1803032. Prapaskah: pertobatan, bangkit bersama Kristus, memperbaharui identitas pembaptisan. Warisan dan Pengampunan. Jacques Fesch (1930 – 1957). WELCOMING SINNERS.

* Prapaskah: pertobatan, bangkit bersama Kristus, memperbaharui identitas pembaptisan. 

* Warisan dan Pengampunan

* Jacques Fesch (1930 – 1957)

* WELCOMING SINNERS

2belife.blogspot.com

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MASA Prapaskah adalah masa pertobatan yang bertujuan untuk memampukan diri kita bangkit bersama Kristus, untuk memperbaharui identitas pembaptisan kita

*Paus Fransiskus*

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SabdaNya.

Warisan dan Pengampunan

 Sabtu  03 - 03 -18.

Mikha 7 : 14-15,18-20         

Luk 15:1-3,11-32

Shalom,
Kristus memberi perumpamaan tentang seorang bapak yg mempunyai 2 anak laki2. Bapak ini sesungguhnya seorang yg kaya raya, bijak dan menyayangi anak2nya.  Meskipun begitu, suatu saat anak bungsunya merasa tidak nyaman lagi tinggal bersamanya. Dia yakin sekali diluar rumah bapanya ada kebahagiaan yg jauh melampaui apa yg dia alami selama ini bersama ayahnya. Karena itu dg sangat tega dia meminta semua warisan dari ayahnya, meskipun tahu bahwa perbuatan itui sama saja dg menginginkan agar bapanya segera meninggal.

Setelah menerima warisan, anak bungsu ini hidup ber senang2 didalam kelimpahan harta yg dia peroleh dari bapanya. Tetapi kemudian terjadilah bencana kelaparan sehingga diapun kehabisan uang. Untuk dapat bertahan hidup, terpaksa dia harus bekerja sebagai penjaga ternak babi milik orang lain. Suatu pekerjaan yg sangat dihindari oleh orang Yahudi, karena bagi mereka, babi adalah hewan yg haram.

Didalam kesengsaraan yg luar biasa, dia baru sadar bahwa sebenarnya tempat yg paling damai dan bahagia adalah berada dirumah bapanya. Apalagi didalam kebijaksanaan bapanya, bagi semua pekerjanya tersedia makanan yg ber limpah2, sedangkan dia disitu nyaris  mati kelaparan. Bahkan makan sisa makanan babi saja tidak diperbolehkan!
Saat menghadapi kesengsaraan dan amat direndahkan martabatnya itu, sibungsu baru sadar akan segala kebaikan dan kebijaksanaan ayahnya dan bahwa dialah yg telah bertindak sangat bodoh. Karena itu dia bertekad untuk kembali kerumah bapanya, dg segala resiko yg harus dihadapi.

Sebagai seorang ayah, tentu saja bapak anak bungsu ini sangat terpukul, sedih dan kecewa ketika mendapat perlakuan sangat kurang ajar dari anaknya . Akan tetapi kasihnya kepada anaknya melebihi segala kekejian anaknya. Sejak sibungsu pergi, dia selalu berharap kapan anak ini akan kembali. Dia tidak jemu2 untuk memandang kearah jalan yg menuju rumahnya, dg hati yg penuh harap.
Karena itu ketika sibungsu pulang (sangat mungkin setelah ber bulan2 atau malahan ber tahun2 lamanya), bukan suatu kebetulan bapak ini melihat anaknya itu sedari dia masih jauh. Dia berlari menyambut anak itu dan segera memeluknya, meskipun anak itu  dalam keadaan najis, lahir dan batin,  karena perilakunya dan karena selama ini harus menjaga kawanan ternak babi.

Apa yg dilakukan sibungsu, kadang terjadi juga dg diri kita. Dalam situasi kondisi tertentu kita mengeluh, menggerutu dan menganggap Firman Allah tidak masuk akal dan sangat menyusahkan. Kadang kita percaya bahwa diluar jalanNya, ada kesenangan2 yg jauh lebih menjanjikan sehingga menggoda kita untuk keluar dari jalanNya.
Akan tetapi dibalik segala kenikmatan duniawi pasti ada bencana kelaparan. Kesenangan yg ditawarkan dunia, selalu membuat kita tidak pernah puas dan terus men cari2 kepuasan yg lebih lagi, sehingga suatu saat kita akan merasa sangat lelah, atau untuk memperoleh nya kita terpaksa berhamba pada tuan yg lain yaitu siiblis!. Padahal kita tahu bahwa iblis tidak mengenal kasih sayang. Dia pasti akan meminta tumbal. Dia pasti akan meminta balasan berlipat kali ganda.

Kristus menggambarkan sorang ayah yg telah sangat disakiti tetapi tetap begitu mengasihi anaknya. Inilah gambaran Allah, yg tidak pernah lelah mengharap kita kembali kejalanNya. 'Siapakah Allah seperti Engkau yg mengampuni dosa dan memaafkan pelanggaran dari sisa2 milikNya sendiri, yg tidak bertahan dalam murkaNya untuk seterusnya, melainkan berkenan kepada kasih setia?' (Mi 7: 18)

Sibungsu memang sangat berdosa. tetapi dia beruntung punya keberanian untuk bertobat dan menghadapi segala resiko atas perbuatannya itu. Inilah yg diharapkan Tuhan dari kita. Bertobatlah, karena tidak ada kesalahan yg tidak dapat Dia maafkan. "Biarlah Ia kembali menyayangi kita, menghapuskan kesalahan2 kita dan melemparkan segala dosa kedalam tubir2 laut' (Mi 7 : 19).
Tetapi perlu diingat bahwa bertobat bukan berarti kita akan dilepaskan dari segala akibat perbuatan dosa. Bertobat pasti menyelamat kan kita dari akibat yg lebih buruk lagi, tetapi tidak menghapus semua akibat dosa.

Anak sulung bapak ini, tidak seburuk seperti adiknya. Dia tetap bekerja dan tinggal bersama ayahnya. Dia juga pasti ikut menanggung akibat dari pekerjaan2 yg ditinggalkan adiknya. Sayangnya hatinya terlalu keras untuk mau mengampuni, sehingga ketika ayahnya mengadakan syukuran atas kembalinya anak bungsunya, dia tidak mau ikut dalam pesta itu.

Dalam hal inilah Kristus menegur sikap orang2 Farisi. Mereka mungkin telah melakukan apa yg tertulis didlam hk Taurat, tetapi hati mereka sangat keras untuk mau mengampuni semua orang yg bertobat atas kesalahannya. Mereka bersikap seperti tidak pernah berbuat salah. Allah memang selalu mau mengampuni dosa kita, tetapi Dia pun memberi persyaratan bahwa kitapun harus mau mengampuni semua orang yg bersalah kepada kita. Ukuran yg kita pakai kepada mereka yg bersalah dan menyakitkan hati kita,akan dipakai Allah untuk bersikap kepada kita. Kalau kita berkeras hati seperti sisulung, akibatnya bisa fatal. Kita tidak akan dapat menikmati kebahagiaan dalam perjamuan abadi  dirumah Bapa.

Marilah kita bertobat, mintalah ampun kepada Tuhan atas segala dosa dan kelalain dg jujur dan rendah hati  serta ampunilah semua orang yg telah mengecewakan/ menyakiti kita. Kristus telah menanti kita di Rumah Bapa.
Gbu alln hv a blessed week end.

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Saturday, 3rd MARCH.

Jacques Fesch (1930 – 1957)

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

"There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine ... But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him..."

There is common agreement that this is one of the most beautiful parables told by Our Lord. Because not all of us are always moved by seed, darnel, fish, leaven, fig trees, good soil or lost sheep... But all of us are moved by this father, all of us have been at times - and still are - prodigal sons. Are you not moved by the last line of today's Gospel quote?

Jacques Fesch (1930 – 1957) was a young French lad who gave up a position at his father's bank and left his wife and their daughter to live the life of a playboy. Disillusioned with his life, he decided to rob a money changer of his gold coins. During the escape he killed a police officer; he was arrested and condemned to death by guillotine. At first Fesch was indifferent and mocked his lawyer's Catholic faith. However, after a year in prison he experienced a profound conversion and bitterly regretted his crime. He asked for forgiveness and started to pray, attend Mass and go regularly to confession as well as help his mates get close to God. He kept a spiritual journal. His last journal entry was "In five hours, I will see Jesus!" When his journal was published after his death he became an inspiration to many. His process of beatification is now open. He was an example of repentance and redemption. It's never too late to come back to God! 

Holy Mary, our Hope, Refuge of sinners, pray for us who are so much in need of conversion.

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03 MARCH, 2018, Saturday, 2nd Week of Lent

WELCOMING SINNERS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [MICAH 7:14-15, 18-20; PS 103:1-4,9-12; LK 15:1-3; 11-32 ]

"The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. 'This man' they said 'welcomes sinners and eats with them.'"  How would you like to be labelled as the religious leaders did of Jesus?  Would you be proud to be identified as one who mixed with wrong company and people with dubious characters?  Would you be embarrassed to let your reputable relatives, friends and colleagues know that you hang out with such people?  And would you even dare to be anywhere near the pubs and brothels?  But that was what Jesus actually did.  He welcomed sinners, tax-collectors, adulterers and prostitutes.  No wonder the religious leaders were scandalized as His reputation as a Rabbi did not go well with the company He was with.

That is the way and heart of God.  God is always forgiving.  He does not wish to see us fall or hurt ourselves.  He is not out to take revenge or see us suffer.  On the contrary, He wants us to repent and be reconciled, not so much for His sake but for ours. This is because He loves us deeply and unconditionally.   This is the experience of the Israelites when the Prophet Micah said, "What God can compare with you: taking fault away, pardoning crime, not cherishing anger forever but delighting in showing mercy? Once more have pity on us, tread down our faults to the bottom of the sea throw all our sins."

In the gospel, we have Jesus manifesting the mercy and compassion of God for sinners when He ate and drank with sinners.   The story of the forgiving father in the gospel captures succinctly in a dramatic way how much God loves us and forgives us every time when we sin.  He does not take account of our past.   When the prodigal son returned, the father did not demand an explanation or lambasted him for being so irresponsible or condemned him as deserving of such a tragedy.  On the contrary, the father, in spite of the humiliation and insults he suffered from the younger son who demanded a share of the property even before his death, did not take the past hurts into account.  All he thought of each day was when his son would return.  We can be sure that the father was on the lookout for him each day because we read, 'While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly."

Secondly, all that God desires is that we be restored to fullness of life and love.  Thus before the son could even act out his rehearsed speech, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants", the father interjected before he could complete the last part of the sentence.  He said to his servants. "Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found."  By giving back his robe, he gave the son back his honour; by giving him a ring, the son received back his authority; and by giving a pair of sandals, it was an indication that he was not a servant or slave but a member of the family.

Such a God of mercy and compassion is too hard to believe.   Deep in our hearts, many of us cannot believe that God would really forgive us.   That is why many penitents in spite of going for confession still do not feel forgiven because they doubt that God could ever forgive them their horrendous and unspeakable sins against Him and their fellowmen, especially their loved ones.    Most cannot forgive themselves or believe that they could be forgiven by those whom they have hurt.  Hence, some of them never come back to God.

Why is it so difficult for us to accept the mercy and forgiveness of God?  This is because we are like the elder son and the religious leaders in the gospel.  Firstly, we believe in merits only.  We do not believe in grace.  What we sow is what we reap.  Therefore the only way to gain acceptance and appreciation is through sheer hard work and slavery.  This was the attitude of the elder son.  He said, "Look, all these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed your orders, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends."   Although the younger son was a slave to sin of the flesh, he was, as he admitted, a slave of pride and self-righteousness.  Pride has made us intolerant of others who cannot do what we do.

Secondly, we are revengeful.  The elder son felt unjustified because he was the one who put in all the hard work in the fields.  As far as he was concerned, his younger brother did not deserve anything since he had taken his share of the property and left.  So he was not entitled to anything from the family.   We can imagine how hurt and indignant he was when the father restored his sonship and all the rights as well.  In the same vein, we cannot forgive fellow sinners because we feel they deserve the punishments for all the pains they have caused us and all the sufferings we have gone through because of their selfishness, greed, lust, anger and irresponsibility.  

Can you forgive someone who has caused you to lose your life's savings?  

Can you forgive someone who has broken up your family? 

 Can you forgive someone who has betrayed you whether in business or in friendship or at work?

Thirdly, we cannot welcome sinners because of the need to protect our reputation.  We do not welcome sinners because we do not wish to tarnish our reputation or be misunderstood by righteous people.  We want to be thought of well by others and have a good reputation in society.  So by getting involved with sinners, we might be ostracized as Jesus was by the religious leaders.  This was the same reason why the religious leaders stayed away from sinners because they might contaminate them ritually or discredit their office.  It was much safer that they had nothing to do with them, least of all to be their guests or even have them as guests.   Staying away from them was the safest thing to do.

So if we were to welcome sinners today, what must we do?  We need first and foremost to recognize that we are all sinners in our own ways. We also have our fair share of mistakes in life.  As fallen creatures, we grow and purify ourselves over time.  We are called not to be saints but saints in the making.  So if we were to forgive and be compassionate with fellow sinners, we need to forgive ourselves. I always feel that those who are harsh and lacking compassion are that way because they cannot see themselves as sinners and if they do, they cannot forgive themselves and are ashamed of their past.  They have not yet come to integrate their mistakes and sins with the grace of God at work in their lives.  So if we were to welcome sinners like Jesus, we must be aware of our own sinfulness and the mercy of God in our lives.   This is a pre-requisite.

Secondly, we must realize that there are different degrees and types of sinners.  In Luke chapter 15, the evangelist first told the story of the lost sheep followed by the lost coin and lastly by the prodigal son.   Although all these stories speak about being lost and found, yet the way they were lost were different.  The lost sheep lost its way by ignorance, just like many of us.  Because of ignorance, we fall into sin, often deceived by the half-truths and illusions of the world, power, glory, food and possessions.   This explains why on the cross, Jesus could pray for His enemies, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they were doing."   Jesus knew that our ignorance, often the result of pride, arrogance and fear lead us to be blind to what we are pursuing for ourselves.

Thirdly, the lost coin got lost through no fault of its own but it was lost because of the carelessness of others.  Some sinners are such simply because of their upbringing and the wrong company they fell into.  Often, irresponsible parents, because of family squabbles, adultery, gambling and violence, destroy the peace and unity at home.  They drive their children to seek consolation and love outside the family.   So for such people who have fallen into wrong company because they are so desperate for love and happiness, they should be pitied, not blamed.

Finally, we have sinners like the prodigal son who deliberately choose to go that way.  Even for such people, the Lord said something so beautiful about them.  "When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch, so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled his belly with the husks the pigs were eating but no one offered him anything. Then he came to his senses."   For many of us, we are not ourselves.  To come to our senses means that we come to realize who we are.  The son forgot that he was called to be a child of God, not a servant, not a slave and much less a pig, an animal held with contempt by the Jews, the most degrading kind of animal one could become.  So the Lord also forgives such people because they have lost their senses!  They have forgotten their real identity.  They wanted to live without God, but left to themselves, they are led to self-destruction and slavery.

Today, let us turn to the Lord of mercy and compassion.  With the psalmist we pray, "My soul, give thanks to the Lord all my being, bless his holy name. It is he who forgives all your guilt, who heals every one of your ills, who redeems your life from the grave, who crowns you with love and compassion. His wrath will come to an end; he will not be angry forever: He does not treat us according to our sins nor repay us according to our faults. For as the heavens are high above the earth so strong is his love for those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west so far does he remove our sins?"   This is our God and following Jesus, not only must we be bold to turn to Him and ask for forgiveness, we must lead others back to Him so that they too can experience joy and peace again.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved

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