* P. Benedict Bere Mali, SVD *
Greetings of sincere peace to others are always filled with sincere smiles to those who receive greetings of peace. It is strange if the greeting is delivered with the appearance of words and faces full of hatred to the recipient of the Peaceful Greetings. Greetings of true peace come from a heart that is joyful, words that are soothing and actions that are not violent.
Jesus came to bring true peace to the world. Rejection of the world in various ways does not diminish the Spirit of Jesus, bringing peace to others. We remember that Jesus was not born in a hospital or a people's home but was born in the stable of Bethlehem. Simple and humble shepherds accepted the coming and birth of Jesus with genuine joy. The pastors' experience of the peace of the Lord Jesus has led them to become proclaimers of Peace to others throughout the world. The nations represented by three wise men from the East also had the desire to seek, meet and feel firsthand the peace of Jesus in the stable of Bethlehem. Meanwhile, King Herod hated the Peaceful because His presence was seen as a threat to his dynasty. Herod reacted emotionally blindly to the Presence of Jesus the Real Peace by killing all the Boys aged under five so that the generation of Peace and Prosperity would not break their dynasty. Even so, the Peaceful and Prosperous cannot be subdued by worldly powers. Herod's challenge is avoided. Joseph received instructions from God the Father who sent Jesus, the Peaceful One, to go to Egypt with Mary and Jesus until Herod died. Upon his return from Egypt, The Peaceful Man followed the Jewish Religious Traditions well. In his teenage years, Jesus did not come to the surface according to the Scriptures when Jesus was not with his parents on the journey from Jerusalem to his hometown. Joseph and Maria looked for it and then found, yes, not in the youth group, who were generally on the side of the road while recreation in the style of youth, but Jesus was found in the Temple of Jerusalem discussing with the Scribes and Chief Priests and other elders of the Jewish religion. When Joseph and Mary met Jesus in the temple, Jesus said to his parents, why are you looking for Me? Don't you know that I have to be in My Father's House? Maria kept it all in her heart.
Jesus in his teens is having a serious discussion with seniors of Judaism in the temple. Of course, the presence of Jesus brings peace to the discussion members. The Father's House is a House of Peace. Jesus is Peace itself. The Temple of Jerusalem is the House of God for the Jewish Religion, YAHWEH is worshiped, glorified and exalted. Jesus is that YAHWEH who was present and in their group discussion. This discussion became the basic knowledge of Jesus the Younger in His journey of life in bringing peace to the world.
The 30 year old is very peaceful again to appear in the public according to the scriptures. Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. This Baptism of Jesus to be sent began to work to bring peace and prosperity to the public according to the Jewish Religious Traditions that Jesus had learned during his life before Baptism. The Jewish religious tradition opens up the opportunity for every person who has fulfilled the requirements to appear in public to proclaim the Word of God. The biological age should be 30 years old therefore Jesus was baptized at the age of 30 years. Have good intellectual, social, psychological and spiritual maturity. Jesus cultivated that maturity in the 40-day Great Retreat in the Desert. Everything is to be a bearer of Peace to the world.
For three years Jesus focused on bringing peace to the world. But the rulers of the world hated Him. That hatred culminated in suffering and death on the Cross. But the Peaceful One triumphed over the hatred of the world in His resurrection from Hades.
Jesus returns to the Father's House in Heaven, Greetings of Peace. And the Holy Spirit was sent into the world to bring Peace to the disciples and to us until the day to bring that Peace to the world. Even though we are hated, do not fade our enthusiasm to continue to bring peace to the world like Jesus in today's Bible Reading and Barnabas and Paul in today's first reading. **
"The Peaceful Heart of Christ does not take revenge is a model of peace for us"
Liturgia Verbi (BI)
Ordinary Day of the Easter Week V
Tuesday, May 4, 2021
First Reading
Acts 14: 19-28
"They told the congregation,
everything that Allah does by means of them. "
Readings from the Acts of the Apostles:
When Paul and Barnabas were in the city of Lystra
came the Jews from Antioch and Iconium,
and they persuaded the crowd to side with them.
Then they stoned Paul,
and dragged her out of town,
because they thought he was dead.
But when the disciples stood around him,
he got up and went into the city.
The next day
he went with Barnabas to Derbe.
Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel in the city of Derbe
and gained a lot of students.
Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch.
In that place they strengthened the hearts of the disciples,
and exhorting them to persevere in the faith.
They also said,
that to enter into the Kingdom of God
we have to go through a lot of afflictions.
In each congregation
the apostles appointed elders for the local church,
and after praying and fasting,
they handed over the elders to the Lord,
which is the source of their belief.
Paul and Barnabas traveled all over Pisidia and arrived in Pamphylia.
There they preached the word in Perga,
then go to Atalia, on the beach.
From there they sailed to Antioch.
At that place
they were previously handed over to the grace of God
to start the work they have already completed.
When they arrived they called the congregation together,
then they tell everything
which Allah did through them,
and that he has opened doors for Gentiles
to faith.
There they stayed with the students for a long time.
Thus says the Lord.
Responding Psalms
Ps 145: 10-11.12-13b.21, R: 11a
Refren: Your loved ones, O Lord,
proclaim the glory of your kingdom.
* Everything that You have made will thank You, O Lord,
and your loved ones will praise You.
They will announce the glory of your kingdom,
and will speak of Your might.
* They reveal Your might to the children of men,
and declare Your kingdom which is glorious and glorious.
Your kingdom is the kingdom of all eternity,
Your reign is perpetual through all generations.
* My mouth praises God
and let all creatures praise his holy name
for ever and forever.
Verse for the introduction of the gospel
Luke 24: 46.26
The Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead, to enter into His glory.
Bible Reading
John 14: 27-31a
"Damai sejahtera-Ku Kuberikan kepadamu."
Inilah Injil Yesus Kristus menurut Yohanes:
Dalam amanat perpisahan-Nya
Yesus berkata kepada murid-murid-Nya,
"Damai sejahtera Kutinggalkan bagimu.
Damai sejahtera-Ku Kuberikan kepadamu,
dan apa yang Kuberikan
tidak seperti yang diberikan oleh dunia kepadamu.
Janganlah gelisah dan gentar hatimu!
Kamu telah mendengar, bahwa Aku telah berkata kepadamu:
Aku pergi, tetapi Aku datang kembali kepadamu.
Sekiranya kamu mengasihi Aku,
kamu tentu akan bersukacita karena Aku pergi kepada Bapa-Ku,
sebab Bapa lebih besar dari pada Aku.
Sekarang juga Aku mengatakannya kepadamu
sebelum hal itu terjadi,
supaya apabila hal itu terjadi, kamu percaya.
Tidak banyak lagi Aku berkata-kata dengan kamu,
sebab penguasa dunia ini datang,
namun ia tidak berkuasa sedikit pun atas diri-Ku.
Tetapi dunia harus tahu, bahwa Aku mengasihi Bapa,
dan bahwa Aku melakukan segala sesuatu
seperti yang diperintahkan Bapa kepada-Ku."
Demikianlah sabda Tuhan.
