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Author: Romo Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno OP

Blindness and Vision of Faith

Blindness and Vision of Faith

Fourth Sunday of Lent.
March 26, 2017
[John 9:1-41]
“it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. (Joh 9:3)”
jesus_heals_a_blind_man_by_eikonik
Blindness is the most dreadful disability for many of us. It is the loss of vision, living in total darkness for our entire lives. Blindness is the inability to see the beauty of the world and people who love us. In the Old Testament, blindness puts one in great disadvantages. The well-known story of Isaac who was tricked by his own son Jacob so that he might get his blessing began with Isaac losing his eyesight. Blind people are also hindered from fulfilling their religious duties. The Law of Moses dictates that the blind cannot offer sacrifice to the Lord,p; even blind animals can not be offered to the Lord! (see Lev 21-22). Blindness was associated with sinners. (see Deu 28:29). That is why Jesus’ disciples asked whether the man’s blindness was caused by his sin or his parents’ sin.
The healing of a blind person in the Old Testament is rare, but the prophets foretold that the Messianic age will be marked by the healing of the blind and the crippled. Thus, in the Gospels, we read many stories of the blind cured by Jesus, and this tells us that Jesus is the long-expected Messiah and that His kingdom has begun. In the Gospel of John, the stories of healing a blind person occurred rarely, but John devoted the entire chapter 9 to one unnamed blind man. This man was healed by Jesus on the Sabbath day. Unfortunately, healing on the Sabbath is forbidden by the Law, and the Pharisees logged a series of inquiries on the man, questioning the authority of Jesus. The man was convinced that despite the violation of the Sabbath’s rest, Jesus was holy because no sinner can heal. The story ended with him expelled from the synagogue. The irony in the story is that as the blind was able to see and believe in Jesus, the some Pharisees continued living in darkness and did not believe in Jesus.
The story of the blind man reminded me of the story of Louis Braille. Louis lost his vision at a very young age because a sharp object accidently pierced his eyes. Yet, he was determined to learn to navigate the world with the other senses left. His father made him a cane, his brother taught him echolocation, the village priest taught him to recognize trees by touch and birds by their song, and his mother taught him to play dominoes by counting the dots with his fingertips. He wanted to read and learn more, but it was practically impossible. After some time, he received the news that Charles Barbier, an army commander invented a military communication code using patterns of dots to represent sounds. Louis adopted the system for himself, yet he felt the coding was yet too slow. So, instead of representing sound, he engineered a dot system that represented letters. He punched the dots on the paper by a sharp and small tool akin to an awl, a tool that caused his blindness. At the age of 15, he invented the Braille alphabet. His determination has helped countless people with blindness and low visibility to read and see the world of ideas.
Certainly, our eyes are fine because we are able to read this reflection! But, the real question is, in this Lenten season, whether our eyes help us to see what matters most in life. Do we appreciate the gift of sight that we have? Does our vision lead us to a deeper faith? Have we helped others to see Jesus?
Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP
The God of Transfiguration

The God of Transfiguration

The God of Transfiguration
 
Second Sunday of Lent (Year A)
March 12, 2017
Matthew 17:1-9
 
“They were coming down from the mountain… (Mat 17:9)”
 
In the Bible, the mountain is the place where God meets His people. On Mount Horeb, Moses saw the burning bush and received his calling to lead Israel out of Egypt’s slavery (see Exo 3). On Mount Sinai, after the liberation of the Hebrews, Moses met the Lord and received the Law in the Mount Sinai (see Exo 19). Again on Mount Horeb, Elijah discovered the gentle presence of God (1 Kings 19:11-15).
Psalmists also considered the mountain as the Lord’s dwelling place (like Psa 3:5; 24:3). In fact, one of the titles of the Lord is El Shaddai, and one of its probable meaning is: the Lord, the strong mountain (Gen 17:1).
In today’s Gospel, Jesus led the three disciples up to the high mountain. There, he was transfigured. His face was shining like a sun and his cloth turned to be white as light. Then two great figures of Old Testament, Moses and Elijah appeared and conversed with Jesus. Finally, the bright cloud covered them and a voice was heard, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The disciples were so terrified and overwhelmed. Turning back to the ordinary form, Jesus touched them and assured them, “Rise and do not be afraid.” Then they went down from the mountain and continued their journey to Jerusalem.
The Old Testament motif takes place once again in the New Testament, but looking closely, there are several striking differences. Firstly, people climb the Mountain to see God, but when the disciples were there, they saw Jesus transfigured instead. The episode becomes an early sign of Jesus’ divinity in the New Testament. Secondly, Moses and Elijah were representing the best of Old Testament: the Law and the Prophet. Yet, Moses and Elijah were also the very characters that encountered God on the mountain. They reappeared in the transfiguration because they wanted to tell us that Jesus was the God they had encountered in the mountains. Thirdly, Jesus did not stay forever on the mountain, but He went down and continued His life among His disciples and other Israelites. This is a life-changing revelation: our God does not stay and sit nicely on the high mountain, but He goes down and is staying with us, in our ordinariness of life.
Sometimes we are expecting to encounter the glorious God only on the high mountain. For some feel God in the charismatic worship meetings. Others encounter God in the great retreats and long recollections. Nothing’s wrong with these noble devotions and religious practices. Yet, the danger is that we begin to dichotomize the religious life that is limited to the church or rituals and our daily lives outside the church. We must not forget the point of transfiguration that our God is also dwelling among us. Jesus is with us in our family and our efforts in raising our children. The Lord is present in our workplaces as we toil for our daily bread. He embraces us in the moment of trials and pains. He is never far, and we are never alone. And He is our God.
 
Mammon

Mammon

Mammon
 
8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
February 26, 2017
Matthew 6:24-34
 
“You cannot serve God and mammon (Mat 6:24)”
 
Mammon in Aramaic, the native language of Jesus, means riches, money or even properties. And nobody can serve both the true God and Mammon. In original Greek, Mathhew chose a stronger word than “to serve” Mammon, but it is to ‘become slave’ of Mammon. A slave is someone who no longer possesses freedom of his or her own; the lives are dependent on their master’s whim. Interesting to note is that the Mammon is not even a living being, and yet, people are freely laying their freedom to be its slave. It is irrational and in fact, unthinkable, but the reality narrates countless stories of people being possessed by riches and do inhuman things.
It is not an uncommon story that in many nations government officials are involved in large-scale corruptions, while ordinary citizens have to break their bones working and paying taxes. In Brazil, the Philippines and other countries, small farmers are violently evicted from their homes and lands by the greedy landowners. The grim reality of human trafficking is covert yet enormous. The children and women are abducted and traded as commodities, used as drug mules or sex objects. While others face immediate death as their bodily organs are harvested and sold in black market. Our beautiful forest and mountains are destroyed because of massive illegal logging and mining. This leads to nothing but ecological destruction, the animals are endangered, the rivers and seas become giant dumped sites of toxic waste, and our land is sorely barren and dead.
The mammon-worship does not only take place outside our fence, but without realizing it, it also plagues our own house and families. Who among us are addicted to work and begin to sideline our responsibilities in the family and neglect our health? Who among us start to think that giving money to our children is enough for their growth? Sometimes, the clergy and the religious are caught in the same mentality. We do our ministry as if there will be no tomorrow. We begin putting aside the basics like prayers, study, and community.
St. Thomas Aquinas makes it clear that riches and money cannot satisfy our deepest longing. He argues that wealth’s purpose is to meet our temporal human needs, but never to fulfill our spiritual and supreme desire. The real problem happens when we mistakenly accept riches as the fulfillment of our infinite desire for the infinite God. We make Mammon a god. We dethrone the true God and all serious problems start flooding in.
Jesus calls us to once again go back to true God. Other forms of gods, like wealth, money, gadgets, properties, cars, sex, prestige, works only drag us into slavery and misery. Just like the Hebrews in Egypt, only when they followed Yahweh, were they liberated from the slavery and marched toward the Promised Land. Yet, it was not easy. Like the Israelites who wanted to go back to Egypt after some time in the desert, we also cling to our Mammon firmly. It took 40 years for Israelites to struggle with their faithfulness to God, and perhaps we need years to before we rediscover the true God in your lives. Difficult indeed, yet, it is necessary because only God can bring us true happiness and liberation. We are liberated from the illusion of self-sufficiency, from the excessive ego-centrism. Not only we are freed, but also our family and our society, our environment and our earth. Want to make our world a better place? Let God be your God!
 Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP
Anak: Sebuah Berkat

Anak: Sebuah Berkat

Anak: Sebuah Berkat
 
Sabtu dalam Pekan Biasa ke-7
25 Februari 2017
Markus 10:13-16
 
Injil menyoroti realitas anak sebagai berkat Tuhan. Namun, apakah masyarakat kita masih menganggap anak sebagai berkat? Saya melihat bahwa saat ini masyarakat kita seperti sebuah Supermall raksasa. Secara virtual, kita tinggal dalam sebuah kompleks Supermall dimana hampir semuanya tersaji secara menarik dengan semua variasinya.
Dengan demikian, kita dikondisikan untuk percaya bahwa kita bebas untuk memilih apa pun yang kita inginkan. Perbedaan antara kebutuhan dan keinginan secara praktis telah kabur. Mentalitas Supermall ini akhirnya juga mempengaruhi dan merubah bagaimana kita lihat apa artinya memiliki keluarga dan anak-anak di zaman ini. Kita mulai mendikotomi kehidupan berkelurga, hanya mengambil bagian yang paling menyenangkan dan menghapus bagian tidak diinginkan saja. Kita hanya ingin menikmati seks tapi kita menolak tanggung jawab untuk memiliki anak. Kita ingin memiliki pasangan yang cocok, tetapi menolak hidup berkomitmen.
Dengan kemajuan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi, kita cenderung untuk melihat kehamilan hanya dari sudut biologis dan bahkan ekonomis. Semuanya dapat direncanakan sesuai dengan kebutuhan dan kenyamanan kita. Bahkan kita dapat mengatur tanggal yang tepat untuk kelahiran anak kita dan dengan cara yang hampir tanpa rasa sakit. Mungkin sampai pada titik dimana, seperti memilih telepon selular, kita juga dapat menentukan fitur-fitur apa yang kita inginkan pada anak kita saat mereka lahir. Akan lebih cantik jika anak saya memiliki mata biru langit!
Hal ini membawa kita kepada konsekuensi yang mengerikan. Bagaimana jika kehadiran anak tersebut “tidak terencana”? Bagaimana jika seorang wanita yang sibuk dengan karirnya tiba-tiba hamil? Bagaimana jika karena ‘kecelakaan’, seorang gadis remaja menemukan hasil positif pada tes kehamilannya? Bagaimana jika seorang wanita cantik mengalami pelecehan seksual dan menemukan dirinya hamil? Apakah kita masih menganggap anak ini sebagai berkat atau penyusup dalam hidup kita yang semestinya untuk dihancurkan?
Kita hadapi sekarang salah satu masalah yang paling rumit dengan segala kompleksitas. Apa artinya untuk percaya bahwa seorang anak adalah berkat dalam situasi dilematis seperti ini? Pertanyaan kemudian adalah apakah kita bisa seperti Yesus yang memenerima anak-anak sebagai berkat karena mereka adalah empunya Kerajaan Allah?
Setiap anak yang lahir adalah berkat karena ia mengingatkan tentang kita siapa kita sesungguhnya. Memilih untuk melahirkan dan kehidupan tidaklah seperti memilih antara iPhone atau Samsung, tetapi menegaskan siapa kita sebenarnya. Kita adalah pribadi-pribadi yang mampu memiliki keberanian dan iman yang luar biasa bahkan di dalam situasi yang sangat mustahil sekalipun. Biarkan anak-anak ini menjadi sumber sukacita karena mereka membawa Kerajaan Allah kepada kita.
 
Frater Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP
 
Pernikahan di Era Digital

Pernikahan di Era Digital

Pernikahan di Era Digital
 

Jumat pada Pekan Biasa ke-7

24 Februari 2017
Markus 10: 2-16
 
Kita hidup di tengah-tengah masyarakat yang sangat canggih dengan semua kemajuan teknologi dan ilmu pengetahuan. Namun, dengan segala kamajuan yang kita nikmati, kita tetap saja bergulat dengan permasalahan di dalam pernikahan dan tidak dapat berdamai dengan diri kita sendiri dan pasangan hidup kita. Pernikahan menghadapi jalan bergelombang, dan terkadang jalan buntu. Pasangan menemukan kehidupan mereka tidak bahagia dan penuh masalah. Ada saatnya, terjadi kekerasan verbal, emosional dan fisik. Perselingkuhan ternyata menjadi godaan besar bahkan untuk pasangan bahagia. Tak heran jika suami dan istri akhirnya menemukan perpisahan, pembatalan nikah, dan bercerai sebagai solusi instan. Generasi muda menemukan hidup penikahan tidak lagi relevan dan lebih memilih untuk tinggal bersama tanpa komitmen permanen. Beberapa umat Kristiani pun memilih menikah sipil, berpikir bahwa pernikahan di Gereja membawa kerumitan besar dan beban keuangan.
Hal Ini tidaklah mengejutkan, dan pola pikir digital kita  memberikan kontribusi juga pada semakin ruwetnya permasalahan dalam pernikahan saat ini. Paus Fransiskus dalam Seruan Apostoliknya, Evangelii Gaudium, menulis, “Kadang-kadang kita tergoda untuk mencari alasan dan mengeluh, bertindak seolah-olah kita hanya bisa bahagia jika seribu kondisi dipenuhi. Hal ini karena ‘masyarakat teknologi’ kita telah berhasil menggandakan kesempatan meraih kenikmatan, namun sangat sulit untuk menemukan sukacita sejati (# 7).” Kita langsung beralih saluran TV  ketika kita merasa bosan. Kita ketagihan untuk ‘Like’ dan ‘comments’ di Facebook. ‘Friend’ dan ‘Unfriend’ menjadi kosa kata baru. Kita selalu dalam perlombaan untuk gadget terbaru dan membuang model usang meskipun pada kenyataannya mereka masih berfungsi dengan baik. Tanpa disadari, kita menelan mentalitas ini bulat-bulat.
Yesus tidak menawarkan solusi instan untuk permasalahan dalam pernikahan kita. Bahkan, Dia menegaskan kembali bahwa percerai bukanlah kehendak Allah. Dia bahkan mengkritik sikap instan orang-orang Farisi. Yesus tampaknya agak kejam terhadap orang-orang yang menghadapi begitu banyak masalah pernikahan. Namun, Yesus tahu bahwa pernikahan dan komitmen adalah sebuah panggilan dan sebuah pilihan radikal untuk mencintai. Sebagai Pencipta kita, Dia menyadari bahwa kita mampu untuk pemberian diri yang radikal. Kita menjalin sebuah pernikahan tidak untuk menghasilkan banyak kenikmatan belaka, tetapi untuk menemukan sukacita sejati bahkan di tengah-tengah masalah dan penderitaan. Kita diciptakan bukan untuk sekedar kontrak sementara, tetapi perjanjian abadi.
Yesus mengajak kita untuk mengubah sikap kita dan perspektif dalam hidup dan pernikahan suci, dan menyesuaikan diri dengan kehendak Tuhan. Dan ini dimulai dengan hal-hal sederhana. Ini berarti akan melawan budaya gratifikasi instan, dan bersikap kritis dengan pola pikir teknologi kita. Ini berarti membuat usaha ekstra dalam membangun dan mempertahankan persahabatan, dan jangan terburu-buru untuk mengakhirinya saat situasi mulai sulit. Ini berarti menikmati apa yang kita telah miliki seberapapun kecilnya.
Kita juga berdoa bagi pasangan suami-istri yang sedang menghadapi badai kehidupan.
 
Frater Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP
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