Tag: English

The Star

On By bayuopIn English, OthersLeave a comment

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

On By bayuopIn OthersLeave a comment

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

On By bayuopIn EnglishLeave a comment

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?

On By bayuopIn EnglishLeave a comment

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

Dialogue of Truth

On By bayuopIn BahasaLeave a comment

Sunday of Advent. December 11, 2016 [Matthew 11:2-11]

 “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another? (Mat 11:3)”

dialogue The truth is born out of a conversation. Genuine conversation is coming from our ability to listen. And listening to one another is not easy because it presupposes great humility. The turning point of St. Dominic de Guzman, the founder of the Order of Preachers, was inside the pub. He had an overnight conversation with the innkeeper, an Albigensian whose religion denied the goodness of creation. This long yet open dialogue did not only bring the innkeeper back to the Catholic faith, but also led Dominic to discover his mission in life. This encounter revealed the truth both for the innkeeper and Dominic.

Unfortunately, not everyone is trained to listen. Not everybody is humble enough to open their minds and heart to vast possibilities the truth offers. Not many have the endurance and perseverance to involve in long and tedious dialogue. We rather shut out ears and minds. We prefer to stay in our comfortable yet small world. Then, we are suspicious of those who are different from us. We even become violent towards those who initiate the conversation of truth with us.

Last week, we listened to John who preached the truth and invited people to conversion. Today, we discover that John was already in jail. He was imprisoned apparently because some people did not like to listen to what John said. These people did not want to be disturbed by the truth, and thus, they decided to silence John. I guess that situation is just not much different nowadays. Those who are able to listen and converse, simply come up with instant yet deadly solutions. Those who try to begin a dialogue of truth in social media immediately fall victims into online buzzing and bullying. In more serious situations, people involved in crimes and corruptions try to bribe, threaten or even kill those who begin to speak the truth. Pierre Claverie, OP, bishop of Oran in Algeria, dedicated his life in dialogue with his Muslim brothers and sisters, yet eventually he was murdered by the terrorists who hated his effort in building peace and harmony in Algeria.

In a dialogue of truth, we need to learn from John. In the prison, he was in doubt because Jesus was not behaving like the expected Messiah. Perhaps like other Jews, John also expected a Messiah who was a military and political leader, or perhaps he wanted a Messiah that dealt severely with sinners and outlaws. Jesus simply did not meet his standards. Yet, instead shutting down the possibilities and dealing with his own problems, he opened the conversation with Jesus through his disciples. Jesus graciously answered him by giving some concrete evident of His identity as the Messiah. Jesus also unlocked the new paradigm that helped John unearthed a more profound truth. The truth that set John free from his self-imprisonment.

The season of Advent invites us to this dialogue of truth. We are invited to be more listening to our family members even to the youngest member. We are challenged not to immediately condemn those people who have a different opinion with us but to find the truth in them. St. Thomas Aquinas always included the arguments of those who had opposing views because he believed that there were grains of truth in them as well as they sharpened his own position. It is time for us go out from our small and solitary world and to seek the vast and spacious truth. The Truth that liberates us.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

John and Our Longing for Truth

On By bayuopIn EnglishLeave a comment

 Second Sunday of Advent. December 4, 2016. Matthew 3:1-12

“In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

john-the-baptist-2Why did many people come to John the Baptist and listen to him? I believe that the Jewish people hungered for the truth. It might be an inconvenient and hurtful truth, but they longed to hear it.   They were tired of listening to their leaders, like the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who were not honest but were living in hypocrisy. They were exhausted by numerous religious obligations but did not find any inspiration and a good example from their leaders. John came and preached to them the truth with simplicity and integrity, and the Israelites knew that they had to hear him.

Despite the various advancements in our lives, our society is experiencing also the same hunger for truth. We spend years in schools and we learn a different kind of knowledge and various skills needed to survive the demands of our society, but we fail to discover the truth in our midst. After the presidential election in the US, many experts lamented how social media, especially the internet, has opened the floodgate of lies, hoaxes, and fake, perverted news. In Indonesia, especially Jakarta, the situation is not much different. The election of Jakarta’s governor as well as the case of a Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an out-going governor involved in blasphemy row, have thrown the nation into deeper fragmentations. In the Philippines, various issues from the war on drug that kills thousands, to former president Ferdinand Marcos’ burial, have divided the nation. Various groups have disseminated myriads of news and reports to support their cause and destroy other opposing groups. People have become more and more confused and distracted, not knowing what the truth is.

In this chaos of overloaded information, Hossein Derakhshan, a researcher from MIT, has predicted that our society will become deeply fragmented, driven by emotions, and radicalized by a lack of contact and challenge from the outside. In short, we will make our decisions based on feelings instead of truth. This will create even more confusion despite instant pleasures here and there. All these will lead eventually to despair and profound unhappiness. Yet, deep inside we long for the truth because we are created for truth and have an innate capacity to seek for the truth.

In the midst of this deluge of information, we are called to be John the Baptist, the preacher of truth. Yet, before we proclaim the truth and go against the tide of news, we have to be rooted in prayer and study. John was spending his time in the desert, and in this deserted place, he could train his mind and heart to discern the truth. Some days ago, I delivered a talk on the death penalty in the Bible. Some fundamentalist Bible interpreters can easily lift some verses and justify the capital punishment. This is an easy and instant answer, but it is simplistic. I need to spend hours in research and study just to understand the truth that in the Scriptures, God does not wish the death of sinners in the first place.

Advent becomes a proper time for us to follow the footsteps of St. John the Baptist. We are called to train ourselves to listen to the truth, and preach it with confidence.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Advent: Season of Finding God

On By bayuopIn EnglishLeave a comment

First Sunday of Advent. November 27, 2016. Matthew 24:37-44

“So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come (Mat 24:44).”

advent-deeperWe are entering the Season of Advent. This season marks the beginning of the new Church’s liturgical year as well as of the four Sundays preparation for Christmas. Advent is from the Latin word ‘Adventus’ meaning ‘arrival’, and thus, this season prepares us for the coming of Christ.

Our faith speaks of two Advents of Jesus. Historically, Jesus’ first coming was in the little town Bethlehem more than two millennia ago, as a little baby, meek and gentle. We fondly call this day as the first Christmas. Theologians  name this sacred moment in history as the Incarnation. This means the Second Person of the Trinity became flesh and dwelt among us (see John 1:14). on the other hand the Second Coming calls our attention to His final coming as the King and Judge of the living and dead. This Second Coming is integral to our belief system as it was explicitly written in both Apostles’ and Nicea-Constantinople’ Creeds.

In the first coming, nobody expected the Messiah would be born in an extremely simple condition and from the poor family of Joseph and Mary. In time of Jesus, Jews naturally expected a Messiah coming from the royal, influential and well-off families. Though we all believe in the Second Coming, nobody knows also when exactly it will knock on our door. There were a lot of self-proclaimed prophets announcing the end of the world, but none were proven true. As the first coming caught the Jews unprepared, so too the second coming will bring great surprise to all of us.

Thus, to avoid the false expectations as well as complacency, the Church invites us to celebrate the season of Advent. This season trains us to expect His Coming and to expect rightly. But, how does the Season of Advent really make us truly prepare? The answer lies on a third coming. St. Bernard of Clairvaux reminded us that there is also the third coming of Christ. This is taking place between the first and the second Advent of Jesus. Jesus is present in our daily lives and knocks in our hearts. If we possess the virtue to discover God in our daily lives, we will not be caught unguarded with His Final Coming.

The Season of Advent reminds us that the presence of God is actually real and manifold. We need to exert effort to open our eyes and heart. Firstly, His presence is the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist. Every time we partake of the Eucharist, we receive the Real Body of Christ in the form of the sacred host. Secondly, His presence is also manifested in the Sacred Scriptures as the Word of God. Saint Augustine reminds us not only to read and study the Bible but also pray with it, as he writes, “When you read the Bible, God speaks to you; when you pray, you speak to God.” Thirdly, we are also trained to seek His invisible presence around us. On the door of his room, our formator in the seminary placed a large inscription. It writes, “Train your mind to see the good in everything.” Yes, we cannot see God directly, but we can always unearth His good works around us. He is present when we choose to forgive rather than take revenge. He is just around when suddenly our children give us much-needed warm hugs. He is not far when a little-impoverished boy decides to share his small piece of bread for his sickly mother.

Be prepared and find God in your midst!

The Temple

On By bayuopIn English, Ordinary Time 2016Leave a comment

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time [November 13, 2016] Luke 21:5-19

 “All that you see here– the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down. (Luk 21:6)”

jesus-teaching-at-the-temple In many other ancient religions, temple was a sacred place. It is holy because their gods or goddesses chose to make their dwelling place and they may serve and worship their gods there. Thus, many cultic rituals in honor of their gods like animal sacrifices and prayers took place in the temples. The temple became the visible signs of the divine presence among the people. Zeus was felt alive in his temple in Mount Olympus, or the gods of Rome were present in the Pantheon.

The Israelites incorporated the mindset and they built their own temples for the God of Israel. Initially, they had several major temples like in Bethel (see Gen 35:1), Shiloh (see Jos 18:1), and Shechem (see Gen 12:6). Yet, when David and Solomon tried to consolidate tribes of Israel into one unified nation, the worship of Yahweh then was centralized at the temple of Jerusalem. Eventually, the Temple of Jerusalem became the only temple in land of Israel.

In the center of this temple, there was the most sacred ground called the Holy of Holiest. One day a year, only a high priest may enter this space and offer the sacrifice. Jesus himself called the Temple as His Father’s place. It is the house of the Lord and there, the tribes have come, the tribes of the LORD (Psa 122:4). In the time of Jesus, the Temple had been structurally enhanced and richly adorned by King Herod the Great. Not only the holiest site for the Jewish, but perhaps it was the most beautiful edifice in Jerusalem. Because of its beauty, importance and sacredness, people of Israel thought it was indestructible.

However, Jesus prophesied that this magnificent Temple would be destroyed. Jews who honored the Temple would be shocked and scandalized. To say bad against the Temple meant to say bad against the Lord who dwelt in it. No wonder Jesus was accused of blasphemy and indeed this was one of the accusations against Jesus during His persecution. Jesus was then crucified, and in 70 AD, forty years after Christ died, the Temple would follow the same fate. The Roman soldiers under Titus captured Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. Jesus’ prophesy turned to be a reality. What remains to the present day is the West Wall of the Temple, known also as the Wailing Wall.

Then we may ask ourselves: What is our Temple? What becomes the symbol of the presence and blessing of God in our lives? What part of our lives that we think so important and indestructible? Are these our achievements, success, wealth or status and title in life? Are these our families, friendships and even our religious practices?  Yet, all these things are not indestructible.

Indeed, the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed, but it did not mean God was lost also. True that sacred Temple was associated with the Most High, but temple was not God. When Jesus was murdered, the disciples thought it was the end, but they were wrong. It was rather the end of their false expectations and ideas of Jesus. Even God would allow the greatest symbol of our God in our lives to be destroyed, it does not mean our God is lost. It means that He calls us to reorient our lives not to ourselves but to Him, to come into a truer and deeper relationship with Him.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Our God: the God of the Living

On By bayuopIn English, Ordinary Time 2016Leave a comment

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. November 6, 2016 [Luke 20:27-38]

 “He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” (Luk 20:38)

resurrection-of-deadThe month of November is dedicated to honor all the saints in heaven as well as to pray for the souls in the purgatory. It begins with the celebration of All Saints’ Day on November 1 and the commemoration of the All Souls Day on November 2. We, the Dominicans, celebrate the all Dominican Saints on November 7 and pray for the souls of our Dominican family on November 8. This Church’s celebration traces its origin to Pope Boniface IV in the 7th century, yet its roots go deeper into Jesus Christ Himself.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus affirmed the truth of the resurrection of the dead. This truth presupposes that life is not ended in death but transformed. There is hope after this earthly sojourn. The probable context behind this verse is that of Jesus’ critique of the Sadducees’ unbelief as well as the pagan belief of the realm of the dead. During those times, ancient civilizations worshiped the gods of death more than other gods because they feared the power of death that could destroy life and bring human existence to nothing. The Greeks had Hades, the Romans worshiped Pluto and the Egyptians honored Osiris. Yet, Jesus revealed fundamentally a different truth: Our God is not God of the dead, but God of the living. He still gives us life despite our physical death. This means that we are not mere afterlife disposable garbage or useless souls wandering on earth. We are loved even if we are no longer here on earth. Thus when Jesus commanded us to love one another, this love is not only for our Christian fellows who are still alive, but also for our brothers and sisters who have gone ahead of us.

In ancient Roman tradition, the cemetery was located far away from the cities. These were called necropolis, literally the city of the dead, because the dead had nothing to do anymore with the living. Yet, early Christians opted to do their liturgy inside the catacomb, the underground cemetery. True, it was a hiding place from the Roman authority who persecuted the early Christians, but it was also reflected their faith that they were actually praying for and with the dead brothers and sisters. In many churches, the burial ground was within the same complex. Even in our place in Manila, the burial place of the departed Dominican brothers and priests is just beside our seminary. Their permanent rest place is just a few meters away from our temporary rest place! This proximity reminds us of the bond of brotherhood and love among us. We are reminded to pray for them and to imitate them who were faithful until death. We are reminded, too, that they also pray for us from heaven.

Following the teaching of Jesus, the Church believes that those who are no longer with us, are still part of the Church. Those in heaven are members of the Church triumphant; those in purgatory belong to the Church suffering, and we here on earth are part of the Church militant. Yet, all are one of the same Church, profess the same faith, and worship the same God. Since all are members of the body of Christ, we are united closely in Christ and His love. Thus, it is proper for us to manifest our love for our departed brothers and sister through our prayers and they help us in prayer and intercessions.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP