REFLEKSI REKTOR (30HB JUN 2024) (BM/EN)

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Apakah yang mengganggu anda? Hal-hal apa yang mengganggu anda? Anda mungkin bertanya, “Adakah takdir saya ditemui dalam perkara yang mengganggu saya! Tetapi apakah yang sangat mengganggu anda? Ya, hal-hal yang mencekam anda dan mengakibatkan anda tidak mampu “menikmati hidup”, mungkin membuat anda kesal dan sakit hati!

Ingatlah bacaan Injil minggu lalu tentang meredakan badai; Yesus berkata kepada murid-murid-Nya, “Mengapa kamu begitu takut? Mengapa kamu tidak percaya?” Tetapi setelah melihat mukjizat itu, mereka menjadi sangat takut dan berkata seorang kepada yang lain, “Siapakah gerangan orang ini, sehingga angin dan danau pun taat kepada-Nya?” Pertanyaan-pertanyaan tersebut mengganggu mereka, dan ya, mereka benar-benar ingin tahu jawapannya!

Dalam Injil hari ini, Yesus berkata kepada seorang pegawai rumah ibadat yang anak perempuannya telah meninggal, “Jangan takut, percayalah saja!” Apa! Harapan terhadap harapan! Harapan orang yang malang! Sangat berharap bahawa sesuatu akan terjadi, meskipun anda tahu hal itu tidak mungkin terjadi! Tetapi sekali lagi, ingatlah ketenangan badai; Yesus berkata kepada murid-murid-Nya, “Mengapa kamu begitu takut? Mengapa kamu tidak percaya?” Iman! Bayangkan seketika kita berada di sana sebagai saksi kepada peristiwa ajaib itu, adakah anda akan menggelengkan kepala anda kerana tidak percaya?

“Jangan takut; percayalah saja! Apa yang dimaksud dengan ketakutan dalam kaitannya dengan iman? Ketakutan adalah emosi tidak menyenangkan yang disebabkan oleh ancaman bahaya, rasa sakit dan gangguan. Ini boleh menyebabkan serangan panik. Maka, Tuhan memintanya untuk bertenang, meminimalkan stres dan memaksimalkan harapan terhadap harapan-iman. Sikap rohani ini menjadikan seseorang semakin waspada untuk mengorientasikan diri pada kebaikan yang setinggi-tingginya agar hati peka terhadap bisikan Roh Kudus, Roh Kebenaran. Ya, iman adalah keterbukaan terhadap kebenaran, apa pun akibatnya, kehendak Allah. Allah mempunyai kuasa penuh atas hidup dan mati.

Yesus tidak memperbolehkan seorang pun ikut serta kecuali Petrus, Yakobus dan Yohanes. “Dan tibalah mereka di rumah kepala rumah ibadat dan Yesus membawa ayah dan ibu anak itu dan mereka yang bersama-sama dengan Dia, masuk ke dalam kamar anak itu. Lalu Yesus memegang tangan anak itu, seraya berkata, “Talita kum!’ yang bererti, Hai anak, Aku berkata kepadamu: Bangunlah!” Seketika itu juga anak itu bangkit berdiri dan berjalan sebab umurnya sudah dua belas tahun. Semua orang yang hadir sangat takjub. Dengan sangat Yesus berpesan kepada mereka supaya jangan seorang pun mengetahui hal itu, lalu Yesus menyuruh mereka memberi anak itu makan.”

Saudara dan saudari, memang banyak hal yang merunsingkan kita, malah ada yang terus-menerus mengganggu hati nurani kita, seperti kemerosotan akhlak. Kita semua dipanggil untuk melayani, dan itulah takdir kita, tujuan kita, adalah untuk menemukan apa yang mengganggu kita, misi kita! Ingatlah, ketika menghadapi cabaran dalam hidup, “Jangan takut,” kata Yesus, memanggil kita untuk bertenang, meminimalkan stres, dan memaksimalkan harapan terhadap harapan-iman. Menjadi semakin waspada dalam Roh Kudus; kita mengorientasikan diri kita pada kebaikan tertinggi demi keselamatan jiwa-jiwa.

Untuk tujuan ini, St Paulus berkata, “Hendaknya kamu kaya dalam pelayanan kasih sebagaimana kamu kaya dalam segala sesuatu: dalam iman, dalam perkataan, dalam pengetahuan, dalam kesungguhan untuk membantu dan dalam kasihmu terhadap kami. Kerana kamu telah mengenal kasih karunia Tuhan kita Yesus Kristus, yakni sekalipun kaya, Ia telah menjadi miskin kerana kamu, supaya kerana kemiskinan-Nya, kamu menjadi kaya.” Sesungguhnya, kita dipanggil untuk menjadi dewasa dalam pemberian diri.

Saudara dan saudari dalam Tuhan, kita berterima kasih kepada Uskup Agung John Wong, yang telah menghantar seminarian Canisius Benjamin bersama kita untuk pendedahan pastoralnya. Marilah kita bersama-sama mengalu-alukan kedatangannya ke paroki kita. Kita juga ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada paderi kita yang baharu ditahbiskan, Fr. Jerry Joseph Muhamat di atas semangat misionarisnya yang besar. Dia telah bersama-sama dengan kita bermula sebagai seorang seminarian sejak Jun 2023. Kita berdoa semoga pelayanan kepaderiannya membuahkan hasil dalam tugas pertamanya di St. Michael, Penampang.

Dengan rasa syukur di dalam hati, kita melayani Tuhan.

Fr. Thomas Madanan”

NABRE

Mark 5

21When Jesus had crossed again [in the boat] to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. 22One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet 23and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” 24He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.25There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. 26She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. 27She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. 28 She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” 29Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” 31But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32And he looked around to see who had done it. 33The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”35 While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” 36Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” 37He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. 41 He took the child by the hand and said to her, “<i>Talitha koum</i>,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” 42The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. [At that] they were utterly astounded. 43He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

What bothers you? What are the things bothering you? You may ask, “Is my destiny to be found in what bothers me? But what bugs you so much? Yes, things that grip you and have resulted in your inability to “enjoy life,” perhaps causing you to be resentful and bitter! Recall the Gospel reading last week on the calming of the storm; Jesus said to His disciples, “Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?” But having seen the miracle, filled with awe, they said to one another, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey Him.” The questions bothered them, and yes, they would really like the answer to it!

In the Gospel today, Jesus told the official whose daughter has died, “Do not be afraid; only have faith.” What! Hope against hope! The hope of the hapless! To hope very strongly that something will happen, although you know it is not likely! But again, remember the calming of the storm; Jesus said to His disciples, “Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?” Faith! Would Jesus, who overpowered the storm, also overcome death? Imagine for a while that we were right there as eyewitnesses to the miraculous event; would you shake your head in disbelief?

“Do not be afraid; only have faith!” What is fear in relation to faith? Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, and harm. It could cause anxiety attacks. And so, the Lord asked him to calm down, to minimize the stress and maximize hope against hope—faith. This spiritual attitude makes one become increasingly alert to orient oneself to the highest possible good so that the heart is sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. Yes, faith is the openness to the truth, whatever the consequence, the will of God. God has complete power over life and death.

Jesus allowed no one to go with Him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. “So they came to the official’s house and Jesus, taking with Him the child’s father and mother and His own companions, went into the place where the child lay. And taking the child by the hand, He said to her, ‘Talitha, kum!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up.’ The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this, they were overcome with astonishment, and He ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.”

Brothers and sisters, indeed, there are many things that bother us, and some may even constantly disturb our conscience, like the decline of morality. We all are called to serve, and that is our destiny. Our goal is to be found in what bothers us, our mission! Remember, when dealing with challenges in life, “Do not be afraid,” said Jesus, calling us to calm down, minimize our stresses, and maximize hope against hope—faith. Become increasingly alert in the Holy Spirit; we orient ourselves to the highest possible good for the salvation of souls.

To this end, St. Paul said, “You always have the most of everything—of faith, of eloquence, of understanding, of keenness for any cause, and the biggest share of our affection—so we expect you to put the most into this work of mercy too. Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: He was rich, but He became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of His poverty.” Indeed, we are called to maturity of self-giving.

Brothers and sisters in the Lord, we thank our Archbishop John Wong, who has kindly sent seminarian Canisius Benjamin to us for his pastoral exposure. Please do join me in welcoming him to our parish. We also would like to thank our newly ordained priest, Fr. Jerry Joseph Muhamat, for his great missionary zeal. He has been with us as a seminarian since June 2023. We pray that he will have a fruitful priestly ministry in his first assignment at St. Michael, Penampang.

With thanksgiving in our hearts, we will serve the Lord.

Fr. Thomas Madanan