(Note: There are two reflections below: ‘Thursday of the Sixth week of Easter’ is used in those diocese where the Ascension is transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter. For those dioceses that celebrate the Ascension today, click here or scroll down.)
May 21, 2020
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Readings for Today
“Sesungguhnya, sesungguhnya, Aku berkata kepadamu: kamu akan menangis dan meratap, tetapi dunia akan bersukacita; kamu akan berdukacita, tetapi dukacitamu akan berubah menjadi sukacita.” Yohanes 16:20
Dukacita, ratapan, bahkan tangisan merupakan bagian dari kehidupan. Anak-anak sering menangis saat menghadapi kesulitan sekecil apa pun, tetapi kita semua menghadapi dukacita dan kesedihan sepanjang hidup.
Dalam kutipan di atas, Yesus memberitahukan kepada para Rasul-Nya bahwa kesedihan dan dukacita akan menjadi bagian dari hidup mereka. Ini adalah pernyataan Tuhan kita yang sangat serius, tetapi realistis. Keterusterangan-Nya kepada para Rasul tentang kesukaran yang akan mereka hadapi merupakan tindakan kasih-Nya.
Kabar baiknya adalah bahwa Yesus melanjutkan pernyataan ini dengan kabar yang penuh harapan bahwa “dukacita mereka akan berubah menjadi sukacita.” Inilah bagian terpenting dari perkataan Yesus.
Hal yang sama berlaku dalam hidup kita. Yesus tidak menjanjikan bahwa hidup kita akan bebas dari kesukaran dan penderitaan. Ia tidak mengatakan bahwa mengikuti-Nya berarti segala sesuatu dalam hidup akan mudah. Sebaliknya, Ia ingin kita mengetahui bahwa jika kita memilih untuk mengikuti-Nya, kita akan menapaki jejak-Nya. Ia menderita, diperlakukan dengan kejam, dan akhirnya dibunuh. Semua ini akan menjadi tragis seandainya Ia tidak pada akhirnya bangkit dari antara orang mati, naik ke Surga, dan mengubah segala dukacita serta penderitaan sebelumnya menjadi sarana keselamatan dunia itu sendiri.
Jika kita menapaki jejak-Nya, kita perlu melihat setiap dukacita dalam hidup kita sebagai sesuatu yang dapat menjadi sarana rahmat bagi banyak orang. Jika kita dapat menghadapi kesukaran hidup dengan iman dan harapan, pada akhirnya tidak ada sesuatu pun yang dapat menjatuhkan kita, dan segala sesuatu dapat digunakan demi kemuliaan Allah serta akan menghasilkan sukacita yang besar.
Renungkanlah perkataan Yesus ini hari ini. Ketahuilah bahwa Ia mengucapkannya bukan hanya kepada para Rasul-Nya, melainkan juga kepada Anda. Janganlah terguncang atau terkejut ketika hidup menghadapkan Anda pada suatu kesulitan. Janganlah berputus asa ketika penderitaan terbentang di hadapan Anda. Serahkanlah segala sesuatu kepada Tuhan kita dan biarkanlah Ia mengubahnya menjadi sukacita yang dijanjikan-Nya pada akhirnya.
Lord, I surrender to You all suffering in my life. My grief, hardships, sorrow and confusion I place in Your hands. I trust that You are all-powerful and desire to transform all things into a means of Your glory. Give me hope in times of despair and trust when life is hard. Jesus, I trust in You.
Novena to the Holy Spirit
Prayed in preparation for Pentecost
Beginning Friday, May 22
Orang Kudus Hari Ini – Santo Christopher Magallanes, Imam dan Martir, serta Rekan-Rekannya, Para Martir
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The Continuing Presence of Our Lord
Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord
Bacaan untuk Hari Raya Kenaikan Tuhan
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (Year A)
Jesus completes His mission on Earth and ascends into Heaven to take His seat on His glorious throne for all eternity. Or does He? The answer is yes and no. Yes, He does take His seat on His glorious throne, but no, He does not complete His mission on Earth. The Ascension is both the end and the beginning. It’s a transition to the next phase in the perfect plan of the Father. And understanding the way this plan unfolds should leave us in wonder and awe.
Sure, the Apostles were probably somewhat frightened and confused. Jesus was with them, then He died, then He rose and appeared various times, and then He ascended to the Father before their eyes. But He also told them that it is good that He goes. In fact, He said that it’s better that He goes. They must have been confused. Jesus also told them His Advocate would come to lead them into all Truth. So the Apostles went from joy, to fear, to relief and more joy, to confusion and sorrow, to curiosity and uncertainty.
Sound familiar? Perhaps that’s the way some find their lives to be. Ups and downs, twists and turns, joys and sorrows. Each phase reveals something new, something challenging, something glorious or something sorrowful. The good news is that the Father’s plan is unfolding perfectly.
The part of the perfect plan we find ourselves in with this solemnity is the part where Jesus begins to direct His mission of establishing the Kingdom of God from Heaven. His throne is, in a sense, the driver’s seat of our lives. From Heaven, Jesus suddenly begins to descend continuously into our lives fulfilling His mission in and through the Apostles, as well as all of us. The Ascension does not mean Jesus is gone; rather, it means Jesus is now present to each and every person who turns to Him and surrenders their life to His mission. From Heaven, Jesus is able to be present to all. He is able to live in us and invites us to live in Him. It’s the new beginning of the Church. Now all the Apostles need to do is wait for the Holy Spirit to descend.
Reflect, today, upon the abiding and intimate presence of our Lord in your life. Know that Jesus invites you to share in His mission. From His glorious throne He wants us to “preach everywhere.” He wants to invite each one of us to do our part. The part of the Father’s plan entrusted to each one of us is not entrusted to another. We all have a share in that plan. What is your part? How does Jesus direct His mission through you? Ponder this question today and know that He accompanies you as you say “Yes” to your part in the glorious unfolding of His perfect plan.
Lord, I do find that my life is filled with many ups, downs, twists and turns. There are joys and sorrows, moments of confusion and clarity. In all things, help me to continually say “Yes” to Your plan. Jesus, I trust in You.
Novena to the Holy Spirit
Prayed in preparation for Pentecost
Beginning Friday, May 22
Bacaan Lebih Lanjut – Kenaikan Tuhan
Meditasi Doa untuk Kenaikan Tuhan
Image: Ascension by Benjamin West
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