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Second Sunday of Advent [C]

December 5, 2021

Luke 3:1-6

On the second Sunday of Advent, we encounter John the Baptist. He is one of the most prominent and impactful figures in the Gospel. The four evangelists mentioned him and often described him as a fearless man who even dared to challenge the most powerful man in Galilee, Herod Antipas. From the desert, he went and positioned himself in a strategic position in the Jordan valley. That was the major passageway that connected Jerusalem with the rest of Israel, and John seized the moment to preach the coming of Messiah. We could imagine his strong voice thundered throughout the valley and shook every heart who listened.

The Messiah is coming, and His way must be prepared. Yet, one does not prepare His arrival with a red carpet, a flower garland, or a grand musical parade. He will not come and check the honor guards. He does not need external preparation but demands internal transformation. Thus, John shouted with a loud voice, “Repent!”

One question may keep us wondering: why did John baptize people? To baptize means to wash with water and washing oneself with water was a common Jewish ritual to cleanse oneself from ritual uncleanliness. Jewish pilgrims would wash themselves before they entered the Temple of Jerusalem, and there were many small pools for this purpose called ‘mikvah’. One tradition recognized that John was coming from a Jewish sect named Essenes. This group was famous for its strict adherence to the Law of Moses. In fact, they had an extreme measure when it came to ritual purity, and they would take a ritual bath several times a day. If this tradition is true, John knew too well how important baptism was.

However, John did not simply repeat the old Jewish purification ritual. In fact, He revolutionized it. John baptized people with water as an external sign of internal repentance. For John, it would be useless if people go to the Temple and perform various rituals, but their hearts are far from the Lord.

John the Baptist brings to mind the core of Advent: the spiritual preparation for the coming of Jesus. We recognize that Advent is the season of preparation for Christ’s coming, but often, we do not know how exactly to prepare. Sometimes, we are spending our time and money to buy gifts, to prepare Christmas decorations and to plan for holidays. Sometimes, we are busy practicing for Christmas services, or ready ourselves for parties and celebrations. Yet, if we forget to prepare spiritually, we may lose everything.

The liturgical color of Advent is purple, and the very same purple that we use in the Lenten season. If the purple in Lent means the color of repentance, the purple of Advent has the same character. As John the Baptist reminded the people of his time to prepare the way for the Messiah by change of hearts, the Church also calls us to prepare the coming of our Lord with repentance and spiritual exercises.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

First Sunday of Advent [C]

November 28, 2021

Luk 21:25-28, 34-36

We are entering the season of Advent. The word of Advent comes from the Latin word ‘Adventus’ meaning ‘coming.’ Thus, from its name, we easily understand that it is the season dedicated to preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ. Generally, Advent makes us ready for the joyful celebration of Christmas, the Birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. Yet, this season is also reminding us of the second coming of Christ at the end of time, Parousia. This is the reason that the Church chooses the Gospel that speaks about the coming of the Son of Man at the end of time today.

While it is true that we do not know when the hour is, and perhaps it will not be happening during our lifetimes, it remains true that all of us will die and face a private judgment before God. Some of us will experience dying moments, but some others will not have the privilege to pass through this dying stage. Thus, the Advent season is called for all of us to always be ready. How are we preparing ourselves?

Jesus provides us with His precious instructions. The first step is that we must be aware of inordinate attachment to worldly pleasures, drunkenness, and excessive worriedness. Worldly pleasures are not evil in themselves, and in fact, there is part of God’s good creation. What makes them dangerous is when we are addicted to them, and making them our priorities, instead of God. Drunkenness is dangerous because we intentionally intoxicate ourselves. When we are under the influence of alcohol, we become irrational, and we are open to many sins. We are also warned of excessive worry. Anxiety is not a mortal as drunkenness, but it greatly inhibits our spiritual growth towards God. Our anxiety shows our lack of faith in God and excessive reliance on ourselves.

The second step is to train and strengthen ‘our spiritual muscles’. Jesus gives us specific instructions: keep vigilant and praying. Doing vigil is basically fasting from sleep. To have a good rest is surely a pleasure, but we intentionally deprive ourselves of it so we can provide more time in prayer. This is a kind of fasting that is intimately related to prayer, and purposedly to train our spiritual strength amid sleepiness and human weakness. In fact, a vigil is one of the most favorite forms of prayer among the saints. After the night prayer with the community, St. Dominic de Guzman often stayed at the chapel and spent more time in prayer. Some brothers who witnessed his vigil reported that St. Dominic often prostrated himself before the altar in the form of a cross or wept for the poor sinners at the feet of the altar. Yet, it was recorded also that he fell asleep and spent the night inside the chapel with the Lord. Through years of spiritual practices, his spiritual strength grew exponentially, and he was known as the indefatigable champion of the faith. His spiritual strength manifested excellently in his dying moment. At his dying bed, he said to his brethren, “Do not cry for me. I will be more useful when I am in heaven.”

Thus, from Jesus, we have twofold preparation to welcome Him: to detach from earthly pleasures and concerns and to grow in prayer and holiness.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe [B]
November 21, 2021
John 18:33-37

Christ the King Sunday is the ultimate Sunday of the Liturgical Year. The feast is a fitting reminder for all of us that, in the end, Jesus is our king. Yet, we do not have any idea what it means to be a subject to a king for many of us. Some may have kings or queens as their heads of state, but ordinarily, they do not involve in our daily lives. In fact, we have only very few absolute monarchs in the world, like the Sultan of Brunei, King of Saudi Arabia, and the Pope!

Living in modern societies, we cherish and value personal freedom and autonomy. We fight for our fundamental rights, and we go to the courts to demand justice. The violations of human rights are considered serious crimes. We decide how we want to be governed by electing our desired public officials. We choose where, how, and with whom we want to live. Those who want to limit our freedom are tyrants and dictators. Thus, when we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, this royal title of Jesus does not mean too much for us. We can easily relate to Jesus as our friend and brother, but not Jesus as our king.

Yet, in the Gospel, Jesus as a king is one of His most fundamental identities. Jesus is called the Christ, meaning the anointed one, and this title refers primarily to a king like King David. Jesus begins His ministry by building the Kingdom of God and chooses twelve apostles as the new tribes of Israel. His actions only make sense if Jesus is the king of that kingdom. In today’s Gospel, Pilate asks Jesus whether He is a king, and Jesus gives His affirmative answer. On the cross, the repented criminal says to Jesus, “remember me when you come as a king!” In fact, on His cross, His identity is written, “Jesus King of the Jews.”

What does it mean to have Jesus as our king? Why does it matter to us? The answer is that it is all that matters. Jesus is not only a king, just like any other kings, but He is also the author of our being. He designs our nature that we will only arrive at our true purpose in God. Thus, accepting Jesus as our king, and living according to His plans, is our sure path to true glory and happiness.

The devil knows this too well, and he seduced our first parents to believe that they can be ‘gods’ without God. The same strategy is still employed today, and we are made to think that freedom apart from God is what we need. We are trying to control everything in our lives, boost our egos, and play little gods. Yet, this is the source of our frustration, worries and unhappiness. Only when we die to ourselves and once again allow Jesus to reign in our hearts, we are the freest and authentic.
Live Christ the King!

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]

November 14, 2021

Mark 13:24-32

We are nearing the end of the year. We are in the middle of November, and we are going to end 2021. At the same time, we are at the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, and next week, we will celebrate Christ the King, the ultimate Sunday of the Liturgical year. Thus, the Church provides us with the Gospel that speaks about the end.

Jesus was with his disciples on the Mount of Olive just at the east side of Jerusalem, facing the Temple. One of His disciples claimed that the Temple was magnificently built, and indeed, it turned to be one of the ancient wonders. The building was constructed by putting together thousand massive stones. One stone block could even reach more than 10 tons. Not only imposingly grand, but it was also majestic. The gold and precious stones adorned this holy structure. No wonder if people would expect that the Temple would last forever.

However, Jesus disagreed. He pronounced His judgment over Jerusalem, and the Temple would be burned and destroyed just within a generation after Jesus. Indeed, Jesus’ judgment became a reality when in 70 AD, Titus and his Roman army besieged and eventually razed Jerusalem to the ground. Josephus, a Jewish historian, narrated that a hundred people were crucified every day during the siege and people inside the city resorted to cannibalism to survive. The Temple was burning, and after some time, the most beautiful edifice in ancient times was nothing but ruins and rubbles.

Why did Jesus pronounce such terrible judgment to the city of Jerusalem, to the sacred place in Israel? Jerusalem, especially the elders, rejected Jesus, and refusing Jesus means to deny God Himself. This was not, however, that the first time. In the Old Testament, the prophets kept warning the Israelites to return to God. However, most of the time, Israel, represented by its kings and priests, declined the call and even persecuted the prophets of God. The Kingdom of Israel was eventually facing its judgment. The Assyrian empire decimated the northern kingdom in 721 BC, and the Babylonian empire exiled the southern kingdom in 587 BC.

Jesus was not acting like a pessimistic prophet of doom. Jesus resurrected the message of the prophets. The message of the Gospel is repentance. We are called to believe in Jesus, which is not only in our lips but also in our lives. Jesus criticized the religious leaders in His time, both the priests and the laity. They performed their religious duties for a show but secretly committed crimes against the poor of Israel. If we fail to repent, we might court the same disaster.

Often, I hear some people say, ‘I will confess my sins when I am old.” Or, “I do not need to change because when I am dying, I will receive the anointing of the sick, and I will go to heaven.” This kind of thinking is dangerous. Why? Firstly, it is an abuse of grace, a severe sin. Secondly, if we do not repent now, the more obstinate, we become, and the harder it is to get out from our vices.

Jesus’ judgment might be about the end of Jerusalem and the world, but the core is about repentance here and now.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]
November 7, 2021
Mark 12:38-44

We have two main characters in our Gospel today. The first one is the scribes and then the poor widow. The scribes are the elite class of the ancient Israelite society. They are the learned ones because they know how to read and write, extremely precious skills during those times. Their ability to access the Torah makes them powerful because they read and teach the Law, and ordinary people should listen to them. At the other end of the spectrum, we have the poor widow. Being a woman in the time of Jesus is undoubtedly not the best time. Women generally are not allowed to possess or inherit properties. This causes them to rely heavily on their male family members, like their father, siblings, or husbands. Thus, if a woman loses her husband, she loses her protector and provider, and a widow with no sons is the neediest. But, here comes the surprise.

Jesus praises the poor widow because her poverty and misery do not stop her from becoming generous. Perhaps, she offers to the Lord the last two small coins she has, and she may go hungry for the rest of the day. Yet, her love and faith in God are enormous. She does not hold to her life-saving coins, but she trusts that God will take care of her.

Meanwhile, without a second thought, Jesus condemns the scribes. Jesus reveals His reason: the scribes are at the top of the Israelite society and Jewish religious hierarchy, but they care about their self-interests. They use every opportunity to advance their glories and fame. They desire the best seats, the highest place, and the greatest honor from the people around them. This megalomanic tendency can be tolerated, but there is one thing that is almost unforgivable. By using their knowledge of the Law, they are manipulating and exploiting the poor neighbors. There is a possibility that the poor widow is one of their victims. No wonder that Jesus calls them ‘the devourers of the poor widows. With their privileges and wisdom, they are supposed to aid and improve the lives of the poor Israelites. Yet, they do the opposite and turn to cause greater suffering for these simple people. They are masters of the Law, but they stand in direct opposition to God’s Law, “Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan” [Exo 22:22].

Today’s Gospel is a slap on the face for many of us, especially for the people who are entrusted with God’s Word, with positions of authority in the Church, and with the power of the sacraments. Time and again, Jesus reminds His disciples that the first shall be the servant of all. The higher the position is, the greater love and service will be, especially to the poor and the needy. As priests, we must be responsible for using Church’s properties and goods, we are called to serve with dedication, we are to offer our lives for the people, otherwise, we shall commit grave injustice to the people of God. We pray that we will not receive the same condemnation as the scribes.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP