed. And like Jesus, we migrate for practical cause as well as survival. We go places because of our works, our family, or our dreams. My life as a seminarian and a Dominican is also marked with constant movement. As early as fourteen years old, I left my hometown Bandung to enter the seminary in Magelang. Then, from Indonesia to Manila in the Philippines.

Going back to today’s Gospel, St. Matthew does not only see Jesus’ migration as practical solutions to His ministry, but as fulfillment of God’s promise: “the people who sits in darkness have seen a great light.” As Jesus travelled from one place to another, He brought light to others that they may see God whose Kingdom has come. Jesus immediately preached the Good News and called Andrew, Peter, James and John to His disciples. Jesus accommodated the practical and temporal things in His disposal for His mission. And He was faithful to this to the end. He used the cross, the practical means of torture and humiliation as means of presenting God’s love and salvation.

The same mission is given to us. As we move from one place to another, we bring also the light of Christ with us. Like newly-wed persons, we are called to enlighten our new families. As workers, we are to denounce what is evil in our new workplaces. As people who live on this earth, we shall take care of the creations in every land we step.   

 

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

 

The Little Lambs of God

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Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. January 15, 2017 [John 1:29-34]

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29).”

the-lamb-of-god

John the Baptist calls Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This very phrase eventually became part of the Eucharist and we faithfully recite or sing ‘the Lamb of God’ just before we receive holy communion. But, what does it mean? Why does it have to be a lamb? Not an orangutan, a giraffe or a komodo dragon? Why an animal, not a plant, a fruit or a mobile phone? To make it more intelligible, we have to go back to the Jewish ritual meal of Passover.

The first Passover meal took place before the Hebrews escaped their slavery in Egypt. Every family has to slaughter an unblemished lamb, put its blood on the doorpost and lintel, and roast the lamb before the entire family consumes it. The story goes that the angel of God came to take every firstborn of the Egyptians, but, he passes over the houses of the Hebrew families because of this blood of the Lamb (see Exo 12). This historic event then was institutionalized and became an annual celebration for the Jewish people, even up this day.

Now, John the Baptist announced a new revelation: Jesus is the Lamb, not only any ceremonial lamb, but of God. This Lamb of God has much superior mission than the first Passover lambs: to take away the sin of the world. This lamb would be sacrificed on the cross and His blood will be poured for our salvation. Like the lamb of Passover which is consumed by the Jews, so the Lamb of God would be partaken by the Christians in the Eucharist. Thus, it is proper for us to remember Jesus as the Lamb of God right before we take the Body of Christ in the Mass.

However, it is true as well that for many of us, a lamb has not much meaning. How many among us have a first-hand experience with this four-legged animal? I myself have no immediately encounter with this mammal, except when I eat it at a restaurant! Yet, we know what it means to sacrifice for the persons we love. A wife faithfully taking care of his aging and sickly husband. Parents giving all their effort, time and money so their children may get the best education and life. A woman abandoning her promising career, entering religious life and serving the poor and homeless. Sacrifice entails pain, it gives away the best of us, our time, life and future, and yet, all sacrifice might not be fully appreciated. But, we continue to sacrifice because we know that is for the best of our loved ones. If we are empowered to give ourselves as a sacrifice, we have become the little lambs of God. We sacrifice ourselves because Jesus has sacrificed Himself for us and made our own sacrifices meaningful and fruitful.

Every time, we participate in the Eucharist, we remember someone has loved us so much and sacrificed Himself for us, and we still receive the fruits up to this day. Now, we are also called to be the little lambs of God for others.

 Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Star

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The Epiphany of the Lord. January 8, 2017 [Matthew 2:1-12]

 “We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage (Mat 2:2).”

three-kings-epiphany

Today we are celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord. The word Epiphany comes from the Greek word ‘epiphananie’, meaning ‘appearance’.  Therefore, today is also known as the feast of the manifestation of the Lord. This celebration is considered to be one of the oldest and most important because the Baby God invited not only the Jews but also the Gentiles, represented by the Magi, to visit and finally worship Him. In His earliest appearance, Jesus brought light to all the nations.

One little question may linger: why did the Magi from the East follow the star? Their journey was based on an ancient belief that the birth of a great king was signified by the appearance of a new star in the sky. Yet, we are never sure what ‘star’ the Magi actually saw. Was it a comet, a supernova, an unusual constellation, a planet, or a supernatural light? One thing we are sure of, this star possessed the greatest importance, that Gaspar, Balthazar, and Melchior abandoned the comfort of their homeland, traveled thousand miles westward and faced all the dangers and uncertainties.

 Now if we look at the night sky, we may observe hundreds and hundreds of stars. Then, we may ask what makes this star of Jesus different from the rest of the lights? These Magi were expert in astronomy or studies of celestial bodies, and they were able to distinguish the star as the one that would bring them to the newborn King. This star does not simply shine just like the rest, but it also illuminates and guides. Like the seasoned fishermen, before the discovery of GPS, they would depend their lives on the light of the stars, and among billion stars on the clear sky, they recognize that only a few truly point them the true directions.

We are all called to be a star. But the temptation is that we simply shine and attract others to ourselves. We fail to recognize that the light that God has given us is to illuminate and guide others to Jesus. When St. Thomas Aquinas was asked what makes his Order more prominent than other congregations, he answered that just like it is better to illuminate than to shine, so it is better to share one’s fruits of contemplate than just merely to contemplate. Of course, the Benedictines will disagree! One of the major features in the image of St. Dominic is the star at his forehead. Certainly, this is a symbol of guidance and direction for anyone who seeks God. No wonder if St. Dominic is less famous than other Dominican saints like St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Catherine of Siena or St. Martin de Porres, it is because until the end of his life, like a guiding star, his life always pointed to God.

To have the light is not enough. We may become stars that merely shine brightly. We turn to be a campus star, company star, parish star or even star preacher. Certainly, to receive a lot of attention from many people gives pleasure and sense of fulfillment, but that is not the true purpose of our light. Epiphany is the appearance of the Lord, but who among us have tried to cover Him with our dazzling lights? How many people have we led to Jesus? Yet, it is not too late. Epiphany is a time for us to realign with the real objective of our light: not to merely shine, but to illuminate.

 Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Real New Year

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Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. January 1, 2017 [Luke 2:16-21]

“And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart (Luk 2:19).”

mary-mother-of-godToday, the world is celebrating its new beginning. Many of us are going to the parties, watching fireworks, and dancing and singing. Surely, nothing is wrong with those. Yet, today, the Church decides to go against the tide and celebrates something else, or someone else: Mary the Mother of God. To make it worse, today is a holiday of obligation, meaning we need to go to the mass whether we like or not.  I remember attending the Eucharistic mass on January 1 in my own parish, and the priest never dropped a single greetings of a Happy New Year to the congregation. What a kill-joy!

We may ask, “Why do we still need to celebrate this solemnity at the beginning of the year?”  Firstly, it is just fitting to remember Mary as the mother of Jesus within the context of Christmas. Thus, exactly a week after the birth of Christ, we honor the woman who has offered her womb, her body and her whole life to God. Secondly, we are reminded that the true beginning is not only something marked in our calendar, or with outward celebrations. The real beginning takes place inside minds and hearts. Like in the process of pregnancy and birthing, initially, the change is not obvious. It happens inside the silent womb, and it takes some time before the embryo grows bigger and makes its presence felt. The process is difficult, hard to understand, and oftentimes painful. Yet, within that womb is a life that carries with it a future, unpredicted, yet exciting and hopeful.

When the Angel Gabriel announced the News to Mary, she was troubled and confused. But, she was certain that her life was in great danger. Unlike some modern societies wherein unmarried women who get pregnant are just normal, the ancient Jewish community was ready to punish such women. Mary was with a child practically outside of marriage, and she had to bear with all the consequences, There could be a great shame to her family, her future husband, Joseph, and herself. The baby might be called a bastard son for his entire life. And finally, she with her baby could be stoned to death. Yet, her faith in God was greater than her fear. She courageously carried in her womb, the little baby that would be the future of the world.

Ten years ago, in 2006, the Dominican mission in Indonesia began in utter simplicity. We were only two Indonesian priests, Frs. Adrian and Robini, and a Filipino counterpart, Fr. Terry and a lay missionary, Ms. Jemely. We had practically nothing. No institution, no house, no money. We even stayed at a little and simple quarter inside a Diocesan seminary in Borneo. We had to work hard just to support our daily lives and we relied on the generosity of many people. Nobody among us was sure what future will bring, but we had faith in God. Now, after 10 years, we have grown significantly. We have two stable houses in Pontianak and Surabaya. Now we are ministering to the multitude of people through various apostolates. Of course, young and talented people come and join our way of life.

Mary teaches us to have faith in God because for Him, nothing is impossible. The future may be uncertain, frightening and dark, but ‘… the One who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6).’ This is the spirit of the true New Year, the soul of real change, the faith that animates us to move forward.

Bro. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Christmas: Not Caesar, but Jesus

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Christmas Eve. December 24, 2016. Luke 2:1-14

“She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luk 2:7)”

christmas-1The story of Nativity of Jesus Christ began with a great person in ancient time. He was Caesar Augustus. He was considered to be one of the greatest Roman Emperors because during his reign, he was able to establish peace and prosperity within his territory. The people adored him and worshiped him as the Savior and the Son of God. He was the hero of the ancient world, but fortunately, he was not the hero of Christmas.

From the great Roman world, we are brought to the small village Bethlehem. Here in this almost insignificant place, we meet the simple and poor couple from another small town, Nazareth in Galilee. They are Joseph, the righteous carpenter, and his expecting young wife, Mary. But, there is no room in the inn, perhaps because the inn is full of people, or because people do not want to receive the poor couple who might not be able to pay the rent. Consequently, Mary has to give birth at the place of animals and simply places her firstborn baby on the manger. This is the story of a lowly couple at the most wretched place on earth. Yet, this is actually our story of real Christmas.

Our salvation is not found in the strongest fortified palace, neither on riches nor prosperity. Our happiness lies in the most unlikely place: at the poor manger in the smallest town of Bethlehem. Our salvation comes not from the greatest emperor with his achievements and honor, but from a meek and defenseless baby. And this is the Good News of the first Christmas.

It is a good news for us because we can be truly happy even without all the new clothes, new gadgets, and all gifts coming from the Malls or shopping centers. It is a good news for us because we can be hopeful even if we are still struggling with so many problems in life, financial difficulties, health issues, relationship meltdowns, and more. God chooses to be born into the families torn by separations. Jesus is born inside war-torn places like in Aleppo in Syria and Mosul in Iraq. Christ is born in poor shanties, amidst the people who never taste an even decent Christmas Eve’s meal.

When Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, former Master of the Order of Preachers, once visited the Dominican sisters in northern Rwanda. It was just after the civil war, generally between the Hutus and Tutsis. The place was frightening and anytime armed groups might ambush them. The sisters’ convent was also marked with bullets holes, sign of battle and skirmish. Inside the convent were the sisters, both the Hutus and Tutsis, and many have lost their family members during the war. Fr. Timothy was there on Christmas Eve, and despite the pain and fear, the entire community decided to celebrate the Eucharist and the birth of Christ together.  In tears yet in joy, the baby was born among them and baby Jesus becomes the sign of hope for a better future.

Christmas shakes our belief in many Caesar we hold dearly, Caesar of wealth, Caesar of power, Caesar of fame. In Christmas, we are reminded that God became man and embraced all our limitations, our sorrow, and pains, and points to a future hope for all of us.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

What Jesus Learned from Joseph?

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4th Sunday of Advent. December 18, 2016. Matthew 1:18-24

“Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. (Mat 1:19)”

 jesus-n-joseph-2If there is one important person in the life of Jesus, but gets very little attention, this person is no other than Joseph, Jesus’ foster father. He was absent in the Gospel of Mark. In John, he was mentioned only by name. In Luke, his presence was felt, but he was overshadowed by Mary and her unique mission. Only in Matthew, Joseph had a more active role in the beginning of Jesus’ life. Yet, again, he remained a voiceless character, and simply disappeared as Jesus began his mission. Still, Joseph had significantly influenced the life of Jesus.

One of the recognizable influences was that Jesus inherited the profession of Joseph. His father was a carpenter, then Jesus was also called as the carpenter (see Mark 6:3). However, the influence of Joseph is not limited in terms of profession. There was something more. In today’s Gospel, Joseph was called as the ‘righteous man’. In Jewish society, the title ‘righteous man’ means a respectable man who faithfully follows the Law of God or Torah. He was not only well educated in the Law, but Joseph also cherished the Law dearly. Now, if we put ourselves in the shoes of Joseph when he received the news of Mary’s pregnancy, what was probably Joseph’s feeling? As an ordinary man, he must be deeply hurt, felt betrayed, by his soon-to-be wife. As a respectable person in town, he had to endure shame.

As a person who was well versed in the Law, he knew Mary had committed adultery and this sin deserved death (see Lev 20:10). Consumed by his pain and anger, Joseph could have made a public accusation and thrown the first stone on Mary. He had all the right to stone Mary and satisfy his vengeance. But, Joseph chose a different path. Instead using the Law for retaliation, Joseph decided to use the Law to save the life of Mary, and consequently, the life of Jesus. His decision is even more significant because he opted to save Mary even before the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and explained the cause of pregnancy. Despite pain of betrayal and shame, he chose to apply the Law in merciful and loving manner. And this was what Joseph taught Jesus to do.

Jesus argued a lot with the Pharisees and the Scribes on the interpretation of the Law, and for Jesus, mercy and love need to take primacy over vengeance and hatred. Thus, Jesus healed people on Sabbath (see Mat 12:10), allowed His hungry disciples to pick the grain during Sabbath (see Mat 12:1) and spared the life of woman caught in adultery (see John 8:1-11). Finally, Jesus declared that the most important Law of all is the Law of love. Now, we can trace the hands of Joseph and his merciful way in dealing with the Law.

As we prepare ourselves for Christmas, it is good to reflect on Joseph and learn from him. Do we use and create laws and regulations in our society to simply to punish and even kill people, or to heal them? When we are wronged, what is our first reaction? Seeking vengeance or working for reconciliation? What is our understanding of justice? Retaliation or restoration of goodness? We pray that St. Joseph will lead us into just society based on mercy and love.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP