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Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 9, 2018

Mark 7:31-37

 

“Jesus has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” (Mk. 7:37)

 

The deaf man whom Jesus heals is so blessed. He is able to see Jesus, and He finds healing. Inspired by this miracle, we wish that we will also meet Jesus and He will heal our sickness and solve our problems. Thus, we come to various places where we believe Jesus will heal us. We visit pilgrimage sites, we attend prayer and worship meetings, we recite various novenas, and we become actively involved in the Church’s organizations. We believe that our faith in Jesus will save us. However, what if our prayers are not granted? What if our problems are not solved but rather grow in number? What if our sickness is not healed, but gets worse? What if we do not feel that we are saved? One time, I visited Flora [not her real name], a colon-cancer patient, and she asked me, “Brother, I have faith in God, and I faithfully serve the Church, but why am I suffering from this terrible sickness?” Surely, it was a tough question.

In today’s Gospel, Mark, the evangelist, seems to present Jesus as the traditional faith-healer. Just like other healers, Jesus touches the affected body parts of the sick person, namely his ears and tongue. Jesus also spits because, in ancient times, saliva is believed to have therapeutic effects. The act of spitting itself is also considered to drive away evil spirits, and some diseases are thought to come from these evil spirits. Then, Jesus groans to heaven and says a word, “Ephphatha!” This is like other faith-healers who utter certain formula of magic words or incantation as to affect the healing desired. What the people need is to have faith in the faith-healer, and viola, they are healed.

Inspired by this kind of model, we begin to treat Jesus as a faith-healer. We just need to have faith in Him, and the rest will be just perfect. We believe in Him, and we will be saved. That’s all! This image of Jesus is, however, distorted and even dangerous. We reduce Jesus as mere instant problem-solver and an ultimate trouble-shooter. Again, what if we do not get what we expect despite our effort to trust in Him?

Mark is inviting us to read his Gospel more profoundly.  There is something more remarkable that we, ordinary readers of the Bible, miss. In original Greek, the term for speech impediment or mute in the Gospel of Mark is “mogilalos.” This very term is also used in the book of Isaiah when the prophet prophesied, “…, and the mute tongue – “mogilalos” – sing for joy (Isa. 35:6 – our first reading)”. But, the prophecy is not only about healing the diseases, but it is about the holistic restoration of both the land and the people of God (see Isa 35:1-10). Mark does not only want to present Jesus as someone more powerful than faith-healers, but he points to us that Isaiah’s prophecy is being fulfilled. In Jesus, God has come to His people and redeemed us. Yet, what does it mean in our daily lives?

This means our faith in Jesus has to be bigger than ourselves, our personal problems and concerns. It is true that we may not have immediate healing to our sickness and solution to our problems, but our lives and our capacity to live and love are enlarged. And, as we become more loving, we begin to change also people around us. As people change, our world will become a better place.

Going back to Flora. After reflecting for a while, I answered Flora, “Well, I do not exactly know why God allows this sickness. But, as you can see, your family is doing their best to help you recover because they love you. Now, you are doing your best to get healed because you love them. See, God has made you bigger than yourself before. I believe faith is working in you.”

 

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 2, 2018

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

 

“You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” (Mk. 7:8)

 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus seems to denounce all traditions. However, this position is rather simplistic and unattainable. The reason is that human beings are the creatures of traditions. Tradition comes from Latin word, “tradere”, meaning “to hand down”. Thus, crudely put, tradition is anything that has been handed down from our predecessors. Traditions range from something tangible like technologies and fashions, to something intangible like values, languages, sciences and many more. I remember how my mother taught me basic Christian prayers, like Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Rosary, and how my father would regularly bring us to the Church every Sunday. This is my family’s religious traditions. As an Indonesian living in the Philippines, I appreciate the “Mano Po” tradition among the Filipinos. This is a simple gesture of respect and blessing. The younger Filipinos are to hold a hand of older Filipino, and place it on their forehead.

Had Jesus renounced all the traditions, He should have stopped speaking Aramaic, refrained from teaching the people, begun removing all His Jewish clothes, and walking naked! Yet, Jesus did not do those things. Jesus respects traditions and acknowledges their importance. However, Jesus also recognizes that there are some traditions that are problematic and bring more problems rather than solutions. Immersed in the stream of traditions, Jesus invites us to discern well on what traditions that bring us true worship of God and genuine progress for human society.

Going back to the time of Jesus, the Jews are particular with ritual purity because they can only worship God when they are ritually clean. In view of this worship, they carefully avoid contamination from blood, dead body and unclean animals, or any objects that are in contact with these things. Since they are not sure whether their hands and utensils are ritually clean, especially if they come from the marketplace or the fields, they make it a habit to purify their hands and utensils to evade contamination from uncleanliness. Thus, various purification rituals develop into traditions for the Jews. The intention of these traditions is good because they assist people to worship God. However, some of the Pharisees put excessive emphasis on these traditions and make them absolute as if failure to observe these rituals means they fail to revere God. They confuse between the genuine worship that brings true honor for God, and other traditional practices that assist people in achieving this worship.

Jesus does not only invite us to discern carefully various traditions we have, but Jesus also offers us a more fundamental tradition in worshiping God. Instead of “handing down” practices or things, Jesus hands down something most important, namely His own life for God and us. Jesus gives up His Body and Blood, His total self, in the Last Supper, and this sacrifice reaches its summit at the Cross. His self-offering becomes the most pleasing worship to God, and procures the gift of salvation for all of us. Because of His Tradition, the world is no longer the same. Jesus hands over this great Tradition to His Disciples and throughout the generations, the Christians are faithfully offering this sacrifice of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. As we partake Jesus’ self-offering, we are also empowered to hand down ourselves to others. This means we are invited to make our daily sacrifices, to persevere in doing good, and to be faithful to our commitments either as spouse, parents, priests, religious, or professionals. As we live this greatest tradition daily, we do not only make the world a better place, but to offer a pleasing worship to God.

 

Br. Valentinus Bayuahadi Ruseno, OP

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 26, 2018

John 6:60-69

 

“Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (Jn. 6:67).”

 

In our today’s Gospel, Simon Peter and other disciples are facing a major crossroad: whether they will believe in Jesus’ words and they need to consume Jesus’ flesh and blood as to gain eternal life, or they will consider Jesus as insane and leave Him. They are dealing with hard and even outrageously unbelievable truth, and the easiest way is to leave Jesus. Yet, amidst doubt and lack of understanding, Peter’s faith prevails, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (Jn. 6:67).” It is faith that triumphs over the greatest doubt, a faith that we need also.

 

I am ending my clinical pastoral education at one of the busiest hospitals in Metro Manila. It has been a truly faith-enriching and heart-warming experience. I am blessed and privileged to minister to many patients in this hospital. One of the most memorable and perhaps faith-challenging encounter is with Christian [not his real name].

 

When I visited the pediatric ward, I saw a little boy, around six years old, lying on the bed. He was covered by a thin blanket and seemed in pain. Then I talked to the watcher who happened to his mother, Christina [not her real name]. She told me that the dialysis did not go well and he had a little fever. As the conversation went on, I discovered that Christian was not that young. He was actually 16 years old. I did not believe my eyes, but the mother explained that it was because his kidneys shrank to the point of disappearing, and because of this terrible condition, his growth stopped, and his body also shrank. Christian has undergone dialysis for several years, and due to recurrent infections, the hospital has been his second home. Christina herself lost his husband when he died several years ago, and stopped working to take care of Christian. The older sister of Christian had to stop schooling and worked to support the family.

Looking at Christian, and listening to Christina, I was hurt, and I was almost shedding tears. Despite my long theological formation, I cannot but question God. “Why do You allow this kind of terrible suffering to an innocent little man? Why do you allow his life and future be robbed by this illness?” My faith was shaken. Then, I was asking Christina how she was able to deal with the situation. She shared that it was really difficult, but she has accepted the condition, and she continues to struggle to the end because she loved Christian. I was also asking her what made her strong, and I cannot forget her answer. She said that she was strong when she saw little Christian’s smiles, and she felt his simple happiness.

 

Right there and then, through Christina, I felt God has answered my questions and doubts. It is true that terrible things happen, but God never leaves us. He was there in Christian’s simple smiles. He was there in little acts of love from Christina for her son. It is true that life is full of incomprehensible sufferings and heart-breaking moments, like the loss of loved ones, the broken relationships, the health and financial problems, and perhaps the recent revelation of sexual abuses done by many Catholic priests in the US. These can trigger our anger and disappointment towards God. We shall remain angry, confused and lost if we focus on the painful reality, but God is inviting us to see Him in simple and ordinary things that bring us comfort, strength, and joy. If Jesus calls us to have faith the size of mustard seed, it is because this kind of faith empowers us to recognize God in simple and ordinary things of our lives.

 

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 12, 2018

John 6:41-51

 

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.  (Jn 6:47-48)

 

I am currently having my pastoral clinical education in one of the hospitals in the Metro Manila. Aside from visiting the patients and attending to their spiritual needs, we also have processing sessions guided by our supervisor.  During one of the sessions, our supervisor asked me, “Where is the ultimate source of your preaching?” As a member of the Order of Preachers, I was caught off guard. My initial reaction was to say our deeply revered motto, “Contemplare, at contemplata aliis tradere (to contemplate, and to share the fruits of one’s contemplation).” He pressed further and asked what is behind this contemplation. I began scrambling for answers. “Is it study? Community? Or prayer? He said that those were right answers, but there is something more basic. I admitted I am clueless. While he was smiling, he said “It is faith.”

 

His answer is very simple and yet makes a lot of sense. We pray because we have faith in God. We go to the Church because we have faith in the merciful God who calls us to be His chosen people. As for myself, I entered the Dominican Order because I have faith that generous God invites me to this kind of life. We preach because we trust in the loving God and we want to share this God with others.

 

I have spent years studying philosophy and theology at one of the top universities in the Philippines, but when I meet the patients with so much pain and problems, I realize that all my achievements, knowledge and pride are coming to naught. How am I going to help patients having troubles to settle hospital bills with astronomical amount?  How am I going to help persons in their dying moments? How am I going to help patients who are angry with God or disappointed with their lives? However, as a chaplain, I need to be there for them, and the best preaching is in fact, the most basic one. It is not preaching in the forms of theological discourse, philosophical discussion, and a long sermon or advice. To preach here is to sharing my faith and to receive their faith. I am there to be with them, to listen to their stories and struggles, to share a little humor and laughter, and to pray together with them. To pray for them is the rare moments that I pray with all my faith because I know that only my faith I can offer to them.

 

In our Gospel today, we read that some Jews are murmuring because they have no faith in Jesus. Yet, Jesus does not only call them to simply trust in Him, but also to literally eat Him because He is the Bread of Life. The faith in the Eucharist is indeed a tipping point. It is either the craziest of the crazy or the greatest faith that can move even a mountain. As Christians who believe in the Eucharist and receive Jesus in every Mass, we are tremendously privilege and challenged to have and express this faith. However, when we fail to appreciate this meaning and beauty of this faith, and only receive the Bread of Life in a routinely and mechanical fashion, we may lose altogether this faith.

 

As people who go to Church every Sunday and receive the Eucharist on a regular basis, do we truly believe in Jesus the Bread of Life? Does our faith empower us to see God in the midst of our daily struggles and challenges? Do we have faith that we can share when it matters most?

 

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

 

 

18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 5, 2018

John 6:24-35

 

“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” (Jn. 6:29)

 

To say “Amen” is something usually we do in prayer. Commonly it is used to end a prayer. Our biblical prayers like Our Father and Hail Mary are usually concluded by amen. In several occasions, amen is mentioned more often. One of my duties as a hospital chaplain is to lead a prayer of healing for the sick. I always ask the family and friends who accompany the patients to pray together. Sometimes, they will say amen at the end of the prayer. However, some others will utter several amens within the prayer, and in fact, some people will say more amens than my prayer! In several occasions, amen is utilized outside the context of prayer. Preachers with a charismatic gift will invite their listeners to say amen. Surely, it is a good technique to keep the listeners awake!

Amen is a simple and yet very powerful word. Amen indicates our strong affirmation and agreement to something. It is the most concise manifesto of our faith. Amen is a biblical language, and in fact, it is a Hebrew word, that means “surely!” or “Let it be done!”. It is interesting to note that the early usage of amen in the Bible is to affirm curses and punishments (see Num 5:22; Deu 27:15). Fortunately, the Book of Psalm teaches us to use amen to affirm God’s blessings. Jesus Himself is fond of saying Amen. He uses amen to affirm the truth and power of His words (see Mat 5:18; Mat 8:5). There is a radical shift here. Unlike the usual practice to affirm God’s blessing, Jesus says amen to His own words. This is because Jesus’ words are God’s blessing per se. Thus, learning from the Biblical tradition, we say amen to affirm God’s blessings. Moreover, learning from Jesus, we say amen to express our faith in His words, and ultimately to Jesus Himself. Surprisingly, the first person in the New Testament to proclaim the great amen to Jesus is none other than His mother, Mary. Before the angel Gabriel, she says “Be it done to me according to your words,” in short, “Amen!” (see Luk 1:38)

One of the greatest amen we proclaim is when we receive the Eucharist. For hundreds of millions of Christian Catholics who receive the Holy Communion every Sunday, to say amen seems rather usual. Yet, it is supposed to be the most difficult amen we say. To believe and affirm that a little consecrated white bread is the Body of Christ containing the fullness of Jesus’ divinity and humanity is either totally insane or a sign of extraordinary faith. Yet, I do believe this is Jesus’ invitation to believe in Him in the Eucharist. Relating to this Sunday’ Gospel, Jesus says that the work of God is to believe in Jesus, the one sent by the Father (see John 6:29). Continue reading chapter 6 of this Gospel of John, we discover that to believe in Jesus means to accept that He is the Bread of Life, and those who eat this Bread will have eternal life (see John 6:51). Thus, to say faith-filled amen to the Eucharist is the fulfillment of Jesus’ words, and leading to the fullness of acceptance of Jesus as God and Savior.

As people who go to the Church every Sunday and receive the Eucharist in a regular basis, do we say our Amen in the fullness of our faith or is it just a mechanical repetition? Does our Amen enable us to recognize the daily blessing we receive? Like Mary, does our faith manifest in our daily actions, and make a difference in lives?

 

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP