Sunday Reflection – Page 25 – indonesian catholic online evangelization

The Lord of the Storms

June 19, 2021 Romo Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno OP

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

Misteri Kerajaan Allah

June 12, 2021 Romo Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno OP

Minggu ke-11 pada Masa Biasa [B]
13 Juni 2021
Markus 4:25-34

Kerajaan Allah bisa dikatakan sebagai inti dari Injil Yesus. Di awal pelayanan Yesus, kalimat pertama-Nya adalah, “Waktunya telah genap; Kerajaan Allah sudah dekat. Bertobatlah dan percayalah kepada Injil!” [Mar 1:15].” Misi Yesus tentu saja untuk mengungkapkan kasih Allah, menyelamatkan kita dari dosa-dosa kita, sehingga kita dapat mengambil bagian dalam kehidupan Tuhan. Untuk mencapai misi ini, Dia mendirikan Kerajaan Allah. Karena Yesus adalah Allah, kita dapat mengatakan bahwa Kerajaan Allah adalah Kerajaan Yesus sendiri. Tidak heran, kita merayakan pesta Kristus Raja pada akhir masa liturgi, karena Dia adalah sungguh kepala Kerajaan Allah.

Namun, pertanyaan sebenarnya adalah apakah Kerajaan Allah itu? Untuk menjawab pertanyaan ini, kita akan ke Perjanjian Lama. Dalam 2 Samuel 7, Daud berencana untuk membangun rumah Tuhan, Bait Allah di Yerusalem, tetapi Tuhan melalui nabi Natan, memberi nubuat kepada Daud bahwa alih-alih Daud yang membangun rumah Tuhan, Tuhanlah yang akan membangun rumah Daud. Tuhan berjanji bahwa Tuhan akan mendirikan kerajaan Daud, dan seorang anak Daud akan bertakhta akan memerintah selamanya. Namun, jika kita mempelajari sejarah, kita menyadari bahwa setelah Salomo, kerajaan Daud terpecah dan terus mengalami kemunduran. Kerajaan utara dihancurkan pada 721 SM oleh kekaisaran Asyur, dan kerajaan selatan dihancurkan pada 587 SM oleh negara adidaya Babel. Banyak orang Israel diasingkan dan dideportasi jauh dari tanah air mereka. Dimanakah janji Tuhan kepada Daud?

Jadi, ketika Yesus datang dan memberitakan Kerajaan, banyak orang Yahudi bertanya, “Apakah ini Kerajaan yang dijanjikan? Apakah Yesus ini benar atau hanya penyebar hoax?” Kepada publik, Yesus tidak memberikan jawaban langsung melainkan melalui perumpamaan. Perumpamaan ini menyembunyikan dan mengungkapkan kebenaran tentang Kerajaan Allah. Bagi mereka yang membenci Yesus, perumpamaan ini hanyalah cerita-cerita aneh. Bagi mereka yang mengharapkan Yesus menjadi Mesias dalam artian pemimpin militer atau politik, perumpamaan ini membingungkan. ‘Kerajaan Allah harus seperti pohon beringin yang perkasa, bukan seperti sesawi!’ Namun, bagi para murid yang percaya kepada Yesus, perumpamaan ini mengungkapkan misteri besar kerajaan Allah.

Memperkenalkan kerajaan Allah seperti biji sesawi pasti mengejutkan orang-orang yang mengharapkan kerajaan Allah seperti kerajaan Mesir atau kekaisaran Roma. Yang menakjubkan adalah, kerajaan Yesus benar-benar berperilaku seperti sesawi. Ini dimulai dengan Yesus dan murid-murid-Nya yang kecil dan tidak sempurna, tetapi secara bertahap dan perlahan memenuhi seluruh dunia. Kerajaan Allah ini tidak menaklukkan negara lain dengan manuver militer dan politik, dan pada kenyataannya, seperti sang Kepala, kerajaan ini telah mengalami penganiayaan kejam yang tak terhitung jumlahnya. Namun, terlepas dari penderitaan dan cobaan, kerajaan itu terus berkembang dan menjadi komunitas manusia terbesar di bumi ini.

Sebagai bagian dari kerajaan Allah, ini benar-benar kabar baik bagi kita. Kita tidak harus percaya bahwa kita adalah pohon beringin yang megah, dan berpikir bahwa kita dapat melakukan segalanya dengan kekuatan kita sendiri. Dengan pemikiran seperti ini, ketika kita gagal, kita akan tertekan dan kecewa. Namun, jika kita melihat diri kita seperti biji sesawi, kita membiarkan ujian dan kegagalan menjadi bagian dari hidup kita, dan membiarkan Tuhan mengerjakan keajaiban di dalam hidup kita, sama seperti Dia membangun kerajaan-Nya. Itulah betapa menakjubkannya Tuhan kita.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Mystery of the Kingdom of God

June 12, 2021 Romo 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 Fullness of Love

June 5, 2021 Romo 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

Kepenuhan Kasih

June 5, 2021 Romo Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno OP

Hari Raya Tubuh dan Darah Kristus [Corpus Christi] – B
6 Juni 2021
Markus 14:12-16; 22-26

Hari Raya Tubuh dan Darah Kristus atau dikenal dalam Bahasa Latin, ‘Corpus Christi’ adalah muara dari semua hari raya yang telah kita rayakan selama ini. Kita mulai beberapa bulan yang lalu, dari Pekan Suci dan mencapai puncaknya dalam Trihari Suci. Empat puluh hari setelah Minggu Paskah, kita memuliakan Kristus yang naik ke Surga, dan kemudian Dia mengutus Roh Kudus di antara para murid pada hari Pantekosta. Dan, Minggu lalu, kita memberikan pujian terbesar kita kepada Tritunggal Mahakudus. Sekarang, kita memiliki Corpus Christi. Tapi, mengapa hari raya dirayakan sekarang?

Dengan bimbingan Roh Kudus, Gereja telah mengakui betapa pentingnya kehadiran Yesus yang real di Ekaristi. Seluruh sejarah penciptaan dan keselamatan mengalir ke misteri ini. Tuhan menciptakan dunia agar dunia dapat berbagi dalam kasih-Nya. Sayangnya, pria dan wanita jatuh ke dalam dosa, dan menjauh dari kasih Tuhan. Namun, kasih dan kerahiman-Nya jauh lebih besar daripada kejahatan dan kelemahan kita, dan Dia mengutus Putra-Nya untuk mengambil kodrat manusia dan hidup di antara kita. Tidak hanya menjadi manusia, Yesus juga mempersembahkan diri-Nya di kayu salib untuk keselamatan kita. St. Yohanes dengan tepat menyimpulkan, “Karena begitu besar kasih Allah akan dunia ini, sehingga Ia telah mengaruniakan Anak-Nya yang tunggal, supaya setiap orang yang percaya kepada-Nya tidak binasa, melainkan beroleh hidup yang kekal [Yohanes 3:16].” Namun, ini bukan akhir dari kisah kasih Allah yang luar biasa! Kristus yang bangkit secara mujizat berubah menjadi Ekaristi, menjadi makanan kita. Dalam Sakramen Ekaristi mahakudus, tercakuplah “dengan sesungguhnya, secara real dan substansial tubuh dan darah bersama dengan jiwa dan ke-Allahan Tuhan kita Yesus Kristus dan dengan demikian seluruh Kristus.” – [KGK 1374]

Bagi mereka yang tidak beriman, roti ini hanyalah kerupuk putih yang hambar, tetapi bagi kita yang dipanggil untuk hidup yang kekal, roti itu bukan lagi roti, tetapi kepenuhan Kristus sendiri. Ketika Yesus ada di sana, Tritunggal Mahakudus juga ada di sana. Ketika Trinitas ada di sana, seluruh malaikat dan orang-orang kudus juga ada di sana. Menerima Ekaristi adalah menerima seluruh surga, hidup yang kekal. Inilah kehendak Kristus sendiri, “Sesungguhnya jikalau kamu tidak makan daging Anak Manusia dan minum darah-Nya, kamu tidak mempunyai hidup di dalam dirimu. Barangsiapa makan daging-Ku dan minum darah-Ku, ia mempunyai hidup yang kekal dan Aku akan membangkitkan dia pada akhir zaman. [Yoh 6:53-54].”

Ekaristi adalah bukti kasih Allah. Tidaklah cukup bagi Tuhan untuk menjadi manusia, tidak cukup bagi Dia untuk mati dan bangkit bagi kita, tidak cukup bagi Dia untuk membuka gerbang surga. Dia ingin kita berbagi kehidupan dan kasih ilahi-Nya sekarang dan di sini.

Namun, kita perlu ingat bahwa surga bukan hanya untuk kita sendiri. Saat Yesus membagikan hidup dan kasih-Nya dalam Ekaristi, kita diundang untuk menjadi Ekaristi kecil dalam kehidupan kita sehari-hari. Sebagaimana Yesus memelihara kita dengan Tubuh dan Darah-Nya, apakah kita memelihara orang-orang dengan tubuh dan darah kita? Sebagai orang tua, apakah kita mempersembahkan tubuh dan darah kita kepada anak-anak kita agar mereka dapat mengalami kepenuhan hidup yang sesungguhnya? Apakah kita membawa surga bagi keluarga dan komunitas kita? Apakah kita menjadi agen kasih bagi masyarakat kita?

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP