indonesian catholic online evangelization

Fourth Sunday of Easter

April 22, 2018

Jn 10:11-18

 

“I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (Jn. 10:11)”

 

The Bible itself is filled with the good shepherd images. My personal favorite among the psalms is Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.”  Prophet Isaiah who consoles the Israelites in Babylonian Exile, speaks of God who is like a shepherd who gathers back the lost sheep and brings them back home from the land of exile (Isaiah 40:11) Some great leaders of Israel are shepherds. Moses is tending to his father-in-law’s flocks when he is called by God in the burning bush (Exo 3). David also is taking care of his father’s sheep when Samuel comes and anoints him king (1 Sam 16).  No wonder, Jesus takes the image of Himself and introduces Himself as the Good Shepherd.

 

From today’s Gospel, we can learn several characteristics of a good shepherd. Firstly, Jesus distinguishes between the Good Shepherd and the bad shepherds. The good shepherd owns the flocks and is responsible for their lives. Meanwhile, those bad shepherds do not own the sheep, and they work primarily for the money, not for the sheep. That is why when danger comes from the predators’ attack or the thieves’ ambush; the hired workers would run and save their own lives rather than to protect their sheep. The prophet Jeremiah criticizes the corrupt and abusive leaders of Israel during his time as he prophesies, “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock of my pasture (Jer 23:1).

 

The second characteristic of a good shepherd is he knows well his sheep and calls them by name. I used to think that “calling sheep by name” is just exaggerated, metaphorical language to show the shepherd’s care for his sheep, but later on, I discovered that “calling by name” actually, literally happens. The sheep in Judea are raised both for wool and for sacrifice. Especially those intended for wool production, the shepherd shall live together with his flock for years. No wonder if he knows well each sheep, its characters, and even its unique physical features. He will call them by name like ‘small-feet’ or ‘large-ears.’ Because of the intimate bond between the two, the sheep were so familiar with the voice of the shepherd and will listen whenever he calls them. It reminds me of our pet-dog in our house. Our family calls it “cipluk,” and my mother and young brother take good care of it. Thus, every time my mother or brother calls its name, cipluk hastens to approach them. Yet, every time I go home and try to call its name, cipluk just won’t give any attention!

 

The third and more important characteristic is the good shepherd will lay down his life for his sheep. This seems to be an exaggeration. Why would you die for your sheep? If we recognize that the shepherd has a strong bond with his sheep and takes good care of them, he will have no second thought in defending his sheep from the attack of dangerous predators and robbers. At times, the robbers simply outnumber the shepherd and mercilessly beat the courageous shepherd to the death. The shepherd literally lays down his life for the sheep. This is not an uncommon happening in the time of Jesus in Palestine, and in fact, still happening in our time in some parts of the world.

 

To have the Good Shepherd as our Lord means that we belong to God intimately for better and for worse. He knows each one of us personally, and He will not abandon us when our lives face serious problems and dangers. He will not only care for us as long as we produce “wool,” but He continues to love us even when we have not been good sheep. In fact, Jesus lays down His life on the cross, so that we, His sheep, may have life, a life to the fullest. Have we become a good sheep? Do we recognize His voice? Do we listen to Him? Do we truly follow Him?

 

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Third Sunday of Easter

April 15, 2018

Luke 24:35-48

 

“Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” (Luke 24:39)

 

We listen to the last story of risen Christ’s appearance to the disciples in the Gospel of Luke. His presences point to the fact that Jesus still has several missions to accomplish on earth before He ascends into heaven. Particularly in this episode, Jesus is out to dispel the disciples’ doubt on His bodily resurrection. Some disciples may have an idea that Jesus’ appearances are mere illusions as the disciples are coping with a terrible pain of losing and failure. Some others may think that it was just a disembodied spirit or a ghost that appeared like Jesus.

 

Jesus comes to them and proves that He is neither an illusion coming from their disciples’ mind nor a mere story concocted to give false hope. He shows them his hands and feet and eats a baked fish just like an ordinary and living man does. Even Jesus says that he possesses “flesh and bones.” The disciples who see and touch Jesus’ body would acclaim in their hearts, “This is, at last, the bone of my bones and the flesh of my flesh (Gen 2:23).” From this point, we begin to recognize that Jesus’ bodily resurrection is closely linked to the story of creation in the Book of Genesis.

 

If we go back to the story of human creation in Genesis 2, we read a beautiful image of God as a potter artist who fashioned humanity from clay with various details of perfection. God also gave the human life as He breathed His life-giving spirit. However, soon after creation, God said that it was not good for the human to be alone. He then made other animals, but no one was proven suitable companion for that human. Thus, God, acting like a surgeon, made the first human sleep, took the rib, and fashioned another human being. When Adam woke up and saw for the first time another being in his likeness, he shouted in joy, “This is, at last, the bone of my bones and the flesh of my flesh (Gen 2:23).” The story of human creation which is highly symbolic reaches its perfection in the creation of man and woman, and how they are going to be suitable and loving partners for each other.

 

Going back to Gospel of Luke, the story of the appearance of the risen Lord to the disciples turns to be a story of re-creation. After the disciples are disbanded, scattered and cowardly ran away, they are as weak as soil. Jesus gathers them together and fashions them once again as a community. After the disciples are hurt deeply and defeated, they are like a clay pot shattered into pieces. Jesus comes to breathe His Spirit and to bring healing and true peace. After the disciples are disoriented and lost meaning, they are like the lonely and incomplete first Adam. Jesus, the second Adam, continues to love them, and thus, restores their purpose, and fills what is fundamentally lacking in them. Being re-created, the disciples now are suitable partners of Jesus in bringing the message of resurrection and the gospel of love to wounded humanity.

 

Each one of us is wounded and struggles with many issues. Despite our good effort to become a good Christian, we acknowledge we are as weak as clay. We have been unfaithful to the Lord and each other. The risen Christ does not lose hope in us. He gathers us once again as His people, and in the Eucharist, He shows us His true “flesh and blood.” Partaking in Jesus’ resurrected body means that despite our fragile nature and weaknesses, we have been re-created as His suitable partners to bring the message of hope and fulfill the mission of love. Only in risen Christ, we find our true fulfillment, yet in being one in Jesus means we also continue loving as He loves us to the end.

 

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Photo by Harry Setianto, SJ

Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday)

April 8, 2018

John 20:19-31

 

“Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  (Jn. 20:19)

 

Fear is a natural and basic human emotion. Fear plays an important role in human survival because it alerts us of impending dangers or evil, and moves us to avoidance. The science of anatomy would locate the source of this emotion inside our amygdala, a primitive part of our brain that we share with other animals. Yet, unlike animals that simply flee in the presence of a predator, with our complex brain, we also face a complex kind of fear as we perceive a complex meaning of danger. We do not only fear predators, but we fear also losing our jobs, sickness, and our terror teachers or bosses. We are afraid of height (acrophobia), of small spaces (claustrophobia), and even of banana (Bananaphobia)! Because of our superior mind, our fear is even enlarged as we can anticipate far away dangers or even that does not exist yet. This creates anxiety and worriedness.

 

In the Gospel, we discover that Jesus’ disciples are afraid. They fear the “Jews.” They may be accused of stealing the body of Jesus by the Roman soldiers and Jewish authorities who discover the empty tomb. Or, simply the disciples are anxious about their future, of what will be of them after the death and the news of Jesus’ resurrection. Shall they disband themselves, go back to their former way lives, or shall they remain together? Will Jesus come and get even with them? Overcome by fear and uncertainty, they lock themselves. They are paralyzed, their hearts shrink, and they glue themselves to safe yet fragile things. Like the disciples, fear freezes us and lock us in our comfort zone. Fear of getting hurt, we stop loving. Fear of failures, we no longer pursue our dreams. Fear of being manipulated, we refuse to help others. Fear of betrayal, we shun commitments.

 

However, fear does not have the last say. Despite the locked room, the Lord enters in their midst. The first word He says is Peace, in Hebrew, “Shalom.” Then, Jesus shows his wounds to them, a proof that He is truly Jesus, their teacher, who was crucified and risen. Seeing the Lord, joy explodes in their hearts, and they fear no more. Jesus’ Shalom is powerful and empowering. Jesus’ Shalom gives inner strength in the face of uncertain future. Jesus’ Shalom gives the courage to embrace sufferings and trials.

 

Jesus is truly risen and appears to the disciples, but this does not change the disciples’ situations. Their future remains uncertain. The hostile Jewish authorities still attempt to shut them down. The Roman soldiers may arrest them. They do not know yet how to sustain their small community. Their situations remain bleak, but one thing has changed. They are no longer afraid. With His Shalom in their hearts, Jesus breathes His Holy Spirit on them and sends them on a mission to forgive. As they have been forgiven and received mercy, they become the missionaries of peace, as they bring forgiveness to others. As the stone door of the tomb cannot stop the risen Lord, now the locked doors cannot hinder the empowered disciples.

 

Jesus’ Shalom is the grace of resurrection for all of us. True that our situations and problems do not change much, but fear can no longer freeze us. We are called to go out from our locked rooms and become the missionaries of peace and mercy. Despite the pain, failure, and frustration, we continue to love, serve and commit because this is who we are, the people who have received Jesus’ Shalom, God’s mercy and the Holy Spirit. We are not afraid because we are Easter People!

 

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Photo by Harry Setianto, SJ

Easter Sunday

April 1, 2018

John 20:1-10

 

… he saw and believed (Jn. 20:8)

 

Today is the Easter morn! Today is the day the Lord has risen! Today is the day death has been defeated! Today is the day of resurrection! Yet, how do we understand Jesus’ resurrection and our resurrection? What does it mean when we say that death has been conquered?

We all know that we are going to die. We just do not know when, where and how, but we are sure that death will come. We remain anxious and afraid of the reality of suffering and death. It seems that death has not been defeated? It is true that sometimes death can be a liberation. A pious lady in her fifties once told a priest that she prayed that the Lord would take her when she was still beautiful. Then, the priest remarked, “How come you are still here!”

The usual occasion preachers speak of resurrection is the funeral mass! The resurrection has become a kind of pain reliever for the bereaved families and relatives. We are assured that the death of our beloved ones is not the final destiny. There is the blissful afterlife waiting, and we shall join our Lord in the resurrection. Though our preachers speak the consoling truth, the way we preach it tends to reduce the eternal life as a permanent retirement place, and the resurrection as extremely remote reality. Another priest once admitted that he was not that handsome, and thus he planned that in the day of resurrection, he would quickly snatch the body of handsome American singer, Justin Bieber! The resurrection is only good for the dead, and it does not mean much for us the living. But, resurrection is really for all of us, here and now.

Going back to the first resurrection in the garden, no Gospel describes how the resurrection takes place. It simply cannot. Yet, there is an empty tomb, and Jesus’ body is missing. Peter is greatly puzzled. Mary Magdalene is weeping bitterly. Only one disciple understands. He is the disciple who loves dearly Jesus and whom Jesus loves. Despite death and emptiness, love endures. Through the eyes of love, the disciple is able to see the resurrection.

Love and its relation to the resurrection go back to the story of human creation in the book of Genesis. We are created in the image of God (Gen 1:26). If God is love (1 Jn 4:8), then we are made in the image of love. More than other creatures, we are designed with the ability to love and to receive love. Not only having the ability to love one another, our nature is even gifted with the ability to be loved by God and to love God. No other creation on earth is able to participate in this most beautiful love affair with the Lord. Unfortunately, sin destroys this love relationship with God and seriously damages our ability to love and be loved. The history of humankind turns to be the history of sins, suffering, and death. Husband and wife hurt each other, brothers kill each other, men exploit women, women sell their children, and men destroy nature. We need redemption.

Out of His immense love, God becomes man so that He may begin His work of redemption. This redemption culminates in Jesus’ resurrection. One of the greatest of resurrection is our ability to love God and to receive God’s love is restored. Thus, John the Beloved Disciple is able to see through the empty tomb and believe in the risen Lord. Just as the grace of resurrection heals John, so the same grace heal us and restore our ability to love God. In the midst of emptiness of life, we are empowered to see the risen Lord. Despite the absurdity of life, we are enabled to transform our sorrows and pains into the opportunity to love more and serve better. Despite pain and death, love endures.

 

Blessed Easter! Happy Resurrection!

 

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Photo by Harry Setianto, SJ

 

 

Palms Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

March 25, 2018

Mark 11:1-10; Mk 14:1—15:47

 

“Though he was in the form of God…Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave…” (Phil. 2:6-7)

 

We are celebrating the Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. In today’s celebration, we have the only liturgical celebration in which two different Gospel readings are read. The first Gospel, usually read outside the Church, is about the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and the second Gospel narrates the Passion of Jesus Christ. Reflecting on the two readings, we listen to two different and even opposing themes: triumph and defeat. These are two fundamental themes, not only in the life of Jesus, but in our lives as well.

The triumphal entry into Jerusalem represents our times of success and great joy. It is when we achieve something precious in our lives. These are moments like when we accomplish our studies, when we gain new and promising work, or when we welcome the birth of a family’s newest member. These are the “Up” events of life. While the Passion story speaks of times of defeat and great sorrow. It is when we experience great losses in our lives. There are moments like when we fail decisive examinations or projects, whenwe lose our jobs, or we experience death in the family. These are the “Down” events of life. Passing through these Upsand Downs of life, Jesus teaches us valuable lessons.  In times of triumph, like Jesus riding on the colt, we are challenged to remain humble and grateful. In moments of defeat, like Jesus who embraces His sufferings, we are invited to patiently bear these moments and offer them to the Lord.

However, there is something more than this. If we read the second reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians (2:6-11), we listen to one of the most beautiful hymns in the New Testament that affirms both the divinity and humanity of Christ. If we believe that Jesus is God become man, then God does not only give us success or allow us to undergo suffering but in Jesus, God experiences what it means to be successful as well as to fail. This point is a radical departure from an image of God that is distant yet controlling, or a kind of a teddy bear that we can hug during crying moments, or a trophy we can parade in our victorious time. Our God is one with us in all our experience of joy and sadness, of triumph and defeat.

In the Book of Genesis chapter 3, we read the first story of human failure. Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent and disobeyed God. It is true that our first parents failed God, and they had to leave the Garden of Eden. Yet, God did not cease to care for them. God made them garments of skin to cloth them, as to cover their nakedness and give them protection. God prepared them to face the harsh life outside the Garden. However, there is something even more remarkable. After Genesis 3, we will never read again about the Garden and what happens inside, but rather the stories of Adam, Eve and their descendants. Why? Because God did not choose to stay in the Garden, and just watch things through a giant LCD monitor, but rather He followed our first parents and walked with them. He accompanied them, struggled with them, cried with them and shared their happiness. Truly, the Bible is a book about God and His people.

As we enter the Holy Week, may we find time to reflect: How is God sharing in our ups and downs? Have we become a good companion to our friends in their ups and downs? Do we accompany Jesus in his way of the cross and resurrection?

 

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Photo by Harry Setianto, SJ