“Engkaulah Anak yang Kukasihi. Kepada-Mulah Aku berkenan.
Berikut saya postingkan homili romo Sarwi yang sedang bertugas di Sengkang Singapura untuk menjadi berkat kita semua.
1. MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS, THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS A VERY IMPORTANT FEAST WHICH WE CELEBRATE TODAY.
2. TO MAKE IT MEANINGFUL, I SHALL DIVIDE THE SERMON INTO TWO. THE FIRST HALF, I WILL TALK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BAPTISM OF JESUS, AND THE SECOND HALF, I WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS FOR US TODAY.
3. LET US TRAVEL BACK IN TIME. JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS BAPTISING THE PEOPLE AT THE RIVER JORDAN. ONE BY ONE, THE PEOPLE WHO HAD JUST HEARD THE PREACHING OF JOHN ABOUT GOD’S LOVE. CAME FORWARD TO BE BAPTISED. IT WAS A BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
4. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? IT MEANS IT WAS NOT A BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT A CEREMONY TO ALLOW SINNERS TO COME FORWARD AND REPENT AND BE FORGIVEN. IN OTHER WORDS, JOHN’S BAPTISM WAS ESPECIALLY MEANT FOR SINNERS. TODAY, WE CALL IT THE CONVERSION EXPERIENCE.
5. NOW IMAGINE THIS: AFTER MINISTERING TO A FEW HUNDRED SINNERS FROM JUDEA AND JERUSALEM, JESUS. THE SON OF GOD, WALKED TOWARDS JOHN FOR HIS TURN. OF COURSE, JOHN WAS SURPRISED. THIS WAS A BAPTISM FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. JESUS, THE SINLESS ONE, WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF JOHN, A SINNER HIMSELF. JESUS LOOKED AT JOHN AND WAITED TO BE IMMERSED IN THE RIVER LIKE ALL THE OTHER SINNERS.
6. YOU AND I AND JOHN KNOW THAT JESUS DID NOT NEED TO BE BAPTISED. HE IS GOD. SO WHY DID JESUS ASKED FOR IT? WHEN JOHN ASKED THE OBVIOUS QUESTION, JESUS ANSWERED THAT IT WAS TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS. THIS CAN BE FOUND IN MATTHEW’S GOSPEL, CHAPTER 3.
7. IN OTHER WORDS, BY RECEIVING THIS FORM OF BAPTISM, JESUS IDENTIFIED HIMSELF WITH SINNERS. JESUS BECAME ONE OF US. HE WOULD ULTIMATELY BEAR OUR SINS ON THE CROSS, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THIS ACT OF BAPTISM STARTED THE PROCESS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS HE SECURED FOR SINNERS.
8. NOW WE FAST-FORWARD A LITTLE BIT, TO CALVARY, ON GOOD FRIDAY. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED? WHY DID JESUS EXCLAIM ON THE CROSS, “FATHER, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” DID GOD THE FATHER REALLY ABANDON HIS SON AT THAT MOMENT? OR WAS JESUS ONLY BEING HUMAN TO THINK AND FEEL THIS WAY?
9. THE ANSWER IS NEITHER. MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS, THE ANSWER IS EVEN MORE PROFOUND.
10. THE REASON WHY HE CRIED OUT, “FATHER WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” IS BECAUSE OF THE EFFECT OF SIN. LET ME EXPLAIN.
11. YOU KNOW THAT ON THE CROSS, JESUS BORE ALL OUR SINS, THE SINS OF THE ENTIRE WORLD, SINS OF PEOPLE IN THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW MUCH SIN THAT IS? DO YOU KNOW HOW HEAVY IS THE GUILT OF ALL THOSE SINS? CAN YOU EVEN TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT OF ALL THAT SIN ON JESUS?
12. NOW, WITH SO MUCH SIN IN HIM, CAN JESUS FEEL THE FATHER? ALREADY FOR US, IF WE COMMIT A SERIOUS SIN, THE EFFECT IS THAT WE CANNOT FEEL GOD. SO IMAGINE ALL THE SINS OF THE WORLD, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE, LOADED UPON JESUS. HE BORE ALL THAT FILTH AND DARKNESS AND KILLING AND RAPE AND HATRED….
13. THE EFFECT IS NATURALLY A FEELING OF HELL. AND IN SUCH A STATE, JESUS JUST COULD NOT FEEL THE FATHER. AND THAT IS WHY, HE CRIED OUT, “FATHER, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”. IT WAS A SPONTANEOUS, SINCERE CRY FROM HIS HEART.
14. AND THIS ONLY PROVES THAT WHEN HE CAME TO DIE FOR OUR SINS. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED ON GOOD FRIDAY. NOTHING LESS THAN THE REAL THING. THE ULTIMATE PAIN WAS NOT THE PHYSICAL TORTURE AND SUFFERING. IT WAS THE SEPARATION FROM THE FATHER
15. ALL THIS… BECAUSE OF OUR SINS. THIS IS HOW MUCH HE LOVES US, MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS.
16. (pause)
17. NOW WE REWIND BACK TO HIS BAPTISM AT RIVER JORDAN. GOD, IN HIS WISDOM, INCLUDED THIS ACT OF BAPTISM TO BE PART OF HIS DIVINE PLAN OF SALVATION. THIS EVENT IS NECESSARY, SO AS TO GIVE MEANING TO LATER EVENTS.
18. THERE ARE A FEW REASONS FOR THIS EVENT, BUT I SHALL TOUCH ON TWO. ONE KEY PURPOSE IS TO SHOW US THE IMPORTANT GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT BAPTISM. YOU AND I, AT OUR OWN BAPTISM, HAVE ALSO RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT.
19. DOES THIS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE? WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT? MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS, IT IS A BIG DEAL.
20. AFTER RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT, JESUS BEGAN HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY, THE WORK WHICH HE WAS SENT TO DO.
21. SIMILARLY, IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO EMPOWERS OUR OWN FAITH LIFE. IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO ENLIGHTENS US IN OUR JOURNEY OF FAITH. . IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO HELPS US TO PICK OURSELVES UP WHEN WE FALL. IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO HELPS US TO PRAY, TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION AND CHALLENGES, AND TO GROW. THE HOLY SPIRIT ENABLES US TO OBEY, TO KNOW THE FATHER. AND WHEN YOU KNOW THE FATHER, YOU KNOW WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT. THIS IS THE BIG DEAL, MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS.
22. SO, MY BAPTISED SISTERS AND BROTHERS, AWAKEN THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU… AND YOU WILL FIND A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE.
23. ANOTHER PURPOSE OF THE LORD’S BAPTISM IS FOUND IN THE RITUAL AT THE RIVER. WHEN JESUS WAS IMMERSED INTO THE WATER, IT WAS THE FIRST PUBLIC DISPLAY OF HIS IMMINENT DEATH. SIMILARLY, WHEN HE CAME OUT OF THE WATER. IT WAS A DISPLAY OF HIS IMMINENT RESURRECTION. THAT IS WHY, IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE CAME OUT OF THE WATER, THE FATHER AFFIRMED HIS MESSIAHSHIP.
24. JESUS ALLOWED HIMSELF TO BE BAPTISED TO SHOW US WHAT BAPTISM IS ALL ABOUT. IT IS NOT JUST A DEATH AND RESURRECTION EXPERIENCE – IT IS A REALITY. IT IS THE DEATH OF OUR OLD SELF AND THE RESURRECTION OF OUR NEW LIFE.
25. YOU AND I WHO ARE BAPTISED ARE TRULY LIVING A NEW LIFE. WE ARE A NEW CREATION.
26. BUT HOW MANY OF US TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY? DO WE BELIEVE IN THE REALITY OF OUR BAPTISM? ST PAUL’S LETTERS TO VARIOUS COMMUNITIES REFER MUCH TO THIS OLD SELF AND NEW CREATION. IT IS REAL, MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS. OUR NEW LIFE IS REAL, JUST AS THE SINS HE BORE ON THE CROSS ARE REAL.
27. IF YOU ARE A PRAYERFUL PERSON, YOU WILL KNOW THE DEPTH AND REALITY OF WHAT I MEAN. IF YOU ARE NOT… LISTEN TO THIS RATIONALE…
28. NEW LIFE COMES IN TWO FORMS. ONE IS BAPTISM, THE OTHER IS NATURAL BIRTH. I WANT YOU TO COMPARE THESE TWO EVENTS: BAPTISM AND NATURAL BIRTH.
29. LET ME ASK YOU: WHICH ONE GIVES THE FATHER MORE JOY AND GLORY? NATURAL BIRTH OR BAPTISM?
30. RATIONALLY SPEAKING, IT MUST SURELY BE BAPTISM, WHEN A PERSON CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSES TO BE A CHILD OF GOD.
31. SO BETWEEN BAPTISM AND NATURAL BIRTH, BAPTISM GIVES GOD MORE JOY AND GLORY.
32. NOW, TAKE A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT NATURAL BIRTH. (pause) IT IS SUCH A PROFOUND EVENT, ISN’T IT? FROM AN EMBRYO, LIFE DEVELOPS INTO A FOETUS, AND THEN IT BECOMES A BEAUTIFUL HUMAN FORM. ISN’T THIS A GREAT MIRACLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS CARRIED IN THE MOTHER’S ARMS FOR THE FIRST TIME?
(Like a child rest in it’s mother’s arm, so will I rest in You …)
33. NOW, LISTEN TO THIS… IF NATURAL BIRTH IS ALREADY SO PROFOUND AND MIRACULOUS… THEN… BAPTISM CANNOT BE LESS REAL – BECAUSE IT GIVES GOD MORE GLORY!!!
34. MANY OF US WHO ARE BAPTISED TAKE OUR NEW LIFE FOR GRANTED. WHAT A GREAT TRAVESTY.
35. MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS, THE MOMENT WE WAKE UP TO THIS GIFT OF NEW LIFE AND THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, OUR LIVES WILL TRULY, TRULY MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. WE WILL EXPERIENCE PEACE, JOY AND HOPE – EVEN IF THE WORLD AROUND US IS BROKEN AND GLOOMY.
36. WHY? BECAUSE YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD… A GOD WHO LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER UNDERSTAND.
37. AMEN.
Sengkang/SG, 10th of January 2009 [Sarwiseso Robertus, CICM]
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Bacaan Markus (1:7-11)
7 Tatkala banyak orang minta dibaptis, Yohanes memberitakan kepada mereka, “Sesudah aku akan datang Ia yang lebih berkuasa dari padaku; membungkuk dan membuka tali kasut-Nyapun aku tidak layak. 8 Aku membaptis kamu dengan air, tetapi Ia akan membaptis kamu dengan Roh Kudus.” 9 Pada waktu itu datanglah Yesus dari Nazaret di tanah Galilea, dan Ia dibaptis di sungai Yordan oleh Yohanes. 10 Pada saat Ia keluar dari air, Ia melihat langit terkoyak, dan Roh seperti burung merpati turun ke atas-Nya. 11 Lalu terdengarlah suara dari sorga: “Engkaulah Anak-Ku yang Kukasihi, kepada-Mulah Aku berkenan.”