Tag: god

The Joy of Christmas

On By bayuopIn Christmas, EnglishLeave a comment

The Nativity of our Lord (Christmas)

December 25, 2023

Luke 2:1-14

Merry Christmas!

The Lord is born, and there is a great joy in heaven and earth. However, what is the reason behind this joy of Christmas? There is joy not because we can gather with our family and relatives and have a good Christmas party. The joy is not because we have gifts and bonuses, nor because we travel and have our vacations. So, what is behind this joy?

Christmas is the day that our Savior is born. This birth is not just a natural biological process involving a man and a woman. This birth is a supernatural event that takes its root from God’s love for us, pitiful sinners. God had countless options to redeem us, yet He chose the most intimate way. God the Father sent His Son, and the Son took His second nature, that is, human nature in the Virgin Mary. In this way, God becomes intimately close to us, thus, His title, Immanuel, God-with-us. He is with us not only in spiritual or mystical manners but in the most humanly possible. He is a baby Mary could feed, Joseph could embrace, and shepherds could see.

However, Christmas is the cause of rejoicing not only in a theological sense but also because it is a strong reminder for all of us. We are living in a changing culture and mindset. Many couples no longer want to have children. Indeed, there are some valid reasons, such as economic hardship that makes it impossible to raise children or certain medical conditions that can be dangerous for the mothers. Yet, many also consider having children a burden, and thus, want only to have the fun things in marriage but get away with the difficult parts, including raising children.

However, Christmas reminds us that while it is true that having children carries its own hardship, it also brings joy. It is true that after receiving Jesus, Mary and Joseph did not get a better life; in fact, they had to endure more suffering. Yet, Mary and Joseph celebrated the birth of the Son of God. We must not forget that the countless angelic community sang glory to the Lord in heaven, and on earth, the shepherds rushed to joyfully greet Mary and Joseph [see Luk 2].

Getting pregnant is indeed a painful and laborious process, and educating our children can often be economically and emotionally challenging. Yet, God also provides abundant joy for parents. There is immense and indescribable joy when the mother sees her newborn baby for the first time. When the parents lovingly interact with their babies, the bodies intensely produce ‘positive’ hormones like oxytocin and dopamine. A friend who recently had a baby recounted her joy every time she noticed simple yet significant growth in her baby. There is joy when the baby begins to pronounce words clearly. There is joy when the baby starts recognising and distinguishing her parents’ faces from others.

Christmas teaches us that there is great joy in heaven when a baby is conceived and born because this baby is a potential citizen of heaven. Now, it is our joy to bring our children entrusted to us to God and share the fullness of life with Him.

Rome

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks

On By bayuopIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Gaudete Sunday. 3rd Sunday of Advent [B]

December 17, 2023

John 1:6-8, 19-28

In this Gaudete Sunday, St Paul teaches, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. [1 The 5:16].” St. Paul gives us three fundamental characteristics of Christians: to rejoice always, pray ceaselessly, and give thanks in all things. St. Paul reminds us that these characters are not an option but God’s will for us. Yet, how can we be joyful amid suffering? How can we pray when we are occupied with our duties and work? How can we give thanks in times of trial?

The key is that we cannot rely on our power but on God’s grace that empowers us to do these three impossible tasks. Through God’s grace, we are empowered to rejoice always, even amid difficult times. Rejoice [Greek ‘χαίρω’ – chairo] is neither simply a fleeting emotion nor happiness that comes from externally induced substance. To rejoice is an action we choose to do. This action flows from the realization that God is in control of every event of our lives. Even in the most painful moments, God allows those to occur because He has a good purpose for us. Indeed, God does not tell us in advance His plans, making it complicated. Yet, the Holy Spirit comes and bestows us faith and hope in Him and His providence.

God’s grace also enables us to thank the Lord every moment. To be grateful and to rejoice are, in fact, closely connected, just like two sides of the same coin. We can give thanks in all circumstances because the Holy Spirit helps us to see that everything we do and experience has a purpose. And, when everything we do, we do for the love of God. This act became a blessing and a cause of joy. The word for give thanks in Greek is ‘εὐχαριστέω’ [eucharisteo], and it has the same root as the word Eucharist. Thus, every time we celebrate the Eucharist, we offer our sacrifice of Jesus Christ and our lives as thanksgiving to God.

Lastly, how do we pray without ceasing? To spend a little time for prayer every day is already difficult. Does it mean we have to resign from our jobs, abandon our responsibilities in the family, and enter seclusion to pray? Indeed, there are better things to do than this. To pray unceasingly can be done at least in two ways. Firstly, we pray as a community of believers, the Church, one body of Christ. Thus, when we cannot pray this time, other brothers and sisters in other places will pray for us and on our behalf. Since millions of Catholics pray worldwide, our prayers are unbroken and unstoppable.

Secondly, we rely on the Holy Spirit to pray for us. St. Paul himself told us, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words (Rom 8:26-27).” We ask the Holy Spirit to be present and sanctify every activity of our day, and before we rest, we offer our day to the Lord.

Rejoice always, pray ceaselessly, and give thanks in all things!

Rome

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Third Coming

On By bayuopIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

First Sunday of Advent [B]

December 3, 2023

Mark 13:33-37

We are entering the Advent season, and the new liturgical year of the Church has begun. Advent itself is from the Latin word ‘Adventus,’ and it literally means ‘the coming.’ In light of the Scriptures and Tradition, the Church teaches two arrivals of Christ. His first coming was in Bethlehem around two millennia ago, and the second coming of Jesus will be at the final judgment as the king of kings and the judge of all. This liturgical season reminds and prepares us for both comings of Jesus. However, there is another coming of Christ, also called the third coming of Christ. What does it mean? And, how does the third coming of Christ connect the other two comings?

Before we answer this question, we shall reflect more deeply on the relationship between the first and second coming of Christ because how Jesus came for the first time should give us precious lessons in preparing ourselves for His second coming. How did Jesus come for the first time? He was born of Mary, a humble virgin married to Joseph, a poor carpenter, and neither to the powerful family of Herod nor to the ruling dynasty of Caesar. He was born in the most unworthy place, a dirty cave in Bethlehem, and not in a royal palace or a first-class hospital. He was born as the weakest human being, a baby, and not coming down from the skies like a superhero. The first coming teaches us a precious lesson that Jesus is present in the humblest places, among the simple people, and at the most unexpected moments. As Jesus arrived in Bethlehem most unexpectedly, so also, He will come for the final moment in His second coming.

As many people failed to recognize the first arrival of the Messiah, we might also fail to be ready for this last judgment. Then, how shall we do to anticipate His coming down from the heavens? This truth leads us to “the third coming of Christ.” What is it? The third coming refers to Jesus’ coming and presence among us in our daily lives, albeit in the most unexpected ways. In the Advent season, we prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ by reflecting on His first coming and, thus, recognizing and welcoming ‘His third coming’ in our lives. The more we can discover Christ in His third coming, the more we are prepared for His final appearance.

Then, what are the manifestations of the third coming of Christ? The first and foremost is the holy Eucharist. Here, Jesus is truly and really present, yet we need great faith to perceive Him, who appears in the forms of bread and wine. He is also present in the words of the Holy Scriptures. The Church firmly believes that the Bible is the Word of God in the written form. By reading and meditating, we encounter Jesus, who speaks to us. St. Paul also teaches us that the Church is the body of Christ. Thus, encountering Christ cannot be done without encountering His body, the Church. However, it is also true that often, it is the most difficult to see Christ in the Church because some members of the Church are far from Christ-like. Yet, this has become an excellent opportunity to perform acts of charity and be Christ-like. Lastly, we encounter Christ in our unfortunate brothers and sisters, as Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me (Mat 25:40).”

Rome

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP