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12th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]
June 20, 2021
Mark 4:35-41

In today’s Gospel, Jesus and His disciples crossed the sea of Galilea. The lake of Galilea was a body of fresh water in northern Israel. The lake provided a fish famously named after St. Peter and a connecting water highway to different towns around the lake. It has become the socio-economic center of Galilea. No wonder many people living here were fishermen, including some of Jesus’ disciples. Many of them spent their adult lives in and around the sea of Galilea. The lake was their home and their livelihood. However, there were times that the lake behaved in unpredictable ways and turned to be a place of great danger. Even Simon and James, the most seasoned fishermen, were powerless before the mighty storm. Their home soon may become their graveyard.

The disciples saw Jesus sleeping, and indeed, it was a weird scene to behold. Yet, the disciples instinctively woke their Master up and expressed their fear. Jesus responded to their call and ordered the wind and the sea to calm down. The sea and the wind immediately obeyed! Jesus proved Himself not just as the wonder-healer, but He is the Master of nature and creations. In the Old Testament, only God stands above the mighty waters. Only God can control and command the ocean because God is their creator. Seeing this phenomenal display of power, the disciples became more afraid. They were not only facing the storm, but they are encountering the Lord of the storms.

Often, we are like the apostles sailing through our familiar territory, yet we suddenly face unexpected and crushing storms. We believe that we are doing fine in our works or business, but surprisingly the pandemic hits us hard, and we are losing our financial stability. We used to have a great family and relatives, but suddenly, we must face a bitter reality that covid-19 kills one of our loved ones. We are having a wonderful and growing ministry and community, but now, we cannot gather and serve, and we are losing our direction.

We are afraid, and we are disoriented. Perhaps, we need to do what the apostles did: to call louder and cry harder to God. Yet, to our surprise, the Lord of all storms is just there with us in the same boat all along. He allows us to face mighty storms, to test our faith. Yet, He never leaves us but just appeared to be sleeping.

As a priest, the most challenging moment in my ministry is when I need to preach in a funeral mass for those people who die an untimely death. What should I say to the parents? What should I offer when God seems to be silent? What shall I bring when prayers seem unanswered? As I struggle with the mystery of suffering and death, Iike the pious Job, I ask the Lord for the answer. And just like to the disciples, Jesus’ response is, “Why are you afraid? Do you not yet have faith?” Through these times of crisis and trials, we are called to have even greater faith to see that even the most tremendous storms in our lives are under His command, and these take place as His providential care for us.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]

June 13, 2021

Mark 4:25-34

The Kingdom of God is arguably the core of Jesus’ gospel. At the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, His first sentence was, “This is the time of fulfilment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel [Mar 1:15].” Jesus’ mission is certainly to express love, save us from our sins, and so we will be able to partake in the life of God. To achieve this mission, He was establishing the Kingdom of God. Since Jesus is God, we can say that the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Jesus. No wonders, we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King because He is the head of the Kingdom of God.

Yet, the real question is, what is the Kingdom of God? We shall go back a little to the Old Testament. In 2 Samuel 7, David was planning to build the house of God, the Temple in Jerusalem, but God, through the prophet Nathan, told David that instead of David constructing God’s house, it was God who would build the house of David. God promised that God would establish the Kingdom of David’s son, and the throne of his Kingdom would reign forever. However, if we learn the history, we are aware that after Solomon, the Kingdom of David was divided and declining. The northern Kingdom was demolished in 721 BC by the Assyrian empire, and the southern Kingdom was destroyed in 587 BC by the Babylonian superpower. Many Israelites were exiled and deported far from their homeland. Where was the promise of God to David?

Thus, when Jesus came and preached the Kingdom, many Jews were asking, “Is this the promised Kingdom? Is He for the real deal or just another mad man?” To the public, Jesus did not give a straightforward answer but parables. These parables both hide and reveal the truth of the Kingdom of God. For those who hated Jesus, these parables were just bizarre stories. For those who expected Jesus to be the militaristic messiah, these parables were confusing. ‘The kingdom of God should be like a mighty cedar tree, not like a mustard!’ However, for those disciples who believed in Jesus, these parables revealed the great mystery of the Kingdom.

Introducing the Kingdom of God like a mustard seed indeed shocked the people who hoped for the empires like Egypt or Rome. Surprisingly, the Kingdom of Jesus indeed behaved like mustard. It began with Jesus and His small and imperfect companions, but it gradually and slowly filled the whole world. The Kingdom does not conquer other nations with military and political maneuvering, and, like its head, the Kingdom has been subjected to countless cruel persecutions. However, despite the setback and trials, the Kingdom continues to grow and become the most prominent human community on the earth.

As part of the Kingdom of God, this is excellent news. We do not have to believe that we are majestic oak tree or mighty cedar and think that we can do everything with our strength. Otherwise, when we fail, we will get depressed. Yet, if we consider ourselves nothing but mustard seeds, we allow trials and failures to be part of our lives and let God work wonders. That is how amazing our God is.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Solemnity of the Body dan Blood of Christ [Corpus Christi] – B
June 6, 2021
Mark 14:12-16;22-26

The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ or Corpus Christi is the estuary of all the great feasts we have celebrated. We started from the great Holy Week and culminated in the Easter Triduum. Forty days after Easter Sunday, we worship Christ, who ascended into Heaven, and then He sent the Holy Spirit among the disciples on the day of Pentecost. And, just last Sunday, we gave our most excellent adoration to the Holy Trinity. Now, we have Corpus Christi. But, why this feast?

Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church has recognized the importance of the solemnity of Corpus Christi. The entire economy of creation and salvation streams down to this mystery. God created the world so that the world may share in His love. However, men and women fell into sin and departed from God’s love. Yet, His love and mercy are infinitely bigger than our wickedness, and He commissioned His Son to take up human nature and live among us. Not only to become a human, but Jesus also offered Himself on the cross for our salvation. St. John perfectly summed up, “For God so loved the world, He sent His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in may not perish but may have eternal life [John 3:16].” However, it is not the end of God’s amazing love story! The risen Christ miraculously transformed into the Eucharist to become our daily bread. In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist, “the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained [CCC 1374].”

For those without faith, this bread is just a white tasteless wafer, but for us, who are called to eternal life, the bread is no longer bread but the fullness of Christ. When Jesus is there, the Holy Trinity is there as well. When the Trinity is there, the entire angelic hosts and choirs of saints are there as well. Receiving the Eucharist is receiving the whole Heaven, the eternal life. This is the will of Christ Himself, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, [Jn 6:53-54].”

The Eucharist is the proof of God’s love. It is not enough for God to become human, not enough for Him to die and rise for us, not enough for Him to open the gates of Heaven. He wants us to share His divine life and love now and here.

Yet, Heaven is meant to be shared. As Jesus shares His life and love in the Eucharist, we are invited to become little Eucharists in our daily lives. As Jesus nourishes us with His Body and Blood, do we nourish people with our body and blood? As parents, do we offer our bodies and blood to our children so that they may experience true heavens? Do we bring Heaven to our family and communities? Do we become the agent of love to our societies?

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Trinity Sunday [B]

May 30, 2021

Matthew 28:16-20

The mystery of the Holy Trinity is at the heart of our Christian faith. The Church duly recognizes that this is the mystery of all mysteries and the mystery of God in Himself: One God in three divine persons. While acknowledging that it is fundamentally impossible to explain the Trinity in this short writing, this simple reflection may help us appreciate the beauty of this sacred mystery.

Firstly, we need to recognize that this is the mystery. The Trinitarian mystery is not like mystery movies where the audience is kept in suspense and guessing until the film’s end. The Trinitarian mystery is not mysterious, as if there are many secrets and an atmosphere of strangeness. Far from being mysterious, the Trinity has been preached and proclaimed publicly since the birth of the Church. The mystery of the Trinity is like the mystery of love. The mystery is very real, and yet we do not have the intellectual capacity to grasp it fully. Often, we do not understand why this pretty woman falls in love with this not so handsome guy, yet the love between the two is undeniable. The same with the mystery of the Trinity, we do not fully comprehend it, but it is fundamental in our faith and life.

Secondly, we need to see that we are invited to be part of that mystery of Trinity. This is what amazing about the true mystery. We may not fully understand it, but we are drawn to the mystery, and if we open our hearts, we will share in that mystery. Again, like the mystery of love, we often will not reach a solid logical analysis of the reasons behind a sacrificial mother’s love for her children. Still, we know that is true, and we are called to participate in that kind of radical love. It is the same as the mystery of the Trinity. St. Peter, our first pope, has declared that by the help of grace, we are to share God’s divine nature, the life of the Trinity [2 Pet 1:4]. St. Peter knew well the meaning of this mystery. Heaven is becoming part of this love that unites the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Thirdly, we need to do our parts to enter that mystery. Being part of the mystery is exceptionally precious because we cannot earn it no matter what we do. It is freely given. Like love, it is entirely free but never cheap. We cannot force someone in return, yet when we receive the love, we need to do our part to grow into that love. Love is an utter gift to the other. It is the same with the mystery of the Trinity. God freely offers His friendship, but we need to do our parts to live and grow in this mystery.

We begin our lives in the Trinity when we were baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but do we live and grow in this mystery? When we make the sign of the cross, do we mean to become the sign of the Holy Trinity in our lives? We are blessed in the name of the Father, and Son, and the Holy Spirit, but do we genuinely turn to be a Trinitarian blessing for others?

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Pentecost Sunday [B]

John 20:19-23

May 23, 2021

Pentecost is the feast of the Holy Spirit. We are celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, and this event commences the age of the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit’s help, the disciples slowly grew and gradually expanded into the biggest community in the world. However, among the three divine persons, the Holy Spirit is often left behind and sometimes misunderstood. Surely, this reflection does not and cannot cover the entire subject of pneumatology, but it offers us a little piece of information that hopefully will lead us to gratitude.

Firstly, Faith in Jesus Christ is fundamentally a gift of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul reminds us that without the help of the Holy Spirit, we will not believe in Jesus as our Lord and God [see 1 Cor 12:]. To believe in a creator and almighty God may not be difficult because our mind can discern His existence. However, believing in God, who took human nature in the womb of a humble woman and eventually suffering death on the cross, is beyond ordinary human reasoning. This Jesus did not stop on the cross, but He rose from the dead and decided to be present sacramentally and really in the Eucharist. The God of the universe has become a small white host! Without this supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit, it is naturally impossible to have this extraordinary faith. Yet, for those who have the gift of faith, believing in Jesus seems as natural as breathing. 

Secondly, the Holy Spirit animates and strengthens the Church here on earth. Often, we mistakenly thought that the Holy Spirit only functioned when someone begins speaking in tongue. Yet, the Holy Spirit’s roles are more much massive and fundamental than that. The Holy Spirit strengthens us in the time of trials. That’s why we ask for the gift of fortitude. The Holy Spirit enlightens us when we have a hard time understanding our faith and the meaning of life. That’s why we ask for the gift of understanding. These are just two of seven gifts of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Sacred Scriptures to produce the Word of God. And, only the Holy Spirit can make the sacraments the means of God’s grace.

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit is the source of our holiness. The Holy Spirit does not only make the beginning of our faith possible; He does not only sustain and nourish our growth in hope, but He also gives spiritual fruits. For us who are persevering and relying on the Holy Spirit, we enjoy the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control [see Gal 5:22]. The eternal bliss in heaven is a gift of the Holy Spirit. We recall that the only sin that will not be forgiven is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit [see Mat 12:30]. The Church has taught us that this sin is the final impenitence [CCC 1864]. If we stubbornly reject the works of the Holy Spirit within us, we throw insult to the Holy Spirit, and if until our dying breath, we close our hearts to Him, then salvation is lost.

The Holy Spirit is at the beginning of our journey of faith, He is present along the way, and He grants the final gift of salvation. Praise be to the Holy Spirit!

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP