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The Enemy

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 3, 2017

Matthew 16:21-27

“Get behind me, Satan!” (Mat 16:23)

We come to one of the most heated exchange of words in the Gospel, and this occurs no less than between Jesus and Simon Peter. The apostle rebukes Jesus for revealing to the disciples that he has to go Jerusalem, suffer and die, but be raised on third day. In return, Jesus reproofs him and calls him Satan. Why does this harsh quarrel take place between Jesus, the most merciful Lord, and his trusted disciple, Simon whom he has just declared as the Rock?

If we try to enter the shoes of Peter, we will understand that what Peter does is something very human. Peter loves his Master, and he does not want something bad to happen to Jesus. As a friend, he is ready to prevent Jesus do silly things that will harm Him.  Often, we act like Peter.  We disagree with our good friend who wants to help the street children in a notorious depressed area in Manila. Parents often dismiss their young children’s wish to enter the seminary or convent. Despite being in need of financial stability, any family will lodge opposition against its member who wish to go and work abroad. To wish for safety and well-being of our loved ones is just part of our human psychological makeup.

It is just Peter’s human tendency to keep Jesus safe. Yet, why does Jesus need to harshly rebuke Peter and call him ‘Satan’? In the Bible, the word ‘Satan’ has several meanings. The first common understanding is that Satan is the chief evil spirit that wages war against God and humanity. Yet, ‘Satan’ may also mean a man, woman or entity who acts as an adversary or an enemy. In ancient court setting, ‘Satan’ plays the role of the fierce accuser. Literally, Peter may fall under Satan’s temptation in delaying the plan of God, but it may also mean that calling Peter ‘Satan’ Jesus perceives Peter as acting like ‘Satan’, an adversary to Jesus’ mission, and one who accuses Jesus of doing stupid things. By following human tendency, Peter is in opposition to God’s saving plan.

However, how do we know that we begin to act as an enemy to God’s will? Like Simon Peter, we must wrestle to discover God’s will in our lives. Perhaps, encouraging our friend to work with the poor is the right decision. Perhaps, supporting our children to enter seminary is the best option. Perhaps, staying behind with the family rather than going abroad is a better choice. We never know what the future brings. Yet, Jesus gives us a guideline. When we cling too much to our own lives, are obsessed to keep our space small, and gain the world just for ourselves, we must know that we have become ‘Satan’ to God’s ever-expanding love.

Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier were among the first Jesuits. Both were close friends since they met in Paris as they shared the same room, table and books. As the general of the Society of Jesus, Ignatius had the authority to assign his friend close to him, yet this means to curtail Francis’ gift to love enormously. Ignatius eventually sent Francis as a missionary, and allowed him to spread the faith and expand his love for people of the Far East. Francis Xavier would always be remembered as one the greatest missionaries in the Church. It is when we deny ourselves, our selfish desires, and carry the cross of love, that we genuinely follow Jesus as His disciples.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Canaanite Woman and Mother

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 20, 2017

Matthew 15:21-28

 “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” (Mat 15:27)”

Why does Jesus, the compassionate man and just God, have to “humiliate” the Canaanite woman? If we put ourselves in the context of Jesus’ time and culture, we will understand that what Jesus does is just expected of him. Jesus is dealing with a woman of gentile origin. Generally, Jews avoid contacts with the non-Jews, and a Jewish man does not engage in dialogue with a woman who is not his wife or family in public. Jesus does what every Jewish man has to do. However, in the end, Jesus praises the woman’s faith and heals her daughter. Eventually, mercy overcomes differences and love conquers all.

How big is this woman’s faith? If we carefully read the dialogue between Jesus and the Canaanite woman, there are three stages of humiliation. Firstly, the woman cries out loudly to Jesus, addressing him as Lord, Son of David, and asks for pity for her daughter. Jesus ignores her.  Secondly, the woman keeps crying out, and Jesus refuses her with a reason that he is sent only to the Jews. Thirdly, the woman touches the ground and worships Jesus, begging for the life of her daughter. Jesus associates her with a dog, perhaps because the relationship between the Jews and the Gentile in this region has become so sour that they call each other as dogs. Yet, despite these series of humiliation, the woman perseveres and wittily answers that even dogs receive mercy from their master. There is a progression of humiliation, yet there is also progression of humility and faith. From someone outside the group, she persistently makes her way inside to the point of ‘under the table’ of her master.

What inspires such great humility and faith? I believe that it is her far greater love. She is not just a woman and a Canaanite, she is also a mother. We know good parents, especially a mother, would do practically anything for their children. There is a natural bond between a mother and the child of her womb, a bond that empowers a woman to even sacrifice her life. Jesus allows this humiliation because He knows well the capacity of this mother to love. God allows things to get messy in our lives, because He knows well our capacity to love which can grow exponentially.

Let me end this little reflection with a story. on the day of graduation in one of the top universities in the Philippines, a young man, top of his batch, gave his valedictory remarks. He narrated a story of a young woman who was expecting a child. Yet, she was diagnosed with a dangerous illness that required aggressive treatments. The medication may cure her, but it will be too strong for the infant inside her womb.  So, she was left with a choice either to choose her life or her baby’s. Many encouraged her to let the baby die since she has a bright future, a promising career. Yet, to the surprise of all, she decided not to take the medication, and allowed her baby live. Trusting to her baby to her husband, she died after giving birth to a healthy little Babyboy. Then, with teary eyes, the young valedictorian revealed to all that he was that little baby. He is able to live, to grow, and achieve his dream because his mother loved him so much to the point of giving her own life for him.

We remember and thank our mothers who have loved and sacrificed a lot for us. And just like them, God calls us to have faith and love that make us bigger than our small lives.

 Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Ocean

19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 13, 2017

Matthew 14:22-33

“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  (Mat 14:31)

Ocean is a gift to humanity. For many of us, ocean means a great variety of seafood, a place to spend our vacation. When we imagine a vast sea with beautiful beach, we are ready to enjoy swimming, snorkeling or diving. However, for millions of fishermen and seafarers, sea simply means life as they depend their lives and their families on the generosity of the sea, the resources it offers, and the works it generates. Unfortunately, the sea is not always merciful. The sea is home to powerful storms and with its giant waves that can even engulf the biggest of ships. With the effects of global warming, massive sea pollution and destructive ways of fishing, it is getting hard to get a good catch. Novelist Ernest Hemingway in his book “The Old Man and the Sea” narrates a life of fisherman who after risking his life to catch a giant fish, brings home nothing but a fishbone as his catch was consumed by other fishes. Majority of fishermen who continue struggling with lingering debt and difficulty to get fuel for their boats, become poorer by the day. These make fishermen and seafarers a perilous profession. 

The Sea of Galilee is not a sea at all, but technically a lake. Certainly, it is a lot safer than the open sea, but the Gospels constantly tell us that the lake can be deadly sometimes even to seasoned fishermen like Peter and other apostles. Like Peter and the apostles, Filipino Dominican missionaries to Babuyan group of islands at the northern tip of the Philippines know well what it means to be at the mercy of the ocean. To go to their mission stations, they have to cross a sea strait by a small boat for around 4 to 8 hours. It might be a tiny strait, but it is a wild and dangerous one because it connects to two great seas, the Pacific Ocean on the east and South China Sea or West Philippine Sea on the west. When the sea is rough and the boat is hit and tossed by the giant waves, it is the time when our missionaries and all others in the boat to pray, and perhaps it is their sincerest prayer ever. When at the mercy of the ocean, we begin to realize that what matters most in life is actually life itself, and as only this life that we hold dear, everything else seems to be trivial and passing. 

However, there comes the paradox. In the midst of raging ocean, holding on to fragile life, we begin to be closest to the creator of life Himself. The mighty sea washes away those things that stand between us and God. All those things that add layers upon layers to our lives are swept away. As we achieve wealth, physical beauties, educational attainments, physical beauties, possessions and honor, we tend to be full of ourselves, and become more independent from God who grants us those blessings. Like Peter, our faith becomes little, relying too much on ourselves. Then, when the storm comes and we begin to sink, we realize that all those achievements will not save us.

What are those things in our lives that stand between us and God? Are we like Peter, a man of little faith? What are the stormy sea experiences in our lives? How do you encounter God in these stormy sea experience?

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Metamorphosis 

The Feast of Transfiguration

August 6, 2017

Matthew 17:1-9

This Sunday, the Church is celebrating the feast of Transfiguration.  The word ‘transfiguration’ comes from Matthew who writes Jesus transfigures before the three disciples, Peter, James and John, his face shines like the sun and his clothes become white as light (17:2). The word “transfigure” is the direct transliteration of the Latin Vulgate Bible “transfigurare”. It is a combination of two words “trans” meaning to across, and “figura” meaning figure.  Thus, transfiguration literally means the change of figure. It is a fitting word to describe what happens to Jesus. 

However, if we look at the original Greek, Matthew used the word “metamorphos” which is actually the root of the English word metamorphosis. Many of us understand metamorphosis as a biological term. It is a marked and more or less abrupt developmental change in the form or structure of an animal. The classical examples are the transformation from a leaf-eating caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly, or an aquatic tadpole into a land-dwelling frog. Metamorphosis is surely a radical change, but we do not use this term to describe what happens to Jesus in Mount Tabor perhaps because we do not want to limit Jesus’ transformation to the biological sphere only. It is something more fundamental, spiritual and even divine. 

In our time, the medical technologies have advanced considerably, and this enables us also to undergo a metamorphosis. We can look young despite our age. We can reduce our excess fat in no time. We can make even our face bright and vibrant, even ‘shining like the sun’. I have to admit that often I do not pay much attention to my physical and facial improvement, but I believe that our efforts to care for our bodies and improve our beauty are part of appreciating God’s creations. The problem sets in when we become excessive and even obsessive. Spending huge amount of money just for beauty products and cosmetic surgery while our neighbors are dying of hunger is simply unchristian. Spending our fortune for the companies that cause environmental damages or sufferings to people is also our participation in this injustice. 

However, we are called not simply to metamorphosize but to transfigure. While the change and improvement in our body can be good and beautiful, transfiguration is not only a matter of physical alteration. We need to change in a more fundamental, spiritual and even divine way. It is a change that pleases the Father because we become like Jesus, we become His sons and daughters. Through the sacrament of baptism, we have been made God’s children, and now it is our mission to act and behave like His worthy children. Like Jesus, we need to be more aware of the sufferings around us and be compassionate to our poor brothers and sisters. Like Jesus, we fight against the injustices and abuses that take place around us. Like Jesus, we instruct and educate our family, friends and neighbors in truth. 

Finally, Matthew places the event of the Transfiguration just before Jesus goes to Jerusalem as He offers His life for our salvation. The true transfiguration enables us to become less and less self-centered and empowers us to do sacrifices for our loves ones. We are called to make the world a better place for us and all children of God. Like Jesus, we are called to be transfigured and be pleasing to the Father.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP