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23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time [A]

September 6, 2020

Matthew 18:15-20

Today’s Gospel is well known as the fraternal correction or the way to correct our brothers. However, if we carefully read the text, we discover what being corrected is not simply about our appearance, mannerism, or etiquette. The concern of Jesus is about sin. Jesus does not teach us to correct someone who has a weird hairstyle, or someone who sleeps with a huge snore, or someone whose way of talking we do not like. If there is something that makes Jesus angry is none other than sin. Why so? Sin can destroy our relationship with God, and it closes the gate of heaven. Jesus’ mission is to bring forgiveness of sin and to undo the effects of sin, but if we refuse to repent and keep sinning, we throw insults to the sacrifice of Christ.

Jesus gives us the three stages of correcting a brother who lives in sin. The first level is a personal and compassionate reminder. We must not speak behind the person, but rather dare to confront and yet with charity. Just in case, the person is still obstinate, we activate the second level: calling two or three witnesses. The presence of witnesses will substantiate our claim. Yet, if the person remains stubborn, we shall appeal to the Church. We need to remember that the Church in Matthew 18 is not just an assembly of the believers, but the apostles, the authorities of the Church. If again, the person persists in his sin, then the Church has to treat him like gentiles and tax collectors.

Gentiles are non-Jewish nations and because they were not circumcised and worshiped idols, they are considered unclean and sinners. While the tax collectors were people who work for the Roman empire, and because their constant contact with the Romans and their corrupt practices, made them also unclean and sinners. The unclean people are not allowed to enter the Temple and synagogues to worship God. Thus, treating an obstinate brother like a pagan and tax collector means to separate him from the assembly in worship. This technical term for this is excommunication. This word is coming Latin words: “ex-” meaning outside, and “communion” meaning community or fellowship. Thus, being excommunicated is outside of the worshiping community. Thus, excommunicated persons are not allowed to receive the Holy communion, the sign of unity of the Body of Christ.

Excommunication seems to be too cruel, yet looking in a bigger perspective, it is a way of mercy, rather simply a tool of punishment. In fact, the Church rarely pronounced the sentence of excommunication. Most of the cases, it is the people who walk away from the Church and separate themselves from God and His people. We must also remember that Jesus is loving the gentiles and the tax collectors, calling them to repentance and performing many miracles for them. Our love for our brothers who are living sin remains and even gets intensified. The reason is that Jesus does not want them to perish, but live with God. We correct our erring brothers and sisters not because we hate them, but because we love them and because we are part of the same family of God. We are responsible for one another and we shall keep our brothers and sisters in our way toward heaven.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

check also my Youtube channel at “bayu ruseno” for video catechims, webinars and homilies.

22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time [A]

August 30, 2020

Matthew 16:21-27

Last Sunday, we listen to the confession of Peter on the true identity of Jesus. Here, Simon received a new name, the keys of the kingdom and the authority to bind and to loosen. He became the prime minister of the kingdom, the first pope. However, today, we witness the dramatic turn around. When Jesus foretold about His incoming passion, Simon reactively put his Master aside, and rebuked Him. As a response, Jesus expressed harshly,
“Get away behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling stone to me!”

Last episode, Simon was Peter, and today, Simon is “Satan.” Last week, Simon was the foundational rock, and today, Simon is the stumbling stone. Previous story, Simon was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and now, he is thinking his self-interest.

To call Simon that he was “Satan” is unexpected, but not uncalled-for. Perhaps Jesus would like to point out that Peter’s action was influenced by the devil himself.  Often, we think that the evil spirits influence us in the case of diabolic possessions, but in reality, diabolic possessions are an extraordinary way of attacking us. There is an ordinary way: it is through temptations and inducing ideas that oppose to the plan of God. The real battle takes place not so much in the possession of our bodies, but of our minds and souls.

Peter is also called as the stumbling stone, and in Greek, it is “scandalon.” Last Sunday, he was given a new identity, Peter, the foundation rock, but now, he turns to be a stumbling stone. Both are stone, but two opposing purposes. The foundation rock is to support the Church and God’s will, but the stumbling stone is to stop or at least, to obstruct and slow down God’s will. Jesus has set his eyes on Jerusalem, to offer His life as sacrifice on the cross and gloriously rise from the death. Yet, Simon, the stumbling stone, tried to oppose and prevent Jesus from fulfilling His Father’s will. Interesting enough, the word “Satanas” in Greek, may mean ‘the adversary.’  Simon becomes the adversary against Jesus’ mission.

Last week, I reflect on the mission of Simon Peter and how we become little Peters as God calls us for particular vocation and service despite our unworthiness. However, Jesus tells us that the real hindrance to our mission is not our weakness and unworthiness, but our selfish interest and agenda. Instead saying, “Your will be done,” we shout, “My will be done.” This is the devil’s game plan, that we put ourselves first, rather than God. Some of us are ordained priests, yet instead serving the people with dedication, we are busy to seek comfort and amass fortune for ourselves. Some of us are parents, yet instead bringing our children to God, we are preoccupied in chasing our own ambitions and careers.

Thus, Jesus makes a bold reminder, “what is the point of gaining the whole world and yet losing our souls?” At the gate of heaven, St. Simon Peter will ask us, “Have you been a stumbling stone to God’s will or have your been a foundation rock to His plan?”

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 23, 2020

Matthew 16:13-20

Today’s Gospel speaks volume about the new identity and roles of St. Simon Peter as the leader of the college of the apostles, and thus, the leader of the Church. He is the chosen foundation rock upon which Jesus built His Church. He is the prime minister who holds the keys of the kingdom of God. He is the chief priest who is responsible for the Temple of God. He is the chief Rabbi whose teachings binds the entire faithful. These are the bigger-than-life privileges and one may wonder, “Among the disciples, why was he chosen? Did Jesus know that he would deny Him three times?”

Jesus’ choice is a huge mystery, yet in the final analysis, nobody is worthy to be the first pope. If we scan the Bible and try to see many vocation stories of the great leaders of Israel, we are going to see the same pattern: most of them are not worthy and great sinner. Abraham was a coward who hid behind his wife. Moses was involved in killing an Egyptian. David was committing adultery and plotting a murder of Uriah. God seems to have a penchant to choose unworthy sinner!

Yet, that is only half of the story. These great leaders possess their remarkable quality in relation to God’s mercy and love. Despite their weakness, they never lose hope in God’s grace working in them. When they fall, they learn to rise once again and allow God sustains them. This particular quality also that Simon has.

Through his life, Peter was struggling to love Jesus and to become a leader for Christ’s Church. He made few step on water, but doubted and distracted, he began to sink. He made divinely inspired statement on Jesus divinity, but right after, he prevented Jesus to accomplish His mission on the cross. Thus, Jesus called him “Satan!” He promised Jesus that he would lay down his life for Jesus, but less than twenty-four hour, he denied Jesus with curse, and ran away! Yet, despite so grave a sin, he repented, but does not despair. Compare to Judas who lost hope and killed himself in the process, Peter knew too well that there is nothing impossible for God. Indeed, the risen Christ restored his place as the leader and the shepherd of His flocks, after asking Simon’s confession of love thrice. Yet, that was not the end of the story. A tradition says that during the persecution of emperor Niro, Peter was trying to escape Rome. In his way out of the city, Peter encountered Jesus going to the opposite direction. He then asked Jesus, “Quo vadis, Domine? [where are you going, Lord?]” Jesus responded, “I am going to Rome, to be crucified again!” Hearing this, Peter ran back to Rome. True enough, he was arrested and crucified upside down.

The choice of Peter is a mystery, but also good news. We are like Simon Peter, we are chosen to be God’s people, chosen into particular role and mission, but deep in our hearts, we are not worthy and full of weaknesses. Why did God choose me to be His priest? Why did God want me to raise children for the kingdom? Why did God elect me to become His ministers? We are not sure the exact reason, but like Peter, we are also called to trust His providence, and never lose hope in midst of trials and failures, and to love even more.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

The Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary

August 15, 2020

Luke 1:39-45

Often, we, Catholics, are accused of overemphasizing Mary in our faith, liturgy and even our daily lives. The usual objections are: “Why do we should see Mary if we can go directly to Jesus? Why should there be Mary between you and Jesus?”

These kinds of objections follow from the underlying presupposition that salvation is only about Jesus and me. We just need Jesus, and the rest are obstacles to Jesus. We do not need the Church, the saints, and especially Mary. These are excess baggage that has to be removed so that we can fly quickly to God. While we might be saved with this faith, but this is narrow, individualistic and even pompous view of faith and more fundamentally, it is not kind of faith that God of the Bible teaches us.

In the Bible, God lays down the foundation for our salvation which is through His family. The primary keyword is covenant [or even translated as testament]. It is a solemn agreement to unite two parties into a family. God invited Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and David and their families to be part of God’s family and salvation may be available for these people. And in the fullness of time, Jesus, the Son of God, forged a new and eternal covenant with God in behalf of humanity and entire cosmos. We are saved through the family of Jesus, the kingdom of God.

If we call God as our Father, then we are brothers and sisters in the family of God. If we are brothers and sisters, we have responsibility for one another’s salvation. The saints ceaselessly love and pray for us because they are our holy brethren in heaven, and want us to join them. Their presence does not in any way hinder our gaze on Jesus because precisely the more we see them, the more we see God’s perfection. If we can appreciate the mountains or oceans as work of God’s power and beauty, the more we shall appreciate the saints as supernatural masterpieces of God.

Chief among the saints is Mother Mary. She is the type-A of a human perfected by God’s grace. The more we see Mary, who she is and what she has become, the more we come closer to God in awe and adoration. If God can do great things to Mary, He will do the same to us. If God can redeem Mary perfectly, He will redeem us as well. If God can bring Mary to heaven, He will bring us also to heaven. And as the great sister in faith, she has even utmost responsibility to bring us closer to God. She prays for us the hard; even she prays harder for those people who hate her.

St. Luke masterfully narrates how Mary, as the new ark of the covenant, brings Jesus in her womb to Elisabeth and John the Baptist. We also notice Elizabeth does not separate the two. When she sees Mary, she recognizes the Lord, and when she is aware of God’s presence, she acknowledges the sacred bearer, Mary. Through Jesus who is in Mary, Elizabeth and John are able to discover their authentic joy.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP