Sang Sabda Allah

Sang Sabda telah menjadi manusia dan tinggal di antara kita (Yoh 1:14).

Ho logos sarx egeneto kai eskenosen en humin.

The Word became flesh and lived among us.

Verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis.

Das Wort ward Fleisch und wohnte unter uns.

La Parola è diventata carne e ha abitato per un tempo fra di noi.

Le Verbe s'est fait chair et il a habité parmi nous.

Het Woord is vlees geworden en het heeft onder ons gewoond.

Sang Sabda wis dadi manungsa, manggon awor karo kita.

Gabe daging ma Hata i jala maringan di tongatonga ni hita on.

Kata e enggo jadi manusia, janah Ia ringan i tengah-tengahta.

Dhabu jareya la daddi manossa, alenggi e antarana sengko' ban ba'na.

Pangandika teh terus mijalma, jadi manusa, hirup di kalangan urang.

Menanti?

Dunia sudah dipenuhi dengan segala sesuatu yang serba cepat. Alat transportasi cepat. Alat komunikasi cepat. Mode pakaian yang cepat berubah. Makanan cepat saji, bahkan di McDonald jika pelayanan lebih dari hitungan satu menit, pelanggan akan mendapat "ganti rugi" berupa tambahan menu, dan pekerja mendapat point kurang. Ada juga program diet cepat kurus. Bahkan sampai hubungan cinta yang cepat: cepat kawin lalu cepat cerai. Semua serba cepat, cepat, cepat. Time is money, don't wasting time!

Dalam dunia semacam ini menanti-nanti bukanlah suatu hal yang dapat ditolerir. Menanti bukanlah hal yang menyenangkan, bahkan seringkali terasa menyebalkan. Apalagi orang yang kita nanti-nanti tidak kunjung datang. Perasaan sebal, sedih, marah, rindu, dan gelisah bisa bercampur aduk tidak karuan.

Namun Allah berpikir lain, Ia mengajar kita untuk menantikan janjiNya. Ia mengajar Israel untuk menantikan terealisasinya suatu tanah yang dijanjikan selama 40 tahun. Ia mengajar Israel juga menantikan sang Mesias selama berabad-abad. Ia mengajar kita juga untuk menantikan kedatanganNya yang kedua lebih dari dua puluh abad.

Kita sering menjadi tak sabar. Kita mau mengatur Allah, Sang Penguasa Waktu itu, agar Ia datang lebih cepat. Maka banyak pengkotbah yang mulai tergoda untuk menghitung-hitung hari dan tahun kedatanganNya. Mereka meramalkan waktu yang mereka sendiri tidak ketahui, dan menakut-nakuti pengikutnya. Kaum ekstrimis mempercepat rencana Allah dengan melakukan bunuh diri massal, yakin bahwa dengan demikian mereka sendiri yang menyongsong sang mesias. Kaum teroris lebih parah lagi: mereka dengan sengaja membuat kekacaubalauan, chaos, dengan harapan bahwa jika dunia kacau dan hacur berantakan dengan teror-teror sadis mereka, maka mesias akan didorong untuk semakin cepat datang. Mesias didorong oleh terorisme!

Manusia tidak sabar dan malah suka mengambil jalan pintas. Jalan kesabaran terlalu lama, berbelit dan berliku, lebih baik mengambil jalan pintas. Jalan ini mengandaikan bahwa akulah yang mengatur hidupku, hanya akulah yang menentukan arah hidupku.

Dalam hidup rohani, yang juga amat berpengaruh pada hidup keseharian kita, mentalitas instan ini tidak berlaku dan tidak ada jalan pintas menuju ke persatuan dengan Allah, karena “sesaklah pintu dan sempitlah jalan yang menuju kepada kehidupan” (Mat 7:14). Untuk menjelaskan tentang kesabaran dalam hidup doa, Teresa menggunakan baik kata “sabar” maupun kata “menyimak dengan sepenuh hati” (attentiveness). Kesabaran dipakainya ketika ia menasihati orang agar tetap teguh berjuang meskipun berkali-kali jatuh dalam kekurangan maupun dosa, karena Allah bisa menarik sesuatu yang baik daripadanya, misal: untuk memberi pelajaran pada kita. Kesabaran juga merupakan keutamaan yang diperlukan untuk menanti-nantikan Allah. Pemazmur berkata, “Aku menanti-nantikan TUHAN, jiwaku menanti-nanti, dan aku mengharapkan firman-Nya. Jiwaku mengharapkan Tuhan lebih dari pada pengawal mengharapkan pagi, lebih dari pada pengawal mengharapkan pagi” (Mzm 130:5-6). Menantikan Allah adalah hal yang penting, karena kita seringkali mengira bahwa kita yang menyetir semua arah hidup kita.

Bukan kita, namun Allahlah sebenarnya yang menyelenggarakan hidup kita. Kita tidak tahu dengan pasti apa yang akan Tuhan lakukan berikutnya. Kita mesti sabar menanti kapan Allah menghendaki kita untuk berjalan maju, berhenti sejenak, mengalami pemurnian, atau untuk berlari maju dengan cepat untuk menyongsong kedatanganNya dalam hidup kita pribadi ataupun kedatanganNya untuk memulihkan segala sesuatu seperti dan bahkan lebih baik dari semula.

Amin, datanglah Tuhan Yesus! (Why 22:20)

WAITING ON HIM

These prayers serve as the Christmas novena. They are beautiful and ancient prayers, which recall the names entitled to Jesus, the Savior of the world. They are usually called the "O" prayers.

O SAPIENTIA

O Wisdom, which comes forth out of the mouth of the Most High, and reaches from one end to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence.

Wisdom 8:1, 9:4,9,10; Proverbs 7:22; Hebrews 1:1; John 1:3; Ecclesiasticus 34:3.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who are the very Wisdom of God most high,
by whom He made the world, impressing on His creation
the reflection of His own power and goodness;
Who does uphold the world in its being and harmony,
as you reaches from one end to the other
mightily and sweetly ordering all things;
Who did visit God's prophets and servants of old,
giving them ever fuller knowledge of His mind and will;
you in the fullness of time did come forth in the incarnation,
clothing Thyself in our nature and living amid our conditions,
to teach us the way of prudence--
how to use the complex nature you had framed,
how to escape the snares and temptations by which we are surrounded,
how to attain the blessedness which you has prepared for us.
Blessed be your Name for your teaching by word and by example,
for the testimony of your Apostles and the record of the Scriptures,
for the continual guidance of your Spirit and the witness of your Saints.

Come now, we pray to you, by your grace
to your Church and people,
and teach us in our day and need
the way of prudence--
how best to promote your Father's glory,
and extend your kingdom,
and win our perfect life,
as we so pass through things temporal
as not to lose the things eternal.


O ADONAI

O Lord and Ruler of the house of Israel, who appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire in the bush, and gave unto him the Law in Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

Acts 7:30, 28; Hebrews 12:18-21, 10:16.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who as the Angel of the Lord
did rule and guard God's people of old;
Who did appear to Moses in the burning bush,
that told of your presence hallowing but not consuming,
and of your people's preservation through fiery trials;
Who did give the Law in Sinai
in could and majesty and awe;
You did come to visit mankind oppressed
and did redeem us therefrom
by the victory of your Passion:

Come, we pray to you, now by your grace,
and with your outstretched arm deliver us
from the bondage of evil habits
from the crafts and assaults of Satan,
from the tyranny of the world,
and the disorder into which our nature has fallen
Write in our hearts by your Spirit
the law in obedience to which we shall find our true freedom,
Your law of truth and purity and love.


O RADIX JESSE

O Root of Jesse, who stands for an ensign of the people, at Whom kings shall shut their mouths, unto Whom the Gentiles shall pray: Come and deliver us, and tarry not.

Isaiah 11:1,10,15; Romans 1:3; Matthew 27:19,20.

O Lord Jesus Christ, the new shoot from the hewn down stump of Jesse's line,
in whom all the promises should be fulfilled;
the champion of your people,
to whom the Gentile nations should turn in submission and obedience:
You have come of the seed of David according to the flesh,
being born in obscurity of a maiden of the royal line;
You have set up your holy catholic Church,
commanding your apostles to make disciples of all nations
and to train all peoples in obedience to your holy commandments:

Come now, we pray to you, by you grace, and tarry not,
hasten the manifestation of your kingdom;
grant that your Church may continually be increased
by the gathering in of new children to you,
and perfected by the increasing devotion of those who have been regenerated.


O CLAVIS DAVID

O Key of David, and Scepter of the house of Israel, you that openest and no one shut, and shut and no one open: Come, and loose the prisoner from the prison-house, and him that sits in darkness from the shadow of death.

Isaiah 22:22, 67:7; Revelation 3:7; Luke 1:32; Mark 2:10; Matthew 27:18.

O Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is given the throne and scepter of David
your father over the house of Israel,
that you might extend his kingdom over all peoples:
You did come in our nature,
as the Son of man forgiving sins,
dispelling sickness and loosing bonds:
to you now is committed all authority in heaven and on earth,
and the powers of hell cannot withstand your word:

Come, we pray to you, by your grace,
and through the instrumentality of your Church,
to loosen the prisoner from the chains of sin,
to enlighten with the glad tidings of your word
all who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
that they may rejoice in the deliverance which you have wrought.


O ORIENS

O Orient, Brightness of the Eternal Light, and Sun of Righteousness: Come, and lighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Luke 1:78,79; Malachi 4:2; Wisdom 7:26; Hebrews 1:3; John 1:4,5; Titus 3:4; Luke 7:22; Ephesians 5:8-14.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who are the outshining of your Father's glory,
Light streaming forth from Light:
You did come in the incarnation
to our poor darkened world
as the Sun of Righteousness
bringing healing in your beams,
dispelling noxious influences,
and gladdening man's hearts with the good news
of their Father's kindness and love for man:

Come, we pray to you, now by your grace,
and through your Church let your truth and love shine forth
to all that are in the darkness of sin or ignorance or error;
penetrate the hidden recesses of our hearts,
and enlighten the cruel habitations of the earth.


O REX GENTIUM.

O King of the Gentiles, and their Desire, the Corner-stone, who made both one: Come and save man, whom you have formed out of the dust of the earth.

Acts 17:26; Ephesians 2:14; Isaiah 65:22; Psalm 113:6-8.

O Lord Jesus Christ, for whom all peoples yearn,
even though they know not whom they seek;
You have made of one blood all nations
to dwell on the face of the whole earth;
and you do bind together Jew and Gentile
in the one body of your catholic Church:

Come, we pray to you, and by your truth and grace
raise man whom you did make out of the dust of the earth,
from his low condition,
and set him in your holy Church with the princes,
even with the princes of your people.


O EMMANUEL

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of all nations, and their Saviour: Come and save us, O Lord our God.

Isaiah 8:8, 32:1; Psalm 72; Genesis 69:10; Haggai 2:7; Luke 1:71,74,75.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who was foretold as the king
in whom God would manifest his presence,
Who should reign in righteousness,
bringing peace and happiness to all peoples;
You are yourself indeed Emmanuel,
the very Son and Word of God made man:

Come, we pray to you, by your grace, and reign over us,
so saving us from our spiritual enemies
and from the hand of all that hate us,
that we may serve you without fear
in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life.


O SANCTE SANCTORUM

O Holy of Holies, the spotless mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness: Come and blot out iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness.

Wisdom 7:26; Daniel 9:24; Colossians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 4:6; John 14:9; 1 John 2:2; Revelation 21:5; 2 Peter 3:13.

O Lord Jesus Christ, promised as the Holy One,
the anointed Priest and Prince,
who should make reconciliation for iniquity
and bring in everlasting righteousness;
You are indeed the Most Holy,
the very Shrine of the Godhead;
You are the spotless mirror of the majesty of God,
and the image of His goodness;
in your face the glory of God shines forth.
You, Jesus Christ the Righteous,
are the propitiation for our sins
and for the whole world:

Come, we pray to you, and put forth the might of your grace,
and destroy the works of the devil,
whom you did vanquish on the cross,
and restore all things to their perfection.
According to your promise we look for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwell righteousness.


O PASTOR ISRAEL

O Shepherd of Israel and Ruler of the house of David, whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days: Come and feed your people in the strength of the Lord, and reign in judgment and righteousness.

Micah 5:2, 4; Ezekiel 34:16; Isaiah 32:16; Psalm 80:1.

O Lord Jesus Christ, the true Shepherd whom the LORD promised
to set up over His people Israel,
to tend and rule them in judgment and righteousness;
You are the Eternal Son of the Father,
one with Him in majesty and might;
none can pluck out of your hand the sheep
for whom you did lay down your life.

Come, we pray to you, and tend the sheep and lambs of your flock,
protect them from the attacks of the enemy,
and bring them in safety to your everlasting fold.

Perbedaan Mengancam Kita?

Perbedaan seringkali menakutkan kita, dan dari ketakutan ini lahirlah sikap curiga pada pihak lain yang berbeda.

Dalam hal suku atau ras, kita seringkali memandang mereka yang berbeda dengan kita sebagai suku yang lebih rendah derajatnya. Di zaman Hitler orang Jerman menyebut rasnya sebagai über alles (di atas semuanya). Orang Itali dengan nada mengejek memandang orang Asia sebagai la gente da fuori (bangsa di luar kita). Orang Cina di Indonesia menyebut suku lain bukan zhongguo ren (bukan Cina). Orang Jawa memandang orang yang tidak selembut mereka sebagai ora njawani (tidak bertindak seperti orang Jawa). Orang Batak juga menyebut suku lain sebagai ndang halak hita do (bukan orang kita).

Dalam hal agama, kita lihat betapa perang salib di abad pertengahan sudah menumpahkan darah tanpa arti, selain hanya menyuburkan kebencian antar agama. Masing-masing menganggap diri sebagai pemegang kebenaran yang turun dari langit. Sampai sekarang orang masih saling curiga dengan orang lain yang berbeda agama. Saling menjegal. Saling memata-matai. Saling menjatuhkan.

Dalam hal seksualitas, perbedaan antar pria dan wanita membuat kedua kubu jenis kelamin ini berseteru. Si pria menuduh wanita sebagai makhluk dengan penis envy, sebaliknya wanita menuduh pria sebagai makhluk yang lack of womb.

Dalam hal tugas dalam kehidupan sehari-hari setiap orang mengklaim bahwa tugasnya, posisinya, dan jabatannyalah yang paling penting yang harus menjadi titik acuan.

Perbedaan, oh...perbedaan. Mengapa engkau begitu ditakuti?

Dengan perbedaan dunia menjadi lebih cerah dan berwarna-warni, karena variatio delectat, perbedaan itu menyukakan hati! Perbedaan memperkaya. Perbedaan saling mengisi. Perbedaan membuat kita rendah hati.

"Ada rupa-rupa karunia, tetapi satu Roh.
Dan ada rupa-rupa pelayanan, tetapi satu Tuhan.
Dan ada berbagai-bagai perbuatan ajaib, tetapi Allah adalah satu yang mengerjakan semuanya dalam semua orang.
Tetapi kepada tiap-tiap orang dikaruniakan penyataan Roh untuk kepentingan bersama"
(IKor 12:4-7).

Are We the Prodigal or Elder Son?

Dear friends,

The scriptures scholars agree that the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luc 15:11-32) is the Gospel within the Gospel. Why? Because this Gospel is so beautiful and has a very deep message, and I think the message is clear to us: there’s a great joy in heaven when one sinner converts from their sins, also God, depicted as a very kind father in this story, will accept the sinners as what they are, no matter how big and how dense their sins. The message of this parable is crystal clear.

This parable, however, challenges us by posing a question: Are we brave enough to go back to God with all our sinfulness? I think it is not easy to answer this question, because we usually choose to stay in our sinfulness, we reject receiving the mercy of God by living in excessive guilty. Obviously, this is not healthy and it could be the work from the evil one with the false piousness whispered in our mind.

Another interesting part of this parable is about the elder son. He is the good one, he obeys all of his father’s commands, and never trespasses them. But he counts every goodness that he made and compares it with the wickedness of his younger brother, saying: “I have done this and that, but you never pay attention to me. And that wicked son of yours come to you and you celebrate his coming with great feast. What kind of father you are!” The attitude of the elder son is practically ours as well. We tend to count “good things” that we have done and compare them with that of other people, saying: “I have done many things for the house, and you, what have you done. Look, it is me that did this and that. You are bad because your life is like this and that, look at my life, my life is perfect without any blame. Bla-bla-bla…”

Didn’t Jesus say this: “If you do something good, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing; do not sound the trumpet before you so that many people may praise you.” Let us remind the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying in the temple. The Pharisee stands, saying: “God, I thank you that I AM NOT LIKE other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of my income.” But the tax collector, standing far off , would not even look up to heaven, saying: ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Then Jesus said, “I tell you, this tax collector went down to his home justified rather than that Pharisee.”

Friends, are we the tax collector or the Pharisee?

Are we the younger son that dare going back to God whatever sins we did? Or are we the elder son, the hero, the so-called “sinless” son of God?

It’s all up to us, the choice is ours.

Dark Night

One dark night,
fired with love's urgent longings
- ah, the sheer grace! -
I went out unseen,
my house being now all stilled.

In darkness, and secure,
by the secret ladder, disguised,
- ah, the sheer grace! -
in darkness and concealment,
my house being now all stilled.

On that glad night,
in secret, for no one saw me,
nor did I look at anything,
with no other light or guide
than the one that burned in my heart.

This guided me
more surely than the light of noon
to where he was awaiting me
- him I knew so well -
there in a place where no one appeared.

O guiding night!
O night more lovely than the dawn!
O night that has united
the Lover with his beloved,
transforming the beloved in her Lover.

Upon my flowering breast
which I kept wholly for him alone,
there he lay sleeping,
and I caressing him
there in a breeze from the fanning cedars.

When the breeze blew from the turret,
as I parted his hair,
it wounded my neck
with its gentle hand,
suspending all my senses.

I abandoned and forgot myself,
laying my face on my Beloved;
all things ceased; I went out from myself,
leaving my cares
forgotten among the lilies.

(St. John of the Cross)

Sometimes during our lifetime we might have to pass this darkness of night. It is a horrible night if we walk all alone. We know, however, that our God is the source of all goodness, that He doesn't create any evil, He even can draw something good from evil. Therefore, with and in Him this darkness, instead of merely showing our fragility and sinfulness, becomes a guiding night. Thus, that night now becomes bright, as bright as the day.

Sleeping Jesus

"Jésus dormait comme toujours dans ma petite nacelle. Ah ! je vois que bien rarement les âmes le laissent dormir tranquillement en elles. Ce bon Maître est si fatigué de faire continuellement des frais et des avances, qu'il s'empresse de profiter du repos que je lui offre."

(Jesus was sleeping as usual in my little boat. Ah! I see very well how rarely souls allow Him to sleep peacefully within them. Jesus is so fatigued with always having to take the initiative and to attend others that He hastens to take advantage of the repose I offer to Him.)

St. Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul, mans. A, VIII.

Therese said this when she was experiencing the very dry desert of her spiritual life. However, in this troubled moment of her life, her faith was so deep that she let Jesus sleep instead of rescuing her from that dry desert. Her faith surpassed that of Jesus' disciples when they experienced huge storm (see Mt 8:23-27). They had little faith and noisily woke Jesus up from his sleep, while Jesus was physically there in the boat with them. On the contrary, Therese believed that Jesus would not leave her and just let him sleep deep inside her soul. What a great faith from a little girl!

Jesus is the Good Shepherd

Brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,

We heard from the Gospel of John 10: 10-21 that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. It’s a nice Gospel, isn’t it? The Gospel talks about the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep. And the picture of the Good Shepherd is so beautiful that many songs and paintings have been made of it. This Gospel even has a great influence in the art. Does this Gospel also have a great influence in our life?

To answer that question we should clarify to whom this Gospel is written. For many years I have thought that this Gospel talks to popes, bishops, and priests. That’s why I accepted this Gospel wholeheartedly when I heard it in the seminary. It’s really a beautiful Gospel for the priesthood, I thought so. However, is it true that this Gospel is only talking about the priesthood life? I don’t think so, because if this Gospel is restricted only to the priest, why the Church put it in the lectionary?

Brothers and sisters, this Gospel is talking about us, about our life, not just about priesthood, but priesthood included. Let us read carefully several important lines in this Gospel. The most important line says, “I am the Good Shepherd.” What does it mean? The adjective “good” is from the Greek word: “kalos.” It has several meaning: beautiful, true, model. So Jesus is the true Shepherd and the model of shepherd. If anybody wants to be a good shepherd, Jesus is the model, because He is the true shepherd.

But who are actually the shepherds who should imitate Jesus as the true shepherd? The popes, the bishops, the priests? I’m really glad if the Gospel is just for the priest. Then it means that I am a shepherd and you are the sheep. That’s good, if I cannot sleep I just ask you all to line up and then I count you one, two, three, four….until I fall asleep. I am a shepherd and you are my sheep. I am man, you are sheep. (Oh…this Gospel makes me hungry, it reminds me to a roasted lamb, hmmm ;-)). So the Gospel is excellent for me and awful for you. If the interpretation is like that, this Gospel doesn’t match with the second reading today which said, “We should be called the children of God.” So now is up to you, you can choose to be sheep or children.

So brothers and sisters, this Gospel is talking about us. Shepherd is the symbol of the leader. Who can be a leader? The answer is various. It could be pope, bishop, priest, deacon, parents, teachers, coaches, generals, captains, or any other kinds of leader. Jesus is talking to everybody, whether they are religious or laypersons, male or female, adult or children, and Jesus is giving himself as the model of the good leadership.

The Gospel today also talks on the features of the good leadership. There are three important features of the leader.

1. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, as opposed to hired leaders (shepherd)

Jesus says, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.”
This word is so powerful, especially in the age and the world we live in. We hear parents abusing their children; even fathers and mothers slaughter their own sons or daughters. I never hear this thing happen in the animal kingdom. I never hear a ferocious lion slaughter her own offsprings, never.

However, we hear many teachers are only looking for a good salary and don’t educate their students well. They don’t teach well, they only blame their students and punish them with inappropriate punishments.

We also hear that among the peer groups, the seniors, who should be responsible and careful to the junior, are bullying the fragile juniors. School for the juniors becomes a scary place, not a peaceful and safe place to go for study.

Do we hear Jesus’ word: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” ?

2. The good shepherd knows his sheep and the sheep know him (deep personal relationship)

Jesus says, “I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” Jesus’ word is very deep in meaning. It talks about a deep relationship between the shepherd and the sheep. They should know each other, but not just know in the surface, but to know as the Father knows the shepherd. It means that as a leader we should deeply know the people that we are responsible for, as God knows us.

It means that there should be a deep trust from and to the leader.
But from my experience many teenagers do not trust their parents because their parents cannot be trusted. They trust more to their peer friends than their parents. It could be very risky because their peer friends could be in the same problem as they are. It’s because the parents do not want to know their teenager deeply.

As friends we are also often cannot be trusted. Many times we are gossiping somebody else’s secret that has been trusted to us. So do not wonder if we cannot find any trust in our life.

Listen to Jesus: “I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.”

3. The good shepherd has desire to unite the sheep

Jesus says, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

The world we live in is a broken world. There are so many frictions and fractions, even in the Church. Once I worked in a parish as a young, newly ordained priest. There was a man from that parish who became one of the members of parish council. Because he could not make me as his puppet, he tried everything to make my programs failed, by creating gossips, frictions and fractions among the people. Then I knew that he had done that many times to the new priests before me. It really made me hurt.

The union of marriage is in peril now. The phenomena of single parent are becoming more and more usual. However, many experts say that a child cannot grow maturely and balance without the presence of the mother and the father in their growing process. But apparently, in today’s world divorce is considered as necessity when there is only a small friction in a family life. The Church’s teaching that the matrimony is indissoluble is considered as out of date teaching that should be changed with the new and “up to date” teaching.

Don’t we have a desire to unite instead of fractionating?

Do we all again and again hear Jesus’ saying: “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd” ?

Brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,

Many things that we should do. Now let us wake up and let the powerful words of God burn our heart and renew it within, so that we can be the good shepherds, whoever we are.

AMEN.

Keadilan Sosial

KEDUA ANAK INI TIDAK BERSALAH APA-APA TAPI KETIDAKADILAN YANG MERASUK DALAM STRUKTUR YANG MENJADIKAN MEREKA JAUH BERBEDA SATU DENGAN YANG LAIN. STRUKTUR DOSA INI PERLU KITA GANTI DENGAN STRUKTUR RAHMAT.

Doa "Bapa Kami"

A.STRUKTUR
a.“Bapa kami...” sampai dengan “di atas bumi seperti di dalam surga” adalah suatu praise and worship

b.“Berilah kami...” sampai dengan “... dari yang jahat” adalah suatu petition/permohonan

B.BAPA KAMI YANG ADA DI SURGA
a. Bapa kami
- Sebutan “bapa” pada Yahweh yang agung, mulia, mahakuasa, dllsb, mengejutkan para pendengar. Bapa memang pernah digunakan dalam konteks “elders.”
- “Bapa” yang dipakai Yesus adalah ABBA: daddy, papi, pak-e.
- Arti spiritual bagi orang Kristen: privilege yang jarang disadari oleh orang Kristen.
-Kata “kami” mengingatkan bahwa Allah bukan melulu Allah personal, tapi komunal juga.

b. Yang ada di surga:
- Mengingatkan kembali bahwa yang boleh kita sebut Abba itu adalah sang Yahweh.

C. DIMULIAKANLAH NAMAMU
a. Dimuliakanlah
- Hagiastetho: dikuduskanlah, kita disadarkan bahwa kita sedang berhadapan dengan Yang Kudus (cf. nyanyian malaikat dalam Kitab Wahyu). Maka dalam doa ini, PRAISE GOD! Pujilah Allah! Masuklah dalam hadiratNya yang mulia.

b. NamaMu
- To ounoma sou: nama adalah seluruh diri Allah. Seluruh diri Allah adalah mulia.

D. DATANGLAH KERAJAANMU
a. Makna “kerajaan Allah”: Allah yang meraja.

b. St. John of the Cross: “Biarlah Allah menjadi Allah.” Implikasinya kita bisa bertanya: “Siapa yang menjadi raja di dalam hidupku? Allah atau aku sendiri?” Jawaban yang seharusnya adalah: “Bukan aku yang meraja, tapi Allah yang harus meraja.”

E. JADILAH KEHENDAKMU
a. Inilah sebenarnya INTI DOA. Doa adalah belajar mendengarkan dan mencerna kehendak Allah, ini sulit dan berat, karena seringkali “kehendakku, bukan kehendakNya” yang terjadi.

b. Jadi doa ini mengajar kita untuk menjadi RENDAH HATI (cf. St. Teresa Avila).

c. Jika orang sampai pada tahap kerendahan hati ini, sungguh luar biasa dampaknya. Dari KS dampaknya: “membuat Allah menjadi manusia” (Luk 1:38), dan “membuat keselamatan berhasil” (Matt.26:36-46 / Luk 22:39-46).

d. Dua reaksi terhadap kehendak Allah: 1) putus asa, ya sudahlah; 2) menerima dengan penuh iman. Kita mesti mempraktekkan point yang kedua.

F. DI ATAS BUMI SEPERTI DI DALAM SURGA
a. Permohonan agar segala kehendak dan kerajaanNya itu terjadi di bumi ini seperti di surga.

b. Atau juga bisa berarti bahwa kalau semua kehendak dan kerajaan Allah terjadi, maka di bumi ini seperti di surga.

G. BERILAH KAMI PADA HARI INI MAKANAN KAMI YANG SECUKUPNYA
Spiritualitas HARI INI, bdk. Kebijaksanaan timur untuk “hidup pada hari ini” yang artinya melepaskan beban-beban masa lampau dan kekhawatiran masa yang akan datang. Masa lampau dan masa depan bukanlah hal yang nyata, yang nyata adalah saat ini, hari ini.

H. DAN AMPUNILAH KESALAHAN KAMI, SEPERTI KAMI JUGA MENGAMPUNI YANG BERSALAH KEPADA KAMI
Semacam hukum reciprocal, bdk. Perumpamaan tentang “Hamba yang berhutang” (Mat. 18:21-35).


I. DAN JANGANLAH MEMBAWA KAMI MASUK KE DALAM PENCOBAAN
a. Ungkapan realistis Yesus: hidup manusia tidak akan luput dari pencobaan, maka permintaannya harus “jangan membiarkan kami dihancurkan oleh kekuatan pencobaan yang seringkali amat berat.”

b. Ada dua macam pencobaan: 1) Dari Allah, sebagai jalan untuk membuat iman dan hidup kita semakin tangguh, matang, dan kuat; 2) dari Iblis (Satan: the tempter), yang bermaksud untuk menghancurkan hidup manusia. Perlu discerment of Spirits.

J. TETAPI LEPASKANLAH KAMI DARI YANG JAHAT.
a. Ada dua macam terjemahan dan kedua-duanya bermakna satu: “Yang jahat.”

b. Yang jahat bisa berarti: evil of the world  bencana alam, penyakit, malapetaka, kematian. Tapi juga bisa berarti: the evil one  si penggoda, the tempter, Satan. Doa ini meminta kuasa Allah untuk melepaskan dan melindungi kita dari yang jahat itu.

K. KARENA ENGKAULAH YANG EMPUNYA KERAJAAN DAN KUASA DAN KEMULIAAN SAMPAI SELAMA-LAMANYA
Tidak kanonik, tambahan redaksional pada Kitab Suci, bisa dipakai, bisa tidak. Tambahan ini tidak mengubah isi doa Bapa Kami. Maksud tambahan ini adalah mengingatkan lagi orang pada bagian pertama Bapa Kami, sehingga doa ditutup dengan ingatan dan kepercayaan akan keagungan Allah.

L. AMIN
a. Berati ya, setuju, benar. Ungkapan afirmatif akan sesuatu. Jadi amin mengafirmasi seluruh doa yang diucapkan.

Poor in the Spirit

Talking about holiness, when I read the Gospel last night, I was struck by the first verse of this Gospel: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:3). This verse is really powerful, I think that’s the reason why this verse is put in the beginning of the beatitudes by Matthew.

Poor in the spirit. This is the key of holiness. Often people think that holiness is a matter of being morally good. That’s why if we see people with a very calm appearance, we call them holy. If you are wearing the Carmelite habit, while the other brothers don’t, they will call you: “Hmmmm, soooo holy!” If you see people praying rosary, walking around the corridor, you say that man is so holy. Is that holiness? It COULD be, but it not always is.

Unfortunately, in the stories of the saints, I hardly read the struggle that they did in gaining the holiness, I mean their struggle with their sinful selves. It's almost always depicted that the saints win over sins or live a sinless life without any problem. It looks more like a fairy tale and it's not down to earth. For children it could be good, but for the ones who are serious in their spiritual life, it does not give any complete picture of what a holiness is.

We tend to see the artificial holiness, but we don’t see deeper. Jesus sees deeper, He sees holiness in the sinners' life. It is a shock for us. How can be a sinner is a holy person at once? That’s why Jesus told a story about the Pharisees and the tax collector that came to pray in the synagogue. The Pharisee sits in the front row and than God for he does not steal, commit adultery, or be criminal, but rather he fasts, does many holy things. But the tax collector’s prayer is simple and humble: “Lord, I’m a sinner, have mercy on me.” And Jesus prefers the tax collector’s prayer than the Pharisee’s. That is the prayer of the holy man.

Holy man is the man of the poor spirit. Holy man is a man who knows deeply that he is a sinner. Holy man is a man who knows that he is weak, unable to do holy things, then he is aware that the only thing that he can do is just surrender to God’s grace and let God do whatever He wants to do. St. Paul is really aware of it, that is why he said that he’s just a fragile pottery carrying the most valuable treasure and said: “I live, but no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” He is really aware that everything great that he did was not his work, but the work of Christ. St. Therese shared this kind of holiness in her sick bed when she said: “Oh! How happy I am to see myself imperfect and to be in need of God’s mercy so much even at the moment of my death.” How deep and how humble she was. And how holy she was!

A Priest and Thelogian

“One becoming priest must be a theologian.
Not a schoolboy who snakes his way through examinations,
because otherwise one won’t get ordained.
We don’t need to be theological geniuses.
But we have to be human beings and Christians
who love theological knowledge,
who are there for it with mind and heart.
For us there can in the long run be no really spiritual life
without an intellectual life.
In theology we have to allow ourselves
to be challenged as whole persons
with all we are, with mind and heart,
with the whole weight and seriousness of existence in our times,
with all the experience of our lives.
Not only what is written in schoolbooks belongs to theology.
Just as Thomas did, so must we.”

Karl Rahner, “Thomas Aquinas: Patron of Theological Studies,” in The Great Church Year, 1994.

Sekilas tentang Ordo Karmel

1. Mengapa Karmelit berjubah coklat?
Warna coklat adalah warna tanah, warna hina-dina. Warna coklat kemudian identik dengan warna pertobatan. Para Karmelit mengenakan jubah coklat dengan maksud hendak hidup bertobat terus menerus, sederhana, rendah hati, dan bekerja keras.

2. Apa arti lambang Karmel?
Bagian hitam/coklat yang menjulang adalah lambang Gunung Karmel, tempat para Karmelit berasal. Dua bintang yang melayang adalah lambang hidup kontemplasi. Bintang putih di tengah gunung adalah lambang hidup aksi. Mahkota adalah lambang Maria, Bunda para Karmelit. Tangan dan pedang bernyala adalah lambang Elia, inspirator Ordo. Pita dengan motto Karmel berbahasa Latin berarti: “Aku bekerja segiat-giatnya bagi Tuhan Allah semesta alam.”

3. Siapa pendiri Ordo Karmel?
Ordo Karmel itu unik karena pendirinya bukan satu orang saja seperti banyak ordo atau serikat yang lain. Para pendiri Ordo adalah para pertapa yang membentuk hidup bersama di Gunung Karmel sekitar tahun 1200-an. Saudara B. Yang pada waktu itu menjadi yang dituakan di antara mereka.

4. Dimana Gunung Karmel itu?
Gunung Karmel bukan berada di Indonesia, melainkan di Israel. Letaknya yang dekat Laut Tengah membuatnya terkenal karena keindahannya. Karena itu Ordo Karmel adalah satu-satunya Ordo yang berasal dari tanah suci.

5. Apakah Ordo Karmel itu Ordo Kontemplatif seperti Trapis?
Mula-mula memang para Karmelit hidup sebagai pertapa, namun karena terdesak oleh keadaan mereka mengubah cara hidup mereka menjadi ordo mendikan, yang bergaya hidup kontemplatif aktif (vita mixta): tetap mempunyai irama hidup ketat sebagai biarawan, namun juga boleh berkarya di dunia ramai. Jadi para Karmelit tidak melulu hidup kontemplatif di dalam biara seperti para Trapis.

6. Apa beda Karmelit dengan Fransiskan? Perbedaan mencolok tidak ada, karena sama-sama berjubah coklat. Hanya saja para Fransiskan lebih menekankan spiritualitas hidup miskin, sedangkan para Karmelit lebih memberi penekanan pada aspek kontemplasi dan doa.

7. Apakah ada Pertapaan Karmel itu?
Ya, ada. Pertapaan ini adalah tempat bagi para Karmelit yang hendak hidup kontemplatif ketat seperti para pendahulunya. Hidup bertapa diijinkan dan diberi tempat, jika ada alasan yang kuat.

8. Apakah Karmelit identik dengan karismatik?
Kalau karismatik yang dimaksud adalah gerakan pembaharuan karismatik dan kalau disebut identik atau sama persis, jawabannya adalah tidak. Kalau yang dimaksud dengan kharismatik adalah hidup yang dipimpin oleh Roh Kudus, jawabannya adalah ya, karena peranan Roh Kudus itu mutlak dalam hidup seorang Karmelit. Namun jika ditanya adakah biarawan Karmelit yang aktif dalam gerakan pembaharuan kharismatik katolik, jawabannya adalah ya, ada.

9. Apakah skapulir itu?
Skapulir adalah kain panjang yang dikenakan menutupi bagian depan dan belakang pemakainya dan bergantung pada tulang scapula (pundak). Skapulir adalah lambang salib Kristus, jadi memakai skapulir berarti mau memanggul salib Kristus. Skapulir yang dipakai para Karmelit adalah skapulir coklat, sesuai dengan warna jubahnya. Menurut tradisi, Bunda Marialah yang memberikan skapulir ini sebagai pakaian resmi Ordo Karmel pada St. Simon Stock.

10. Apakah Keluarga Karmel (Familia Carmelitana) itu?
Familia Carmelitana adalah serikat-serikat baik aktif maupun kontemplatif, religius maupun awam yang mengambil spiritualitas Karmel (O.Carm) sebagai gaya hidupnya. Contohnya: Ordo Carmelitarum Discalcearum (OCD), Hermanas Carmelitas (H.Carm), Tertius Ordininis Carmelitarum (TOC), Donum Dei, Putri Karmel (P.Karm), dan lain-lain.

Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Charisms of the Carmelite Order
A charism is a gift from God to the Church for the world. With regard to a Religious Order, the term refers to the gift which God gives to an individual or group to inspire the founding of a new religious family within the Church. This gift is handed down through the centuries and enriched by all who are called to live it. The charism of each religious family is the particular way in which its members are called to follow Christ. Since all Christians follow Christ, the charisms will have many elements in common, but the way in which these elements are emphasised gives each religious group its unique feel. All religious families have been asked by the Church to rediscover their original founding charism and make it come alive in each culture and in every age.

The charism of the Carmelite Order is God's gift given originally to those nameless hermits who gathered together on Mount Carmel, beside the well of Elijah, at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th centuries. The Carmelite Order has no known founder but sprang from the desire of those first hermits to follow Christ together with a pure heart and a good conscience. They asked the Patriarch of Jerusalem, St. Albert, to write for them a rule of life (c.1206-1214) which laid down certain guidelines based on the previous way of life of the hermits.
This Rule of St. Albert and the experience of the Carmelites as they sought to be faithful to it in various circumstances gave definitive shape to the charism. We can say that there are several elements which make up the Carmelite charism. Firstly, and most importantly, it is a way of following Christ with total dedication. Carmelites do this by seeking to form contemplative communities at the service of God's people in whose midst they live. Contemplation, fraternity, and service are therefore essential values for all Carmelites.

Contemplation
The heart of the Carmelite charism is prayer and contemplation. The quality of our prayer determines the quality of the community life and the quality of the service which is offered to others. The goal of the Carmelite life is union with God. We seek to live in God's presence and consent to God's will for us. This involves us in listening to God who speaks to us in many ways and especially in the words of Scripture. Prayer is the way we relate to God and as we grow in friendship with Christ our prayer will tend to become more and more simple. The relationship with Christ will change us, impelling us to move out of the prison of selfishness towards the bright daylight of pure love for God and our fellow men and women. We are called to embark on a journey of faith whereby we are gradually stripped of all that is not God so that we can put on Christ. We do all we can to respond to God's initiative in calling us but we are very aware that in the end only God can change our hearts and so we learn to wait patiently for the coming of God to us. As we follow Christ along this path of trust in God we are inspired by the example and virtues of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the Prophet Elijah.

Prayer and contemplation for the Carmelite are not private matters between the individual and God but are to be shared with others since the charism is given for the whole world. Therefore there is an emphasis in the Order on the ministry of teaching prayer and giving spiritual direction. The Carmelite is aware that the transformation of the human heart by God may be hidden from most eyes but has far reaching consequences for our world. The way of prayer is mysterious and goes beyond our normal human categories. Prayer opens us to the Ultimate Mystery.

Fraternity
Carmelites seek to form communities where each person feels accepted and valued not for what he can do but simply because he is. This kind of community is in itself a witness that the love of Christ can break down the barriers which human beings set up and that it is possible for people of different backgrounds and nationalities to live together in peace and harmony. Carmelites are also aware of being part of an international fraternity which is present in many parts of the world.

Service
The hermits were forced to leave their home on Mount Carmel and settle in Europe. There they changed their style of life from hermits to friars. The major difference is that friars are called to serve the People of God in some active apostolate. Some Religious Congregations were founded for a specific work but the Carmelite Order tries simply to respond to the needs of the Church and the world which differ according to time and place, and so, many friars work in parishes, schools, universities, retreat centres, prisons, hospitals etc. The kind of service which each individual friar is involved in will depend on the needs of the people in whose midst he lives and his own particular talents.

Flos Carmeli
Vitis florigera
Splendor coeli
Virgo puerpera
Singularis
Mater mitis
Sed viri nescia
Carmelitis
Esto propitia
Stella maris

Learning Something Good from Bad Man

One day Ikkyu San, a young novice in a Buddhist monastery, were cleaning up his master’s table. He didn’t see that there was a very precious ceramic cup whose age was more than 300 years. He nudged the cup, it fell down and breaks into pieces. He was so afraid that his master will punish him hard. He cleaned up the remains and hides them behind his back. Then, his master came in. Thoughtfully, Ikkyu smiled and asked him a question, “Master, why do people die?” The master answered, “Well, Ikkyu, it’s natural, everything in this world experiences both life and death.” Still smiling, Ikkyu showed the broken cup, saying, “Master, it’s the time for this cup to die.” Ikkyu’s master was speechless. What a smart boy!

Brothers and sisters, the Gospel of Luke 16: 1-8 is dangerous! It teaches us to learn something good from bad man with bad attitude. In this parable of the dishonest manager, Jesus doesn’t praise the dishonesty of the manager. The praise for the manager is not the key of this parable. The key is the phrase, which says, “…for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light” (Luke 16:8). This is something that we can learn of. That phrase means that if only the Christian was as enthusiastic and smart in their attempt to attain goodness as the children of the world are in their attempt to attain money and comfort, the Christian would be much better people! If only the Christian is as smart as the Asian in pirating dvds, cds, perfumes, video games, etc, the Christian would be better in their spiritual life. Over and over again a man will expend 20 times the amount of time and money and effort on his pleasure, hobby, garden, sport as he does on his church. Our Christianity will begin to be real and effective only when we spend as much time and effort on it as we do on our worldly activities.

DO WE SPEND OUR TIME, MONEY, and EFFORT THAT MUCH FOR THE SAKE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

NO! Instead, we are lazy and lax. Once I trained young people to present a good liturgy by using guitars, keyboard, flute, and drums with contemporary Christian music. Some smarty persons criticized me, “Oh…it’s not liturgical, we, Catholics don’t use those stuffs. We only use organ, as the liturgical rule said. You train them become Protestants.” Remember, when organ was being used for the first time in the Church liturgy, people called it “the satanic device.” We tend to be lax and lazy. We don’t open to the change, because change makes us work. But the worse thing is we criticize they who put their time, money, and effort for building the kingdom of God creatively and using new ways. We tend to be a museum. Even when the Spirit urges us to renew our life, we reject. That is why, Jesus criticize us today, “the children of this world is smarter that you, the children of light!”

Let us wake from our sleep and move with the Spirit to be more creative, to put more effort, and to be smarter. Remember the smart novice that makes his master speechless, Ikkyu San. Remember also what Jesus said in another place, “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves, then be thoughtful as serpents and be innocent as doves” (Mt 10:16).

Parents and Children

Our eastern tradition strongly advices us filial piety. It is interesting how Confucius recorded it in his Analects and how the modern Church explains about that piety in the context of parents and children relationship.

Here are the quotations:

"Few indeed are those who are naturally filial towards their parents and dutiful towards their elder brothers but are fond of opposing their superiors; and it never happens that those who do not like opposing their superiors are fond of creating civil disorder. The gentleman concerns himself with the root; and if the root is firmly planted, the Way grows. Filial piety and fraternal duty--surely they are the roots of humaneness" (Analects, 1:2).

What are the duties of children toward their parents?
Children owe respect (filial piety), gratitude, docility and obedience to their parents. In paying them respect and in fostering good relationships with their brothers and sisters, children contribute to the growth in harmony and holiness in family life in general. Adult children should give their parents material and moral support whenever they find themselves in situations of distress, sickness, loneliness, or old age (Compendium of CCC, 459).

What are the duties of parents toward their children?
Parents, in virtue of their participation in the fatherhood of God, have the first responsibility for the education of their children and they are the first heralds of the faith for them. They have the duty to love and respect their children as persons and as children of God and to provide, as far as is possible, for their physical and spiritual needs. They should select for them a suitable school and help them with prudent counsel in the choice of their profession and their state of life. In particular they have the mission of educating their children in the Christian faith (Compendium of CCC, 460).

I BRING FIRE!

Brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,

We often heard about sweet Jesus, Jesus who advises service and to be servant. But in Luke 12: 49-53 we hear totally different Jesus. In this Gospel Jesus says, “I came to bring fire to the earth! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” In saying this, Jesus teaches us a lot how to face many difficult moments in our life.

Sometimes we think that to follow Jesus is just to follow the sweet Jesus, like many people who know Jesus only from the surface. They think that following Jesus means to be wishy-washy, that is, try to be nice to everybody, so that they never make any decision. These people are coward. They will always say, “Well, I know it’s right, and I have to do something, but you know, bla, bla, bla....”

Or one can say, “We have to follow Jesus who defend the oppressed, opts for the poor, and visits the sick friends.” Then they set a meeting at a poor man’s house. A year before the meeting, however, a bomb blasts in a city very far from that house. Those wishy-washy men then cancelled the meeting for the sake of their safety. The meeting was placed in another “safe” city, then the result of the meeting was so ridiculous, they said, “We are sent to be on the side of our brothers and sisters who are poor and oppressed.”

These kind of people don’t see Jesus completely. Jesus can be really sweet. Oh believe me, he could be so. Remember when Jesus faces the sinners who really acknowledge their sinfulness, he is so tender and so sweet. He touches them, cures them, kisses them, and hugs them. But when he faces the hypocrites, people who think that they have followed the rule perfectly and always consider themselves as the right ones; or when he has to say the truth, Jesus is really tough. He says, “I come to bring fire and division!”

As the followers of Jesus we have to make decision to be like him, not being wishy-washy man. Choosing Jesus means not choosing the other. We have to choose the truth. I remember when I had to choose between being a Jesuit or a Carmelite, my spiritual director said, “A choice is a sacrifice. You have to choose.” In our life we will always have to choose. In facing the culture of death Pope quote the book of Deuteronomy, saying, “See I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil…I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live" (Dt 30:15.19). To choose life means to reject death. Our prophet Elijah, although he was alone in God’s side, he bravely challenged the Israel on Mount Carmel to choose between God or Baal, saying, “How long will you go limping with two opinions? If the Lord is God follow him, but if Baal is God, then follow him!” To choose God means to reject Baal.

However, don’t get me wrong. Jesus never slanders and intentionally spreads divisions. Only the evil one spreads divisions to create chaos. No, Jesus works for peace and unity, he prays for the unity before he died. Remember John 17, the entire prayer is dedicated to the unity: Ut omnes unum sint, that they may be one.

Division is the risk that has to be taken if we choose the right thing to do. Jesus knows it since the beginning, so then he seems to ask us, “Ok let’s take this risk.” Some of the most unexpected crises we face from the opposition of others when we set out to do what we perceive to be good, moral, and right thing to do. Jesus knows how devastating such crises can be, and he warns his followers to be prepared to encounter them also.

So, are we prepared to set fire on the world and take the risk, that is, division? The world will hate you. But remember his encouraging words, “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18).

Inner Peace

Dear brothers and sisters,

While living in this world, we are making a journey to a place that we as religious people call our Father’s house. We are people in journey, we are pilgrims, we are homo viator. In this journey one of the many things that we pursue is peace. Particularly, in this time of trouble in our countries, in our beloved Catholic Church, and in the world, we are desperately looking for peace.

Jesus comes up today in the Gospel (John 14: 27-31) with a promise to his disciples and to us who hear His words: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

However, what is actually the peace that the world cannot give? Are there any differences between these two kinds of peace, from the world and from God?

The answer is: YES!

The world can give a peace as a situation without war or trouble. Once Julius Caesar said, “Si vis pacem, para bellum!” (If you want peace, prepare a war), so that the confronting side will be afraid of the power of its enemy and the war will be canceled. Is this a true peace? No, because instead of peace there will be continuous fear of each opponent’s side.

The just war tradition allows people to wage a war, and of course violence included, in pursuing peace. The critical question is: Can peace be pursued by violence? No way! Because violence creates violence.

Then, what is the true peace that Jesus has promised?

Let us try to understand it through this story:

During the civil war in Japan, there was a famous general caught by the enemy. The enemy would hang him before the mass the following day. He was put into jail. Evening came and the soldiers gave him very good foods as the gift of his last day, but he couldn’t eat it. He worried of his fate, because he would die soon. The night came and he couldn’t sleep, but then he tried to calm himself down. Soon after he calmed down, he remembered what his teacher had said: “Tomorrow is not real, only the present time is real.” Then a flowing of peace came to his heart, he woke up, ate up the foods, and slept very, very, very well. The following day, early in the morning hundreds Japanese troops rescued him from the jail.

Therefore, the real peace is not outside, it is inside. The true peace is inner peace. We always try to pursue external peace, that’s not too bad, but we have to know that the real peace is not a matter of external things. That’s way it is useless to take a vocation in a very expensive place, but there’s no peace in somebody’s heart. It is useless that we think that we can work well in a certain parish, with a very good neighborhood, in Florida or in Chicago, or in New York, if there is no peace in our hearts, restlessness will always haunts us. Now we can understand why a very rich and famous people such as Michael Jackson, Prince Charles, etc. seem do not enjoy their lives, and seem not happy. But we can see a very happy face of a farmer, a simple man or woman, who have not many possessions.

So dear brothers and sisters, let us pray to God that He may pour out His peace in our hearts. Let’s ask Him for this inner peace so that we can live peacefully whatever the situation around us is. Then we can say with St. Teresa of Avila, “Solo Dios basta!” God only is enough, for He is the source of our peace.

Homily delivered at Whitefriars Hall
May 6, 2006, Washington, D.C.

POPE'S LETTER TO THE CARMELITES

LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
TO THE PRIOR GENERAL OF THE ORDER
OF THE FRIARS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
OF MOUNT CARMEL ON THE OCCASION
OF THE EIGHTH CENTENARY OF THE "FORMULA VITÆ"

To the Very Reverend
Father Joseph Chalmers
Prior General
of the Order of Carmelite

Fathers and Brothers I am pleased to learn that this ancient and illustrious Order is preparing to celebrate its General Chapter this September, on the occasion of the eighth centenary of the presentation by St Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem (1205-1214), of the formula vitae which inspired the Latin-rite hermits who settled "near the spring on Mount Carmel" (Carmelite Rule, 1). This was the first recognition by the Church of this group of men who left everything to live worshipping Jesus Christ, imitating the sublime examples of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Prophet Elijah. The canonical process ended with several amendments, followed in 1247 by the approval of the Rule by my Predecessor, Pope Innocent IV.

This year, through a happy coincidence, the Order of Carmel is also celebrating other events perceived as moments of grace, such as the seventh centenary of the devout death of St Albert of Trapani, known as the Pater Ordinis, and the fourth centenary of the entry into eternal life of St Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, the Seraph of Carmel. It is therefore a cause of deep joy for me to be able to express my participation in the intense spiritual experience which the Carmelite Family will be living on the occasion of the Chapter.

The first Carmelites went to Mount Carmel because they believed in the love of God, who so loved the world that he gave his Only-Begotten Son (cf. Jn 3: 16). Welcoming into their lives the Lordship of Christ, they made themselves available to being transformed by his love. This is the basic choice that faces every Christian. I pointed it out in my first Encyclical: "Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction" (Deus Caritas Est, n. 1). If this concern challenges the Christian, how much more must the Carmel-ite feel challenged by it, since his vocation is to scale the mountain of perfection!

We know well, however, that it is far from easy to live this call faithfully. In a certain sense, we need to wear armour to guard ourselves from the snares of the world. This is also specified in the Carmelite Rule: "Your loins are to be girt with chastity, your breast fortified by holy meditations, for, as Scripture has it, "holy meditation will save you'". Justice must be "your breastplate and it will enable you to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and strength, and your neighbour as yourself. Faith must be your shield on all occasions, and with it you will be able to quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one" (n. 19). And, further: "The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, must abound in your mouths and hearts. Do all that you have to do in the Name of the Lord" (ibid.). Many women and men have attained holiness by living with creative fidelity the values of the Carmelite Rule. Looking to them, as to all the other disciples who have faithfully followed Christ, "we are seeking with a new reason the city which is to come..., while at the same time we are taught to know a most safe path by which, despite the vicissitudes of the world, and in keeping with the state of life and condition proper to each of us, we will be able to arrive at perfect union with Christ, that is, holiness" (cf. Lumen Gentium, n. 50).

The theme of your Chapter Meeting - Worshipping Jesus Christ: A praying, prophetic community in a changing world - clearly highlights the special style in which the Order of Carmel seeks to respond to God's love by means of a life steeped in prayer, brotherhood and a prophetic spirit. At the heart of your Rule is the precept of coming together every morning to celebrate the Eucharist. In fact, "The Eucharist reveals the loving plan that guides all of salvation history.... God's whole life encounters us and is sacramentally shared with us" (Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, n. 8). Daily Mass: God is all in all The first Carmelites, who pursued their personal sanctification through daily participation in the Eucharistic Banquet, were already fully aware of this: in fact, the daily celebration of the Eucharist introduces "a change meant to set off a process which transforms reality, a process leading ultimately to the transfiguration of the entire world, to the point where God will be all in all (cf. I Cor 15: 28)" (ibid., n. 11).

With his gaze fixed on Christ and trusting in the help of the Saints who in the course of these eight centuries have embodied the dictates of the Carmelite Rule, each member of the Order of Carmelite Fathers and Brothers should feel called to be a credible witness of the spiritual dimension proper to every human being. The lay faithful will thus be able to discover that Carmelite communities are "genuine "schools' of prayer, where the meeting with Christ is expressed not just in imploring help but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion, until the heart truly "falls in love'" (Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, n. 33). May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and ornament of Carmel, help Carmelite men and women, the members of the Third Order and all who in various capacities participate in the Great Family of Carmel, and teach them to obey the Word of God, cherishing it in their hearts and meditating upon it daily. May the Prophet Elijah make them assiduous heralds of the Living God and guide them to the holy mountain where they were granted to perceive the light breeze of the Divine Presence.

With these sentiments, as I invoke upon the entire Carmelite Family an abundance of gifts of a renewed Pentecost that will increase zeal for the Lord, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to all, with a special thought for the Capitulars.

Castel Gandolfo, 14 August 2007

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Dwell in My Love

“Love is not to be defined, but to be experienced.”

Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,

In the Gospel of John 15:9 Jesus says, “Dwell in my love.” This is a very simple, yet mystical statement. It has very deep meaning. LOVE is the key word. Love is a word that always be misunderstood. We usually don’t understand well the meaning of love. We hear the words: “Love ya, babe” in teenagers' vocabulary, we heard the words: “making love,” and we also heard the words: “Peanut butter? Hmmm I love it.”

From theology, we hear many definitions of love. The scripture scholars argue that love is differentiated into three kinds: eros, philia, and agape. Eros is the sexual love, philia is the parental love and agape is the divine love or the highest expression of love. Moral theology teaches us that love should be the starting point of moral judgments, because love is the highest law. Social ethics inserts that “love of the enemy” should be the requirement for deciding a war, etc.

So what is love? What does love mean? I don’t know either. There are too many definitions, because there are too many smarty people, too many conferences, seminars, books, dictionaries, or even merchandises on love. And what’s the result of these all? We are tired of love, because we hear and know much on love, but we are lack in the experience of the true love.

That is why in the Eastern tradition, definitions are often avoided or even rejected, so that people come to the experience of love. Perhaps, the smarty people out there will be very suspicious of what I’m saying. However, if they interrogate me, I would like also to ask them: “Did Jesus ever make a definition of love?”

The answer is NEVER! He always told stories, instead. In the Eastern tradition, for example in Zen tradition, experience becomes the most important thing. That is why the masters would give many riddles that destroy the discursive thinking which tries to definite something, and trained the students to experience something, to experience love, to experience God. The riddles are, for example, like these: “How was your face before you were conceived? How can you clap with one hand? How can you greet a wise man without words or gestures?” These question will frustrate the students' discursive thinking and make them experiencing the question.

I have a story.

Once a master is being told by a student: “What is God?” He answered: a piece of paper. The following day he answered: a bowl of noodle. The other day he answered: a pile of straw. The student was frustrated. One day the student run to his master saying, “Now I know the answer!” The master asked him: “What is God?” He answered: “A piece of bamboo shoot.” Then, they laughed, the student has come to an enlightenment. He has experienced God.

What??? God is a piece of bamboo shoot??? Why not? St. Teresa of Avila said: “God walks among the pans in the kitchen.” It is so simple, but so clear. Once St. Thomas Aquinas stopped writing, when he was asked by one of his friars he said: “Well, months ago I experienced the presence of God, so all I have written about God seems to me now to be like straw.”

Now the question for us is “How could we experience love?” The answer is so simple: “Dwell in my love.” Just dwell, enjoy and experience it. That’s it. Jesus wants to teach us how to be aware of God’s love always, unceasingly.

If we cannot be fully aware of simple and ordinary things, how can we aware of the presence of the almighty God, who loves us?

Brothers and sisters,

We need to exercise our awareness of the presence of God, the presence of the LOVE. Once we experience it, we will be able to cry out with St. Paul: “In Him we live, and move, and have our being.”

Let us dwell in his love.

Amen.

A homily delivered at Baltimore Carmelite Monastery
May 08, 2005

KAWIN CAMPUR

Kawin campur memang telah menjadi persoalan yang tidak mudah. Artinya suatu perkawinan campur belum tentu bermasalah, tapi juga belum tentu tidak bermasalah. Kebanyakan orang melakukannya berdasarkan emosi sesaat, tanpa memikirkan apa yang akan terjadi selanjutnya dalam lembaga perkawinan. Alasan yang digunakan kebanyakan adalah kata “cinta” sampai-sampai bisa jadi iman Katolik dikorbankan begitu saja. Dalam artikel singkat ini saya mau menjelaskan sedikit dari Hukum Gereja, karena dari sanalah sumber tentang kawin campur diuraikan secara jelas dan tegas.

Arti Kawin Campur
Kawin campur menurut Hukum Gereja adalah perkawinan antara orang yang dibaptis Katolik dengan mereka yang tidak dibaptis Katolik. Tidak dibaptis Katolik bisa berarti: orang Kristiani dari gereja lain (Protestan, Presbiterian, Methodist, Baptist, Pentakosta, dll), orang yang beragama lain (Islam, Hindu, Buddha, Yahudi, dll), atau orang yang tidak beragama sama sekali (atheis, agnostics). Perkawinan dengan mereka yang berasal dari gereja bukan Katolik disebut mixta religio, sedangkan perkawinan dengan orang yang berbeda agama disebut disparitas cultus.

Prinsip Gereja Katolik
Gereja Katolik bersikap tegas pada perkawinan beda agama dengan menganggap itu sebagai halangan yang membuat perkawinan tidak sah. Dispensasi masih dianggap mungkin jika syarat-syarat yang nanti akan diterangkan di bawah dipenuhi, jika tidak perkawinan dianggap tidak sah.

Gereja Katolik juga mengambil sikap tegas pada perkawinan campur beda gereja, yakni: melarang. Alasan melarang dari gereja adalah untuk menjaga iman pihak yang Katolik. Bisa jadi perkawinan campur itu bahagia dan berjalan baik, tapi sebagian besar perkawinan campur bisa mendatangkan masalah yang tidak mudah untuk dipecahkan. Dengan alasan menjaga iman umatnya, gereja melarang perkawinan campur: larangan untuk melangsungkan pernikahan pada calon dan larangan untuk meneguhkan / memberkati pernikahan pada pejabat gereja.

Memang larangan ini tidak bersifat mutlak dan harga mati. Gereja dalam keadaan-keadaan tertentu yang mendesak bisa memberikan ijin maupun dispensasi. Alasan pemberian ijin atau dispensasi adalah jika masalahnya: masuk akal, artinya tidak dibuat dengan keputusan sembarangan yang membabi-buta, dan wajar, artinya ada proporsi yang seimbang antara beratnya kasus yang membutuhkan pelonggaran dan makna ajaran dan Hukum Gereja. Jadi meskipun dilarang, ijin atau dispensasi masih mungkin dipertimbangan dengan melihat kasus dan keadaan.


Persyaratan Sahnya Perkawinan Campur
Ada beberapa persyaratan penting yang harus ditempuh agar ijin atau dispensasi dapat diberikan pada suatu perkawinan campur beda gereja maupun beda agama. Syarat-syarat itu adalah:

o Janji dari pihak Katolik untuk tidak meninggalkan iman Katoliknya, melainkan tetap berpegang teguh pada imannya. Janji ini juga menyangkut pribadi yang Katolik, dan tidak menuntut pihak non-Katolik untuk pindah ke iman Katolik. Pihak non-Katolik harus mengetahui dan menerima janji dari pasangan Katoliknya.

o Janji dari pihak Katolik yang diketahui juga oleh pihak non-Katolik untuk “mengusahakan sekuat tenaga” membaptis dan mendidik semua anaknya dalam iman Katolik. Ini yang seringkali menjadi berat bagi pihak yang non-Katolik, dan bisa menimbulkan masalah.

o Pemberitahuan tentang sikap Gereja ini pada pihak non Katolik tanpa adanya maksud untuk memojokkan pihak non-Katolik. Semata-mata yang dilakukan di sini adalah untuk bersikap jujur dan tegas, agar pihak non Katolik menyadari benar-benar janji serta kewajiban pihak Katolik dengan segala implikasinya.

o Pengajaran kedua-belah pihak tentang iman Katolik terutama terhadap sakramen pernikahan. Ini sebagai tindak lanjut dari point sebelumnya. Pengajaran menyangkut perkawinan yang monogami, kesetiaan seumur hidup yang menentang perceraian, sakramentalitas perkawinan, dan moral perkawinan seperti KB, aborsi, dan masalah yang lainnya.

Memang tampaknya Hukum Gereja dalam hal perkawinan campur ini terlihat rumit. Pada prakteknya tidaklah demikian. Biasanya pembicaraan bisa berjalan dengan baik dan lancar. Sekali lagi yang mau dipertahankan oleh Gereja Katolik adalah keyakinan iman Katolik dari umatnya, serta pengertian yang bijaksana dari pihak yang bukan Katolik. Hal ini sebenarnya adalah hal yang luhur dan mulia, dan tidak ada sikap unutk merendahkan atau memojokkan agama / keyakinan lain.

Sikap tegas dan jujur dari Gereja ini mau mengajarkan sebenarnya pada pasangan yang tidak bisa tidak melainkan melakukan kawin campur untuk belajar jujur dan terbuka serta saling menghargai iman yang berbeda, tanpa harus mengorbankan begitu saja iman Katolik yang luhur itu.

Semoga dengan pembahasan singkat ini, banyak orang bisa memikirkan masak-masak sebelum melangkah ke perkawianan yang sangat dihargai oleh Gereja Katolik. Agar jika orang sudah memutuskan untuk menikah, mereka melakukannya dengan sikap yang dewasa, dan bukannya karena desakan emosional belaka. Semoga hal ini membantu untuk mengambil sikap pribadi. Gereja selalu membuka diri untuk membantu mengambil keputusan tepat dalam hal perkawinan ini.

Catatan:
Hukum Gereja tentang Kawin Campur bisa dilihat dalam Kitab Hukum Kanonik / Codex Iuris Cononici can. 1124 – can. 1129.

Dimuat dalam Bulletin KKI New York 2003

Allah Roh Kudus

Sebuah catatan untuk retret

A. Siapa?

- Roh Pencipta (Gen 1:2)

- Pribadi "ketiga" dalam Tritunggal: kekuatan Sang Kasih antara Bapa dan Putra. Aspek dinamis kasih Allah yang selalu “bergerak keluar.” Maka Roh juga sering disebut Roh Cinta Kasih Allah. Cf. Cinta yang butuh diungkapkan keluar. If the power of human love can move every obstacle, then the power of God’s love can move EVERYTHING! See para Rasul!

- The Shy God: karena Roh Kudus adalah roh maka Dia tak tampak, “bersembunyi di balik sejarah,” tapi merupakan kekuatan dan hidup dalam sejarah Gereja dan hidup manusia (Yoh 3:6.8). “Apa yang dilahirkan dari daging, adalah daging, dan apa yang dilahirkan dari Roh, adalah roh. Angin bertiup ke mana ia mau, dan engkau mendengar bunyinya, tetapi engkau tidak tahu dari mana ia datang atau ke mana ia pergi. Demikianlah halnya dengan tiap-tiap orang yang lahir dari Roh.” Maka dari itu Dia juga mendapatkan nama sebagai “Allah yang paling misterius.” Lihat sejarah Gereja, dalam saat-saat Gereja dalam kegelapan, Roh membangkitkan orang-orang kudus, para doctor dan pujangga Gereja yang ajarannya menggema sampai sekarang.

- Dominum et Vivificantem (encyclical of John Paul II): Roh Kudus adalah Sang Tuhan dan Pemberi Hidup. Ingat dalam Credo Roh juga adalah Tuhan yang patut disembah, mengapa? Karena Dia adalah Roh yang memberikan kehidupan: yang mati dihidupkan kembali, yang lesu dibangkitkan, yang bersemangat dibakar di dalam kasihNya yang menyala-nyala. Paus dengan solemn meletakkan Gereja dalam bimbingan Roh Kudus dalam menjalani millennium ke tiga. Adakah kita berpartisipasi dalam hidup Roh? Kapan? Bagaimana? Terlalu muda? Terlalu sibuk? Nanti? Banyak eksekutif muda, dokter, engineers, bahkan anak-anak sma yang hidup dibimbing Roh. Bukan orang-orang peragu, tapi orang-orang beriman!!!


B. Peranan

- Penolong (advocate: parakletos). Ingat pesan Yesus bahwa Dia akan mengirim penolong yang akan mengingatkan kita akan segala ajaran dan hidup Kristus, lihat Yoh 14:16-18: “Aku akan minta kepada Bapa, dan Ia akan memberikan kepadamu seorang Penolong yang lain, supaya Ia menyertai kamu selama-lamanya, yaitu Roh Kebenaran. Dunia tidak dapat menerima Dia, sebab dunia tidak melihat Dia dan tidak mengenal Dia. Tetapi kamu mengenal Dia, sebab Ia menyertai kamu dan akan diam di dalam kamu. Aku tidak akan meninggalkan kamu sebagai yatim piatu. Aku datang kembali kepadamu.”

- How the Spirit teaches and leads us to the truth? The Spirit teaches the truth through love and wisdom. “Spirit is the kiss of God,” said St. Bernard of Clairvaux, "The tender kiss of the mouth of God who spires the breath of life to God’s spouse the Church, his people."

- This gentle love and wisdom is contrary to harsh teaching. I taught young people to believe in Jesus who lives among us, and who presents in the Holy Eucharist. My academic teachings were like passing wind for them. When, however, I took them to have a Bible camp with many spiritual exercises and prayers, and of course the experience of the Holy Spirit, they were just like booom!!! After the retreat, they said to me, “Now Father, we know that Jesus is alive and He really is. He is awesome. He loves us. His love is great. He is here. The Spirit is alive. He is gentle but strong, strong but gentle, awesome. Praise God!!” I was just speechless, even the seminarians who studied theology for years even cannot share this experience, but these young friends were different. I had taught them for years without result, but the Spirit could do it with just one click. Wow. Their life then changed, now they have more faith although often they experiences the hardness of life. Wow. They are now more passionate when they are talking about Jesus, about Father and about Spirit, than before. They have now a true knowledge about God, while still humbly they awe His great mystery. The Holy Spirit leads those young people to the truth.

- Penghibur (Yoh 14:26): “tetapi Penghibur, yaitu Roh Kudus, yang akan diutus oleh Bapa dalam nama-Ku, Dialah yang akan mengajarkan segala sesuatu kepadamu dan akan mengingatkan kamu akan semua yang telah Kukatakan kepadamu.”

- Roh ini yang mengajar St. Teresa Avila dalam inner journey-nya ketika dia kesulitan mencari pembimbing rohani yang cocok dan yang bisa membimbing dia, karena semuanya cuma mendangkal saja dibandingkan dengan dirinya waktu itu, maka satu-satunya yang bisa membimbingnya adalah Allah sendiri. Setelah dinasihati oleh salah satu pembimbing rohaninya untuk berdoa novena Roh Kudus, maka ada suatu kekuatan yang “masuk” dan dia berkata: “Now…I know…I know everything clearer…God is speaking directly to me…..!”

- Peranan besar Roh Kudus adalah membuat Allah yang kita KETAHUI menjadi Allah yang kita ALAMI. Oleh Roh itu kita berseru: "Ya Abba, ya Bapa!” (Rom 8:15). Allah yang agung itu kita “kenal” dengan Bapa, sebutan yang intim, hanya Roh yang “mengajar” kita menyebut Allah sebagai sungguh-sungguh Bapa. Mereka yang tidak mengalami Allah sebagai Bapa tidak akan pernah menyapa Allah sebagai Bapa dengan sepenuh hati, dengan bibir, bukan dengan hati. Pengalaman akan Allah ini menjadi sangat krusial dalam kehidupan iman kita. Inilah kunci dan pegangan pokok kita dalam menghadapi tantangan zaman yang makin sulit dan hidup kita setiap hari. Allah itu H I D U P: Vivit Dominus et in cuius conspectu sto!
(Allah HIDUP dan aku selalu berdiri di hadiratNya).

C. Simbol-simbol Roh Kudus

- Burung merpati (Mat 3:16) (lambang perdamaian)
- Api/lidah api (merah) (Kis 2:1-47) (lambang semangat menyala-nyala)
- Air yang mengalir (Yoh 4:10.13-14) (lambang penghiburan)
- Angin (Yoh 3:8) (lambang misteri namun kuat)
- Tangan (Luk 11:20, jari; Mat 12:28, Roh; Mk. 3:28-30, Roh) (lambang kekuatan/wibawa Allah)


D. Karunia/charismata

a. What is a charism?

“The word charisma appears only in Paul’s writing (also in 1 Pet 4:10), and that sixteen times. Its use is fairly constant, even when applied once in a particular way (2 Cor 1:11). The term charisma, then, has to be understood in connection with the word CHARIS, “grace”. Charisms are gift or talents, which Christians owe to the grace of God. That grace aims at the realization of salvation, and Christians are called to put the charisms at the service of the Body of Christ for its building up (1 Cor 12:7). These gifts or talents are as much from “God” or the Lord as from the Spirit (1 Cor 12:4-6).” (Yves Congar, I Believe in the Holy Spirit)

Karunia boleh diminta,namun jawabannya terserah Allah, maka mohonlah (jangan memaksa) karunia-karunia dengan rendah hati. Ada banyak orang yang setengah-setengah dan selalu ragu-ragu di sini. Jika keadaan orang-orang itu selalu demikian, saya melihat hal ini sebagai suatu kesombongan rohani, yakni menghalangi Allah berkarya secara menyeluruh dalam dirinya. I am taking control of myself, not God! Saya merasa bahwa ada yang mendapat karunia dan butuh untuk dikembangkan tapi menjadi terhambat karena yang lain sombong dan selalu ragu-ragu. Apakah kita takut tidak menjadi gaul lagi dan takut dikatakan sok suci? Kalo gitu ya gaul aja terus seumur hidupmu dan tidak pernah menjadi matang dan selalu takut-takut mengambil keputusan yang benar.


b. Bahasa Roh

Karunia yang paling kontroversial, seringkali kesalahpahaman kedua belah pihak menyebabkan perselisihan antara karismatik dan non karismatik, yang satu mengabsolutkan dan yang lain menolak mentah-mentah. Ini tidak benar karena ingat prinsipnya: SETIAP KARUNIA ROH ADALAH UNTUK MEMBANGUN TUBUH KRISTUS.

Karunia bahasa Roh adalah KARUNIA DOA, karena itu sifatnya personal/pribadi, bukan karunia publik seperti karunia untuk mengajar. Karunia ini sifatnya pribadi, tapi doa pribadi-pribadi yang kuat juga akhirnya membangun Tubuh Kristus.

Apakah karunia bahasa Roh ini sebuah glossolalia (berbicara dalam gumaman yang tidak jelas) or xenoglossia (berbicara dengan fasih dalam bahasa asing tanpa belajar)? Keduanya, tapi lebih pada glossolalia, meskipun memang dalam beberapa kasus ada xenoglossia, e.g. at the first Pentecost. Setelah diadakan penyelidikan, tak ada fenomen bahasa (grammar) di dalamnya, ini melulu ungkapan Roh pada Allah mysteriously (I Cor 14:2), suatu stenagmois alaletois (inexpressible groanings, Rom 8:26) dan untuk membangun hidup rohani pribadi (I Kor 14:4).

Karunia bahasa Roh ini adalah karunia yang baik, tapi tidak begitu penting jika dibandingkan karunia lain yang memiliki dampak sosial langsung (nubuat, I Cor 14:3). Karunia ini adalah karunia biasa (bdk. zaman ‘emas’ karunia ini dlm Kisah), dan bukan karunia elitis yang membuat kita eksklusif dan merasa diri lebih tinggi daripada yang lain. Ini yang banyak terjadi di dalam diberikannya karunia yang kontroversial ini. Kalau karunia itu sungguh dari Roh, maka akan membuat kita tetap rendah hati dan bersatu, namun kalau membuat kita sombong dan memecah belah, jangan-jangan itu dari roh jahat.

Akan tetapi orang sering memandang karunia ini aneh. Mengapa aneh?!

Pertama, karunia ini sudah lama dalam sejarah Gereja tersembunyi di balik dinding-dinding biara. Sekarang muncul lagi ke permukaan, bahkan di kalangan kaum awam, maka dianggap aneh. Tapi jika kita lihat kisah para rasul, di sana diwartakan bagaimana karunia bahasa Roh itu muncul dengan suburnya di mana-mana, bahkan menjadi semacam “tanda” bahwa orang tersebut telah menerima Roh Kudus.

Siapa yang tidak bersikap aneh jika berhadapan dengan yang Mahakuasa? Dengan boss saja kita bisa salah tingkah, apalagi jika kita berhadapan dengan Allah. Hanya Roh yang bisa berkata-kata di hadapan hadirat Allah itu dengan bahasa yang tidak kita mengerti karena itu di luar kemampuan bahasa kita. Roh yang berdoa pada Allah dalam kita. St. Paulus menasihati kita: “Demikian juga Roh membantu kita dalam kelemahan kita; sebab kita tidak tahu, bagaimana sebenarnya harus berdoa; tetapi Roh sendiri berdoa untuk kita kepada Allah dengan keluhan-keluhan yang tidak terucapkan. Dan Allah yang menyelidiki hati nurani, mengetahui maksud Roh itu, yaitu bahwa Ia, sesuai dengan kehendak Allah, berdoa untuk orang-orang kudus” (Rm 8:26-27).

Kita tak perlu takut akan karunia ini, dampak yang terjadi setelah menerima karunia ini adalah: tenang-damai, lega karena Roh yang menguasai Anda, pikiran terfokus tidak meloncat-loncat seperti yang sering kita keluhkan dalam berdoa, dan we'll feel the great love of God. Karunia ini adalah karunia yang dirindukan oleh para pendoa dalam Gereja. Kita juga dipanggil untuk menjadi pendoa dalam Gereja. Ingat kata Karl Rahner: “The future Christians must be a mystic or not a Christian at all.”

Jangan menolak karunia ini, sekali lagi jangan menolak. Yang penting adalah pasrah dan berserah akan apa yang hendak Tuhan berikan pada kalian. Yang tak mendapat tak usah dipaksakan, jadi pura-pura, aneh, bahkan gila! Bagi yang mendapat jangan pamer karena ini bukan barang mainan dan bukan tanda tingkat kesucian.

Tidak ada status rohani yang lebih tinggi antara yang mendapat karunia ini dan mereka yang tidak mendapatkannya. Ada uncountable karunia yang tersedia, jangan takut. Tapi sekali lagi karunia ini common, umum.


c. Healing

I Cor 12:9, 28-30. The Spirit is the messianic gift par exellence. Healing merupakan karunia spektakuler yang diberikan Roh. Sekali lagi bukan untuk sombong, tapi untuk lebih menunjukkan kuasa Allah yang bekerja lewat kita yang lemah dan berdosa.

Healing mau menunjukkan bahwa semua pengetahuan dan sains yang baik dan indah itu baik dan berguna, namun tetap subordinated di bawah kuasa Allah. Jadi healing mau menempatkan Allah pada posisi yang sebenarnya. Jadi tak bertentangan dengna obat-obatan dan dunia kedokteran.

Healing ini tidak bertentangan dengan sacraments of healing, yakni: pengakuan dosa dan pengurapan orang sakit, but complementary!


d. Sabda pengetahuan/prophecy

Suatu karunia untuk discerment: untuk diri sendiri maupun within the community. Seseorang yang dikarunia kepekaan yang lebih tajam akan pembedaan roh-roh dan akan kejadian di sekitar ( I Tes 5:19-22). Suatu insight yang mendalam terhadap situasi hic et nunc.

Hal ini menjadi intens dalam hidup orang kudus, ada yang sampai pada tahap membaca pikiran orang (e.g. Padre Pio).

Sabda ini penting untuk menafsirkan karunia apa yang tampaknya janggal bagi seseorang Contoh: Dalam suatu retret seorang pemuda merasa mendapat perintah Allah untuk menyembuhkan. Apa maksud Allah memberiku perintah untuk "menyembuhkan"? Ternyata setelah melakukan bimbingan dengan orang yang mendapat karunia ini, disimpulkanlah bagi pemuda itu bahwa Allah meminta dia untuk menyembuhkan kebodohan teman-temannya dengan belajar bersama, karena memang dia seorang jenius di kelasnya, namun kurang sosial hidupnya. Jadi terjadi dua kesembuhan: si pemuda itu sendiri dengan menjadi lebih sosial, dan teman-temannya dengan menjadi lebih pandai.

But be really careful dng karunia yang indah ini, untuk mengembangkannya butuh pendamping yang matang (spiritual director), karena seringkali kalau kita tidak hati-hati, kuasa kegelapan akan menyelip dan menyamar sebagai malaikat terang. Akal budi yang sehat juga diperlukan, untuk membuat insight dan karunia prophecy ini menjadi balance, karena akal budi juga karunia Allah yang sangat luhur.

Catatan penting:
ADA BANYAK RUPA-RUPA KARUNIA, TAPI HANYA ADA SATU ROH (I Kor 12:4). KARUNIA YANG MURNI AKAN TETAP MEMBIMBING ORANG BERSATU DENGAN KOMUNITAS, DENGAN BUNDA GEREJA (I Kor 12:7), DAN BUKAN MEMECAH BELAH, MEMBENTUK KELOMPOK SENDIRI-SENDIRI DAN MEMUASKAN EGOISME DAN AMBISI PRIBADI. ROH KUDUS ITU MENYATUKAN DAN BUKAN MEMECAH BELAH. PENTEKOSTA MERUPAKAN KONTRA DARI BABEL.