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Friday, April 10, 2015
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Wednesday, 11 March 2015

The family - 7. The grandparents

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
In today’s catechesis we continue our reflection on grandparents, considering the value and importance of their role in the family. I do so by placing myself in their shoes, because I too belong to this age group. 

When I was in the Philippines, the Filipino people greeted me saying “Lolo Kiko” — meaning Grandpa Francis — “Lolo Kiko”, they said! The first important thing to stress: it is true that society tends to discard us, but the Lord definitely does not! The Lord never discards us. He calls us to follow Him in every age of life, and old age has a grace and a mission too, a true vocation from the Lord. Old age is a vocation. It is not yet time to “pull in the oars”. This period of life is different from those before, there is no doubt; we even have to somewhat “invent it ourselves”, because our societies are not ready, spiritually and morally, to appreciate the true value of this stage of life. Indeed, it once was not so normal to have time available; it is much more so today. Christian spirituality has also been caught somewhat by surprise, with regard to outlining a kind of spirituality of the elderly. But thanks be to God there is no shortage of the testimony of elderly saints, both men and women!

I was really moved by the “Day dedicated to the elderly” that we had here in St Peter’s Square last year, the Square was full. I listened to the stories of elderly people who devote themselves to others, and to stories of married couples, who said: “We are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary, we are celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary”. It is important to present this to young people who tire so easily; the testimony of the elderly in fidelity is important. There were so many in this Square that day. It is a reflection to continue, in both the ecclesial and civil spheres. The Gospel comes to meet us with a really moving and encouraging image. It is the image of Simeon and Anna, whom are spoken of in the Gospel of Jesus’ childhood, composed by St Luke. There were certainly elderly, the “old man”, Simeon, and the “prophetess”, Anna, who was 84 years old. This woman did not hide her age. The Gospel says that they awaited the coming of God every day, with great trust, for many years. They truly wanted to see Him that day, to grasp the signs, to understand the origin. By then, they were also perhaps more resigned to die first: that long wait, however, continued to occupy their whole life, having no commitments more important than this: to await the Lord and pray. So, when Mary and Joseph went to the temple to fulfil the provisions of the Law, Simeon and Anna moved quickly, inspired by the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 2:27). The burden of age and waiting disappeared in an instant. They recognized the Child, and discoverednew strength, for a new task: to give thanks for and bear witness to this Sign from God. Simeon improvised a beautiful hymn of jubilation (cf. Lk 2:29-32) — in that moment he was a poet — and Anna became the first woman to preach of Jesus: she “spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Lk 2:38).

Dear grandparents, dear elderly, let us follow in the footsteps of these extraordinary elders! Let us too become like poets of prayer: let us develop a taste for finding our own words, let us once again grasp those which teach us the Word of God. The prayer of grandparents and of the elderly is a great gift for the Church! The prayer of grandparents and of the elderly is a great gift for the Church, it is a treasure! A great injection of wisdom for the whole of human society: above all for one which is too busy, too taken, too distracted. Someone should also sing, for them too, sing of the signs of God, proclaim the signs of God, pray for them! Let us look to Benedict XVI, who chose to spend the final span of his life in prayer and listening to God! This is beautiful! A great believer of the last century, of the Orthodox tradition, Olivier Clément, said: “A civilization which has no place for prayer is a civilization in which old age has lost all meaning. And this is terrifying. For, above all, we need old people who pray; prayer is the purpose of old age”. We need old people who pray because this is the very purpose of old age. The prayer of the elderly is a beautiful thing.

We are able to thank the Lord for the benefits received, and fill the emptiness of ingratitude that surrounds us. We are able tointercede for the expectations of younger generations and give dignity to the memory and sacrifices of past generations. We are able to remind ambitious young people that a life without love is a barren life. We are able say to young people who are afraid that anxiety about the future can be overcome. We are able to teach the young who are overly self-absorbed that there is more joy in giving than in receiving. Grandfathers and grandmothers form the enduring “chorus” of a great spiritual sanctuary, where prayers of supplication and songs of praise sustain the community which toils and struggles in the field of life.

Last, Prayer unceasingly purifies the heart. Praise and supplication to God prevents the heart from becoming hardened by resentment and selfishness. How awful is the cynicism of an elderly person who has lost the meaning of his testimony, who scorns the young and does not communicate the wisdom of life! How beautiful, however, is the encouragement an elderly person manages to pass on to a young person who is seeking the meaning of faith and of life! It is truly the mission of grandparents, the vocation of the elderly. The words of grandparents have special value for the young. And the young know it. I still carry with me, always, in my breviary, the words my grandmother consigned to me in writing on the day of my priestly ordination. I read them often and they do me good.

How I would like a Church that challenges the throw-away culture with the overflowing joy of a new embrace between young and old! This is what I ask of the Lord today, this embrace!

Before: The family - 6. The elderly (I)

Special Greetings
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States of America. I offer a special greeting to the pilgrims from Korea, with vivid memories of my Visit to their country last August. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!

I invite all, especially in this favourable season of Lent, to commit yourselves to building a society in which there is room to welcome each one, most of all when one is elderly, sick, poor and fragile.

I offer a special thought to young people, to the sick and to newlyweds. This month we commemorate the centenary of the birth in Avila of St Teresa of Jesus. May her spiritual vigour inspire you, dear young people, to joyfully witness to the faith in your life; may her trust in Christ the Saviour sustain you, dear sick people, in the moments of greatest discomfort; and may her tireless apostolate call you, dear newlyweds, to place Christ at the centre of your marital home.

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Friday, April 10, 2015
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Fifth Sunday of Lent, 22 March 2015

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, John the Evangelist draws our attention with a curious detail: some “Greeks”, of the Jewish religion, who have come to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, turn to Philip and say to him: “We wish to see Jesus” (Jn 12:21). There are many people in the holy city, where Jesus has come for the last time, there are many people. There are the little ones and the simple ones, who have warmly welcomed the Prophet of Nazareth, recognizing Him as the Messenger of the Lord. There are the High Priests and the leaders of the people, who want to eliminate Him because they consider him a heretic and dangerous. There are also people, like those “Greeks”, who are curious to see Him and to know more about his person and about the works He has performed, the last of which — the resurrection of Lazarus — has caused quite a stir.

“We wish to see Jesus”: these words, like so many others in the Gospels, go beyond this particular episode and express something universal; they reveal a desire that passes through the ages and cultures, a desire present in the heart of so many people who have heard of Christ, but have not yet encountered him. “I wish to see Jesus”, thus He feels the heart of these people.

Responding indirectly, in a prophetic way, to that request to be able to see Him, Jesus pronounces a prophecy that reveals his identity and shows the path to know Him truly: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (Jn 12:23). It is the hour of the Cross! It is the time for the defeat of Satan, prince of evil, and of the definitive triumph of the merciful love of God. Christ declares that He will be “lifted up from the earth” (v. 32), an expression with a twofold meaning: “lifted” because He is crucified, and “lifted” because He is exalted by the Father in the Resurrection, to draw everyone to Him and to reconcile mankind with God and among themselves. The hour of the Cross, the darkest in history, is also the source of salvation for those who believe in Him.

Continuing in his prophecy of the imminent Passover, Jesus uses a simple and suggestive image, that of the “‘grain of wheat’ that, once fallen into the earth, dies in order to bear fruit (cf. v. 24). In this image we find another aspect of the Cross of Christ: that of fruitfulness. The death of Jesus, in fact, is an inexhaustible source of new life, because it carries within itself the regenerative strength of God’s love. Immersed in this love through Baptism, Christians can become “grains of wheat” and bear much fruit if they, like Jesus, “lose their life” out of love for God and brothers and sisters (cf. v. 25).

For this reason, to those who, today too, “wish to see Jesus”, to those who are searching for the face of God; to those who received catechesis when they were little and then developed it no further and perhaps have lost their faith; to so many who have not yet encountered Jesus personally…; to all these people we can offer three things: the Gospel, the Crucifix and the witness of our faith, poor but sincere. The Gospel: there we can encounter Jesus, listen to Him, know Him. The Crucifix: the sign of the love of Jesus who gave Himself for us. And then a faith that is expressed in simple gestures of fraternal charity. But mainly in the coherence of life, between what we say and what we do. Coherence between our faith and our life, between our words and our actions: Gospel, Crucifix, Witness.

May Our Lady help us to bring these three things forth.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, despite the bad weather so many of you have come. Well done! You were very brave. The marathon runners are also very brave. I greet them with affection! Yesterday, I was in Naples on a pastoral visit. I want to thank all Neapolitans for the very warm welcome, they are so good. Thank you so much!

Today marks the World Water Day promoted by the United Nations. Water is the most essential element for life, and the future of humanity depends on our capacity to guard it and share it. I therefore encourage the International Community to be vigilant so as to ensure that the planet’s waters be adequately protected and that no one be excluded or discriminated against in the use of this resource, which is a resource par excellence. With St Francis of Assisi, we say: “Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, / she is very useful and humble and precious and pure” (Canticle of the Sun).

And now we will repeat a gesture previously performed last year: according to the ancient tradition of the Church, the Gospel is delivered during Lent to those who are preparing for Baptism; thus today I offer to you who are in the Square a pocket-sized Gospel. It will be distributed gratis by several homeless people who live in Rome. In this too, we see a very beautiful gesture that pleased Jesus: the ones most in need are the ones who give us the Word of God. Take this Gospel and carry it with you, to read it often, every day. Carry it in your purse, in your pocket, read from it often, a passage every day. The Word of God is a light for our path! It will do you well. Do it.

I wish you all a nice Sunday, Please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and Arrivederci!

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Friday, April 10, 2015
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Fourth Sunday of Lent, 15 March 2015


Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
Today’s Gospel again offers us the words that Jesus addressed to Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16). In hearing these words, we turn our heart’s gaze to Jesus Crucified and we feel within us that God loves us, truly loves us, and He loves us so much! This is the simplest expression that epitomizes all of the Gospel, all of the faith, all of theology: God loves us with a free and boundless love.

This is how God loves us and God shows this love first through creation, as the Liturgy announces, in the fourth Eucharistic Prayer: “You have created all things, to fill your creatures with every blessing and lead all men to the joyful vision of your light”. At the beginning of the world there is only the freely given love of the Father. St Irenaeus, a saint of the first centuries, writes: “In the beginning, therefore, did God form Adam, not as if He stood in need of man, but that He might have one upon whom to confer His benefits” (Adversus Haereses, IV, 14, 1). It is like this, God’s love is like this.

Thus the fourth Eucharistic Prayer continues: “Even when he disobeyed you and lost your friendship you did not abandon him to the power of death”, but with your mercy “helped all men to seek and find you”. He came with his mercy. As in creation, and also in the subsequent stages of salvation history, the freely given love of God returns: the Lord chooses his people not because they are deserving but because they are the smallest among all peoples, as He says. And when “the fullness of time” arrived, despite the fact that man had repeatedly broken the covenant, God, rather than abandoning him, formed a new bond with him, in the blood of Jesus — the bond of a new and everlasting covenant — a bond that nothing will ever break.

St Paul reminds us: “God, who is rich in mercy”, — never forget that He is rich in mercy — “out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Eph 2:4). The Cross of Christ is the supreme proof of the mercy and love that God has for us: Jesus loved us “to the end” (Jn 13:1), meaning not only to the last instant of his earthly life, but to the farthest limit of love. While in creation the Father gave us proof of his immense love by giving us life, in the passion and death of his Son He gave us the proof of proofs: He came to suffer and die for us. So great is God’s mercy: He loves us, He forgives us; God forgives all and God forgives always.

May Mary, who is the Mother of Mercy, place in our hearts the certitude that we are loved by God. May she be close to us in moments of difficulty and give us the sentiments of her Son, so our Lenten journey may be an experience of forgiveness, of welcome, and of charity.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, with sorrow, with much sorrow, I learned of today’s terrorist attacks on two churches in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, which caused many deaths and injuries. They are Christian churches. Christians are being persecuted. Our brothers and sisters are spilling their blood solely because they are Christians. While I assure the victims and their families of my prayers, I ask the Lord, I implore the Lord, source of all goodness, the gift of peace and accord for that country; may there be an end to this persecution of Christians, which the world tries to hide, and may there be peace.

I address a cordial greeting to the faithful of Rome and to you, who have come from so many parts of the world. I greet the various groups of volunteers who, united in the commitment to solidarity, are taking part in the rally: “Together for the Common Good”.

I am close to the people of Vanuatu, in the Pacific Ocean, battered by a powerful cyclone. I am praying for the deceased, the wounded and the homeless. I thank those who went immediately to bring aid and relief.

I wish all of you a happy Sunday. Please do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!

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Friday, April 10, 2015
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Third Sunday of Lent, 8 March 2015


Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
Today’s Gospel presents the episode of the expulsion of the merchants from the temple (Jn 2:13-25). Jesus made “a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple” (Jn 2:15), the money, everything. Such a gesture gave rise to strong impressions in the people and in the disciples. It clearly appeared as a prophetic gesture, so much so that some of those present asked Jesus: “What sign have you to show us for doing this?” (v. 18), who are you to do these things? Show us a sign that you have authority to do them. They were seeking a divine and prodigious sign that would confirm that Jesus was sent by God. And He responded: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (v. 19). They replied: “It has taken 46 years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in three days?” (v. 20). They did not understand that the Lord was referring to the living temple of his body, that would be destroyed in the death on the Cross, but would be raised on the third day. Thus, in three days. “When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that He had said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken” (v. 22). 

In effect, this gesture of Jesus and His prophetic message are fully understood in the light of his Paschal Mystery. We have here, according to the evangelist John, the first proclamation of the death and resurrection of Christ: His body, destroyed on the Cross by the violence of sin, will become in the Resurrection the universal meeting place between God and mankind. And the Risen Christ is Himself the universal meeting place — for everyone! — between God and mankind. For this reason, his humanity is the true temple where God is revealed, speaks, is encountered; and the true worshippers, the true worshippers of God are not only the guardians of the material temple, the keepers of power and of religious knowledge, [but] they are those who worship God “in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23).

In this time of Lent we are preparing for the celebration of Easter, when we will renew the promises of our Baptism. Let us walk in the world as Jesus did, and let us make our whole existence a sign of our love for our brothers, especially the weakest and poorest, let us build for God a temple of our lives. And so we make it “encounterable” for those who we find along our journey. If we are witnesses of the Living Christ, so many people will encounter Jesus in us, in our witness. But, we ask — and each one of us can ask ourselves — does the Lord feel at home in my life? Do we allow Him to “cleanse” our hearts and to drive out the idols, those attitudes of cupidity, jealousy, worldliness, envy, hatred, those habits of gossiping and tearing down others. Do I allow Him to cleanse all the behaviours that are against God, against our neighbour, and against ourselves, as we heard today in the first Reading? Each one can answer for him/herself, in the silence of his/her heart: “Do I allow Jesus to make my heart a little cleaner?” “Oh Father, I fear the rod!” But Jesus never strikes. Jesus cleanses with tenderness, mercy, love. Mercy is the His way of cleansing. Let us, each of us, let us allow the Lord to enter with His mercy — not with the whip, no, with His mercy — to cleanse our hearts. With us, Jesus’ whip is His mercy. Let us open to Him the gates so that He will make us a little purer.

Every Eucharist that we celebrate with faith makes us grow as a living temple of the Lord, thanks to the communion with His crucified and risen Body. Jesus recognizes what is in each of us, and knows well our most ardent desires: that of being inhabited by Him, only by Him. Let us allow Him to enter into our lives, into our families, into our hearts. May Mary most holy, the privileged dwelling place of the Son of God, accompany us and sustain us on the Lenten journey, so that we might be able to rediscover the beauty of the encounter with Christ, the only One who frees us and saves us.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, I address a cordial greeting to the faithful of Rome and all the pilgrims from various parts of the world.

During Lent, let us strive to stay closer to those who are experiencing difficult moments: close in affection, in prayer and in solidarity.

Today, 8 March, I greet all women! All women who seek every day to build a more human and welcoming society. And a fraternal thank-you also to those who bear witness to the Gospel in a thousand ways and work in the Church. For us, this is an occasion to underline the importance and need for their presence in our lives. A world where women are marginalized is a barren world because women not only give life but they also transmit the ability to see beyond, to see beyond themselves. They transmit the ability to see the world with different eyes, to feel things with a more creative, patient and tender heart. A prayer and special blessing for all the women present here in the Square and for all women! Greetings!

I wish everyone a happy Sunday. Please do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and Arriverderci!
     
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Thursday, April 09, 2015
KRISTUS dan GABRIEL CAHAYA DUNIA

foto, https://rosadigericoblog.files.wordpress.com
Cristo luce del mondo, Kristus Terang Dunia, adalah kalimat yang saya nyanyikan malam ini, dalam perayaan ekaristi Sabtu Suci. Nyanyian ini lazimnya dinyanyikan umat Katolik Roma di seluruh dunia. Kristus adalah cahaya dunia. Dia memang adalah cahaya. Malam ini, atau juga besok pagi, Yesus bangkit. Yesus bangkit dan menjadi cahaya bagi dunia. Cahaya yang menerangi kegelapan manusia. 

Dalam Injil, Yesus dikisahkan bangkit pada pagi-pagi buta, sebelum matahari terbit. Paling tidak, dalam cerita Maria dan para murid yang melihat batu palang kubur dipindahkan. Saat itu, Yesus memang tidak ada dalam kubur. Yesus sudah bangkit, dan menerangi pikiran mereka yang masih meyakini Yesus mati dan tidak bangkit. Yesus kemudian menyuruh Maria untuk memberitakan hal ini pada para murid dan orang-orang di kota.

Lain Yesus lain saya. Tidak bisa disamakan tetapi bisa dibandingkan. Yesus adalah cahaya itu sendiri, saya hanya pelayan, pembawa cahaya itu. Dalam perayaan Sabtu Suci ini, saya bertugas membawa lilin paskah dari tempat perarakan ke ruang gereja. Dari lilin yang saya bawa itulah, umat bisa memperoleh terang bagi lilin-lilin di tangan mereka. Saya bukan saja membawa terang itu, tetapi juga menyanyikan lagu yang saya tulis sebagai judul tulisan ini. Tiga kali. Satu di dekat pintu masuk bagian samping gereja, di dekat pintu utama gereja, dan di dekat altar gereja.

Kristus memang benar-benar cahaya bagi dunia. Dialah cahaya yang menerangi hati manusia, hati kami, hati saya malam ini. Melihat lilin yang menyala malam ini, saya membayangkan Yesus yang menjadi cahaya bagi dunia. Seperti cahaya, Yesus tidak pernah membeda-bedakan mereka yang menerima cahayanya. Dia seperti cahaya, menerangi semua. Cahayanya tidak mengenal warna-warni. Cahayanya adalah murni. Dalam kemurnian, ada warna-warni. Bukan, cahaya warna-warni yang menuju kemurnian. Murni berarti satu. Dan cahaya Yesus hanya satu, yakni cahaya yang menerangi dunia. Dan, oleh sebab itu, cahaya Yesus adalah murni.

Cahaya yang murni ini menyatukan kami dalam perayaan malam ini. Tidak banyak yang hadir. Sekitar 200-an orang saja. Biasanya—kalau perayaan siang hari—bisa mencapai 400-an orang. Tetapi, bisa dimaklumi. Misa ini dimulai jam 11 malam. Jelas saja, anak kecil tidak datang. Kecuali Gabriel dan saudaranya Sebastian. Gabriel berumur kurang dari setahun dan dibaptis malam ini. sedangkan, Sebastian sudah 4 tahun lebih. Mereka datang bersama bapak dan ibu, kakek dan nenek, beserta keluarga besar mereka dalam perayaan malam ini. Gabriel dibaptis.

Malam ini disebut juga sebagai malam cahaya. Gabriel dan Sebastian adalah cahaya bagi kami orang dewasa yang hadir malam ini. Dan, kiranya Gabriel yang baru saja dibaptis malam ini akan menjadi pembawa cahaya bagi sesama. Gabriel adalah nama malaikat yang membawa kabar gembira pada Maria. Maria—kata Gabriel—kamu akan mengandung dan melahirkan seorang anak. Anak ini adalah cahaya dunia. Gabriel—kiranya—kelak akan menjadi pembawa kabar gembira yang adalah cahaya bagi dunia.

Selamat Paskah dan Salam hangat untuk Gabriel. Marilah kita menjadi terang bagi dunia.

Parma, 3 April 2015
Gordi


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Thursday, April 09, 2015
HARI BERKABUNG

CIUM SALIB, foto oi62.tinypic.com
Salah satu hari khas dalam tri-hari suci dalam Gereja Katolik adalah hari berkabung. Hari ini jatuh pada hari Jumat. Biasa dimena dengan seduta hari Jumat Agung. Meski agung, hari ini sebenarnya adalah hari berkabung. Berkabung karena sedih. Sedih yang amat dalam. Siapa yang tidak sedih jika ada yang meninggal? Dan hari ini, dalam Gereja Katolik, diperingati sebagai hari wafatnya Yesus. Konon, dari kitab suci, diketahui waktunya kira-kira pada sore hari, jam tiga. 

Hari berkabung ini tentu didahului dengan penderitaan. Seperti orang sakit pada umumnya, menderita dulu baru pada akhirnya meninggal. Yesus mengalami seperti ini. dari tadi pagi, Dia menderita. Dalam Gereja Katolik, pagi hari biasanya dikenangkan peristiwa JALAN SALIB. Peristiwa Yesus memikul salib sebagai hukuman. Hukuman dari raja Pontius Pilatus karena Yesus menyamakan dirinya dengan Allah, Tuhan yang diyakini bangsa Yahudi waktu itu. Mereka belum mengerti jika Yesus memang adalah Tuhan. Tuhan yang datang dan hidup bersama manusia, tepatnya demikian. Setelah diinterogasi panjang lebar, Yesus akhirnya dijatuhi hukuman ini. Dia memikul salib itu hingga ke Golgota, gunung Tengkorak. Hanya sekali dibantu yakni oleh Yusuf dari Arimatea. Tiga kali jatuh. Salib itu memang berat. Beratnya sampai membuat Dia mati. Dia memang mati setelah dipaku di salib yang Ia pikul. Betapa beratnya siksaan ini. sudah pikul, lalu dipaku juga di situ.

Peristiwa JALAN SALIB ini dikenangkan dengan berbagai cara. Ada yang dengan mendengar kisahnya yang juga ditulis dalam buku Jalan Salib dengan berbagai versinya. Ada juga yang memvisualisasikannya dengan drama. Ini biasanya yang dibuat di beberapa paroki di Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Bandung, Labuan Bajo, Ruteng,  Ende, bahkan mungkin Mentawai, Sumatera Barat. Di beberapa kota di Italia juga dibuat dengan demikian. Kami di Parma, tidak membuatnya. Itulah sebabnya, hari ini saya dan teman saya berangkat ke Santa Cristina, di jantung kota Parma. Di gereja yang hening itu, kami merenungkan kembali peristiwa jalan salib ini. kami membaca teks menarik yang mengisahkan peristiwa ini. Di gereja yang penuh corak seni dan dibangun pada abad 16 itu, kami menghabiskan sekitar 1,5 jam. Renungan yang dibuat membantu kami menghayati hari ini sebagai hari berkabung. Saya merasakan betapa berat penderitaan Yesus saat itu. Dan, hati saya lebih tersentuh lagi, betapa orang-orang zaman ini juga masih ada yang menderita seperti Yesus. Saya ingat 147 mahasiswa Kristiani yang dibunuh di sebuah universitas di Kenya oleh sekelompok muslim dari Mali. Saya tidak membenci muslim tetapi saya membenci kelompok pembunuh ini. Mereka boleh jadi seperti kelompok penguasa, Pilatus, yang menjatuhkan tuduhan tanpa alasan. Dan, lebih dari Pilatus, kelompok pembunuh ini lebih kejam. Membunuh tanpa tanya intero gasi.

Saya menghabiskan hari ini dengan merenungkan PERISTIWA PERKABUNGAN ini. Sungguh hari ini hari berkabung. Saya tidak makan malam. Maklum, dalam Gereja Katolik, hari ini memang dikhususkan untuk berpantang dan berpuasa. Makan malam tidak ada. Tidak boleh juga makan daging. Tidak ada perayaan ekaristi untuk menghormati Yesus yang wafat. Di berbagai belahan dunia, peristiwa inilah yang dikenangkan hari ini. di Roma, Paus Fransiskus ikut serta dan memimpin perayaan JALAN SALIB di Koloseo yang terkenal itu. Di sana, pada malam hari. Kami di Parma membuatnya pada sore hari. Malam harinya, kami membuat perayaan PENGHORMATAN pada Salib Yesus. Istilah ini di Indonesia dimena juga sebagai CIUM SALIB. Dalam bahasa Italia dimena istilah LA PASSIONE. Dalam la passione ini, umat diberi kesempatan untuk menghormati Salib Yesus yakni dengan menciumnya.

Terima kasih Yesus untuk pengalaman hari ini
Kau menderita di kayu salib
Kuatkanlah kami yang menderita
Mampukanlah kami belajar dari-Mu untuk memahami penderitaan kami.

Parma, 3 April 2015
Gordi
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Thursday, April 09, 2015
Dalam Keheningan Kami Mengenang-Nya

Paus Fransiskus mencium kaki, foto, dongiorgio.it
Dalam keheningan kami mengenangnya. Mengenang perjamuan malam terakhir Yesus bersama para murid. Boleh dibilang, inilah makan malam terakhir mereka. Makan malam yang menjadi tanda bahwa Dia akan pergi dari mereka. Dia yang selama ini bersama mereka, kini akan berangkat. Berangkat di sini bukan berarti dia tidak kembali. Dia akan kembali pada waktunya. Dia sama sekali tidak melepas begitu saja para muridnya. Dia tetap akan bersama mereka.

Keberangkatannya ini menjadi kenangan pilu. Mau berangkat saja kok pilu. Ya memang demikian. Seorang muridnya menjual Dia. Namun, jangan berhenti dulu pada tindakan muridnya. Simak dulu tindakan Dia yang kami kenang malam ini. Dia mencuci kaki murid-muridnya lalu menciumnya. Inilah yang menjadi tanda agungnya perayaan Kamis Putih ini. Dan, di Roma Paus Fransiskus membuatnya di penjara, di kota Roma. Di situ, dia membersihkan kaki para tahanan lalu menciumnya. Bukan saja tahanan Katolik tetapi juga tahanan dari agama lainnya. Tindakan ini memang tidak memiliki sekat agama.

Demikian juga yang dibuat pastor paroki kami. Dia mencuci dan mencium kaki beberapa orang di antara kami. Bukan kaki saya tentunya karena saya sudah membuatnya tahun lalu. Dua di antara mereka adalah orang Muslim asal Afganistan. Ada orang Afrika, Eropa, dan Amerika Latin. Sementara di Santuario Conforti, ada perwakilan dari para pastor di rumah induk, perwakilan orang awam, dan semua mahasiswa baru Xaverian yang sedang belajar bahasa.

Di Paroki Santa Cristina, kami membuatnya dalam keheningan. Dan, dalam keheningan itu juga, kami mengingat 150  mahasiswa Kristen di Kenya yang dibunuh oleh kelompok Muslim dari Mali. Maka, beberapa peristiwa ini menjadi pusat perhatian kami malam ini dalam perayaan Misa Kamis Putih, misa yang dimulai pukul 21.

Banyak orang hadir dalam misa ini. Kami mengira hanya sedikit saja. Rupanya tidak. Banyak orang Katolik rupanya mengingat peristiwa ini. Di meja altar, kami menyiapkan satu roti besar. Roti yang menjadi lambang tubuh Yesus sendiri. Namun, roti yang ini tidak dimaksudkan untuk melambangkan tubuh Yesus. Roti itu dimaksudkan sebagai roti yang Yesus pecah-pecah dan bagi-bagikan pada para murid-Nya. Roti itu juga kini dibagikan pada kami, umat Kristiani zaman ini. Roti itu memang benar-benar kami bagikan. Tentu bukan dari roti besar itu. Tetapi, dari roti yang juga kami sediakan sebanyak mungkin di pintu masuk gereja. Jadi, saat pulang, kami boleh mengambil satu atau dua potong roti yang disedikan itu. Yesus membagikan roti itu pada para murid-Nya, dan kami membagikan roti yang kami sediakan untuk para hadirin dalam Misa Kamis Putih ini.

Roti itu seperti bekal bagi kami. Besok, kami akan mengenang peristiwa wafatnya Yesus Kristus. Dalam kenangan itu, kami akan berkabung. Dan, dalam perkabungan itu, kami berpuasa. Dalam puasa, roti itulah bekal kami. Sampai jumpa di tulisan berikutnya tentang Perayaan Jumat Agung 2015 di kota Parma.

Parma, 2 April 2015
Gordi

Tentang TRADISI BASUH KAKI bisa baca di sini

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Thursday, April 09, 2015
MENGANGKAT DAUN PERDAMAIAN DI MINGGU PALMA

foto, DOMENICA DELLE PALME,  angeloscola.it 
Perayaan Minggu Palma di kota Parma tahun ini merupakan kali kedua. Kali pertama terjadi tahun lalu. Semoga kali ketiga juga masih di Parma. Tentu beda dengan perayaan di Indonesia. Di Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Labuan Bajo, apalagi di rumah saya. Perayaannya boleh beda tapi intinya sama yakni mengenang kembali peristiwa Yesus masuk kota Yerusalem. Di sana dia dielu-elukan sebagai raja. Meski, pada akhirnya dia ditolak karena tidak menampilkan sosok raja seperti yang diharapkan. Penduduk Yerusalem mengharapkan raja duniawi yang punya kuasa. Yesus tidak memiliki kuasa duniawi. Kuasanya datang dari Bapa-Nya. 

Gara-gara kuasa ini, Yesus tidak saja ditolak, tapi juga dibenci, disiksa, disuruh memikul salib sampai menderita, dan akhirnya meninggal. Kuasa seperti diharapkan penduduk Yerusalem itu juga yang menjadi harapan umat manusia zaman ini. Bahkan, kami yang mengikuti perayaan ini juga tidak luput dari angan-angan dan godaan mengejar kuasa seperti ini. Gara-gara kuasa ini juga, bahkan, kami juga ingin menguasai dunia, menguasai yang lain, menguasai agama, menguasai status sosial, menguasai negara lain, menguasai kelompok lain.

Meski kami tak luput dari godaan kuasa duniawi ini, masih ada di antara kami yang ingin menaklukkan kuasa ini. Kami lebih besar dari kuasa itu. Kami bisa menang melawan godaan kuasa itu. Kemenangan ini kami nyatakan dalam partisipasi dalam perayaan Minggu Palma hari ini.

Di antara kami ada anak-anak 8-10 tahun, remaja, dewasa, tetua, bahkan ada juga bayi. Ini berarti bahwa kuasa ini sebenarnya bisa ditaklukkan. Kuasa ini sebenarnya tidak kuat-kuat banget. Kuasa ini masih bisa direm agar kami sendiri menguasai kuasa yang menaklukkan kami. Kuasa ini memang ada dalam setiap orang. Orang dewasa, tetua, bahkan orang muda. Kuasa yang bisa masuk dalam hati dan pikiran siapa saja yang bisa berpikir dan beriba hati. Meski merasuk hati dan pikiran, kuasa ini sebenarnya bisa ditaklukkan. Itulah sebabnya kami mengenang peristiwa pemuliaan ini.

Peristiwa ini dikenang menurut peristiwa aslinya di Yerusalem. Di mulai dengan perarakan yang menggambarkan Yesus masuk kota Yerusalem. Disaksikan banyak orang yang memuliakan-Nya. Kami juga berarak dari Gereja Santo Antonius. Melewati kantor pos, singgah sebentar di Gereja Santa Maria Magdala yang sekarang sudah diserahkan kepada penganut Agama Katolik Ortodoks ritus Yunani. Dari situ, kami berjalan terus menuju Gereja Santa Cristina.

Kali ini, Yesus juga dielu-elukan oleh mereka yang melihatnya. Yesus yang dulu adalah Yesus dengan tubuh fisiknya. Yesus yang berjalan bersama kami hari ini adalah Yesus yang disalib. Kami membawa salib Yesus itu. Dan, banyak orang melihat Yesus yang kami bawa ini sebagai figur yang patut dimuliakan. Mereka langsung membuat tanda salib begitu melihatnya. Tanda salib itu menjadi tanda memuliakan Yesus. Dari balkon rumah, dari jendela kamar, jendela rumah, dan sebagainya. Bagi mereka, Yesus itulah figur yang harus mereka hormati. Lepas dari Yesus itu berfisik nyata seperti dulu, Yesus bagi mereka kiranya bukan saja terbatas pada tubuh fisiknya tetapi juga pada rapresentasinya dalam salib itu.

Di gereja sudah banyak yang menunggu. Polisi yang mengantar dan mengatur jalannya prosesi atau perarakan ini melepas kami sampai di pintu masuk gereja. Di dalam gereja, kami melanjutkan perayaan ekaristi. Saya dan dua teman (1 orang Italia, dan 1 orang Prancis) membacakan Injil yang mengisahkan penderitaan Yesus. Sebelumnya, di gereja Santo Antonius, saya membaca Injil. Umat mendengar dengan penuh hikmat bacaan ini. Bagi mereka, bacaan itu juga menjadi salah satu bagian penting dalam perayaan Minggu Palma ini.

Bukan saja bacaan itu yang penting. Orang Italia mempunyai tradisi yang kuat mengenai minggu palma. Daun palma bagi mereka daun zaitun atau l’olivo. Daun menjadi simbol perdamaian dalam budaya Italia. Simbol ini menjadi tanda bahwa orang Italia suka berdamai. Ini harapannya meski kadang-kadang kenyataan berkata lain. Tentu bagi umat Katolik Italia, datang ke gereja pada Minggu Palma menjadi ritual penting. Mereka membawa daun palma ke rumah dengan harapan membawa perdamaian bagi kehidupan mereka sekeluarga. Inilah yang unik dari perayaan Minggu Palma tahun 2015 ini.

Cerita ini akan berlanjut dengan cerita hari Kamis Putih, Jumat Agung, Sabtu Suci dan Minggu Palma.

Parma, 3 April 2015
Gordi


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Thursday, April 09, 2015
JALAN SALIB DI ALUN-ALUN KOTA PARMA

foto, VIA CRUCIS AVENZA, www.lanazione.it
JALAN SALIB bersama Uskup Keuskupan Parma, Mgr Enrico Solmi. Jalan salib ini diorganisir oleh organisasi keuskupan, Caritas dan kelompok imigran. Itulah sebabnya ada anggota dari kelompok Caritas dan juga dari kelompok imigran. Ada juga para jurnalis dari majalah mingguan Keuskupan Parma Vita Nuova. Ada juga kelompok para mahasiswa dari Kamerun yang sedang kuliah di kota Parma. Ada kelompok religius di kota Parma.



Jalan salib ini menjadi unik karena dibuat di sepanjang jalan dari kantor Caritas sampai gereja katedral kota Parma. Dua polisi mengawal kegiatan ini. Dari Caritas melewati beberapa ruas jalan besar dan kecil di kota Parma. Melewati beberapa gereja juga. Bukan saja gereja, bahkan juga melewati jalan utama kota Parma. Selain itu, juga melewati salah satu pusat kota Parma yakni Piazza Garibaldi.

Jalan salib memang lazimnya dibuat dalam gereja. Tapi, kali ini kami membuatnya di sepanjang jalan. Bukan dengan drama—seperti tablo—di Indonesia, tetapi dengan cara yang biasa. Ada pembacaan kutipan Kitab Suci, renungan, dan doa. Saya membaca salah satu kutipan Injil di perhentian ke lima.

Jalan salib ini menjadi tanda bagi masyarakat sekitar bahwa Yesus hadir di tengah mereka. Lebih dari tanda, jalan salib ini juga menjadi kehadiran nyata Yesus. Di beberapa tempat, banyak orang datang, mendekati kami.

Di beberapa tempat lain, mereka menjulurkan kepalanya dari jendela rumah, dan memotret kami, lalu membuat tanda salib. Di beberapa tempat lagi, di bar, mereka berhenti berteriak dan menyaksikan kami. Mereka yang tadinya bernyanyi berhenti sejenak dan mengarahkan pandangan ke kami. Demikian juga mereka yang sedang berpesta dan bernyanyi di alun-alun kota. Mereka berhenti dan ikut bersama kami merenungkan salah satu perhentian. Kami merenungkan salah satu perhentian di tempat itu.

foto, VIA CRUCIS AVENZA, www.lanazione.it/
Macam-macam tanda muncul dalam perjalanan kami ini. Tanda yang kiranya menjadi sarana untuk mengingat dan bahkan bila perlu menuju Dia yang menderita. Dia yang dulu menderita kini ikut dalam kehidupan kami. Menarik menyimak komentar beberapa teman, bagaimana mungkin Dia hadir dalam penderitaan kita, jika kita terus menerus menderita?

Saya menjawab lugas saja. Dia memang hadir bukan menghilangkan penderitaan tetapi memberi kita kekuatan dalam penderitaan. Ini prinsipku. Dan saya yakin ini. Entah ada yang kurang puas dengan ini. Tidak ada paksaan untuk mengiakan jawaban ini.

Yesus juga tidak memaksa manusia untuk mengikutinya. Dia hanya menawarkan untuk mengikutinya. Jika kalian mau, mari dan lihatlah. Begitu katanya. Maka, jalan salib yang kami buat ini juga hanyalah sebuah tawaran. Jika ada yang tertarik, mari dan ikutilah kami dalam jalan salib ini.

Meski hanya tawaran, orang-orang di Parma menghormati jalannya kegiatan ini. Paling tidak untuk mereka yang ada di bar di pinggir jalan, di restoran di pinggir jalan, bahkan di alun-alun kota yang ramai. Di depan ada polisi, jadi tidak ada yang mengganggu. Bahkan, bis-bis kota pun berhenti. Demikian pengguna jalan lainnya ketika kami lewat. Mereka tidak protes tetapi menghormati. Yang Katolik, Kristen, Muslim, dan sebagainya semuanya menghormati jalannya kegiatan ini.

Tiba di katedral, kami mendengar homili singkat dari bapa uskup. Dia berterima kasih kepada kami semua yang ikut ambil bagian dalam kegiatan ini. Tidak banyak, sekitar 100-an lebih. Setelahnya, kami kembali ke rumah masing-masing. Saya pulang jalan kaki, bersama seorang teman, penduduk kota Parma. Rumahnya kebetulan dekat dengan rumah kami. Melewati alun-alun ramai di kota Parma.

Terima kasih untuk kenangan indah ini.

PRM, 28 Maret 2015
Gordi
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Monday, March 30, 2015
JESUS IS NOT THE KING OF WORLD

PHOTO, crossexamined.org
I want to write again. I am not an American or an English man. I am Indonesian. So, I can not write like an American write an article in English. I have studied the English language, but I think, it does not mean that I can write very well in English. I always to write very well, but sometimes I cannot do it. Now, I want to write again.

The LOVE SUNDAY is the name I choose to remember me about my experience in every Sunday. I think it is the LOVE that He gives me in every Sunday. So, I choose this name. Like today, I received the love from my friends, my family, my brothers, and sisters. We celebrated the Sunday of Palm. This is the memory of the Jesus’ entering in the Jerusalem. The people are happy to see Jesus enter into their city. But, they are not happy because Jesus is the figure they do not hope. They hope the figure of the king has the power. Jesus does not have the power because He receives the power of his Father.

Jesus is a king, but not like the king of the world. He is the king of God, the kingdom of his Father. This statement is contrary to the people’s opinion. They think there is only one God and the God is not identical with Jesus. In other words, God is not Jesus. Jesus is not God. But, Jesus said that He is the God, the son of God. The people are not like this statement. The end, the people punished Jesus. They make Jesus suffer. Jesus is a man, a human being, like us. So, Jesus, after his suffering, is dead.

We all do not agree with this fact. We maybe have the question, why they crossed Jesus? Why they are jealous of Jesus that is the son of God? Jesus is the God, the son of God, but He comes into the world to liberate the people from the slavery. So, Jesus is a man like us. He lives, suffers, and dead like us. But, in the end, he is resurrected on the third day. We can see this moment, in this week, the holy week. From Thursday of the holy week to the Easter Sunday.

Let God give us the very good moment to entering in this week.
Let God give us the way to reflect a moment these important days.
Let Jesus enter in our heart, to liberate us from our egoism.
Let the others receive the God in this holy week.

Happy Sunday

Parma, March 30, 2015

Gordi
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Monday, March 30, 2015
Il giorno del sole 2

foto, formiche.net
Il giorno del sole 2. Scrivo questo per ricordarmi i momenti bellissimi delle domeniche. Il nome il giorno del sole viene dal nome della parola ‘domenica’. Qualcuno dice che la domenica significa il giorno di Dio, il giorno dei dèi, anche il giorno del sole. Perciò, anche io vorrei ricordare quest’nome. Il giorno del sole. 

Dunque, oggi è la domenica delle palme. Anche il giorno della gioventù. Ho partecipato alla santa messa alla chiesa di santa Cristina. Abbiamo fatto la processione dalla chiesa di San’Antonio in via repubblica. Siamo passati in via della posta, verso la chiesa di Santa Maria Magdala che adesso diventa la chiesa dei ortodossi. Siamo fermati un momento lì e preghiamo il padre nostro.

Abbiamo continuato la processione fino alla chiesa di Santa Cristina. Lì c’era già la gente che vengono subito alla chiesa e non hanno partecipato alla processione. Poi, abbiamo continuato la messa.

Abbiamo letto il vangelo della passione di Gesù, Marco 14, 1-15, 47. A sant’Antonio ho letto anche il racconto di entrata di Gesù a Gerusalemme, Marco 11, 1-10. È un bel giorno. Non solo per questa celebrazione ma anche perché veramente una bella giornata con il sole. C’era tanta gente. Ricordo che l’anno scorso c’era tanta gente. È come di solito al giorno delle palme, la gente viene per prendere le palme. La fede che si fonda sui segni, diciamo così. Spero che questo segno sia come media per arrivare a Gesù, fonte di ogni gioia. La gioia che in questi giorni troviamo. La gioia che è culmine della vita, della sofferenza, e della resurrezione di Gesù.

Buona Domenica.

PRM, 29/3/14
Gordi
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Monday, March 30, 2015
LA PREGHIERA V DOMENICA DI QUARESIMA
22 MARZO 2015
di Roberto Laurita

foto, glenhartline.com 
La tua ora, Gesù, è il culmine
di tutta la tua missione:
è il momento in cui trova compimento
ogni tua parola ed ogni tuo gesto,
è il sigillo inequivocabile
del tuo amore, della tua misericordia.

Proprio per questo non obbedisce
alla logica di questo mondo,
anzi, all’apparenza ha tutti i connotati
del fallimento e della sconfitta.

Eppure la tua vita inchiodata alla croce,
deposta nel grembo di un sepolcro,
è come un seme che marcisce e muore
nel profondo della terra,
ma poi conosce una fecondità imprevista.

Eppure proprio accettando di essere
il servo disposto a soffrire
a favore dell’umanità,
tu sconfiggi l’antico avversario
e apri la strada ad un’epoca nuova.

Certo, non è facile fidarsi
fino al punto di perdere la propria vita
per vederla trasformata in un’esistenza
che ha il sapore dell’eternità.
Ma proprio se ce la teniamo stretta,
se ci preoccupiamo solo di preservarla
da pericoli e da fatiche,
da rischi e da tensioni,
finiamo col perdere tutto.

Tu tracci davanti a noi
una strada di morte e di risurrezione
e per primo la percorri, determinato
ad andare fino in fondo, per amore.

*del foglietto per la messa alla Chiesa Santa Cristina-Parma.
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