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27th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]
October 2, 2022
Luke 17:5-10

Jesus says if we have faith as big as mustard seed, we will be able to command a mulberry tree to be uprooted and be replanted in the sea. What does it really mean? When fully grown, mulberry tree is a huge plant with sturdy trunk and limbs, as well as a spreading and deep roots. To uproot is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Yet, Jesus’ words are not only uprooting the tree, but replanting it, not in other fertile soil, but at the ocean! Thus, simply put, to have faith, even a small one, enable us to do the impossible. What are the impossible things that now become possible because of faith?

Nowadays, there is a growing trend to understand faith as an immediate problem solver. Thus, to have to faith means that we will be healed from our grave illness and our problems will be immediately solved. To have faith means we are going to pass our financial crisis. Then, the logic is that if we are still sick or struggling with the same problems, we are lacking faith, or even have no faith all together.

I remember a story of a sick man who sought help of a religious leader. The leader prophesied that the man would be healed of his illness in the following week. Yet, after one week passed, the expected healing did not come. Then, the man complained to the leader that he remained sick. The leader immediately countered, “you lack faith! Have more faith, and you will be healed!”

This kind concept of faith is incomplete and even dangerous. Faith is heavily equated with personal desire and emotional conviction. The greater the conviction we feel and exert, the greater the faith, and the greater the faith, the greater the possibility we get what we want. This is dangerous in several ways. Firstly, this kind of faith is now about us, humans, and what we desire, and not about God and His plan for us. Secondly, this kind of faith makes us proud when we get what we want, but we blame ourselves if we do not achieve it. Too much blaming either makes us depressed or abandon God altogether. Thirdly, for some irresponsible ‘religious leaders’, this kind of faith may become a tool of manipulation and means to increase richness and popularity.

Though emotional conviction is important part of faith, but true faith goes beyond that. Faith includes intellectual quest for the Truth. Faith is also commitment to do God’s will and laws. Faith also means to trust in God’s presence in times we do not emotionally encounter Him. Faith allows us to believe in God’s providence even though we are struggling with various problems.

Going back to our initial question: What are the impossible things that now become possible because of faith? Indeed, God often does miracles of healing in our lives, yet God’s plan for us is even greater: spiritual healing from sins. Truly, Jesus can calm the storms, yet His mission is “to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many [Mar 10:45].” Yes, God can bring back dead people to life, but God’s real will is that we resurrect into eternal life.

Roma
Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]
September 25, 2022
Luke 16:19-31

One of the main characters of Luke is that he tends to be ‘pro-poor’ and harsh towards the rich. This can be easily seen in the various teachings and parables of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. One of the highlights is the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Yes, this rich man ended up in a bad place. Now, the question is, “Why was Luke so hard on the rich? Did Luke hate people who have great wealth?”

Let’s take a closer look at today’s parable. Poor Lazarus went to restful place with Abraham, while the rich man went to the place of torment. Yes, the rich man is the villain, and there is no other place for him, but a place of punishment. Certainly, this rich man was punished not because he had enormous wealth, or that he did anything evil. Even though he had great wealth, wore extravagant purple garment, and partied every day, he didn’t lift any finger to help suffering Lazarus. He was in a place of torture because he refused to help his fellow man. The core lesson is that it is not enough to avoid doing evil to others, but we also need to do good to others.

Even more interesting is if we look at the bigger picture of Luke’s Gospel. At first, Luke dedicated his gospel to Theophilus. Who is this Theophilus? We are not entirely sure, but one interesting theory is that Theophilus was a rich man who supported Luke. At that time, production of a book required enormous resources. Papyrus and parchment alone were rare and expensive, not to mention other expenses. Luke may not have been able to fulfill his gospel writing assignment due to a lack of resources, but Theophilus then came to the rescue, so that we now have the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

However, despite the tremendous help of Theophilus, the rich guy, Luke did not make his Gospel to please Theophilus. Luke did not write the parable of the rich man going to heaven, or teach, “Blessed are the materially rich, for they will become richer.” Luke still wrote what had to be written, the parable of the rich man who went to the place of fire. The question remains: Why was Luke so bold?

The first reason is that Luke did convey the authentic teaching of Jesus, and for that reason, he could not change it to please some people. However, the second reason is that Luke wanted to wisely point out that Theophilus is the opposite of the rich man in the parable. Unlike a rich man who kept his great fortune to himself and ended up losing everything, Theophilus freely and generously shared his wealth to support the writing of the gospel, and ultimately, he got the most important thing in his life, Jesus Christ.

Through these parables and other teachings of Jesus, Luke constantly reminds us of the dangers and (also function) of worldly riches. Wealth is always a means, and not an end in itself. Failure to see this can endanger our souls. However, when wealth is seen as both a blessing and a means to do good, it can help us grow in holiness. We must learn from the rich man in the parable as well as from Theophilus.

Rome
Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]
September 18, 2022
Luke 16:1-13

Jesus’ parables are not as simple as they appear. In the previous chapter (Luk 15), we listen to Jesus’ three parables, that are, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost sons. At first, they seem ordinary stories with usual lesson, yet as we go deeper, we realize they contain values that even go beyond the human logic (see previous Sunday’s reflection). Now, we encounter another Jesus’ parable that challenges our normal human way of doing things: parable of dishonest steward.

There is a steward who had been entrusted by his master to take care of his master’s house and possession, and yet, instead doing his job, he prefers to squander his master’s wealth and betrays his master’s trust. Angered master fires his useless servant. Yet, upon this impending judgment, the servant realizes that he is not able to dig, meaning he cannot labor in the farmland or at the construction sites. He is also ashamed to become a beggar. Then, he engineers a way out. He calls all his master’s debtors and cut into half all their debts by manipulating their letter of agreement. By doing this, he is doing a favor to them and making them as their friends. This is to secure way to survive after his expulsion. Surely this is manipulation and corruption, and yet he is praised for doing so. What’s going on?

Firstly, Jesus is not making the steward as the model of literal imitation. He is not asking us to steal other’s people wealth and involve ourselves in corrupt practices. Through this parable, Jesus employs ‘compare and contrast’ technique. The lesson looks like this: if a wicked man knows how to manipulate wealth and money to save his life on earth, so we, the followers of Christ, should be wise enough to use wealth and possession to clear our path to heaven.

Jesus also adds the sense of urgency in His parable. The steward was desperate for his life and how he transformed his attachment to wealth to a means to his earthly salvation. Thus, we are called to free ourselves to this attachment to earthly possessions and use our wealth to make desperate attempts for our eternal salvation. As children of light, we should make eternal life as our end, and the rest will be means to it.

Surely, eternal life is coming from the Lord only, and we can never bribe God to open the door of heavens. Yet, the Lord also wills that we freely participate in His work of redemption. One of the ways is to properly use the material blessings to help us grow in holiness, to assist other people and to support the evangelization mission of the Church. From the parables of chapter 15, we have seen the Lord who loves us and look for us even with efforts beyond human logic, and now, we are called to throw everything to respond to His love.

Rome
Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]
September 11, 2022
Luke 15:1-32

Luke 15 is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and heart-moving chapter in the entire Gospel, even in the entire Bible. In this chapter, Jesus narrated three unforgettable parables: the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the all-time favorite, the parable of the lost sons (better known the prodigal son). The three parables are given to answer the self-righteous Pharisees who questioned Jesus, ‘why is He close to the sinners?’

Surely, there are countless life-transforming insight in these parables, yet if there is one unifying theme is that extreme and unfathomable joy of repentance. The joy even goes beyond ‘human logic’. In the first parable, the shepherd was overjoyed for his found sheep after perilous rescue operation and even possibility of risking the life of other sheep. Yet, human logic tells us that losing one or two sheep is just normal, and the shepherd should focus his effort on the remaining sheep. In the second parable, the woman was rejoicing exceedingly for her discovered coin, and even invited her friends to celebrate the discovery. Yet, human logic tells us that missing pennies are normal, and throwing party with friends will cost even larger sum of money. It does not worth the effort.

The third parable even gives us a more outrageous figure. Human logic tells us that a man who demanded his inheritance while his father still alive, and cut ties with his family, no longer deserves to become part of the family. Even if he returns, and if his father receives him back, it is normally expected that the father would educate and discipline him. Even the lost son understands this well, as he goes back with intention to become a slave and save his life from hunger. Yet, the father does something beyond human imaginations. He joyfully welcomes his lost son and throws a big party. This outrageous act provokes the human logic of the elder son who angrily refuses to be part of the homecoming.

The real question is that why did Jesus give us three parables that defied human logic and expectation? The reason is that the value of repentance itself. From the human perspective, the three parables are illogical or at best, weird, but from the God’s eternal view, it makes perfect sense. There is immense joy in repentance because the value is, simply put, eternal. When one returns to God and perseveres to the end, he will have the life and happiness that are eternal, and other things are nothing compared to this end.

We are invited to become the shepherd of the lost sheep, the woman of the lost coin, and the father of the lost sons. Our mission is to bring people who are dear to us closer to God, and often this requires unparallel sacrifices. Yet, at the end, there is no greater joy to know we together with our beloved ones share the eternal life.

A Roma
Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP