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St. Dominic’s Prayer

St. Dominic’s Prayer

The Solemnity of St. Dominic de Guzman
August 8, 2021
Mat 28:16-20

Today, the Dominican family is celebrating the solemnity of St. Dominic de Guzman, the founder and father of the Order of Preachers. Thus, allow me share this reflection on St. Dominic. This year’s celebration is extraordinary because we also commemorate the 800th anniversary of Dominic’s death. We call it dies Natalis, the day of birth. It is the birthday of the saint in heaven. Indeed, it has been 800 years since the death of St. Dominic, and the Order he founded is growing vital and ever young.

The Order of Preachers may not be the biggest congregation in the Catholic Church [we have only around six thousand brothers], but indeed, we continue to be blessed with vocations. In Indonesia alone, we have a good number of young brothers in the formation. In the Philippines, the formation house is packed with brothers.

Why is the reason behind this growth? Indeed, there are many overlapping reasons, yet may I highlight one of those: the prayer of St. Dominic himself. At his deathbed, St. Dominic promised his brothers, “Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.” [his words are powerful that they are quoted in CCC 956]

His prayers have been proved effective. The Order has been through thick and thin of the world and Church’s history, and it is not always glorious. The Order also shares some painful past and memories. There are times that the Order seemed to collapse under its weight or split into smaller and quarreling factions. Yet, the Order can overcome those. I do believe that the reason cannot be explained by purely human strength. It is God’s mercy and Dominic’s great love for his brothers and sisters.

What is impressive is that St. Dominic is not alone. He is also joined by other Dominican saints, like St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Martin de Porres, St. Catharine of Siena, and countless Dominicans who have entered heaven. Every day, the prayers are getting stronger and louder as more holy people join their chorus.

The Order of Preachers is a family and community, and what is marvelous is that the members are not limited to those who are here on earth but those in heaven. Our brothers and sisters in heaven are doing even more amazing things for us. I am maybe alone here preaching, but my heavenly family members are supporting and cheering for me. I am perhaps alone in my study time, but the Dominican saints are at the forefront in guiding me. The letter of Hebrews speaks of the cloud of heavenly witness surrounding us [Heb 12:1], and I know some of them. We may be small, but our strength is not only here on earth. The more excellent works are done in heaven for the sake of the Order and the salvation of souls.

Many of us may not be a member of Dominican Order, but we are part of a larger family of God, the Church. We have one Father in heaven, and there is no other greatest joy for a father to see his children helping and loving one another. As we help and love our brothers and sisters here on earth, we shall not forget to give thanks to our brothers and sisters in heaven who constantly love and support us till we meet them in heaven.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Doa St. Dominikus

Doa St. Dominikus

Hari Raya St. Dominikus de Guzman
8 Agustus 2021
Mat 28:16-20

Hari ini, keluarga Dominikan merayakan hari raya St. Dominikus de Guzman, pendiri dan bapak Ordo Pewarta. Oleh karena ini, izinkanlah saya memberikan sedikit renungan tentang st. Dominikus. Perayaan tahun ini sangat khusus karena kita juga memperingati 800 tahun wafatnya Dominikus. Ini adalah ‘Dies Natalis’, hari kelahirannya di surga. Dan 800 tahun sejak kematian St. Dominikus, Ordo yang ia dirikan semakin kuat dan muda.

Ordo Pewarta mungkin bukan kongregasi terbesar di Gereja Katolik, [kita hanya memiliki sekitar enam ribu saudara], tetapi tentu saja, kita terus diberkati dengan panggilan-panggilan baru. Di Indonesia sendiri, kita memiliki banyak frater-frater dalam formasi. Di Filipina, rumah formasi Dominikan dipadati oleh frater-frater.

Apa alasan di balik pertumbuhan ini? Tentu saja, ada banyak alasan yang bisa dikemukakan, namun saya dapat menyodorkan satu alasan: doa St. Dominikus sendiri. Di saat kematiannya, St Dominikus berjanji kepada saudara-saudaranya, “Jangan menangis, karena saya akan lebih berguna bagimu setelah kematian saya dan saya akan membantumu di sana lebih baik daripada selama saya hidup.” [kata-katanya ini bahkan dikutip dalam KGK 956]

Doa-doanya terbukti berfaidah. Ordonya telah menjadi bagian sejarah panjang dunia dan Gereja, dan tidak semuanya baik. Ordo juga ambil bagian dari beberapa peristiwa kelam dan memori yang menyakitkan. Bahkan, ada kalanya Ordo tampak runtuh karena bebannya sendiri atau terpecah menjadi faksi-faksi yang lebih kecil. Namun, Ordo dapat mengatasinya. Saya percaya bahwa penjelasannya tidak dapat dijelaskan dengan kekuatan manusia saja. Ini adalah belas kasihan Tuhan dan cinta Dominikus yang besar bagi saudara-saudaranya.

Yang sungguh menakjubkan bahwa St. Dominikus tidak sendirian. Dia berdoa bersama dengan orang-orang kudus Dominikan lainnya, seperti St Thomas Aquinas, St Martin de Porres, St Katarina dari Siena, dan banyak Dominikan yang telah masuk surga. Setiap hari, doa-doa mereka semakin kuat dan riuh, karena semakin banyak orang suci bergabung dengan paduan suara mereka ini.

Ordo Pewarta adalah sebuah keluarga dan komunitas, dan yang menakjubkan adalah bahwa anggotanya tidak terbatas pada mereka yang ada di bumi, tetapi juga mereka yang di surga. Saudara-saudari kita di surga melakukan hal-hal yang lebih menakjubkan lagi bagi kita. Saya mungkin sendirian di sini saat saya memberi renungan, tetapi anggota keluarga surgawi saya mendukung dan menyemangati saya. Saya mungkin sendirian dalam waktu belajar, tetapi para kudus Dominikan berada di garis depan dalam membimbing saya. Surat Ibrani berbicara tentang awan para saksi surgawi yang mengelilingi kita [Ibr 12:1], dan sebagai anggota Ordo, saya mengenal beberapa di antara mereka. Kita mungkin kecil, tapi kekuatan kita bukan hanya di dunia ini. Bahkan, pekerjaan yang lebih besar dilakukan di surga demi Ordo, Gereja dan keselamatan jiwa.

Banyak dari kita mungkin bukan anggota Ordo Dominikan, tetapi kita adalah bagian dari keluarga Allah yang lebih besar, Gereja. Ordo St. Dominikus hanya sebuah cerminan dari Gereja Kristus. Kita memiliki satu Bapa di surga, dan tidak ada sukacita yang lebih besar bagi seorang ayah kecuali melihat anak-anaknya saling membantu dan mengasihi. Selama kita membantu dan mengasihi saudara-saudara kita di bumi ini, tidak lupa kita bersyukur kepada saudara-saudara kita di surga yang senantiasa mengasihi dan mendukung kita, sampai kita bertemu di surga.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Food for Eternal Life

Food for Eternal Life

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]
August 1, 2021
John 6:24-35

The people were looking for Jesus because they wanted to eat the bread more. They wished that their stomach would be filled. Jesus reminded them that they should not seek food that perishes but for food that endures eternal life. Unfortunately, people failed to understand. They thought it was like Old Testament’s manna constantly given to the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years. There would be bread for every day for the rest of their lives.

Going back to the Old Testament, we listen to the story of the Israelites who complained because they were hungry. However, just a few hours before, they just witnessed how God parted the red sea and destroyed the mighty Egyptian force through Moses. They knew well how God brought the Egyptians to their knees. Yet, when their stomachs were empty, they forgot all of this and demanded the return to the land of slavery. They even accused God of plotting their death in the wilderness. When it comes to survival instinct, the Israelites were too eager to embrace slavery rather than stay loyal to the God of freedom.

Jesus reminds us that there is more to life than filling our stomachs. Indeed, it is essential to eat and nourish our bodies, but even this physical food is also coming from God’s providence. Often, we are too preoccupied to look for earthly bread in its various forms, successful careers, political influence, fame, and wealth. We seek these things to the point that we are willing to go back to the slavery of sin and abandon the God of freedom.

This time of the pandemic, we might find ourselves in the position of the Israelites. Some of us are hungry because we are just losing our economic stability. Some of us are battling sickness. Some of us are losing our beloved family members. Some of us cannot do what we used to love to do. Some of us cannot go to the Church and do our services. In these dire needs, we are facing the temptation to complain against the Lord. We may get disappointed and angry with the Lord. We are more ready to abandon the Lord. We easily forget the mighty deeds the Lord has wrought in our lives. Like our ancestors, the Israelites, we are absorbed in our sufferings and blaming God for our misfortunes. We forget our God who allows this suffering is the God who controls the forces of nature.

Let us learn from the saints. Ignatius of Loyola is one of the excellent examples. He used to be a man who hungered for worldly glory. He put his life in the line to prove his gallantry in the siege of Pamplona. Yet, when his legs were severely wounded and permanently limped, his ambitions were scattered. Yet, at the same time, he read the lives of Christ and the saints, and he realized that the greater glory that the world could ever offer. The true path of grandeur is to work for the greater glory of God. He left everything and worked for the food that will not perish. Eventually, he ended up as a saint.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Makanan untuk Kehidupan Kekal

Makanan untuk Kehidupan Kekal

Minggu Biasa ke-18 [B]
1 Agustus 2021
Yohanes 6:24-35

Banyak orang mencari Yesus karena mereka ingin makan roti lebih banyak, mereka berharap perut mereka kenyang. Namun, Yesus mengingatkan mereka agar mereka tidak mencari makanan yang dapat binasa, melainkan makanan yang bertahan untuk hidup yang kekal. Sayangnya, mereka gagal untuk paham. Mereka mengira makanan yang Yesus beri seperti manna Perjanjian Lama yang terus-menerus diberikan kepada orang Israel di padang gurun selama empat puluh tahun. Mereka mengira bahwa akan ada roti bagi mereka setiap hari secara cuma-cuma. Perut mereka selalu terisi dan mereka selalu dijauhkan dari penderitaan. Namun, ini bukanlah roti yang Yesus tawarkan.

Kembali ke Perjanjian Lama, kita mendengarkan kisah orang Israel yang mengeluh karena lapar. Namun, hanya beberapa jam sebelumnya, mereka baru saja menyaksikan bagaimana Tuhan melalui Musa membelah laut merah dan menghancurkan kekuatan besar Mesir. Mereka tahu betul bagaimana Tuhan membuat orang Mesir bertekuk lutut dengan 10 tulah. Namun, ketika perut mereka kosong, mereka melupakan semua ini, dan menuntut kembali ke tanah perbudakan. Mereka bahkan menuduh Tuhan merencanakan kematian mereka di padang gurun. Dalam hal naluri bertahan hidup, orang Israel terlalu bersemangat untuk memilih perbudakan, daripada tetap setia kepada Tuhan kemerdekaan.

Yesus mengingatkan kita bahwa hidup ini lebih dari sekadar mengisi perut kita. Memang, makan dan memelihara tubuh kita adalah hal yang sangat penting, tetapi bahkan makanan fisik ini juga berasal dari pemeliharaan Tuhan. Seringkali, kita terlalu sibuk mencari roti duniawi dalam berbagai bentuknya, karier yang sukses, pengaruh politik, ketenaran, dan kekayaan. Kami mencari hal-hal ini sampai kami bersedia kembali ke perbudakan dosa, dan meninggalkan Tuhan kebebasan.

Saat pandemi ini, kita mungkin menemukan diri kita berada di posisi orang Israel. Beberapa dari kita lapar karena kita baru saja kehilangan stabilitas ekonomi kita. Beberapa dari kita sedang berjuang melawan penyakit. Beberapa dari kita kehilangan anggota keluarga tercinta. Beberapa dari kita tidak dapat melakukan apa yang dulu suka dilakukan. Beberapa dari kita tidak dapat pergi ke Gereja dan melakukan pelayanan kita. Dalam kebutuhan yang mendesak ini, kita menghadapi godaan untuk mengeluh kepada Tuhan. Kita mungkin kecewa dan marah kepada Tuhan. Kita lebih siap untuk meninggalkan Tuhan. Kita dengan mudah melupakan perbuatan-perbuatan besar yang Tuhan telah lakukan dalam hidup kita. Seperti nenek moyang kita, orang Israel, kita tenggelam dalam penderitaan kita, dan menyalahkan Tuhan atas kemalangan kita. Kita melupakan Tuhan kita yang membiarkan penderitaan ini adalah Tuhan yang mengendalikan kekuatan alam.

Mari kita belajar dari orang-orang kudus. Ignatius dari Loyola adalah salah satu contoh yang sangat baik. Dia dulunya adalah seorang pria yang haus akan kemuliaan duniawi. Bahkan, dia mempertaruhkan nyawanya hanya untuk membuktikan kegagahannya dalam mempertahankan benteng Pamplona. Namun, ketika kakinya terluka parah, dan menjadi pincang secara permanen, ambisinya hancur. Namun, pada saat yang sama, dia membaca kehidupan Kristus dan orang-orang kudus, dan dia menyadari bahwa kemuliaan yang lebih besar yang tidak dapat ditawarkan dunia. Jalan keagungan yang sebenarnya adalah bekerja untuk kemuliaan Tuhan yang lebih besar. Dia meninggalkan segalanya dan bekerja untuk makanan yang tidak akan binasa. Akhirnya, dia berakhir sebagai santo.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Reclining

Reclining

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]
July 25, 2021
John 6:1-15

The miracle of the multiplication of the bread is one of the few stories recorded by the four evangelists. The event must be impressively memorable and powerful for the disciples and other witnesses. Why did the four evangelists opt to include this story in their gospels?

There are many possible motives, but one apparent reason is that the story of the multiplication of the bread serves as a sign to the greater miracle, the Eucharist. If we try to observe the story’s details, we will discover some striking similarities with the Last Supper of the Lord, the first Eucharist. One particular action is that Jesus ordered them to recline. To ask a classroom of 40 students to take their seats is a tough job, and here Jesus asked five thousand men not only to sit but to recline! Yet, John the evangelist did not tell us that the people turned to be chaotic, and all seemed to be fine and smooth.

photocredit: Natashya Vaitkevich

This gesture of reclining seems to be ordinary, yet in ancient times, to recline is to be able to rest, and in fact, it is the gesture of a freeman. Slave was expected to serve when their masters eat, and they would spend most of their time doing labor. Thus, they did not have much time to enjoy their meals, lest to recline. By asking the people to recline, Jesus was giving them the rest they truly desired.

The gesture of reclining while enjoying the food was a typical ancient way to have a banquet. The host and the guests would share a low table that they may recline, consume the meals, share stories, and enjoy the entertainment. Jesus Himself often was invited to attend such banquets [see Luk 7:36]. By asking the people to recline and offer them food, Jesus acted as the host of a great feast, and the people were His honored guests.

Lastly, when Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, and gave it to the people, our catholic instinct should immediately tingle. These are the actions in the Eucharist. Yet, St. John added another essential detail: reclining. The gesture of reclining is the same gesture the disciples had in the Last Supper [See John 13:12]. In a sense, the people who reclined and received the bread from Jesus were sharing in the first the Eucharist of Jesus.

Every time we participate in the Eucharist, indeed, we are expected not to recline on the altar! Yet, we receive even greater gifts than five thousand people from the gospel. Not only do we have a break from our works and chores on Sunday, but we enjoy the proper rest in God. We are reminded that our purpose is not simply here on earth but in God. Not only do we attend a religious service, but we become part of the divine banquet of God’s children. We do not slave to our works, to this world, to the power of darkness, but men and women freed by God’s grace. Not only do we partake in physical food, but the bread of life, Jesus Christ Himself. Indeed, the Eucharist is heaven on earth.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

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