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14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]

July 3, 2022

Luke 9:1-12, 17-20

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is sending His seventy disciples for a mission. Yes, we are reading it correctly; it is not just twelve disciples, but seventy. While we are used to the celebrated mission of the Twelve, Luke informs us about the less famous mission of the seventy. We are not sure who are these people. Perhaps, Matthias, who would replace Judas, was among them, but the rest we are almost clueless. However, for sure, these are people who have the same commitment, dedication, and passion like the big names, Peter, John, Andrew, and Matthew. These are the people who let ‘the dead’ bury their dead parents [see Luk 9:59]. These are the disciples that follow Jesus, leave everything and are willing to be dispatched into a difficult mission to preach the Kingdom, to heal the sick, and to drive out the demons.

We might also ask why seventy? If Twelve apostles represent the twelve tribes of Israel, what will the seventy signify? Surprisingly, when we go back to the Old Testament, seventy is also a significant figure. It is the sum number of the descendants of Jacob who migrated to Egypt [Gen. 46:27]. It was the number of the elders who were elected to help Moses in his task in leading Israel and to offer sacrifice in the wilderness [Exo 24:1]. Thus, seventy become the symbol of both Israel itself and the leaders of Israel. According to Jewish tradition, seventy is also the number of nations that came down from Noah [see Gen 11]. By choosing and commissioning His seventy disciples, Jesus sends His message to the world that He is establishing His New Israel with its leaders, and this Israel will include all people from all nation.

The story of the seventy disciples reminds us that the disciples of Jesus are not just the twelve. They are many others who have the same level of commitment like the Twelve yet somehow forgotten. While the Twelve represents the well-known figures of the Church like the pope and the bishops, the seventy bring to mind the nameless yet countless priests, religious men and women, and laity who are tirelessly building up the Body of Christs.

Some priests are popular among the laity because of their stormy preaching or funny homily, or actively engaged in social media, but they are countless priests who dedicate their lives to serve God’s people in the rural areas, in the middle of the tropical jungles, or in secluded islands. Perhaps, many of us do not even recognize the name of the priests who baptized us, who made us children of God! Surely, we possess Catholic laypeople who are influential in the society. We are proud of them because they are successful statesmen, businessmen, professionals, athletes, or entertainers that fearlessly acknowledge their Catholic before the public. Yet, the majority of the lay people are serving the Church and the societies without much noise. Perhaps, we do not recognize the names of catechists who teach us faith, or of Sunday School teachers who prepare us for the first communion. Definitely many of us are Catholic parents who dedicate our lives to raise God-fearing kids, but sometimes, misunderstood and unappreciated by our own children.

Our works and service may not be recognized in the eyes of the world, yet Jesus says, ‘do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.’ Afterall, holiness is a quiet yet meaningful journey.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 26, 2022
Luke 9:51-62

Anger is integral part of human emotions. Since it is part of our humanity, anger as our emotion is God’s gift. Yet, just like other God’s gifts to us, anger serves both as a blessing or a curse. It goes back to our decision to how we will express it.

In today’s Gospel, James and his brother, John were infuriated that Jesus, their beloved master, was not welcome by the Samaritans. They even claimed, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them? [Luk 9:54]” We are not sure whether James and John literally had the power to send fire from heaven, or it is just an expression that they would retaliate in a violent manner. Yet, Jesus rebuked them, and worse things were averted.

Yet, who are these Samaritans and why were Jesus’ disciples so irritated with them? The Jews and the Samaritans shared a long and yet problematic history. It begins with 10 Israelite tribes that seceded from the Kingdom of David after Solomon passed away. They formed the Northern kingdom, and later, their capital was at Samaria. While two tribes who were loyal to the David’s line, called themselves the Southern kingdom. Unfortunately, in 722 BC, the Assyrian empire came and crushed Samaria. Many of them were exiled to Assyria, and the empire brought people from other nations to settle in former Northern kingdom’s land. Thus, the interactions between the foreign immigrants and the Israelite remnants were unavoidable. Israelites from the South recognized the Samaritans as foreigners, mixed breeds, or idolators, while the Samaritan continued to believe that they are the remnants of the 10 tribes of Israel. In time of Jesus, the Samaritan would harass the Jewish pilgrims going to Jerusalem, while the Jewish people refused entry to their towns for the Samaritan.

With the long enmity and sour incident, James and John had the right to get angry, but why then did Jesus rebuke them instead? It is interesting to note that in the future encounters, Samaritans would receive Jesus and believe in Him [John 4; Act 8]. Jesus knew well that Samaritan was not a hopeless case, yet more importantly, anger-turn-violence is not the solution. Jesus recognized anger is integral to our human nature, but violence brings more anger. It is vicious cycle.

Often, we only know violence as expressions of anger. Some of our parents disciplined us using harsh words, and sometimes physical violence. A husband uses his violence to dominate his control over his wife. In the schools, sometimes, we find other students who bully us. When we are online, we read all kind of cursing, body shaming, and vulgar words and pictures. In the workplaces, people with higher positions vent their wrath to those who are in the lower position. Abortion is one of the most brutal act of parents to their unborn babies.

How then do we prevent our anger turning violence? Firstly, we need to recognize and own our anger. Do not suppress it because suppression is another kind of violence towards ourselves. Secondly, we ask what the root of our anger is. Is it justifiable? Or is it coming from our pride? Thirdly, we think for the best options to express our anger. Surely, it is not easy, especially when violent ways are deeply rooted in our characters. Yet, we can always rely on God’s grace, and start with small and simple steps.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi [C]
June 19, 2022
Luke 9:11-17

The feast of Corpus Christi draws our intentions into the one of the greatest mysteries. In the Eucharist, especially when the priest says the words of consecration and lifts the bread and the chalice of wine, the greatest miracle takes place before our eyes. The sacrifices are no longer bread and wine, but the Body and the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since the living body and blood cannot be separated from humanity of Christ, we receive the entire humanity of Jesus. Sine the humanity of Jesus cannot be severed from His divinity, we have the entire humanity and divinity of Christ. In the Eucharist, we partake the totality of Christ.

How is it possible? The greatest minds the Church has ever had tried to explore the mystery. St. Thomas Aquinas has distilled the saints and the genius before him, and he came up with a fancy term, ‘transubstantiation.’ Simply put, the substance of bread and wine are changed into the substance of the Body and Blood of Jesus, while the old appearances remain. When we ask ‘what is it?’ we no longer answer bread and wine, but the Body and Blood of Christ, despite what we see is the appearance of bread and wine. How is it possible? The only answer is miracle!

It seems like non-sense, but our faith tells us that nothing is impossible for God. If God could and did create the universe [or multiverse], if God could fashion the hierarchy of angels, if God is sustaining sub-atomic particles and prevents them going back to nothingness, if God could make a miracle called life, God can easily bend time and space and be present in the Eucharist.

In fact, this is the greatest miracle. In the Gospel, Jesus performed miracle of the multiplication of bread for five thousand men. Jesus’ miracle is just second to the miracle of manna in Exodus, where God provided food for thousand Israelites in the desert for forty years. Yet, even these miracles fail in comparison to Eucharist. Why? While the miracle of Manna in Exodus and the multiplication of bread in the Gospel are off-the-chart miracles, they primarily address human biological needs, or bodily hunger. The Eucharist, in the other hand, does not primarily solve the world hunger, but fills the deeper spiritual hunger.

The more fundamental question is why? As Jesus promised, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day [John 6:54]” The Eucharist is for us and for our salvation. God so loves us to the point that He became a man like us, and not only becoming a man, He offers His life as a sign of His most profound love. Yet, for Him, the cross is not enough. He keeps giving His body and blood, His total self to us. There is no greater love that to lay down one’s life for one’s friends [John 15:13], and Jesus offers His life again and again in the Eucharist. This is how much God loves us!

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Trinity Sunday [C]

June 12, 2022

John 16:12-15

Sunday after the Pentecost Sunday is dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity. it generally turns to be the most dreaded Sunday for many preachers. The truth is indeed difficult to understand, to the point that many priests have neither courage to preach nor proper knowledge to explain. Yet, the Church insists that once a year we go deeper into the mystery of all mysteries, the truth of all truths. Thus, we begin with simple question: why Trinity?

The answer is not difficult. It is the Truth! It is the Truth that God Himself reveals to us through the Scriptures and the Tradition. Why not teaching a simple concept about God, why giving the people a high complex understanding of God? The simpler truth is not truer than the more complex truth. A simple additional is not truer than sophisticated calculus. In fact, oversimplistic truth can lead to errors.

There are at least three basic errors or heresies about Trinity. The first one is polytheism. Christianity is not polytheistic religion. Trinity is not three gods or tritheism. The holy Trinity is one God in three divine person. The second error is modalism. This teaches that there is only one God and He uses three ‘modes’ of existence or appearance. God appears to be the Father when He created, to be the Son when He saves us, and to be the Holy Spirit when He sanctifies us. It is like a water. Sometimes, water is in the state of liquid, but it can be also solid or gas. Thus, the distinction of the divine persons are not real. The third and final heresy is Arianism. This teaching comes from Arius, a priest of Alexandria, in the fourth century. Simply put, Arius taught that Father is the only true God, while the Son and the Holy Spirit are real, but not the true God.

So, how do we get the correction understanding of Trinity? To help us, we shall need a little help from the Fathers of the Church who employ the terms ‘nature’ and ‘person.’ They seem complicated, but they are actually not. Nature answers the question ‘WHAT is it?’ while person answers ‘WHO is it?’ For example: what is Joseph? Joseph is a man. Who is that man? He is Joseph. Joseph’s nature is human, and Joseph is a person.

Let us apply this to God. What are the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit? One God. They are not three gods, because the divine nature cannot be divided, and each possesses the divine nature perfectly. Who is this God? The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. One divine What in three divine Whos!

The truth is a hard to swallow, but we continue to live and honor this greatest mystery because in the end, we are going to live in this divine love of the Holy Trinity.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Pentecost [C]

June 5, 2022

John 14:15-16, 23-26

The Pentecost is the traditional day of the birth of the Church. If the many scholars agree that Jesus’ crucifixion and death falls on April 4, 33 AD, the date of resurrection is April 6 of the same year. From here, we can trace the date of the first Pentecost. Fifty days later is May 25, 33 AD. So we have the date! Yet, the more fundamental question is why do we consider Pentecost as Church’s birthday?

The main reason is the Holy Spirit. During the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit filled the disciples’ hearts and the minds with His divine presence and His gifts. The first gift is preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The gift of speaking in different languages is indeed amazing, yet before this miracle, the Holy Spirit empowered them to share the Good News.

If we try to look back, the disciples were terrified and confused. Jesus, their beloved teacher, and the expected Messiah was suddenly arrested, and swiftly condemned to death. Jesus’ followers were scattered, and the community of disciples was broken. One betrayed Jesus, another denied Him, and the rest were running away like cowards. Even, after they received the news of resurrection, they kept afraid and were even more puzzled.  Jesus had to come in person to show the proof of the resurrection as well as to forgive them, to strengthen them, and to teach them the meaning of His passion and resurrection. However, despite the risen Lord’s presence, there remained an innate fear and uncertainty of their future.

When the promised Holy Spirit came, courage and wisdom entered their hearts. The Spirit empowered them to break out from the prison of fear, and to preach that Jesus Christ is Lord. We look at Simon Peter. When his personal safety was threatened, he was quick to deny His beloved master, not only twice, but thrice.  Together with other disciples, Peter hid themselves from the Jewish authorities in the upper room. He even had a difficult time to understand the meaning of resurrection. However, after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, cowardly Simon turned to be a new person. Before the people, he fearlessly proclaimed that Jesus is the Savior and God. During the day of Pentecost, he preached and three thousand people who listened to him became believers!

Surely, it is not only Simon Peter, but also other disciples, and thus the Church. From the day of Pentecost, the disciples did not only stay in Jerusalem, but they went to different places in around the world. Peter went to Rome, Andrew became a missionary to Greece, Thomas reached as far as India. Without the Holy Spirit, the disciples had not dared to go and preach; without preaching, there would not be new disciples; without growth, there would not be the Church. This is the reason that the day of Pentecost is the birthday of the Church.

Yet, the Holy Spirit does not stop working at the first Pentecost. He continues giving us growth to us, the Church. Through the baptism we received the Spirit Holy that makes us children of God. During the confirmation, the Holy Spirit transforms us to be the courageous witnesses of Christ. In the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit comes and brings us the Body and Blood of Jesus. If we believe that Jesus is the Lord, it is the Holy Spirit. If we keep believing in Jesus, despite many difficulties, it is the Holy Spirit. If we are able to forgive our enemies, it is the Holy Spirit. If we are able to stay faithful to our vocations, it is the Holy Spirit.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP