Tag: Gratitude

True Happiness and Where to Find It

On By bayuopIn Easter, EnglishLeave a comment

6th Sunday of Easter [B]
May 5, 2024
John 15:9-17

Happiness is a result of fulfilling our needs and desires. Since human beings have different needs, we also experience various kinds of happiness. We feel happy when we satisfy our hunger and complete our studies, but we also recognize that these are two distinct forms of happiness. Some types of happiness are emotionally intense but short-lived. Others do not give us thrills but are profound and lasting. Then, what kind of happiness do we need to set our eyes on?

To understand human needs, desires, and happiness, we need to understand who we are as a human person. We are beings with biological needs, and fulfilling these needs guarantees our survival. That is why things like good food, nice clothes and a proper house give us immediate pleasure. Part of our biological needs is the need to reproduce. Since this need relates to our basic survival as a species, nature has designed us to experience the most intense pleasure, but it also tends to be short-lived.

Yet, we are also beings with psychological needs. We look for emotional comfort, affirmation, and support. We do not only seek things to satisfy us but also other people who love us and to whom we express our emotions. The fulfilment of psychological needs yields more profound happiness and helps to counter various mental problems and disorders.

More than that, we are also beings with intellect and will. We also have a need to seek the truth and express our freedom and creativity. However, unlike other needs, this intellectual need requires us to spend a lot of effort and time, and often, it does not give us immediate, intense, emotionally charged pleasures. Yet, we know that though a good education is challenging and demands a lot of resources, its completion brings us profound satisfaction. Through education, we have grown, acquired skills and knowledge, and become better persons.

However, the Gospel teaches us that we are not only beings with biological, psychological, and intellectual needs. We are created not only for this earth. As the image of God, we are designed to go beyond this earthly life. The fathers of the Church speak of the human person as ‘capax Dei,’ that is ‘capable of God.’ Men and women are created for God. Then, how do we fulfil this spiritual need?

If we notice the dynamics between needs and happiness, we discover that the higher the needs, the more profound and lasting happiness we receive. Yet, the high-level needs require a higher level of effort. Consequently, to fulfil our need for God, we must be ready to give the most extraordinary effort, offering ourselves. More concretely, Jesus teaches us the way of true love, and the greatest love is to offer our lives to the persons we love. This is the paradox of true happiness. While other types of happiness are related to fulfilling needs for ourselves (we are the center), spiritual joy is moving away from ourselves. The more we are losing ourselves in love, the more we are open to God, the more we experience heavenly joy here on earth.

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Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Master’s Trust

On By bayuopIn English, Ordinary TimeLeave a comment

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 15, 2020

Matthew 25:14-30

The original meaning of talent is not God’s given ability, but a unit of weight and value, normally gold and silver. More importantly, talent is a huge amount of money. One talent is equal to around six thousand denarii. If one denarius is the wage of ordinary daily labor, one talent means six thousand days of works or approximately seventeen to twenty years of work.

To seek the value of this parable, we need to discover the surprising twists in the story. This time, I would like to invite you all to focus on the master of the servants. The master is giving a total of 8 talents to his three servants [literally slaves]. If we pause a moment, we begin to realize how fantastic amount of money they receive. The act of giving presupposes either two things: either the master is unimaginable rich that he does not care really about these talents, or he is utterly generous and trusting. I believe it is the second reason.

To entrust these talents entails grave risks. One possibility is that the servants may fail in their trading, and thus, the master may lose his money. Another chance is the servants may run away with talents, and therefore, the master may lose both his money and his servants. Yet, despite these nightmarish possibilities, the master is firm in his decision. He trusts his servants, and it pays off. Except for his lazy servant, the master earns double!

From this, we learn a precious lesson. The best way to expand our talent is by sharing it with others. The usual way to develop our talents is by practicing it often. However, this method does not bring us exponential growth. Yet, by sharing the talents, the possibility of growth is unimaginable. Yet again, the parable is not simply about talents, but the relationship between the master and the servants, on the trust and faith of the master and gratitude of the servants. Indeed, the ability to recognize the master’s trust produces gratitude, and gratitude propels the servants to do their best.

One probable reason that the servant becomes lazy is that he fails to recognize his master’s trust and focuses on the smallness of his talent. Ironically, one talent is still a huge amount of wealth! Thus, instead of gratitude, envy creeps in, and laziness prevails. We also notice that the servant is not losing the talent, but he still receives the punishment. Though the talent is not missing, the trust of the master has been lost. And when this trust’s lost, everything is lost.

Learning from this parable, we are called to have that ability to recognize God’s “trust” and love in us. Different talents we have are just a simple manifestation of this love. Slaves as we are, we do not deserve anything from God, but God has given us superabundantly. From this realization, only gratitude shall naturally flow. But, if we miss the point, we may fall into many other sins: envy, anger, slander, or simply laziness. Again, it is not about the talents we have, but the trust and love God has in us.

 

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

 

Di Balik Talenta

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Minggu ke-33 di Masa Biasa

15 November 2020

Matius 25: 14-30

Sejatinya talenta bukanlah bakat atau kemampuan yang diberikan Tuhan, tetapi sebuah unit bobot dan nilai, biasanya dari emas dan perak. Mudahnya, talenta adalah jumlah uang yang sangat besar. Satu talenta setara dengan sekitar enam ribu dinar. Jika satu dinar adalah upah kerja satu hari, satu talenta berarti enam ribu hari kerja atau sekitar tujuh belas hingga dua puluh tahun kerja.

Untuk mencari makna dari perumpamaan ini, kita perlu menemukan bagian dari cerita yang mengejutkan. Kali ini, saya ingin mengajak kita semua fokus pada tuan para hamba ini. Tuannya memberikan total 8 talenta kepada hamba-hambanya [secara harfiah adalah budak]. Jika kita berhenti sejenak, kita mulai menyadari betapa fantastisnya jumlah uang yang mereka terima. Tindakan memberi mengandaikan salah satu dari dua hal: entah sang tuan adalah orang yang sangat kaya sehingga dia tidak benar-benar peduli dengan talenta-talenta ini, atau dia sangat murah hati dan percaya kepada para hambanya. Saya percaya dia adalah orang yang murah hati dan percaya kepada hambanya.

Mempercayakan talenta ini memiliki risiko besar. Salah satu kemungkinannya adalah bahwa para hamba bisa gagal dalam usaha mereka dan dengan demikian, tuannya bisa kehilangan uangnya. Kemungkinan lain adalah para hamba bisa saja kabur dengan membawa talenta, dan dengan demikian, tuannya bisa kehilangan uang dan para hambanya. Namun, terlepas dari kemungkinan sangat buruk ini, sang tuan teguh dalam keputusannya. Dia mempercayai para hambanya, dan kepercayaannya berbuah. Kecuali untuk hambanya yang malas, sang tuan mendapat dua kali lipat!

Dari sini, kita mendapat pelajaran berharga. Cara terbaik untuk mengembangkan talenta kita adalah dengan membagikannya kepada orang lain. Cara yang biasa untuk mengembangkan talenta kita adalah dengan menggunakannya. Namun, metode ini tidak membawa kita pertumbuhan eksponensial. Namun, dengan berbagi talenta, kemungkinan untuk berkembang tidak terbayangkan. Lebih dari itu, perumpamaan ini bukan hanya tentang talenta, tetapi tentang hubungan antara tuan dan hambanya, tentang kepercayaan dan kasih sang tuan dan rasa syukur para hamba. Memang, kemampuan untuk melihat kepercayaan sang tuan akan menghasilkan rasa syukur, dan rasa syukur mendorong para hamba untuk melakukan yang terbaik.

Salah satu kemungkinan alasan hamba menjadi malas adalah karena dia gagal mengenali kepercayaan tuannya dan berfokus pada kecilnya talenta yang ia terima. Ironisnya, satu talenta masih merupakan kekayaan yang sangat besar! Jadi, alih-alih bersyukur, iri hati menghancurkan jiwanya dan kemalasanlah yang menang. Kita juga memperhatikan bahwa hamba ketiga tidak kehilangan talenta, tetapi dia masih menerima hukuman. Meskipun talentanya tidak hilang, kepercayaan tuannya telah hilang. Dan saat kepercayaan ini hilang, semuanya akan hilang.

Belajar dari perumpamaan ini, kita dipanggil untuk memiliki kemampuan untuk mengenali kepercayaan dan kasih Tuhan kepada kita. Berbagai talenta yang kita miliki hanyalah perwujudan sederhana dari kasih ini. Sebagai hamba kita, kita tidak pantas mendapatkan apa pun dari Tuhan, tetapi Tuhan telah memberi kita secara berlebihan. Dari kesadaran ini, hanya rasa syukur yang mengalir dengan sendirinya. Tetapi, jika kita tidak bisa melihat hal ini, kita mungkin jatuh ke dalam banyak dosa lain: iri hati, kemarahan, fitnah, atau sekadar kemalasan. Sekali lagi, ini bukan tentang talenta yang kita miliki, tetapi kepercayaan dan kemurahan yang Tuhan berikan kepada kita.

 

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

To Honor the King

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28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 11, 2020

Matthew 22:1-14

To understand the parable, we need to see the surprising elements that Jesus offers. Firstly, this is no ordinary wedding, but the royal wedding of the king’s son. Surely, people in the royal list are honored and privileged guests, but they refuse to come, decline the invitation twice and even mistreat the king’s servants. What they do are unthinkable! They fail to see how precious the invitation and rather choose their own trivial business. They are like throwing insult to the king who has honored them. No wonder, the king punishes them.

Yet, this king is generous and merciful king, and he decides to invite all people who are not in his original guests of honor. He grants the royal invitation and honor to all. Many indeed come and fulfil the invitation. However, there is one guy who fails to wear a wedding dress. To dress properly in attending a wedding feast is not only expected, but it shows how we honor the one who invites us. This person is a guest of honor, but he fails to appreciate the honor he receives, fails to behave accordingly, and brings great dishonor to the king. Thus, the king throws him not to any place, but to the darkness.

We are all like these wedding guests, and we receive immeasurable honor because, in reality, we do not deserve to be called by God to enter into His kingdom. Yet, the invitation is free, but it does not mean cheap. We still need to do our part to honor the one who invites us and to show utmost thanksgiving to God. The question is what wedding garment symbolizes? If we move forward to Revelation 19, we will see another wedding. This is the wedding of the Lamb, and in Rev 19:8, “…for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” Faith in Jesus is like accepting the invitation, but we must not stop there, we shall wear also the garment of the righteous deeds. Our initial faith has to grow into charity.

The basic principle is grace is free, but it is not cheap. In fact, it is the most precious thing we ever receive in our lives. Our righteous works are not meant to be a bargaining chip with the Lord, but rather token of our gratitude. We do holy deeds not because we want to be praised, but because we want to honor Him who has called us to the heavenly banquet. As priests, we are serving the people primarily because, despite our weaknesses, we are chosen to the instruments of grace. As spouses, we are building family not simply based on emotional attractions, biological needs, and economic stability, because we are grateful to the Lord who has united husband and wife in love and grace. As parents, we are raising our children not only to become successful, rich or influential but primarily to become holy men and women because we recognize that these children are blessing from the Lord. The world is definitely a better world with people filled with gratitude, and with the saints.

This reflection is dedicated to Carlo Acutis, who is beatified today [10 Oktober], a model of holiness for all of us.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Menghormati Sang Raja

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Minggu ke-28 di Masa Biasa

11 Oktober 2020

Matius 22: 1-14

Untuk memahami perumpamaan yang kita dengar Minggu ini, kita perlu melihat elemen-elemen yang mengejutkan. Pertama, perjamuan ini bukalah perjamuan pernikahan biasa, tapi pernikahan putra raja. Tentunya, orang-orang dalam daftar undangan adalah tamu terhormat dan istimewa, tetapi mereka menolak untuk datang sampai dua kali dan bahkan menganiaya para utusan raja. Apa yang mereka lakukan tidak terpikirkan! Mereka gagal untuk melihat betapa berharganya undangan tersebut dan malah memilih urusan-urusan sepele mereka sendiri. Mereka sama saja melontarkan hinaan kepada raja yang telah menghormati mereka. Tak heran, raja menghukum mereka.

Namun, raja ini adalah raja yang murah hati, dan dia memutuskan untuk mengundang semua orang yang bukan bagian dari tamu kehormatannya. Dia memberikan undangan kerajaan dan kehormatan bagi semua orang. Banyak yang memang datang dan memenuhi undangan tersebut. Namun, ada satu orang yang gagal mengenakan pakaian yang layak bagi perjamuan. Berpakaian pantas dalam menghadiri perjamuan pernikahan tidak hanya sesuatu yang wajar, tetapi juga menunjukkan bagaimana kita menghormati orang yang mengundang kita. Orang ini adalah tamu kehormatan, tetapi dia gagal menghargai kehormatan yang dia terima, gagal berperilaku sesuai harapan, dan membawa aib besar kepada raja. Karena itu, raja melemparkannya bukan ke sembarang tempat, melainkan ke kegelapan yang berkesudahan.

Kita sama seperti tamu perjamuan nikah ini karena kita menerima penghormatan yang tak terukur karena pada kenyataannya kita tidak pantas dipanggil oleh Tuhan untuk masuk ke dalam kerajaan-Nya. Pada sudah sepatutnya, kita perlu melakukan bagian kita untuk menghormati Dia yang mengundang kita, dan untuk menunjukkan rasa syukur yang terbaik kepada Tuhan. Pertanyaannya kemudian, apa yang dimaksudkan dengan pakaian yang layak untuk perjamuan pernikahan ini? Jika kita melihat Kitab Wahyu 19, kita akan melihat sebuah perjamuan pernikahan juga. Ini adalah perjamuan pernikahan Anak Domba, dan dalam Wahyu 19: 8, “… karena lenan halus itu adalah perbuatan benar orang-orang kudus.” Iman kepada Yesus itu seperti menerima undangan dan datang ke perjamuan, tetapi kita tidak boleh berhenti sampai di situ, kita juga akan mengenakan pakaian yang terbentuk dari perbuatan-perbuatan benar. Iman awal kita harus tumbuh menjadi kasih.

Prinsip dasarnya adalah rahmat itu cuma-cuma, tapi itu tidak murahan. Faktanya, rahmat bersatu dengan Tuhan ini adalah hal paling berharga yang pernah kita terima dalam hidup kita. Perbuatan-perbuatan benar kita tidak dimaksudkan sebagai alat tawar-menawar dengan Tuhan, melainkan sebagai tanda terima kasih kita. Kita melakukan perbuatan benar bukan karena kita ingin dipuji, tetapi karena kita ingin menghormati Dia yang telah memanggil kita ke perjamuan surgawi. Sebagai imam, kami melayani umat terutama karena meskipun memiliki kelemahan, kami dipilih untuk menjadi saran rahmatnya. Sebagai pasangan suami-istri, kita dipanggil untuk membangun keluarga tidak hanya berdasarkan ketertarikan emosional, kebutuhan biologis, dan stabilitas ekonomi, tetapi rasa syukur kepada Tuhan yang telah mempersatukan suami istri dalam kasih dan rahmat. Sebagai orang tua, kita membesarkan anak-anak kita tidak hanya untuk menjadi sukses, kaya atau berpengaruh, tetapi terutama untuk menjadi pria dan wanita yang kudus karena kita menyadari bahwa anak-anak ini adalah berkat dari Tuhan. Dunia akan menjadi dunia yang lebih baik dengan orang-orang yang dipenuhi rasa syukur, dan dengan orang-orang kudus.

Refleksi ini didedikasikan bagi Carlo Acutis yang pada hari ini [10 Oktober] menjadi seorang beato, seorang model kekudusan bagi kita semua.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

picture by : mateus campos filipe

Why Sheep?

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Fourth Sunday of Easter [A]

May 3, 2020

John 10:1-10

Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter and good shepherd 5traditionally it is also called as the Good Shepherd Sunday. This is for an obvious reason. The Gospel reading tells us about Jesus who introduces Himself as the gate of the sheepfold and the Good Shepherd. The other readings also point the image of God as the good shepherd, like the world-renown psalm 23, “the Lord is my shepherd.”

The gospel of John has no parables like the other three gospels, but John has something else. The gospel gives us the seven “I AM” statements.  “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51); “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12); “I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9); “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25); “I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14); “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6); “I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5). These statements reveal the particular ways Jesus relates with us His disciples. If Jesus is the bread of life, we cannot live without consuming Him. If He is the light, we cannot see and find our way home.

When Jesus proclaims that He is the door of the sheep and the good shepherd, this assumes that Jesus treats us as His sheep. The question is why sheep? Why not cuter animals like Persian cats or Shih Tzu? Why not something useful like German shepherd or horse? Ok, sheep can be useful also as farm animal. Lamb and mutton are one of the finest meats, and the wool can turn to be expensive cloth. But, does Jesus consider us as sheep because our cuteness or usefulness?

Together with goats, sheep is are one of the domesticated animals. Humans have farmed sheep for the last ten thousand years. In the Palestine at the time of Jesus, sheep is a very common animal, and despite working as carpenter, it is not difficult for Jesus to observe the life of shepherd and its flocks. What makes sheep different from goat is that sheep has no built-in self-defense mechanism. Unlike the goats, they are equipped by sturdy horns and can be aggressive when attacked. Sheep are basically defenseless and thus, they depend heavily on the shepherds to protect them.

We might raise our eyebrow and reject the idea that we are helpless like the sheep. Afterall, humans are on the top of animal kingdom because our intelligence and physical prowess.  Indeed, this is true, if we only limit ourselves to biological or natural aspect of our humanity. If we consider our spiritual life, we are no better than a sheep. Without God’s protection and His angels’, we are just punching bags of the evil spirits. Without God’s laws and guidance, we do nothing but harm ourselves. More importantly, without God, we cannot be saved.

In the final analysis, borrowing the words of Bishop Robert Barron, Christianity is the religion of salvation, and not self-help. No matter good we are, we cannot reach heaven without God’s grace. Our actions are only meaningful as far as it is aided by God’s love. The image of the sheep leads us to humble and grateful realization of who we are. We are nothing without God, yet no matter spiritually weak and defenseless we are, God remains faithful to us and will lead the green pasture because He is our Good Shepherd.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Mengapa Domba

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Minggu Paskah keempat [A]

3 Mei 2020

Yohanes 10: 1-10

good shepherd 4Hari ini adalah hari Minggu Paskah keempat dan secara tradisional juga disebut sebagai Minggu Gembala yang Baik. Bacaan Injil berbicara tentang Yesus yang memperkenalkan diri-Nya sebagai pintu gerbang domba dan juga Gembala yang Baik. Mazmur tanggapan diambil dari mazmur 23 yang menyatakan bahwa “Tuhanlah gembalaku.” St. Petrus dalam Suratnya mengatakan bahwa kita adalah domba-Nya yang hilang, tetapi sekarang telah kembali kepada Yesus sang Gembala [lih. 1 Pet 2:25].

Injil Yohanes tidak memiliki perumpamaan seperti ketiga Injil lainnya, tetapi Yohanes memiliki hal lain. Injil ini memberi kita tujuh pernyataan “AKU ADALAH”. “Aku adalah roti kehidupan.” (Yoh 6:35, 41, 48, 51); “Aku adalah terang dunia.” (Yoh 8:12); “Aku adalah pintu domba.” (Yoh 10: 7,9); “Aku adalah kebangkitan dan hidup.” (Yoh 11:25); “Aku adalah gembala yang baik.” (Yoh 10:11, 14); “Aku adalah jalan, kebenaran, dan kehidupan.” (Yoh 14: 6); “Aku pohon anggur yang benar.” (Yoh 15: 1, 5). Pernyataan-pernyataan ini mengungkapkan cara-cara istimewa Yesus berhubungan dengan kita para murid-Nya. Jika Yesus adalah roti kehidupan, kita tidak dapat hidup tanpa memakan Dia. Jika Dia adalah terang, kita tidak dapat melihat dan menemukan jalan pulang.

Ketika Yesus menyatakan bahwa Dia adalah pintu domba dan gembala yang baik, ini mengasumsikan bahwa Yesus memperlakukan kita sebagai domba-Nya. Pertanyaannya adalah mengapa domba? Mengapa tidak binatang yang lebih lucu seperti kucing Persia atau Shih Tzu? Mengapa bukan sesuatu yang bermanfaat seperti anjing German shepherd atau kuda? Ok, domba bisa bermanfaat juga sebagai hewan ternak. Daging domba adalah salah satu daging terbaik, dan wolnya bisa menjadi kain mahal. Tetapi, apakah Yesus menganggap kita sebagai domba karena keimutan atau kegunaan kita?

Bersama dengan kambing, domba adalah salah satu hewan paling awal yang telah didomestikasi. Manusia telah memelihara domba sejak sepuluh ribu tahun. Di Palestina pada zaman Yesus, domba adalah hewan yang sangat umum, dan meskipun bekerja sebagai tukang kayu, tidak sulit bagi Yesus untuk mengamati kehidupan gembala dan kawanan ternaknya. Apa yang membuat domba berbeda dari kambing adalah bahwa domba tidak memiliki mekanisme pertahanan diri. Kambing di sisi lain dilengkapi dengan tanduk yang keras dan bisa menjadi agresif ketika diserang. Domba pada dasarnya tidak berdaya dan karena itu, mereka sangat bergantung pada gembala untuk melindungi mereka.

Kita mungkin menolak gagasan bahwa kita tidak berdaya seperti domba. Bagaimanapun, manusia berada di puncak kerajaan hewan karena kecerdasan dan kecakapan fisik kita. Memang, ini benar, jika kita hanya membatasi diri pada aspek biologis atau alami dari kemanusiaan kita. Namun, jika kita mempertimbangkan kehidupan rohani kita, kita tidak lebih baik dari domba. Tanpa perlindungan Tuhan dan para malaikat-Nya, kita hanya menjadi bulan-bulanan roh jahat. Tanpa hukum dan petunjuk Tuhan, kita hanya membahayakan diri kita sendiri. Lebih penting lagi, tanpa Tuhan, kita tidak bisa diselamatkan.

Meminjam kata-kata Uskup Robert Barron, Kekristenan adalah agama keselamatan, dan bukan “self-help religion”. Betapa pun baiknya kita, kita tidak dapat mencapai surga tanpa rahmat Tuhan. Tindakan kita hanya bermakna sejauh itu dibantu oleh kasih Tuhan. Gambaran domba membawa kita pada kesadaran tentang siapa kita. Kita bukan apa-apa tanpa Tuhan, namun walaupun kita lemah secara rohani dan tidak berdaya, Tuhan tetap setia kepada kita dan akan memimpin padang rumput hijau karena Dia adalah Gembala Baik kita.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Gaudete!

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Third Sunday of Advent [A] – December 15, 2019 – Matthew 11:2-11

gaudete sunday - benedictToday, we are going to see something different in the Church. Yes, the priests are not wearing a purple vestment, but a rose liturgical vestment. It is not because the priests are mistaken or want to make a fashion statement. It is because we are entering the third Sunday of Advent, also known as, the Gaudete Sunday. “Gaudete” is a Latin word meaning “rejoice!”. This color also symbolizes the joyful atmosphere. But, why do we need to celebrate Gaudete Sunday?

The first reading from Isaiah [33:1-6] speaks about the joy of all creations when the Lord comes. Not only men but all natures, animals, plants, even rivers, will rejoice before the Lord. While it is true that Advent is a season of expectation and preparation for the coming of the Lord, Gaudete Sunday does not break the general mood of Advent, but rather it gives us the right direction.

When we are waiting for something, there are two reactions. The first one is to complain and to be disappointed. it is like when we are ready to board the airplane, and suddenly the crew announces that there is a delay. We need to wait, and we wait in annoyance. We get disappointed because we are impatient and expecting things to happen according to our plans.

From today’s Gospel, John was in prison, and he knew that his time was short. As the one who prepared for the coming of Messiah, John knew that Jesus was the Christ, but Jesus seemed not to behave like a Messiah John expected. He was waiting for someone brought divine judgment, but Jesus was rather different. Jesus then had to explain what kind of Messiah He is: One who brings mercy, love and joy to world. From here, we discovered that John’s personal expectation hinders him to see that the One he has expected has come.

Sometimes, we wait for an answer to our prayers, but after all the novenas, all the rosaries, all the way of the cross, and all the masses, we do not get the answer. Sometimes, we are expecting that our lives will get better, but the things are getting worse. Sometimes, we are hoping for healing and fast recovery someone we love, but things just do not go the way we want it. The more we expect, the more we get disappointed.

To counter this, we come to the second response in waiting. We can also wait in joy. It is like a mother who is expecting her baby. It is certainly a period of waiting, but the mother was anticipating it with joy. Like an expectant mother, we can wait for the Lord in joy, and like the pregnant woman, the key to joyful expectation is when we are aware that we are waiting something or something we love, and one who we expect has actually come.

I do believe that God always answers our prayers, but the problem is that we do not want to listen to His answers. When we pray, we often pray that our will be done, and not His will be done. This is the reason why we fail to see God and His abundant blessings around us. Indeed, in this Advent season, we are preparing for the coming of Jesus, but this season also we rejoice because Jesus has come in His unexpected and surprising ways. We cannot be grateful and joyful when we are able to see Jesus comes in our daily lives.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Gaudete!

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Minggu Ketiga Advent [A] – 15 Desember 2019 – Matius 11: 2-11

gaudetesunday22Hari ini, kita akan melihat sesuatu yang berbeda di Gereja. Ya, para imam tidak mengenakan jubah ungu, tetapi jubah liturgis berwarna merah muda. Itu bukan karena para imam salah memakai baju atau ingin tampil trendi. Ini karena kita memasuki hari Minggu ketiga Adven, juga dikenal sebagai, hari Minggu Gaudete. “Gaudete” adalah kata Latin yang berarti “bersukacitalah!”. Warna merah muda ini juga melambangkan suasana sukacita. Tapi, mengapa kita perlu merayakan Minggu Gaudete?

Bacaan pertama dari Yesaya [33: 1-6] berbicara tentang sukacita semua makhluk ketika Tuhan datang. Tidak hanya manusia tetapi semua ciptaan, termasuk binatang, tanaman, bahkan sungai, akan bersukacita di hadapan Tuhan. Meskipun benar bahwa Advent adalah musim pengharapan dan persiapan untuk kedatangan Tuhan, Minggu Gaudete tidak merusak suasana umum Advent, tetapi justru memberi kita arah yang benar.

Ketika kita sedang menunggu sesuatu, ada dua reaksi. Yang pertama adalah mengeluh dan kecewa. Hal ini seperti ketika kita siap untuk naik pesawat, dan tiba-tiba kru mengumumkan bahwa ada penundaan. Kita harus menunggu, dan kita menunggu dengan kesal. Kita kecewa karena kita tidak sabar dan mengharapkan hal-hal terjadi sesuai dengan rencana kita.

Dari Injil hari ini, Yohanes berada di penjara, dan dia tahu waktunya tidak lama lagi. Sebagai orang yang mempersiapkan kedatangan Mesias, Yohanes tahu bahwa Yesus adalah Kristus, tetapi Yesus tampaknya tidak berperilaku seperti yang diharapkannya. Yohanes sedang menunggu seseorang membawa penghakiman ilahi, tetapi Yesus agak berbeda. Yesus kemudian harus menjelaskan Mesias seperti apa Dia: Orang yang membawa kemurahan, kasih, dan sukacita ke dunia. Dari sini, kita menemukan bahwa ekspektasi pribadi Yohanes menghalangi dia untuk melihat bahwa Dia yang harapkan telah datang.

Terkadang, kita menunggu jawaban untuk doa-doa kita, tetapi setelah semua novena, semua rosario, semua jalan salib, dan semua misa, kita tidak mendapatkan jawabannya. Kadang-kadang, kita berharap bahwa hidup kita akan menjadi lebih baik, tetapi keadaan semakin memburuk. Terkadang, kita berharap untuk penyembuhan dan pemulihan cepat seseorang yang kita cintai, tetapi hal-hal tidak berjalan seperti yang kita inginkan. Semakin banyak yang kita harapkan, semakin kita kecewa.

Untuk mengatasi ini, kita sampai pada respons kedua dalam menunggu. Kita juga bisa menunggu dengan sukacita. Itu seperti seorang ibu yang sedang mengandung bayinya. Ini tentu saja merupakan masa penantian, tetapi sang ibu mengantisipasinya dengan gembira. Seperti seorang ibu hamil, kita dapat menunggu Tuhan dalam sukacita, dan sama seperti wanita hamil, kunci dari harapan penuh sukacita adalah ketika kita sadar bahwa kita sedang menunggu sesuatu atau seseorang yang kita cintai, dan seseorang yang kita harapkan datang ini sesungguhnya telah datang.

Saya percaya bahwa Tuhan selalu menjawab doa-doa kita, tetapi masalahnya adalah kita tidak mau mendengarkan jawaban-Nya. Ketika kita berdoa, kita sering berdoa agar kehendak kita terjadi, dan bukan kehendak-Nya yang terjadi. Inilah alasan mengapa kita gagal melihat Tuhan dan berkat-Nya yang berlimpah di sekitar kita. Memang, di masa Advent ini, kita sedang mempersiapkan kedatangan Yesus, tetapi musim ini juga kita bersukacita karena Yesus telah datang dengan cara-Nya yang tak terduga dan mengejutkan. Kita bisa bersyukur dan bersukacita ketika kita dapat melihat Yesus datang dalam kehidupan kita sehari-hari.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Greed

On By bayuopIn English, Ordinary TimeLeave a comment

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C] – August 4, 2019 – Luke 12:13-21

fool rich man 2We were all born without bringing anything with us, and for sure, when we die, we will bring nothing with us. Job once said, “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!” (Job 1:21). However, as we grow up and old, we begin to acquire things and possessions. Some are given, but some we earn it. As we are accumulating, we start attaching ourselves to these material belongings. Some of us are obsessed with collecting bags, shoes, and clothes, some others with more expensive things like electronic devices and cars. We believe these are ours, and we can own them until the Kingdom comes.

This kind of attachment is rooted in a bigger and more sinister vice: greed. St. Thomas Aquinas defines greed or avarice as “an inordinate desire for wealth or money.” To desire for richness and possession is not evil itself because, in essence, money and belongings are a means to achieve higher goals in life. However, the problem arises when we are confusing between means and the end. Greed enters the picture when we make money as our goal and no longer a means. We begin to measure our happiness and meaningfulness of our lives in terms of wealth. When we place wealth as our yardstick of happiness, all other problems start flooding our lives. When we do not have enough money, we become anxious, but when we have more than enough money, we are also anxious about how to hoard them. We think that the more we have, the happier we become, but the truth is, the more we acquire, the more we feel lacking. An ancient Roman proverb once said that desire for wealth is like drinking seawater; the more you drink, the thirstier you get.

What sickening about this vice is that it brings other sins along. St. Thomas mentions treachery, corruption, fraud, anxiety, insensibility to mercy, and even violence as the daughters of greed. Movie Slumdog Millionaire (2008) tells us a story of Salim and Jamal Malik who are victims of this injustice and greed. After the killing of their mother because of religious hatred in slam area in India, they were forced to stay in a sanitary landfill. Then, they were adopted by ‘professional beggars’ syndicate. One particular scene that reveals the gruesome manifestation of greed is one little boy with a sweet voice, Arwind, was blinded. Jamal later remarks, “Blind singers earn double.” The worst part of the movie is that the movie is not totally fiction, but many events are true to life.

So how are we going to cure this vice? If greed makes us turn means as goal, our response should return the right order: to make wealth as our means to achieve higher goals. If we are blessed with a lot of money, we praise the Lord and use this money to praise the Lord even more. If we do not have enough money, we are called to have more faith in God’s providence.  It is the time to use our worldly possession to make “heavenly investment” that no thief can reach, nor moth destroy (Lk. 12:33)

Fr. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP