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Second Sunday of the Ordinary Time [A]

January 19, 2020

John 1:29-34

We begin the ordinary time of the liturgical year. In the Church, we have three cycles of the liturgical year: A, B, and C. every year, we have a different set of readings. In year A, the Gospel readings are mainly from the Gospel of Matthew, meanwhile, year B is from Mark and year C is from Luke. The Gospel of John does not have its separate year, but the readings from John are scattered through the years, especially in the Easter season.

The first reading is usually taken from the Old Testament and it is thematically related to the Gospel. While the second reading is coming from the letters of the apostles like St. Peter, St. John and the letter to the Hebrews, yet the majority of the second reading comes from letters of St. Paul. The second readings have their own sequence and it is not necessarily thematically related to the Gospel. The reason behind why we have this kind of liturgical setting is that to help us, the regular mass-goers, to read the Scriptures together with the Church. If we are faithfully attending the mass every Sunday, or even every day, and attentive to the readings, we will have a good grasp of the Scriptures and especially the life and works of Jesus. 

However, not all the Scriptures are there in the Mass. If we go every day to participate in the Eucharist for three years, we only listen to around 30 percent of the Bible. We still have 70 percent to complete the Bible! Thus, it is highly recommended that we take the initiative to read the Bible on our own. Three to four chapters a day, and hopefully, within a year, we are able to read the entire Bible cover to cover.

I guess one of the “great sickness” of Catholics nowadays is the ignorance of the Scriptures. When I ask some Catholics whether they have the Bible, they unanimously answer that they have a Bible, and in fact, they have a collection of Bible coming from different countries. However, when I inquire whether they read the Bible regularly, only a few would confidently reply that they do.

The task of reading the Bible is getting difficult in our time because young generations or the millennials and generation Z, despite their high education, prefer to playing electronic gadgets rather than to read books, and printed materials become an obsolete. Yes, it is easy now to install a Bible on our cellphone but to spend time to read it is another thing. With so many other competing applications in our handheld device, reading the Word of God is easily relegated to the sideline.

St. Jerome reminds us that ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. Indeed, it is too easy to say “I love Jesus”, but in reality, we are ignoring Him because we never read or attentively listen to the Scriptures. St. Paul in the beginning of his letter to the Corinthians reminds us that we are called to saints or holy. And holiness for Paul is nothing but living in Christ, but how we can live in Christ, if we do not know Christ, worse ignore him? Reading a Bible on a daily basis can become a simple yet concrete act of loving Jesus, and in fact, the way to holiness as we become more and more like Christ.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Baptism of The Lord [A] – January 12, 2020 – Mat 3:13-17

One question that always baffles attentive readers of the Scriptures is that why should Jesus be baptized by John the Baptist? John himself proclaimed that his baptism is a sign of repentance. Those who are baptized by John must first acknowledge their sinfulness and unworthiness, and baptism of water becomes the visible token of turning away from sins and promise of a new and better life. Yet, we all know that Jesus is sinless [Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22]. Does it mean Jesus is sinful? Is John the Baptist greater than Jesus?

The Gospel of Matthew has pointed out clearly that John the Baptist is not worthy to baptize Jesus and he is in need of Jesus’ baptism. It is Jesus Himself who insists to be baptized by John. Why? Jesus told John, “to fulfill all righteousness.” These words of Jesus certainly difficult to understand, and many theologians have come up with different interpretations to understand better Jesus’ actions and words in this baptism.

 St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the greatest Fathers of the Church, told us in his sermon, “The Savior willed to be baptized not that He might Himself be cleansed, but to cleanse the water for us.” St. Augustine pointed to us that Jesus entering the water as to prepare the sacrament of baptism, and so everyone who is baptized in the name of Trinity will receive the grace of forgiveness and new life. Meanwhile Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that Jesus’ submission to John’s baptism is an act of self-emptying [CCC 1224].

However, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has exposed some interesting in his book, Jesus of Nazareth, that Jesus applied the word “baptism” also to His Passion, Death, and Resurrection [see Mrk 10:38; Luk 12:50]. From here, we discover that Jesus’ insistence to be baptized by John because Jesus’ baptism turns to be a symbolic act of His Cross. As Jesus needs to be baptized, so He shall pass through suffering and death as to reach resurrection and bring salvation for all. From the moment of the baptism in the Jordan, Jesus has set His foot to Calvary.

In the Scriptures, righteousness is being faithful to the Convent, and God as the most righteous fulfills His covenant by saving His people (Deut 32:4; Is 5:16; 42:6). Now, Jesus fulfills that same “righteousness” with a perfect and definitive way by His Cross and Resurrection.

So, what all these biblical and theological stuff are for us?  As we know deeper the meaning of the Baptism of the Lord, we shall also follow the footsteps of Jesus. If baptism means His way of the Cross, then all of us who have been baptized, whether as infants or adults, shall share in Jesus’ cross. We are lucky that we are living comfortably as Christians, but more many, to be Christians means discriminations, persecution, and even death. It may be shocking, but Christians remain the most persecuted people on the earth. For us who are more fortunate, we can manifest our baptism with living authentically as disciples of Christ: to be honest despite the possibility of losing earthly gains, to be loving despite many sufferings, and to be honest despite living without fame.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Feast of the Holy Family

December 29, 2019

Matthew 2:13-23

If we were given the choice to choose our parents, what kind of parents would we like to have? Perhaps, some of us want to have rich parents. Some of us may desire to have beautiful or genius parents. Some of us may wish to be born in a royal and politically influential family. These are our usual dreams. Yet, surprisingly, these are not the options that God made when He chose His parents. In His beautiful wisdom, God selected Mary and Joseph of Nazareth.

Joseph was a descendant of acclaimed King David, but the Davidic Kingdom was the only thing of the past in the time of Joseph. He was also a carpenter and despite hardworking, this profession just gave enough to survive. Mary was an ordinary young woman from an unknown village called Nazareth. Joseph and Mary were simple if not poor people living within the time where most Israelites were suffering from the oppression of the Roman empire. In the eyes of the world, this couple was nothing.

However, our God is the God of surprises, and He has a hobby to upset “the established world’s order.” For God, the crucial criteria to be His parents are not wealth, popularity, or noble line. God has no need of these things. So, what is the basis of His choice?

The fundamental criterium is faith in God. Joseph and Mary possessed nothing of this world, but both are the man and woman of faith, or the man and woman of God. Joseph was called as the “righteous man,” meaning he was a man who knew the Torah by heart and obeyed them faithfully. Joseph loved God and His laws. Moreover, when Gabriel appeared to Joseph and revealed the plan of God, Joseph immediately got up and followed Angel’s instruction without any question asked. Mary did basically the same thing. When Gabriel told her about God’s plan that she would be the mother of God, Mary did not understand, but she did not simply give her nod, but she accepted God’s design as her own. Joseph and Mary knew well that the moment they participated in God’s way, they had to surrender their own plans, dreams, and hopes. Their lives were practically thrown into the unknown. Yet, their faith is bigger than their fear or pride, and they believed that God’s way is always the best way. These are the kind of parents whom God chose.

Like Joseph and Mary, I do believe that the first attitude that any parents have is faith in God. Every child is a gift, yet this gift will challenge and change the parents who receive them. As a child enters the life of their parents, husband and wife shall also enter the life of sacrifice. Sometimes, I am sudden by the decision of some Catholic couples who refuse to have children. We understand that it is difficult to raise children, but our refusal to accept a gift from God might point to our lack of faith, even to our selfishness, our obsessiveness to our plans, career, and ambitions.

God does not need a perfect couple to raise His Son, He rather chooses a man and woman of faith.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Pesta Keluarga Kudus

29 Desember 2019

Matius 2: 13-23

Jika kita diberi pilihan untuk memilih orang tua kita, orang tua seperti apa yang kita inginkan? Mungkin, sebagian dari kita ingin memiliki orang tua yang kaya. Beberapa dari kita mungkin berhasrat untuk memiliki orang tua yang berupa cantik, tampan atau berotak jenius. Beberapa dari kita mungkin ingin dilahirkan dalam keluarga kerajaan dan berpengaruh secara politis. Ini adalah impian-impian kita yang sangat wajar. Namun, yang mengejutkan, ini bukanlah pilihan yang Allah buat ketika Dia memilih orang tua-Nya. Dalam kebijaksanaan-Nya yang indah, Allah memilih Maria dan Yusuf dari Nazaret.

Yusuf adalah keturunan Raja Daud yang terkenal, tetapi Kerajaan Daud sudah tidak ada di zaman Yusuf. Dia juga seorang tukang kayu dan meskipun bekerja keras, profesi ini hanya cukup untuk bertahan hidup. Maria adalah seorang wanita muda biasa dari desa yang tidak dikenal bernama Nazareth. Yusuf dan Maria adalah orang sederhana, bahkan orang miskin yang hidup di masa ketika sebagian besar orang Israel menderita karena penindasan kekaisaran Romawi. Di mata dunia, pasangan ini bukan apa-apa.

Namun, Tuhan kita adalah Tuhan memberi kejutan, dan Dia memiliki hobi untuk mengacaukan “tatanan dunia yang mapan.” Bagi Tuhan, kriteria penting untuk menjadi orang tua-Nya bukanlah kekayaan, popularitas, atau darah. Tuhan tidak membutuhkan hal-hal ini. Jadi, apa dasar dari pilihan-Nya?

Kriteria mendasar adalah iman kepada Tuhan. Yusuf dan Maria tidak memiliki apa pun di dunia ini, tetapi keduanya adalah pria dan wanita beriman, atau pria dan wanita Allah. Yusuf disebut sebagai “orang yang tulus hati,” yang berarti dia adalah orang yang mengenal Hukum Taurat dan menaati mereka dengan setia. Yusuf mencintai Tuhan dan hukum-hukum-Nya. Terlebih lagi, ketika Gabriel menampakkan diri kepada Yusuf dan mengungkapkan rencana Tuhan, Yusuf segera bangkit dan mengikuti instruksi Malaikat tanpa ada pertanyaan. Maria pada dasarnya melakukan hal yang sama. Ketika Gabriel memberi tahu dia tentang rencana Tuhan bahwa dia akan menjadi ibu Tuhan, Maria tidak mengerti, tetapi dia tidak hanya memberikan persetujuannya, tetapi dia menerima rancangan Tuhan sebagai miliknya sendiri. Yusuf dan Maria tahu betul bahwa saat mereka mengambil bagian dalam jalan Tuhan, mereka harus menyerahkan rencana, impian, dan harapan mereka sendiri. Namun, iman mereka lebih besar daripada ketakutan atau kesombongan mereka, dan mereka percaya bahwa jalan Tuhan selalu merupakan jalan terbaik, meski mereka tidak mengerti. Ini adalah tipe orang tua yang Tuhan pilih.

Seperti Yusuf dan Maria, saya percaya bahwa sikap pertama yang harus dimiliki setiap orang tua adalah iman kepada Tuhan. Setiap anak adalah karunia, namun karunia ini akan mengubah orang tua yang menerimanya. Ketika seorang anak memasuki kehidupan orang tua mereka, suami dan istri juga akan memasuki kehidupan pengorbanan. Terkadang, saya sedih mendengar keputusan beberapa pasangan Katolik yang menolak untuk memiliki anak. Kita memahami bahwa tentunya sulit untuk membesarkan anak-anak, tetapi penolakan kita untuk menerima karunia dari Tuhan mungkin menunjukkan kurangnya iman kita, bahkan keegoisan kita, obsesi kita terhadap rencana, karier, dan ambisi kita.

Tuhan tidak membutuhkan pasangan yang sempurna untuk membesarkan Putranya, Ia lebih memilih seorang pria dan wanita yang memiliki iman.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Fourth Sunday of Advent [A] – December 21, 2019 – Matthew 1:18-24

A few days ago, a nativity scene went viral. The image is called “Let Mom Rest”. The prominent character of this scene is that Joseph is taking care of the baby Jesus while Mary is resting. This image presents to us untouched yet powerful aspect of Jesus’ birth and thus, Christmas. Often, we focus our attention on Jesus with Mary, His mother. We honor Mary because of her willingness to carry Jesus on her womb despite so many dangers and difficulties and to remain a faithful disciple of Jesus till the end. However, the image brings us to another important character that we often overlook, St. Joseph, as the man of faith.

If God has chosen and prepared the most fitting woman in human history to become the mother of His Son, the same logic governs also the choice of the foster father of Jesus. The most suitable man is chosen for this massive yet wonderful task.

Unfortunately, we do not know much about Joseph. Matthew only gave us very little information, but from this little knowledge, we can extract some important truths. Firstly, Joseph is from the house of David. This means that any child that he begets or accepts legally shall be part of the house of David as well. Joseph is the link that connects between Jesus and David, and thus, Jesus’ birth shall fulfill the prophecy that the Messiah shall come from the line of David.

Secondly, he is a carpenter, and being a carpenter is not a promising job to survive first-century Palestine. Yet, Joseph well knows that hard-work, precision, and perfection are parts of his trade. A tough life is nothing but a daily routine for Joseph. God knows to raise His Son will require a tremendous amount of sacrifice, and Joseph, the carpenter, is up to the challenge.

To accept and to raise a child who is not his own, is certainly a tough call, but Joseph obeyed the will of God that has been expressed in his dream, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” Yet, more than that, Joseph made sure that this mission would be brought to completion. From the image of “Let Mom Rest”, it seems that Mary just gave birth to Jesus and giving birth is certainly a draining and tough process. Mary was exhausted. Joseph takes over the responsibility to care for the baby Jesus, while Mary received her most-needed rest. This is just one small concrete example of who Joseph exercised the God-given mission to raise the Child of God. Certainly, his duty is not only manifested in that event. He protected Mary and her Child from dangers, especially from the threat from Herod the Great who would kill Jesus. For the rest of his life, Joseph would work hard to provide, educate and raise Jesus as a man who is ready to give His life for all.

Like Mary, Joseph did not understand also why he had to be a father who someone else’s child, why he had to put his life and future on the line for a son who is not his own? Yet, like Mary, Joseph had faith and accepted the will of God in his life. Not only simply accepting God’s will, but he also made sure that he gave his best and made God’s plan come to fulfillment.

We often do not understand why God’s plan for us. We do know where God will bring us. Yet, like Mary and Joseph, we are called to be the men and women of faith, to receive God’s plan as our own and bring His will into fruitful completion.

 Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP