Renungan Harian Katolik Untuk Para Pekerja / Orang Sibuk

Monday 9th week in ordinary time

"Mk 12:1-12"

And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard... And he sent another, and him they killed; and so with many others, some they beat and some they killed."

These people had been given a vineyard and everything that they needed to produce fruit: vines, hedge, wine press, tower... It was not their property, but they decided to keep the vineyard for themselves instead of handing over the fruit to their master. They were entrusted with something that wasn't theirs, but they killed the heir and tried to keep the property. In the end, they are left with nothing but guilt; the owner gets rid of them and gives their job to others. Like the tenants, God has given us a job to do and the talents to do it. And we too can be tempted to try to use our talents as our own property and collect their fruit for ourselves.

In 1723 a brilliant lawyer was defending his client in the court of Naples. He was an intelligent young fellow with two PhDs, knowledge of several languages, talent in music, arts and politics and a very successful career in law. In 8 years he hadn't lost a single trial. On this occasion he was defending Dr Orsini and made a skilful exposition of his client's innocence. He thought he had already won the case when the prosecution counsel produced a document that destroyed all his arguments. He had been fooled by his client. He was deeply humiliated and admitted his mistake.

But later he thought about his life: he had been putting all his talents into defending wrong causes. After a long discernment, in 1726, at the age of 30 he was ordained a priest. Eventually he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) and devoted his talents to preaching and teaching, writing more than 100 books. St Alphonse of Liguori is today a Doctor of the Church. He certainly had talents. And God knew well what they were for.

Our Lady, Mother of Good Counsel, help me to put my talents at Our Lord's disposal and discern His plan for me.

Saturday 8th week in ordinary time

"Mk 11:27-33"

And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?"

These men had ‘authority issues’: Who did and who didn’t have the authority? They were considered the official ‘authorities’ of Israel, and yet people didn’t follow them. Jesus had more authority and more followers. None of the chief priests and the scribes and the elders had appointed Jesus as rabbi, yet people followed Jesus and listened to Him anyway. In a nutshell, these ‘authorities’ had no ‘authority’.

They weren’t leaders, because no one followed them. A leader is someone you follow. And you follow someone who walks in front of you. Remember the reproach of Jesus: “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them” (Mt 23:4). They were clever, but not holy: they had good words, but not good works.

Jesus is different: He first ‘did’ and then ‘taught’ (Act 1:1). He never commanded anything He didn’t do himself. He never exacted from anyone what He had not exacted from Himself. He walked the path first, and we can now follow Him. He was a leader because ‘He walked the talk.’

When we try to bring people to God, we can’t hope to convince them with our words if they can’t also see our works. Think about St Peter, St John, St Andrew and all the other apostles that changed the world: People follow holiness, not cleverness.

An atheist heard about the Curé of Ars, St John Mary Vianney, and went to see him and to listen to him - out of curiosity. He spent the day in Ars and came back home the following day converted and believing in God. Some sarcastic friends asked him: ‘What did the priest say to convince you?’ and he answered: -‘I didn’t speak to him... I just saw him!’ People follow examples, not sermons.

My Mother, Queen of Apostles, intercede for me so that I may learn to ‘walk Jesus’ talk.’

Q Visitation of Our Lady

"Lk 1:39-56"

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.

We imagine Our Lady sometimes as a calm and contemplative woman who never did anything in a hurry. Just like one of those statues of saints that adorn our churches: motionless, hands joined in prayer and looking at the skies... But the Gospel teaches something very different: Our Lady went "with haste." Although she certainly was a contemplative woman who was never anxious or impulsive, she was also a woman of action.

The Angel told her that she was to be the Mother of God. She didn't have to do anything special. The Holy Spirit performed the miracle. But there were lots of things to think about... what about Joseph? What about her family? She could be stoned to death if people found out that Joseph wasn't the father of that Child. What about preparing for the Child's Birth? But over and above all those 'personal' problems, she had been told of Elizabeth's situation: old and pregnant. Nothing else was needed for Our Mother to set out "with haste" to help her cousin. No one had asked her to help. She had many worries to think about, certainly. But someone needed her. And she stayed there for three long months, for as long as she was needed.

We need to stop thinking about Our Mother as a pious and still statue absorbed in prayer and imagine her more like a superhero, a woman of action. Someone is in need of help and she flies there instantly. And if she went with haste to help her cousin... will she not come even faster to assist her children? For that's what we are: her children.

How comforting it is to know, Mother, that you fly promptly to my side when I need you. Thank you, Mary, for being such a Mother!

Wednesday 8th week in ordinary time

"Mk 10:32-45"

Jesus said to his disciples, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

That's our greatness: "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant" (Mt 23:11). To be able to serve you need to love, and love is the most important virtue: a mother serves her children because she loves them. We too will serve if we love. In order to serve others we need to forget ourselves, to stop that excessive worry about 'me' and do it always with a smile, with a generous heart, without expecting anything in return.

Saint Josemaría, who was fond of saying "My pride is to serve", used to help sick people with tuberculosis in a hospital accompanied by young students. They took care of combing their hair, of shaving them, cutting their nails, washing them or cleaning their chamber pots. That was really awful. One day, a young student called Luis Gordon was asked to clean a chamber pot full of filth, and he couldn't hide a gesture of revulsion. St Josemaría followed Luis, thinking he might even faint from the smell. Instead he was really impressed to find him hard at work, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, cleaning the pot with his bare hand while he said in a low voice, "Jesus, may I put on a good face!"

You can pray the same today: Jesus, may I always put on a good face when I serve others for Your sake.

"I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus... Intense love does not measure; it just gives" (St Teresa of Calcutta).

Holy Mary, Mother of Fair Love, help me to fix in my mind that "to give oneself sincerely to others is so effective that God rewards it with a humility filled with cheerfulness" (St Josemaría).

Wednesday 8th week in ordinary time

"Mk 10:32-45"

Jesus said to his disciples, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

That's our greatness: "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant" (Mt 23:11). To be able to serve you need to love, and love is the most important virtue: a mother serves her children because she loves them. We too will serve if we love. In order to serve others we need to forget ourselves, to stop that excessive worry about 'me' and do it always with a smile, with a generous heart, without expecting anything in return.

Saint Josemaría, who was fond of saying "My pride is to serve", used to help sick people with tuberculosis in a hospital accompanied by young students. They took care of combing their hair, of shaving them, cutting their nails, washing them or cleaning their chamber pots. That was really awful. One day, a young student called Luis Gordon was asked to clean a chamber pot full of filth, and he couldn't hide a gesture of revulsion. St Josemaría followed Luis, thinking he might even faint from the smell. Instead he was really impressed to find him hard at work, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, cleaning the pot with his bare hand while he said in a low voice, "Jesus, may I put on a good face!"

You can pray the same today: Jesus, may I always put on a good face when I serve others for Your sake.

"I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus... Intense love does not measure; it just gives" (St Teresa of Calcutta).

Holy Mary, Mother of Fair Love, help me to fix in my mind that "to give oneself sincerely to others is so effective that God rewards it with a humility filled with cheerfulness" (St Josemaría).

Monday 8th week in ordinary time

"Mk 10:17-27"

A man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "You know the commandments: 'Do not kill, Do not commit adultery...'" And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

We can't help feeling sorry for this young man who had been chosen personally by Jesus to follow Him and become an Apostle. The Gospel says that Jesus, "looking upon him, loved him," but he didn't want to follow Jesus.

Perhaps afterwards he tried to convince himself that he was right: that selling all his sheep, cattle and fields and giving the money to the poor would have been crazy; that leaving everything to follow that man without knowing where they were going would be nonsense. Maybe a couple of years later someone came to the village with the news that Jesus had been crucified - and he thought, 'You see? I was right!'; perhaps a few months later he heard that some said He had risen from the dead and was alive... And he hesitated. But a few years afterwards he heard about the persecutions and Christians running away and probably thought again that he'd made the right decision. At the end of his life he contemplated his possessions and achievements but could not forget that one day, many years before, Jesus wanted to change his life, to make him an Apostle, but he said no...

But the story could have a different ending. Perhaps, after a few weeks hesitating he thought, 'I don't want to spend the rest of my life worried about my cattle and fields and money! Jesus needs me; there are people waiting for me... I can change the course of history with Him!' And he left everything and went after Jesus, became an Apostle and is now in Heaven helping souls to be generous with God to become the Apostles of the 21st century...

Holy Mary, Queen of the Apostles, help me to be generous, to forget about my things and my comfort - and to follow your Son.