Tag: English

When Jesus Sees Us…

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31st Sunday in the Ordinary Time. October 30, 2016 [Luke 19:1-10]

“Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” (Luk 19:5)

zacchaeus

A true encounter with Jesus brings real and joyful transformation in Zacchaeus. In our Gospel today, we read that Zacchaeus had no intention to invite Jesus to stay at his house, let alone to reform his life. After performing a lot of miracles and down-to-earth preaching, Jesus was like a rock-star, and everyone, including Zacchaeus, was excited to see Jesus. Yet, he was rather short in stature and the taller guys prevented him to get a glimpse of Jesus. Zaccheus was persistent and he decided to climb the sycamore tree.

Yet, when Jesus saw him, He called his name and wanted to stay at his house. Zacchaeus was overwhelmed. He was deeply touched by that unexpected yet meaningful gesture and this brought transformation in Zacchaeus. One of the splendid signs of his conversion was that his generosity took the better side of him. From taking advantage of the poor, he returned back to them abundantly what he has taken. More importantly, he generously gave himself to Jesus as he welcomed Him at his house and life.

However, the transformation did not only take place in Zacchaeus. It also happened in Jesus. He was in his journey to Jerusalem, to face His final hours on earth. Jericho was a major town that was not far from Jerusalem, and thus, travelers and pilgrims to Jerusalem would make a short stop in Jericho. Looking closely at the text, we discover that the original intention of Jesus was to pass through Jericho. He did not plan to stay in Jericho, but when He saw Zacchaeus, He changed His itinerary. What made Jesus change his plan?

Being a tax collector, Zacchaeus was a public sinner. Being tax collector, he was exposed to malpractices and corruptions, and he was also considered a collaborator of the Roman Empire, the enemy of Jews. Not only an ordinary tax collector, he was the chief, and certainly all eyes in Jericho gazed upon him with disdain. His short stature might not only mean a biological limitation, but also symbolized his status in society. But, Jesus was able to see into the depth of Zacchaeus’ soul and find his true identity, the son of Abraham.  Despite sins and weaknesses, Jesus was able to see that beautiful image of God in Zacchaeus.

Jesus’ transformation even went beyond any expectation. He also wanted to dwell in Zaccheus’ place. In Jewish society and even in many other, a righteous Jew would avoid contact with sinners, fearing that he would become impure. But, Jesus defied the practice, and wanted to share the same meal from the same table under the same roof with Zacchaeus.  By entering his house and eating together with him, Jesus showed everyone that He had mercy, and wanted to be part of the life of Zacchaeus. Only when Jesus expressed His mercy and care to him, did Zacchaeus begun his own transformation.

Encounter with Jesus changes us, but this encounter with us changes Jesus first. Our God is not a passive God who sits at his throne waiting for people to come and worship Him. He takes the initiative and embraces us first in a way that we never expected. When He sees us, He discovers His image, that image that was in us ever since the creation of the world. Despite we being buried in sins and weaknesses, Jesus never loses sight of this beauty. And just like Bruno Mars, Jesus simply says, “You are so amazing, just the way you are.”  Now, it is up to us to either shun His invitation or welcome Him in our home and let His presence transform us.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Our Prayer, True Prayer?

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 30th Sunday in the Ordinary Time. October 23, 2016 [Luke 18:9-14]

 The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you…” (Luk 18:11)

pharisee-n-taxcollectorLast Sunday, Jesus reminded us to pray without getting weary. But, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that there is something more than perseverance in prayer. It has something to do with the way we pray. Not only quantity of prayer, but also the quality of prayer. Yet, how do we know that we have a quality prayer?

Once I stumbled upon a Facebook post, and it said, “Pray not because you need something, but because you got a lot to thank God for.” True enough, everything I have is God’s gift. I am nothing without Him, and it is fitting to thank Him. In fact, the highest form of worship in the Church is the Eucharist. The word Eucharist simply means thanksgiving. I liked the post right away. However, when I read the parable in today’s Gospel, I realized that even the Pharisee did a thanksgiving prayer. In fact, in original Greek, when the Pharisee thanked God, he used the word ‘eucharisto’, the root word of the Eucharist. On the other hand, the tax collector was justified because he was asking mercy and forgiveness. Does it mean prayer of supplication and begging for mercy is better and more effective than the prayer of thanksgiving and other kinds of prayer?

Yet, if we read closely, there are some interesting details in the Parable. The first is that the Pharisee expressed his self-righteousness, paraded his good works, and felt better from the rest of humanity, especially the tax collector. Meanwhile the tax collector did nothing but humble himself, acknowledging that he was a sinner and in need of God’s mercy. Thus, prayer needs a right disposition. Humility is the foundation of prayer. Indeed, repentant David himself said, “My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart. (Psa 51:17)”

 The second detail that we often miss is that the Pharisee was actually praying to himself, not to God (see closely verse 11). True that he mentioned God, but he was talking to himself. He offered prayer to himself not to God. If then prayer is our communication with God, the Pharisee nullified the very meaning of prayer. Perhaps, by mentioning God, he wanted God to be his audience and to listen to the litany of his successes, not really to build a relationship. Certainly, it felt good and edifying, but this was not prayer. What the Pharisee did was not a prayer at all, but a self-praise and self-service.

We may hear the Holy Eucharist every day, recite the Liturgy of the Hours faithfully, and pray the rosary. We may also join the Charismatic prayer meetings or the praise and worship. We may also attend the Latin Traditional Mass, or just simply spend silent prayer or meditation. Yet, from the parable, we may ask ourselves, whether our prayers are a true prayer? Do we pray because we feel great about it? Do we pray because we are proud of our achievements? Do we pray because we are more pious than others? Does our pray make us closer to God or just to ourselves? Is humility the foundation of our prayer? Our prayer should be a quantity and quality prayer. We pray with perseverance and proper disposition. But more than these, our prayer should be a true prayer.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

My Nagging God

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29th Sunday in the Ordinary Time. October 16, 2016 [Luke 18:1-8]

 “…This widow keeps bothering me… (Luk 18:5)”

persistent-widow-2Getting tired and bored is unwanted yet unavoidable part of our lives. After doing things for a certain period of time, we get exhausted. Even if we are doing something we love, we are also bound to feel weary. Indeed, a man marries the woman he loves, but after sometime, encountering disappointments and problems, he begins to think whether he made the right decision. A woman loves dearly her teenage girl, but after sometime, her girl gets involved in substance abuse and runs away with his friends. She spends all her money and energy to win her daughter back yet to no avail, and she simply gets tired. As a religious brother, I love my vocation, but after years of waking up early, attending Mass and prayers, and plunging myself in rigorous study, I get bored.

In these times that we feel weak and weary, the temptation will set in and lure us to abandon our commitments. We are even emboldened to do crazy things and sin. We become like the judge in today’s Gospel, who “neither fear God nor respect human being’. We begin doing unthinkable things. We hurt people we love. We cause sufferings and misery to other people and ourselves.

However, we are so blessed that we have God who is like the nagging widow in the Gospel. He is knocking at our hearts day and night so that we may render justice to Him and our neighbors. Tirelessly He reminds us to be faithful to our commitments, repeatedly encourages us to persevere in doing good, and ceaselessly calls us back everytime we falter.

His unceasing care and ‘disturbance’ are manifested in subtle yet manifold ways. He places in us His subtle grace and joy in our daily prayer, despite boredom and sleepiness. He gives us family and friends who remain supportive to us in time of trials. He provides us with little blessings that we tend to ignore. One sustaining factor in my vocation, I believe, is that the Lord gives me a community. Indeed, sometimes living in a community is troublesome, but it provides also a structure and living ecosystem to support my Dominican religious life. My brothers will knock my door reminding me not to be late in prayer, encourage and evaluate my preaching, and in fact, correct me if I commit mistake. My community is my nagging God.

We may be tired of many things, exhausted in keeping our demanding commitments as spouses or parents, and bored of doing again and again our obligations as students or ministry as priests or religious. Yet, we remember we have our nagging God who persistently loves us and does not give up on us, even if we have already given up on ourselves. What we need to do is just open our eyes, ears and hearts to His subtle yet constant actions in us.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Rosary and Us

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October 7, 2016 – Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary

rosary-1October is the month of the rosary. Allow me to reflect on this ancient yet ever new form of prayer. Why October? It all started when Pope Pius V, a Dominican, dedicated October 7 as the feast of Mary Our Lady of the Rosary after the battle of Lepanto. In this naval battle of October 7, 1571, the smaller Christian army fought the much larger and powerful Ottoman Turks’ forces that planned to invade Europe at the Gulf of Lepanto in Greece. While the battle was being waged, the Holy Pontiff and all Christians prayed the rosary asking the intercession of Our Lady. After hours of confrontation, the enemy’s fleet was roundly defeated.

However, the devotion to the rosary itself began even much earlier. In fact, the prayer was a product of a long evolution. The devotion actually began as a lay spiritual movement. In the early middle ages, the monks and nuns in the monasteries recited 150 Psalms of the Old Testament as part of their daily prayer. The practice was ideal to sanctify the entire day as the recitation of the Psalms was distributed during the important hours of the day (thus, Liturgy of the Hours). Yet, this was not for the lay people. They had no copy of the Bible, least the ability to read it. Thus, the lay people who desired to make their day holy, started to recite 150 ‘Our Father’. To keep track of the prayer, they also made use of a long cord with knots on it. After some time, they prayed 50 Our Father at three different times of the day.

In the 12th century, the Angelic salutation formula “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb” became part of this 150 ‘Our Father’ prayer. Shortly after this, the meditation on mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary began to be incorporated into this devotion. Gradually, it evolved into 150 ‘Hail Mary’. St. Dominic de Guzman and his Order of Preachers received special mandate from the Virgin herself to promote this ‘Psalter of Mary’. In the 15th century, that devotion acquired the name Rosarium (rose garden). In 1569, the same Pope Pius V issued the papal decree ‘Consueverunt Romani Pontifices’ that regulated and standardized the praying of the Rosary, taking into account its long history and its Dominican tradition. He also affirmed the efficaciousness of the rosary as one of the many means to obtain graces and indulgence. The praying of the rosary continues to evolve even to this day. The latest major innovation was from Saint John Paul II who added five mysteries of Light.

October then turns to be a fitting time to intensify our praying of the rosary and to remember the role of Mary and her rosary in the life of the Church and our lives. I guess more importantly we remember that rosary was born from the desire of lay people to be holy. The rosary came from the simple hands of ordinary people who recited the Our Father and Hail Mary and meditated on the mysteries of salvation. We pray the rosary because it is a devotion that comes from the hearts of the laity. When we pray the rosary, we pray together with Mary who is a lay woman. When we pray the rosary, because we, just like countless people, desire to be closer to God in a simplest and humblest way.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed

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27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. October 2, 2016 [Luke 17:5-10]

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you (Luk 15:6).”

mustard-seedReading through today’s Gospel, it seems to have faith is to perform some sort of magical power. If I have faith, I can create rice field on the seabed. If I have faith, I can made a Lamborghini car out of pile of garbage. If I have faith, I can transform my voice like Ed Sheeran. But, faith is not like that. It is not a magical show to entertain us. It is neither an instant answer to our wishes. Yet, it remains true that even the smallest of faith can make the difference.

Jesus spoke of faith as like the size of a mustard seed, that symbolizes our little faith. Yet even, this little faith can make a significant difference in our life, even to do the impossible. True, our lives practically do not change. We are still struggling with financial difficulties. We still need to deal with demanding bosses or terror professors. We are facing horrendous traffic everyday especially in big cities like Manila and Jakarta. We are battling various sickness plaguing our bodies and not knowing how to pay the medical bills. Yes, our lives do not change, yet at the same time, our little faith will make our lives never the same again. How is this possible?

With faith, we are empowered to believe in the unseen God. If we are able to see the unseen God, then we are also able to discover His unseen love and mercy working in our lives. God is not asleep and does not let us struggle alone with myriads of problems and stresses. We remember Peter, the man of little faith, who attempted to walk on the waters, but failed and began to sink. In his little faith, he saw Jesus holding his hand and thus saving him. Like Peter, we are falling into the ocean of difficulties, but we do not drown, because through our little faith, we see Jesus holding our hands.

We learn from many saints. Their faith does not make their lives any better. Many, like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Martin de Porres, remained poor through their lives like. Many still dealt with a lot of problems. Mother Teresa struggled to sustain her charity works and her young Congregation. St. Bernadette Soubirous endured severe pain due to tuberculosis of the bone. Martyrs were cruelly tortured and executed for this faith. But, this little faith have made them more generous, more persevering,  even more joyful in the midst of trials. As St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the Filipino proto-martyr, proclaimed when he was about to be executed, “I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly do accept death for God; had I a thousand lives, all these to Him shall I offer.” Faith does not take away our suffering, but it empowers us to see God. This is enough to change us.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Lazarus and Us

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26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. September 25, 2016 [Luke 16:19-31]

“Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table (Luk 16:20-21).”

richman-n-lazarusWhen Abraham said to the tormented rich man, “My child, you have received what was good during your life,” does it mean I will be thrown to the netherworld as well? I admit I have received so many good things in my life. I enjoy three good meals a day. I am studying in one of the best schools in the country. I do not have to worry about the security and future of my life. Many of us are enjoying the good things in this world, and we may ask ourselves, “are we going to have the same fate with this rich man in the parable?”

Reading closely on the Gospel, the rich man was sent to the netherworld not because of the good things he received in life. In fact, it would be unfair for him and for us. Many of us are working diligently and we deserve to enjoy our lives after all the backbreaking jobs. He was there because he did not care for Lazarus, his poor brother. If we pay attention to the proximity between the rich man and Lazarus, there is something unusual. Initially, Lazarus was outside the door, but then when he ate the food scraps that fell from the rich man’s table, he was actually inside the house. In fact, Lazarus was under the table of the rich guy. With this extreme closeness the rich man acted as if Lazarus did not exist. What sent him to the netherworld is not because of the good things he received, but his gross neglect and grave ignorance of his own poor brother.

We may have the same fate as the rich man if we do not care for our poor brothers and sisters around us. In fact, our ignorance may be the cause of their poverty and misery. Sometimes, we just feel good after donating some coins to the beggars, but is that enough? Indeed, we cannot do much to help the thousands of refugees in war-torn Syria, but do we do something for those who are close to us? Are we too busy working and earning, so much so that we forget to share? Do we close our eyes to our relatives who are struggling with their children’s education? Do we shield ourselves from the social issues in our society, like the increasing number of poor people being killed simply because they are thought to be small-time drug addicts?

We give thanks to God for the blessings and good things we receive in this life. Yet, we should remember also our brothers and sisters who are just outside our doors, those who are just under our table, waiting for our food scraps.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Becoming Whole

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25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. September 18, 2016 [Luke 16:1-13]

“Make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings (Luk 16:9).”

unjust-steward1We were created in the image of God. Thus, our true happiness is only in God. As St. Augustine would say, “You have created us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” St. Teresa of the Avilla would echo the same truth when she simply said, “God alone suffices.” But, we were also born into the real human body within a complex and concrete world. As we journey toward God, we cannot totally separate our soul from the various mundane concerns. Even the monks and nuns living in monasteries will still work hard to fulfill their daily and basic needs.

Our humanity and temporal aspects of our life are integral part of who we are. They are blessing and gift of God. We must not be enslaved by money, wealth and other material possessions. Certainly, easier said than done. Who among us are concerned with the latest version of our cellular phone? Who among us spending hours just to choose most fashionable dress? In a bigger scale, corruption, injustice and exploitation are the offshoots of this attachment to this temporal aspect of our lives. Thus, the proper and prudent thing to do is to place the gift of our body and temporal dimension of our life in the service of God and others. I do believe that in order to preach well, it is imperative for the preachers to take care of their health. As an ancient Latin proverbs goes, ‘Mens sana in corpore sano’ (healthy mind in healthy body).

Learning from the parable of the dishonest steward, Jesus taught us to be like the steward in dealing with worldly things. In ancient Israel, for a master entrusting the business to his steward was a common practice. Some stewards would manipulate their position and raise wealth by practice of usury. They charged the borrowers of his masters’ property with high interest. Unfortunately, the steward was caught with this usurious practice as well as squandering his master’s wealth. To save his life, he chose to be smart. He met the debtors and to ask them to rewrite the debt’s notes. He decided to erase the interest that would go to him and let them pay the original amount. The borrowers would be indebted to him, and he might save himself. Like the steward, we need to know what truly matters for our happiness and salvation, as well as well aware of the place of worldly goods in the totality of our lives.

Jesus becomes a splendid example for all us. He is divine and spiritual being. He controlled the forces of nature, He overpowered the evil spirits, and He forgave sins. Though, He was divine, He did not disregard his humanity as useless. He, in fact, was humanly practical and respectful of His own Jewish culture. He observed Jewish traditions and customs, He worshipped God in the synagogues and He taught using the language that His original listeners would understand. Thus, He is truly God and truly man.  Indeed, our salvation rest in this balance and unity of this spiritual and bodily aspects of our humanity.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

One Shepherd

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24th Sunday in Ordinary Time. September 11, 2016 [Luke 15:1-10]

“Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep (Luk 15:6).”

parable-lost-sheep-good-shepherdThe parable of the lost sheep subtly speaks of who we are fundamentally to Jesus. We are all His sheep and He is our shepherd. Whether we faithfully remain inside the sheepfold or go astray, we are still His sheep.

From this truth, we may ask ourselves. Why is it that some of us are going astray? Why are some of us no longer going to the Church or not active in the parish? Why are some abandoning the Church? Why do some turn to be our enemies and haters? We might be easily tempted to say that that is their fault. But, we are sheep of the same flock, sharers of the same pasture and have the same Shepherd. In one way or another, we might be responsible for our brothers and sisters who stray.

It is easy to pass the blame on others, but do we ever bother to ask why they fail? We tend to see them as problems to be solved, objects to dissect into logical parts. We no longer see them as our brothers and sisters, our co-sheep in Jesus’ sheepfold. Our brothers are no longer going to Church perhaps because we no longer care to help them. Our sisters are leaving the Church perhaps because we are living like hypocrites.

 The war on drugs in the Philippines has caused more than two thousand lives in just two months. As one national news outlet remarks ‘the bodies continues pilling up’. Indeed, many of them are small-time drug-pushers and addicts, and if we look at them as mere problems and pests to the society, death seems the fastest and easy answer. But, if we have headache, do we cut the head? Do we ever wonder why they fall victims of that deadly narcotics? A Lion share of those who got killed were actually poor people. Do we ever lift a finger to alleviate their poverty? Our ignorance and negligence may have indirectly led them into poverty and misery.

Fr. Gerard Timoner III, OP, our provincial, used to teach an idea of brothers shepherding brothers in the seminary. This means that the responsibility of taking care of our brothers in formation does not only rest only on the formators, but also on every brother. We need to become shepherds to one another, especially when the shepherds seem to stray away. Recently, he met us and shared what he gained from the Dominican General Chapter in Bologna last August. He emphasized that to promote vocation is not only about recruiting new members, but also nurturing and safeguarding the vocation of our own brothers in the Order.

To become a sheep of Christ means that we are also part of a bigger sheepfold. As Jesus takes care of each one of us, so we need to take care of one another. As the Good Shepherd reaches out to the lost sheep, we shall stretch ourselves to meet those who are lost in their journey. Surely, it is difficult, but they are still our brothers and sisters, fellow-sheep of Christ.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Jesus’ Disciples

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Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. September 4, 2016 [Luke 14:25-33]

“If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple (Luk 14:26).”

carry crossBeing a disciple is an essential character of Jesus’ followers. In our time, a disciple may mean a student of particular teachers or schools. Like Br. Bayu is a student of the University of Santo Tomas, Manila. In ancient time, especially in Eastern and Jewish tradition, being a disciple has a different understanding. A disciple would not only accept his master’s teachings, but literally follow his Master wherever he would go and stay. Disciples would not only learn on various insight, but also witness and imitate how their master lived his life. They shared their master’s meal, and they were part of their teachers’ joy and sadness. Thus, being a disciple is not only about an intellectual education, but also a holistic formation. It is fundamentally sharing the very life of the master himself.

Therefore, it makes sense for us now, when Jesus demanded that his disciples ‘hate’ their family as well as their own lives. To follow Jesus wherever he goes literally meant the disciples had to leave behind the family and the lives and works they used to have. ‘Hating’ did not mean that they should harbor enmity to their family, but rather place them as secondary priority. Jesus was their new family, their first priority and their real life.

Jesus Himself gave us a fitting imagery of discipleship: following Him is like carrying a cross.  To be a disciple of Christ is indeed difficult, tough; it demands a radical re-orientation of one’s life. Yet, the good news is that to be Jesus’ disciples is not impossible. A good number of young men and women, leaving behind their promising careers, enter the monastery and dedicate themselves for the Lord in constant prayer. Lay Men and women offer themselves as missionaries and are sent to far corners of the globe to share the joy of the Gospel. The evangelization of the Philippines were nearly impossible if not for zealous Spanish friars who travelled for months, risked their lives and many never returned to their homeland. These generous people literally left everything behind to follow Christ.

However, being Jesus’ disciple does not mean for many that they have to abandon our families. Following Christ may take place within the family. When a man and a woman decide to leave their families of origin, and build their own Christian family, then they have become the community of Christ’ disciples. When parents commit themselves to the demanding task of raising their children to be God-fearing and honest Christians, they are following Christ. More fundamentally, our discipleship manifests clearly in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, we become disciples who listen to His teachings and partake in His very life in the sacred host. Then, finally we are sent to preach what we have learned and lived in the Eucharist.

We continue to pray that we may become His true disciples and many will be also inspired to follow Him and share His life.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Connect

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22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. August 28, 2016 [Luke 14:1, 7-14]

“Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind (Luk 14:13)”

jesus diningIn the time of Jesus, Jews had their own special way of dining. Instead of sitting or standing the Jews would recline on a low table where food and wine are served. Reclining was the sign of free man in Greco-Roman culture. The slaves stood and served the guests. Aside reclining posture, their place in the dining table indicated their importance to the host. The closer they were to the host, the more significant they were to the host. Thus, persons sitting beside the host were expected to be the most important guests.

Jesus noticed that some guests wanted to occupy the place of importance in the dining table. Certainly, situating oneself in the place of honor, gave a sense of prestige, but more significantly, the closer they were to the host, the better connection they had with the host who was a leading and influential Pharisee in town.

From ancient times to present days, to connect oneself to the figure of authority and power will give us a better position to improve our lives or advance our cause. With good connection, an unemployed can get a good job. With connection, an employee can have his desired promotion. With connection, a student can enjoy the trust of his teachers. John Maxwell, an inspirational teacher, told us how he was able to win the heart of his wife Margaret, despite many other handsome suitors. He made a good connection with her mother! I guess one of the reasons why I have more preaching opportunities is that I am connected with good friends who also are active in the Church.

Jesus did not intend to erase this kind of connection. In fact, He himself is our connection to the Father (cf. 1 Tim 2:5). In today’s Gospel, what he desire was to re-orient our understanding of our connection. We must not use our connection just to advance our individual and selfish plans, but rather we employ it for the empowerment of others. Jesus invited the hosts to invite the poor in their meals. This was not only about feeding the hungry, but the rich hosts are to make connection with the poor. With connection, the possibility of enabling the less fortunate is opened.

I was fortunate to meet a Columban lay missionary from Korea. Leaving behind her promising career in the US, Ms. Anna volunteers to do ministry in the Philippines. She shared to me what she is doing to help the poor. She gathered the poor mothers living near her place and created a livelihood project. She taught them how to make a candle and sell them at the nearby parishes. Most of the mothers were high school dropouts and at the mercy of their husbands. But, with this project, some are able to continue their study, support their family and more importantly, they now have financial independence and no longer dependent on their husbands. Ms. Anna made connection with these mothers and this connection empowers them.

Jesus calls us to be a good host. This means we who are endowed with blessings will connect with those who are not so fortunate in their lives. Let our connection empower others more tham simply enriching ourselves.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP