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Fourth Sunday of Easter

May 12, 2019

Jn 10:27-30

“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (Jn. 10:27)”

Only few of us have a direct encounter with a sheep, let alone shepherding sheep. When Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice.” I thought it was a kind exaggeration. After all the sheep is not that intelligent compared to the Golden Retriever or Labrador who would listen to their owners. However, one time, I watched a video on YouTube about a group of tourists who visited the vast hill in the countryside of Judea where the flock was grazing. They were asked to call the attention of the sheep. One by one, the tourists shouted to the top of their lungs, but they got not even the slightest response. Yet, when the true shepherd came forward and called them out, all the scattered sheep immediately rushed toward the shepherd! It was an eye-opener. Jesus was right. The sheep literally hear the voice of His shepherd.

The sheep in Judea are raised both for wool and for sacrifice. Especially those intended for wool production, the shepherd shall live together with his flock for years. No wonder if he knows well each sheep, its characters, and even its unique physical features. He will call them by name like ‘small-feet’ or ‘large-ears.’

Modern men and women, especially the Millennials, are heavily visual creatures. Thanks to smartphones, TV, and computers, our span of attention becomes shorter and shorter. One scientist even says that our span of attention is one second shorter than of the goldfish! The teachers or speakers must use all the visual aids to catch the attention of young listeners. PowerPoint presentation is a minimum requirement nowadays, and the teachers need to move all their body’s parts, to crack a joke, to sing, to dance, even to summersault! Simply listening to a plain talk is tedious, and to read a bare and long text like this reflection is boring. This is also one of the reasons why young people are leaving the Church because they experience the Church, especially her preachers, as boring and dry. After five minutes listening to the preacher, we begin to be restless, checking our watch, scratching our heads, and dozing off!

However, hearing remains fundamental because hearing is the key to following Jesus. We call ourselves, Christians, the follower of Christ, and how can we follow Christ if we do not recognize His voice? While the sense of sight attracts us, sense of hearing remains signs of intimacy and love. Like a sheep that identifies the shepherd’s voice because the shepherd takes care of it, so we recognize the voice of someone we love. I have been hearing the voice of my mother since I was inside her womb, and even when I close my eyes, I can still acknowledge her voice. I can even identify whether she is happy, sad, or angry when she calls my name.

One time, a young man asked me, “Brother, how do we know God’s will?” I replied, “Do you hear His voice?” He immediately said, “I pray, but I never heard a voice.” I said in reply, “Ah, how are you going to hear His voice if you talk all the time? And how are you going to know His voice, if you seldom give your time with Him?” To follow Jesus means that we are able to hear Jesus, and to recognize His voice presupposes we have a loving and strong relationship with Him

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Third Sunday of Easter [May 5, 2019] John 21:1-19

If we observe the Gospel readings of the past days and Sundays, we will notice that most of them are speaking about the risen Christ’s appearances to His disciples. One unnoticeable yet interesting feature in these stories is that of the presence of food.

The two disciples who walk to Emmaus, invite Jesus to have a dinner. Jesus takes the bread, says the blessing, breaks it, and gives it, and He disappears. The two disciples come to their senses, and realize He is Jesus [Luk 24:30]. When Jesus appears to the Eleven and other disciples, they are terrified. To dispel their doubt on His resurrection, Jesus presents His body and eats the fish given to Him [Luk 24:42]. And in today’s Gospel, Jesus invites His seven disciples to a breakfast at the shore of the Lake of Tiberias. After another miraculous catch, Jesus prepares bread and fish for the disciples who are no longer baffled by the appearance of their Master [John 21:13].

We may ask, “Why bread and fish?” These are simple food that are often available at Jewish household. Yet, looking deeper, bread and fish possess a profound meaning. Bread and fish are earliest symbol of Christ and Christians. Bread, especially the breaking of the bread, is the technical biblical name for the Eucharist. In the Acts of Apostles, the first Christians gather around the apostles for the teaching and breaking of the bread [Acts 2:42]. On a Sunday, Paul leads the community of Troas in worship as he preaches and breaks bread [Acts 20:7]. Fish, in Greek, is “Ichthus” and it stands for “Iesous Christos Theos Hyios Soter”, meaning Jesus Christ God Son [and] Savior. The symbol of fish was scattered inside catacombs of Rome as a sign of Christian gathering in time of persecution.

The question lingers: why does the risen Lord ask for food and invites the disciples to eat? Firstly, eating food is one of the most basic activities of human being. It points to our biological functions that sustains our bodily life and growth. The spiritless body neither consumes food, nor the bodiless spirit enjoys meals. Jesus shows His disciples that his resurrection is not a matter of spiritual enlightenment, but truly a bodily reality. His disciples neither see a spirit floating in the air, nor simply believe that their Teacher is alive in their hearts. The tomb is empty because Jesus, including His body, has risen.

Secondly, eating together does not only satisfy our tummy, but it also brings people closer together. While we are enjoying food, we cannot but share our thoughts and hearts to each other. Eating together builds not only the body, but also the dialogue and community. One of my favorite activities in the convent is the meal time, not because I am fond of eating, but we share a lot of stories and opinions. We practically speak about anything under the sun, from the latest movie, Avenger Endgame, the current political issues, to theological discussion on St. Thomas Aquinas. We also tell our joys, concerns and worries in our ministry and our future as a community. Simple food, yet great bonding.

Upon the simple reality of eating together, Jesus builds His community. In a shared meal, He retells His stories of painful passion and shameful death, and unearths its profound meanings especially as the fulfillment of the Scriptures. The events of his death used to be absurdity and loss of hope, but in the dining table, the risen Lord restores the faith, hope and love that go dim.

Jesus leaves us the Eucharist, the breaking of the bread, the sacred meal. Like the first disciples, it is here that we discover the risen Lord who shares His body as a spiritual food, and His Word as the meaning of our life. In the Eucharist, we are assured that the worst of this world does not have the last say, and the battle against absurdity has already been won.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Second Sunday of Easter [Divine Mercy Sunday] April 28, 2019 – John 20:19-31

Today is the Divine Mercy Sunday. From the Gospel, Jesus institutes the sacrament of reconciliation as He bestows His Holy Spirit upon the Disciples. He grants them the divine authority to forgive (and not to forgive) sins and charges them to be the agents of Mercy. While it is true that only priests can minister the sacrament of confession, every disciple of Christ is called to be an agent of Mercy and forgiveness. Yet, how we are going to be the bearers of Mercy and Forgiveness? I think we need to understand first the dynamic of fear and peace.

Fear is one of the human most basic emotions. It makes us flee from impending danger and normally, it is good and necessary for our survival. Yet, what is unique with us humans is that the object of fear is not only physical real danger like an earthquake, fire, or venomous animals, but it extends to moral judgment. When we commit a mistake, we are afraid of the judgment as well as the consequences. Quite often too, fearful of the judgment and condemnation, we are run away and hide. In fact, the story of fear is a primordial story. We recall our first parents, Adam and Eve. After they violated the Law of God, they realized that they have terribly sinned against the Lord, and afraid of God’s judgment, they hid.

After the passion and death of Jesus we find out that Jesus’ disciples themselves are afraid and hiding. The disciples lock themselves inside the room because they are afraid. However, the real fear is not from the Jewish authority or the Roman troops, but from Jesus’ judgment. We remember that Judas handed over Jesus to the Jewish authority, Peter, the leader, denied Jesus three times, and most of the disciples were running away. Even before the crucial moments of Jesus, they have deserted their Master and Messiah. In a court martial, a soldier who deserts his army, especially during the pick of the battle, is considered a traitor not only to the army, but to the entire nation, and he deserves no less than capital punishment. The disciples are hiding because of fear that Jesus will bring His severe judgment, and get back on them. The disciples are afraid that Jesus may come anytime, condemn them, and throw a fireball on them.

Indeed, Jesus comes to them, but he brings not condemnation but the gift of peace, “Shalom”. This peace only ensues from forgiveness. This peace, however, is not the absence of judgment, but rather it presupposes one. Unless the disciples recognize and own up their terrible mistakes, they will not appreciate Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy. The peace will be just a mirage, and fear still reigns.

To become an agent of Mercy, we first dare to pronounce judgment. If we pretend that the sin never happens, and keep telling ourselves that everything is just fine, we deceive ourselves and never become sincerely peaceful. Indeed, it is difficult, but as we cannot heal unless there is prognosis, we cannot truly forgive unless there is judgment.

Just last week, several suicide bombers blew themselves up at several churches in Sri Lanka and killed hundreds of Christians. A religious sister, who lost several of her community members in the explosion, wrote an open letter to the perpetrators. She judged that what they did was an act of terrorism, pure evil. Yet, she reminds them that Christians will not be cowed and afraid because we know how to forgive. She said that the Catholic Church remains an open-door Church because she is not afraid to welcome everyone including those who tried to destroy her.

There is no peace without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness and mercy without true judgment.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Easter Sunday

April 19, 2019

John 20:1-9

Mary Magdalene is a female disciple that loves her Teacher deeply, and being a woman, there is something that she teaches us. Luke describes her in his Gospel as a woman “from whom seven demons have come out” [see Luk 8:2]. It must be a terrible experience to be tormented by seven demons, and when Jesus heals her, she expresses her deep gratitude by following Jesus. As one of Jesus’ disciples, she is proven to be the most faithful to her Teacher. When many followers of Jesus are running away to save their lives, and even Peter, the leading figure in the group, denies Jesus, Mary follows Jesus in His way of the Cross to the end. She received the insult Jesus receives, she bears the humiliation Jesus bears, she carries the cross Jesus carries. In fact, she is standing beside the cross together with the mother of Jesus and John the beloved.  

However, Mary’s love is even bigger than death. She is the first person who visits the tomb early in the morning. We recall that after Jesus died on the cross, his body was hastily brought to the tomb by Nicodemus and Joseph Arimathea because the Sabbath was drawing near. During Sabbath, Jews are not allowed to bury the dead. Mary knows that Jesus’ body was not taken care properly, and she wants to make sure that Jesus deserves the proper burial. She comes to the tomb to express her love for the last time for the Teacher by anointing the body of Jesus. Yet, she only sees the empty tomb. Fear seizes her. She may think that some bad guys stole, inflicted further damages and desecrated the body. Instinctively, she runs towards the men of authority after Jesus Himself, Peter and John.

After checking the tomb, Peter fails to understand, and he goes back to the house. She also does not understand and weeps for the lost of her love, but unlike Peter, Mary stays at the tomb. In utter confusion and meaninglessness, Mary does not abandon Jesus. Indeed, the Savior does not disappoint and gives Mary Magdalene a singular privilege to witness the resurrected Jesus. Her great love and fidelity lead her to the joy of Resurrection. 

In the Gospel, often female disciples are depicted as a model of love and perseverance. God created man and woman as equal in dignity, but they differ in characters. Indeed, men like Peter, are the figures of authority, but women excel in what often is lacking in male disciples. I have visited many places in Indonesia and the Philippines, and I give talks and reflections, but one thing in common from these places, is that women often outnumber the men. I am newly assigned in Redemptor Mundi Parish, Surabaya, Indonesia, and a simple gaze will prove that more women are attending our daily morning masses. Mary Magdalene, a woman disciple, shows to us that it is possible to love and to be faithful when things got tough and rough, when life throws us its trash, and when confusion and meaningless seem to reign. Mary is those women who unceasingly pray for the priests despite so many failures they have made Mary are those mothers who make daily sacrifices for their children despite being unappreciated. Mary is those religious sisters who serve the poor committedly despite many setbacks and problems. We must thank many Mary Magdalene around us. They show us that there love truly conquers death and that there is resurrection in even the senseless empty tomb.

Blessed Easter!

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

April 14, 201

Luke 19:28-40/Luke 23:1-49

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord (Luk 19:38).”

One of the greatest gifts to humanity is the gift of memory. It gives us a sense of identity. Biology teaches us that almost all our bodily parts are being replaced through the years. One-year-old Stephen is biologically different from thirty-year-old Stephen. All bodily cells, with the sole exception of his eyes’ lens, are changed. What unites thirty-year-old Stephen with his younger self as well as his future self is his memory.

Not only does memory enable us to connect to ourselves, but it also relates us with other people. We are able to recognize our parents, siblings, and friends because we remember all the good thing, we have received from them. Our memories shape who we are. Thus, the illness that ruins our memories like Alzheimer, is one of the most heinous. Persons with Alzheimer gradually can no longer remember persons who love them; they even cannot recall doing their basic functions like eating and going to restroom.

One of the uniqueness of human beings is that we do not have only individual memory, but we have communal memory. These common memories are passed through generations, and these form the identity of a group. We are Indonesians, Filipinos, Indians, Americans, or other nations because we have common memories that unites us as a nation. When a nation is inflicted by a kind “alzhaimer” that destroys its common memory, it begins to lose its identity as a nation. Cardinal Robert Sarah from Guinea reminds that the Europe is in crisis and in danger of dissolution. He argues that the reason is that the European people began to forget their historical and cultural roots, their common memories.

We Christian share the core and fundamental memory. Palm Sunday or Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem marks the beginning of the most important drama of the Gospel, the drama of the Holy Week. The memory was so significant to the early Christians that the episode was recorded in all four Gospels with great details (Mat 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, and John 12:12-19), though with some different emphases. We may even say that the Holy Week especially the Last Supper, the Passion and Resurrection are the core and foundational memory of every true Christian.

This explains why the Church celebrates Holy Week every year, not because she simply wants to have big events, but because this celebration reconnects us with the core memories that make us as Christians. Yet, we do not only remember the events of the past; we are not just spectators. Through the power of the liturgy, we relive the fundamental stories of Jesus Christ. Together with Christ, we enter Jerusalem. Together with Him, we celebrate the Passover. Together with Him, we are persecuted, crucified and we die. Together with Him, we are buried in the dark tomb. But together with Him, we are raised from the dead.

However, it is our choice whether to follow Him or go against Him: to become people who shout “Hosanna” or people who cry “Crucify Him”; to become a disciple who walks the way of the cross or disciples who run away from Him; to be crucified with Jesus or to crucify Jesus. But it is only the true followers of Jesus who can together with Him be raised from the dead. Holy Week is our time to make that choice : to follow Jesus or to go against Him.

Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Rusneo, OP