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Saturday, January 03, 2015
Pohon Natal di kota Bologna, Italy (dok. pribadi) 
Natal di Italia tahun 2014
Italia, negeri berjulukan mayoritas Katolik
Meski kenyataannya mayoritas tidak peduli dengan agama
Julukan dan kenyataan memang mesti dipisahkan

Aku datang dari negeri Timur
Negeri berjulukan mayoritas Muslim
Ya, negeri berpenduduk muslim terbesar di dunia
Maklum, jumlah penduduknya besar

Kulihat Italia hari-hari ini
Alun-alun kota dihiasi lampu jalan berbentuk bintang dan malaikat
Juga berbentuk bunga-bunga
Tak ketinggalan pohon Natal

Di Roma, ibu kota Italia
Pohon Natal dari Cagliari, Italia bagian Selatan megah berdiri
Di dekat ikon kota Roma
Yang juga disebut negara Vatikan, dengan basilika Santo Petrus-nya

Natal memang menjadi pesta besar dan ramai
Bukan saja dari segi spiritual dan religius
Tapi uga dari segi komersial
Dan juga perjalanan

Dari segi spiritual sudah jelas,
banyak orang kembali ke kampung halaman,
untuk bertemu keluarga, merayakan misa bersama,
berkumpul bersama keluarga

Dari segi komersial juga kiranya bisa dilihat
Di TV dan Koran selalu disiarkan berapa jumlah belajanja masyarakat di hari-hari ini
Berapa jumlah paket Natal yang laku dijual
Berapa jumlah atribut hiasan Natal yang dibeli

Dari segi libur atau perjalanan juga dikupas
Berapa jumlah warga Italia yang bepergian keluar kota atau keluar negeri
Ditemukan jumlahnya berkurang
Karena alasan keuangan atau ekonomi
Juga alasan cuaca atau iklim yang tidak menentu

Dari segi seni sudah jelas
Gereja dihias dengan kandang Natal beragam corak
Dari anak-anak yang merancangnya hingga kelompok pemuda dan juga kaum tua
Bahu membahu menyukseskan tradisi kandang Natal yang diperkenalkan Santo Fransiskus dari Asisi

Di negeriku bagaimana?
Negeriku sedang sibuk mempersoalkan boleh atau tidaknya mengucapkan Selamat Natal
Boleh atau tidaknya merayakan perayaan Natal di berbagai tempat yang tidak jelas ujung akhir permasalahannya
Sedang mempermasalahkan juga adanya atribut Natal di toko, di kantor pemerintah

Negeriku memang beda
Suasananya beda, antara mayoritas Muslim dan mayoritas Katolik,
Kalau dibandingkan Italia dan Indonesia
Masing-masing punya keunikan yang harus dihargai

Di Italia, hal-hal seperti mengucapkan Selamat Natal memang tidak dipersoalkan
Karena sudah jelas itu jadi hak asasi setiap manusia
Hak untuk mengungkapkan pendapat
Teman-teman Muslim di Italia mengucapkan Selamat Natal untuk umat Kristiani

Di negeriku, belum sejauh ini
Negeriku masih bergulat apakah hak untuk mengekspresikan ucapan selamat seperti itu boleh dipenuhi atau tidak
Banyak yang mengaku tidak boleh dengan mendasarkan pada ajaran tertentu
Yang lain bilang boleh-boleh saja

Tafsirannya masih banyak
Hal seperti ini harus dihargai
Tidak mengucapkan juga tidak apa-apa
Toh sudah jelas itu termasuk hak untuk mengekspresikan

Kubersyukur di negeriku, kami mayoritas diberi kesempatan untuk merayakan misa Natal
Ini sebuah kelegaan dibanding saudari-saudara kami di beberapa negara yang masih berkonflik yang belum bebas merayakan perayaan Natal seperti ini
Kelegaan ini kiranya juga dirasakan orang Kristiani di Kuba

Dalam hal tidak adanya kebebasan seperti ini
Umat Kristiani mestinya tetap bahagia
Karena Dia datang memberi kelegaan pada manusia
Paus Fransiskus dalam suratnya kemarin kepada umat Kristiani di Timur Tengah menyerukan semangat perjuangan

Sulit memang menampakkan kebahagiaan di tengah situasi tidak bebas
Biarlah Dia yang membebaskan umat Kristiani
Salama Natal dari negeri seberang

PRM, 24 Desember 2014
Gordi

NATAL DI ITALIA TAHUN 2014

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Saturday, December 27, 2014
JESUS CHOSE TO COME TO THE WORLD AS PART OF A FAMILY
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

Vatican City, 17 December 2014 (VIS) – The family is the “great gift that the Lord has given to the world ever since the beginning, when he entrusted to Adam and Eve the mission of multiplying and filling the earth; the gift that Jesus confirmed and sealed in His Gospel”, said the Holy Father during this Wednesday's general audience, in the first of the new cycle of catechesis dedicated to the family, which will continue throughout the coming year. 

The proximity to Christmas illuminates the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, which opens a new chapter in the universal history of man and woman. “And this new beginning occurs within a family, in Nazareth. He could have come spectacularly, or as a warrior, an emperor… No – he came as the son of a family, in a family”, he emphasised.

God chose to be born “in a human family, that He Himself had formed. He created this family in a remote village in the outer reaches of the Roman Empire. Not in Rome, the capital of the Empire, not in a great city, but in an almost invisible and somewhat notorious periphery. This is even noted in the Gospel, almost as if it were a turn of phrase: 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?'. Perhaps, in many parts of the world, we too still speak in this way when we hear the name of certain peripheral areas of large cities. And yet, it was precisely there, in the outskirts of the great Empire, that there began the most holy and good story of Jesus among mankind”.

“Jesus chose to remain in the periphery for thirty years, during which there is no mention of miracles or healing, of preaching, of crowds who run after him. In Nazareth, everything seems to happen 'normally', according to the habits of a pious and hard-working family of Israelites. … The Gospels, in their sobriety, say nothing of Jesus' adolescence and leave this task to our affectionate imaginings. Art, literature and music have followed the path of the imagination. Certainly, it is not difficult to imagine how much mothers could learn from Mary's tender care for her Son! And how much fathers could benefit from the example of Joseph, a righteous man, who dedicated his life to supporting and defending his wife and child – is family – through difficult times. To say nothing of how much the young could be encouraged by the adolescent Jesus in understanding the necessity and beauty of cultivating their deepest vocation, and of having great dreams”, he added.

“Every Christian family – as Mary and Joseph did – must first welcome Jesus, listen to Him, speak with Him, shelter Him, protect Him, grow with Him; and in this way, make the world better. Let us make space in our heart and in our days for the Lord. This is what Mary and Joseph did, and it was not easy: how many difficulties they had to overcome! It was not a false or unreal family. The family of Nazareth calls to us to rediscover the vocation and the mission of the family, of every family. And so what happened in those thirty years in Nazareth can also happen to us: making love, not hate, normal; mutual help common, instead of indifference and hostility. It is not by chance that Nazareth means 'she who preserves', like Mary who, as the Gospel tells us, 'treasured all these things in her heart'. From then on, whenever there is a family that preserves this mystery, even if it should be at the outer reaches of the world, the mystery of the Son of God is at work. And He comes to save the world”.

© Copyright – Vatican Information Service

 edited, 12 January 2015

 The text from Libreria Vaticana: 
THE FAMILY – 1. NAZARETH
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
St. Peter's Square
Wednesday, 17 December 2014

The family - 1. Nazareth

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
The Synod of Bishops on the Family, recently celebrated, was the first stage of a journey, which will conclude next October with the celebration of another Assembly on the theme: “The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and [Contemporary] World”. The prayer and reflection which must accompany this journey is required of all the People of God. I would also like the customary meditations of the Wednesday Audiences to be included in this common journey. I have therefore decided to reflect with you, this year, precisely on the family, on this great gift that the Lord has made to the world from the very beginning, when he entrusted Adam and Eve with the mission to multiply and fill the earth (cf. Gen 1:28); that gift that Jesus confirmed and sealed in his Gospel.

The nearness of Christmas casts a great light on this mystery. The Incarnation of the Son of God opens a new beginning in the universal history of man and woman. And this new beginning happens within a family, in Nazareth. Jesus was born in a family. He could have come in a spectacular way, or as a warrior, an emperor.... No, no: he is born in a family, in a family. This is important: to perceive in the nativity, this beautiful scene.

God chose to come into the world in a human family, which He himself formed. He formed it in a remote village on the outskirts of the Roman Empire. Not in Rome, which was the capital of the Empire, not in a big city, but on its nearly invisible outskirts, indeed, of little renown. The Gospels also recall this, almost as an expression: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46). Perhaps, in many parts of the world, we still talk this way, when we hear the name of some areas on the periphery of a big city. And so, right there, on the outskirts of the great Empire, began the most holy and good story of Jesus among men! And that is where this family was.

Jesus dwelt on that periphery for 30 years. The Evangelist Luke summarizes this period like this: Jesus “was obedient to them”; — that is, to Mary and Joseph. And someone might say: “But did this God, who comes to save us, waste 30 years there, in that suburban slum?”. He wasted 30 years! He wanted this. Jesus’ path was in that family — “and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man” (Lk 2:51-52). It does not recount miracles or healing, or preaching — He did none in that period — or of crowds flocking; in Nazareth everything seemed to happen “normally”, according to the customs of a pious and hardworking Israelite family: they worked, the mother cooked, she did all the housework, ironed shirts... all the things mothers do. The father, a carpenter, worked, taught his son the trade. Thirty years. “But what a waste, Father!”. God works in mysterious ways. But what was important there was the family! And this was not a waste! They were great saints: Mary, the most holy woman, immaculate, and Joseph, a most righteous man.... The family.

We are certainly moved by the story of how the adolescent Jesus followed the religious calendar of the community and the social duties; in knowing how, as a young worker, He worked with Joseph; and then how He attended the reading of the Scriptures, in praying the Psalms and in so many other customs of daily life. The Gospels, in their sobriety, make no reference to Jesus’ adolescence and leave this task to our loving meditation. Art, literature, music have taken this journey through imagination. It is certainly not difficult to imagine how much mothers could learn from Mary’s care for that Son! And how much fathers could glean from the example of Joseph, a righteous man, who dedicated his life to supporting and protecting the Child and his wife — his family — in difficult times. Not to mention how much children could be encouraged by the adolescent Jesus to understand the necessity and beauty of cultivating their most profound vocation and of dreaming great dreams! In those 30 years, Jesus cultivated his vocation, for which the Father had sent him. And in that time, Jesus never became discouraged, but increased in courage in order to carry his mission forward.

Each Christian family can first of all — as Mary and Joseph did — welcome Jesus, listen to Him, speak with Him, guard Him, protect Him, grow with Him; and in this way improve the world. Let us make room in our heart and in our day for the Lord. As Mary and Joseph also did, and it was not easy: how many difficulties they had to overcome! They were not a superficial family, they were not an unreal family. The family of Nazareth urges us to rediscover the vocation and mission of the family, of every family. And, what happened in those 30 years in Nazareth, can thus happen to us too: in seeking to make love and not hate normal, making mutual help commonplace, not indifference or enmity. It is no coincidence, then, that “Nazareth” means “She who keeps”, as Mary, who — as the Gospel states — “kept all these things in her heart” (cf. Lk 2:19, 51). Since then, each time there is a family that keeps this mystery, even if it were on the periphery of the world, the mystery of the Son of God, the mystery of Jesus who comes to save us, the mystery is at work. He comes to save the world. And this is the great mission of the family: to make room for Jesus who is coming, to welcome Jesus in the family, in each member: children, husband, wife, grandparents.... Jesus is there. Welcome him there, in order that He grow spiritually in the family. May the Lord grant us this grace in these last days of Advent. Thank you.


© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


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Saturday, December 27, 2014

AT CHRISTMAS, JESUS CALLS OUT AGAIN TO THE HEART OF EVERY CHRISTIAN

ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, 21 DECEMBER 2014


Vatican City, 21 December 2014 (VIS) – On the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, with Christmas just around the corner, the Gospel narrates the Angel's annunciation to Mary and the Virgin's “yes” that made possible the Incarnation, the revelation of a mystery “enveloped in silence for eternity”. Before this morning's Angelus prayer, Pope Francis addressed the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, focusing on two essential aspects of Mary's attitude as a model to prepare for Christmas. 

The first is her faith, which consists of listening to the Word of God in order to surrender herself entirely to it, with full willingness of both mind and heart. “In her 'yes', full of faith, Mary does not know which road she will have to embark upon, how much pain she will have to suffer, what risks she will run. But she is aware that it is the Lord Who asks her to entrust herself entirely to Him, and she surrenders herself to His love. This is Mary's faith”.

“Another aspect is the capacity of the Mother of Christ to recognise the time of God. Mary teaches us to seize the favourable moment in which Jesus passes into our life and asks for a prompt and generous response”.

“And Jesus passes”, added the Pope, “because the mystery of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, which historically took place more than two thousand years ago, occurs as a spiritual event on the 'today' of the Liturgy. The Word, that finds a home in the virginal womb of Mary, during the celebration of the Nativity calls out to the heart of every Christian; it passes, and knocks on the door. Each one of us is called to answer, like Mary, with a personal and sincere 'yes', placing ourselves entirely at the disposal of God and His mercy, His love”.

“How many times does Jesus pass into our lives!”, he exclaimed. “And how many times he sends us an angel, and how often we do not realise, because we are too preoccupied, immersed in our thoughts, in our affairs and even, these days, in our preparations for Christmas, to realise that He passes and knocks at the door of our heart, asking for welcome, asking for a 'yes', like that of Mary”.

“A saint once said, 'I am afraid that the Lord will pass'. Do you know why he was afraid? He was afraid he would not welcome Him, that he would let Him pass by. When we feel in our heart, 'I would like to be a better person', “I feel remorse for doing that”, it is the Lord Who is calling. He makes you feel this: the wish to be better, the wish to stay closer to others and to God. If you feel this, then stop. It is the Lord Who is there! And pray, perhaps go to Confession, to clean up a little … this does you good. But keep in mind: if you feel this desire to improve, it is He Who is calling: do not let Him pass by”.

Francis also recalled, in the mystery of the Nativity, the silent presence of Joseph and emphasised the example that he and Mary offer as an invitation to receive with total openness the Lord Jesus, “who for love made Himself into our brother, and came to bring light to the world”, as the angels proclaimed to the shepherds: 'on earth peace, good will toward men'”.

“The precious gift of Christmas is peace”, he concluded. “Christ, Who is our true peace, calls to our hearts to give us peace, the peace of the soul. Let us open the doors to Christ”.

© Copyright – Vatican Information Service
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