Solemnity of Jesus Christ, the King of Universe
November 20, 2022 [C]
Luke 23:35-43

As we end our liturgical year, the Church is celebrating the solemnity of Jesus the King. Yet, the real question is what kind of king Jesus is? Is He like present day king of England or emperor of Japan, a head of state, a symbol of a nation, yet his power is limited by the constitutions? Is Jesus like ancient kings who wielded limitless power, and their words were laws of the country? So how do we understand the kingship of Jesus and how is it to be the citizen of Jesus’ kingdom?

To answer this, we need to go back to the time of Jesus and even to the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, there is a great king that becomes the model of all kings. His name is David. He was not only a formidable warrior, but also brilliant general who led Israel into many victories. He was a respected and popular leader who united the twelve tribes of Israel, even when he was still thirty (see 2 Sam 5:4). He made Jerusalem as both the political and religious capital of Israel. However, more importantly, he was a righteous king. As a king, he loved the Lord God, and lived according to His Laws. It is true that he abused his power, and committed several grave sins, but he repented and went back to the Lord.

Unfortunately, his successors did not follow his footsteps. They worshiped other gods and involved in various corrupted and immoral practices. Because of this, the kingdom of Israel was declining and eventually destroyed. Israelites were exiled, and many tribes were lost. However, God did not abandon His people, and promised through His prophets that a king like David will come (like in Isa 11, Mic 5 and many others).

Now, is Jesus the promised king like His forefather, David? Like David, Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. Like David, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Like David who united the twelve tribes of Israel, Jesus chose twelve apostles to be ‘the judge of the tribes of Israel’ (see Luk 22:30). Like David who made Jerusalem as his capital, Jesus made Jerusalem as His destination. Yet, the differences are also glaring. Unlike David, Jesus was neither warrior nor general. Unlike David, Jesus practically held no political and economic power. Unlike David who sat on the majestic throne, Jesus was nailed to the cross.

On the cross, Jesus was more like a criminal, slave, and loser. He is the antithesis of all kings. Everyone around Him mocked him, as a useless savior, and impostor king. Yet, in this darkest moment, one of the criminals crucified with Jesus, by divine inspiration, recognized who Jesus was, and asked the single most important question in his life: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom (Luk 23:42).” Then, Jesus promised him paradise.

This is Jesus. He is the king who gives the true paradise, not a paradise built by economic, political powers. Jesus may not free us from sufferings, but as king, He suffers with us. He is a king who does not give us weapons nor earthly benefits, but gives us a power to love radically and rebuild our broken world. He may not send hellfire to our enemies, but He gives the grace to forgive, and to transform our anger into peace.

If we, then, recognize Jesus as our king, it is naturally follows that we shall live according to His Laws as well as make Him as the primary model. Just the ancient Israel relied on David, so we shall depend on Jesus, our king. As earthly kings provide freedom to their people, we shall trust in Jesus, our victory.

Roma
Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]
November 13, 2022
2 Thes 3:7-12 (Luk 21:5-19)

As the end of the liturgical is drawing closer, the Church selects readings that related to the end of time. Now, the question that always appears regarding the end of the world is ‘when’. Truly, we do not know the answer because the Lord does not reveal it to us. Many self-proclaimed prophets have attempted to predict the doomsday, but all failed. Another question that is related to the end of the world is ‘how it’s going to end’. Again, we do not know exactly. Some speculate that a meteorite would hit and destroy the earth, others say that there would be nuclear wars that would decimate all lives, and still others believe in a zombie apocalypse, where a deadly virus would globally spread and turn humans into monsters. Again, these are wild speculations.

However, the real question is not ‘when’ but ‘how it happens’, but ‘how’ we prepare ourselves for the end time.’ Fortunately, we have St. Paul to help us. St. Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians (our second reading), gives a strong rebuke to those lazy Christians. The reason why they were acting like busybodies but actually doing nothing is interestingly related to the eschatology (fancy word for theology of end time). They believed that Christ would come soon during their lives time, and thus, it would be unnecessary for them to work meaningfully. They just waited, ate and slept. This theology is not acceptable to Paul, and he reminded them, “if a man does not work, he shall not eat (2 Thes 3:10).”

The second coming of Jesus is fundamental to St. Paul’s theology, but it does not make him lazy at all. In fact, he worked tirelessly both as a tent-maker and as an apostle. Even when in prison, he did not cease preaching and proclaiming the good news. These he did are to follow the example of our Lord Jesus. Reading through the four gospels we can easily see that Jesus is a man of action. He worked as a carpenter, taught as a Rabbi, and worked miracles as a Son of God. In His rest and quite time, Jesus spent it in prayer and in union with the Father. Even in His suffering and death, He carried His cross and made sure that the salvation is offered to all of us. Laziness is abnormality in our Christian DNA.

While it is true that our redemption is a free gift from God, it is never cheap. Our faith in Jesus is never passive acceptance, but dynamic and growing response. Yes, we do not earn our salvation, but essential to our faith is the growth in holiness and labours of love. St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that those who do not work meaningfully, shall not eat the bread. We can also apply this to us, “Those who do not work the labour of love, shall not eat the spiritual bread.”

In the celebration of the Eucharist, there is part called the preparation of the gifts. Here, the priest prepares the bread and the wine, and he then says, “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.” The prayer is a simple but profound. It teaches us the bread is coming from God’s goodness. Yet, God wants us and all creations to participate in the forming the bread. Till such point, that the bread is ready to offer back to God in Christ. The bread (and the wine) are the symbol of salvation. It is coming from God, but He wants us actively participate in the process of maturing. To such moment, that we are to offer it back to God.

Thus the best way to prepare the end is not to be lazy.

Rome
Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]
November 6, 2022
Luke 20:27-38

In today’s Gospel, the Sadducees attempt to test Jesus. Sadducees are a religious faction in first-century Judaism like the Pharisees, but unlike the more popular Pharisees, they only hold Torah as the only valid source of Jewish religious teachings and practices, and refuse the writings of the prophets, the wisdom books, and later traditions. One of their main teachings is that they do not believe in the resurrection of the body. Jesus and the Pharisees though always in debate, they share in a common fundamental belief in the bodily resurrection. Later on, the resurrection of the body will be one of the Christian core beliefs.

Thus, to ridicule this kind of belief, the Sadducees are using the practice of the levirate marriage. In the Law of Moses, there is a practice to secure the bloodline and inheritance of a man who does not have any offspring. As a solution, the brothers or relatives of the diseased man will marry the widow and produce offspring in his behalf. Then, the Sadducees move to checkmate position. “In the resurrection, whose husband, this woman be?” There will be confusion in heaven!

Yet, Jesus makes it crystal clear that in the resurrection, men and women are living like angels, and marriage is no longer needed. There will be no confusion in heaven. However, we can go deeper and ask, “If marriage is no longer necessary in heaven, why do we need to have it here on earth?

The first answer is that marriage is a biological necessity, like the need to eat, to rest, and to breath. It is necessary for our survival, especially as a species on earth. Yet, if marriage is just biological need, then why does the Church honor greatly the marriage? Why does the devil and his cohorts try their best to destroy the traditional institution of marriage? Marriage must not be only about biology, but also God’s design for men and women. Marriage is not just biological or cultural motivated, but divinely planned. Yet, if marriage is part of God’s plan, why does it cease in heaven?

The answer lays on the purpose of marriage itself. Marriage is a means for men and women to give themselves totally in love. It empowers us to go beyond ourselves and love radically. It is a way of holiness, a staircase to heaven. Now, if we have reached our goal in heaven, then the marriage, as the means, is no longer necessary. Marriage has served its purpose.

This is the reason that holy marriage is fundamental on earth. The Savior also raises the dignity of marriage to a sacrament because it is truly a means of holiness (see CCC 1601), just like the sacrament of baptism or penance. Before men and women become like angels, we must live fully as human persons on earth, and one of the best ways to make us live fully as men and women of God is marriage.

Rome
Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]
October 30,
Luke 19:1-10

In time of Jesus, tax collector is considered a grave sinner because they are colluding with the Roman occupiers, and often, they are involved in various dirty activities to enrich themselves. On the top of that, the tax collectors tend not to observe the laws of Moses as often, they work on Sabbath. Now, Zacchaeus is the chief tax collector of important city Jericho. Indeed, he is one of the richest guys in town, but at the same time, the most hated person.

Luke also describes Zacchaeus as ‘short’ in stature. The Greek word is ‘μικρὸς’ (mikros), that simply means ‘small’. Zacchaeus is a small man. We do not know how small he is, but he is not tall enough for the average Jewish men at that time. Thus, when Jesus passes by, he is not able to overcome the heights of other Jewish people swarming Jesus. He then takes the initiative to climb a tree, and to his surprise, Jesus takes notice of him. It seems that Jesus has been waiting for him. In the end, it is not Zacchaeus that is looking for us, but Jesus is the one searching Zacchaeus, one of His lost sheep.

There are several things to ponder. If Zacchaeus is truly rich and powerful figure, why don’t he hire some bodyguards as to open the way to Jesus? Why don’t he send someone to invite Jesus? He has the power and wealth to facilitate his way to Jesus, but he chooses the more arduous way, that is, to climb the sycamore tree. The real answer remains mystery, but by climbing the tree, he finds his Lord and salvation. Interestingly, what Zacchaeus does, prefigures what Jesus will do in Jerusalem. He will ‘climb’ the tree of the cross, and from there, He brings redemption to whole world.

If Adam and Eve ate the fruits of the forbidden tree because they were tempted to take the shortcut and be like ‘god’, Jesus, the true God, carries the tree of the cross, ‘climbs’ the tree and from the tree, He gives us His life for our redemption. Zacchaeus follows the footsteps of Jesus, and climbs the tree to overcome his smallness and finds his God. Like Zacchaeus who discovers that the Lord has been waiting for him, we are also invited to climb our trees, to see our Lord who has been giving His life for us.

What is our tree? This can be the tree of sufferings and trials. This may be financial instabilities, health problems, difficult relations in the family, or failures in life. These things make us feel that we are small, short, and crammed, and worse, unable to see Jesus. Yet, if we are faithfully carrying the life’s trials, and spiritually unite our sufferings with the suffering of Christ in the cross, we believe that it would not be useless. Jesus is on the tree of the cross, and He is waiting for those, like Zacchaeus, makes humble effort to climb the tree.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]

October 23, 2022

Luke 18:9-14

In the communication, there are three constitutive elements: the sender, the medium and the recipient. Arguably, the most crucial among the three is the recipient because everything changes when the recipient changes. For example, we cannot speak the same way to children as to old people, though we talk the same topic. It is the same with prayer. If prayer is a communication with God, then the kind of God we have in mind, will dramatically affect our prayer. If we consider God as our loving father, then we can approach Him as his children with confidence. If we see God as an instant troubleshooter, we may seek Him only if we have problems. Now, pride or arrogance is one of the deadliest sins precisely because it destroys the true image of God in our hearts. How is it possible?

Jesus masterfully explains the relation between prayer, pride and humility through His parable. The parable looks simple, but as always, there is more than what meets the eyes. Jesus compares two well-known figures in ancient Israel, the righteous Pharisee, and the sinful tax collector. Both are praying in the Temple, though in opposite manners: the Pharisee in prideful fashion, and the tax collector in humble way. But, how do you know that the Pharisee prays with pride, and the tax collector with humility?

It is not because he is standing closer to the altar. It is not because he is listing the good things he has done or received. The problem lays on the receipt of his prayer. If we read carefully, he is actually praying ‘to himself’. In some translations, this is not obvious, but if we go back to original Greek, the phrase used is ‘πρὸς ἑαυτὸν’ [pros eauton], and it simply means ‘to himself’. We all well know that we pray and worship God alone, but here, the Pharisee prays to himself. Thus, we can infer that the god of this Pharisee is no other than himself. The core issue with pride is that make ourselves as gods. In truth, we were created in the image of God, but in pride, we fashion god in our images. That is idolatry. Pride is extremely dangerous because it leads us to idolatry.

The tax collector became the model of humility because he prays to the one and true God. Standing before the true God, he recognizes who he is, a mere dust, a terrible sinner. Yet, it is not hopeless, because in humility, the tax collector also realizes who his God is, the just and merciful God.  He goes home justified because neither because he is standing at the back,  nor he strikes his chest as strongly as possible. It is because he prays for mercy to the true God, and the true God never fails to answer.

Some points of reflections: Indeed, we pray to God, but is He the true God? Or, do we pray to ourselves, to a god we created in our likeness and desire? What kind of image of God do we have in our hearts? Do we make God as our kind of genie that grants all our wishes? Do we use God to show off?  Does pride secretly interferes in our prayers and relationship with God? Do we have the humility to throw away our false idols, and allow the true God reigns in our lives?

Rome

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP