preacher: Frater noza ginting
Don’t Just Put in Your Mouth
My beloved brothers and sisters,
On this 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time we should be awakened by the Word of God to realize our faith in our daily lives. In today’s first reading we learn that the covenant of Shechem is a continuation of the Sinai covenant. The bestowal of the promised land was a continuation of the liberation from slavery. The Israelites realized that they were the chosen people so they told the prophet Joshua, they would not leave God.
Well, now the agreement also applies to us. Jesus Christ saved us by laying down His life for us. He has fulfilled His promise while we have not fully fulfilled our promise not to leave God by not sinning again.
In today’s second reading specifically reminds husband and wife of their marriage vows. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the people in Ephesus, he emphasized that the love of husband and wife must show similarities with Christ’s love for His Church.
This love is a love that is willing to sacrifice, a love that sanctifies and a love that gives attention. Let’s look back to the book of Genesis where God took one of Adam’s ribs to make Eve. Why should the ribs be taken? Aren’t there other bones like leg bones or hand bones? Women were made from ribs with the intention that men would love women because ribs are close to the heart which has the meaning of love. We can give without having to love someone, but there is no way we can love someone without giving them anything.
In today’s Gospel reading, we as believers are expected not to follow the students
who withdrew. We know that faith is not just said, but also to be realized in real
life. Faith carries severe consequences; one concrete example is that when we are active in the Church we are said to be self-righteous. The lack of courage to bear the consequences is what drives the disciples to resign and no longer follow Christ. Why? Because our tendency is to look for our own comfort zone. Whereas, following Jesus requires us to get out of our comfort zone.
To come to know Christ requires personal effort and most importantly God’s grace. The effort we can make is to love one another both within the family, community, church and state. If we cannot love our fellow human beings who are visible in this world, how can we love the invisible God. So, let us show our faith in our daily lives by faithfully following His path. Remember the letter of James which says that faith without works is essentially dead. Lord Jesus bless us all.
Amen.
Ini adalah teks kotbah/renungan dalam Bahasa Inggris yang disusun, diterjemahkan dan disampaikan oleh seorang calon imam diosesan Keuskupan Agung Medan, Frater Noza Nazarius Ginting Suka. Noza saat ini berada pada formasi awal pembinaan calon imam sebagai seorang frater Pra-TOR (Pra-Tahun Orientasi Rohani).
Guna memastikan ortodoksi dengan ajaran Gereja, maka sebelum kami – frater pembawa renungan dan Saya – menterjemahkan dan melatih cara penyampaiannya, maka terlebih dahulu setiap teks diperiksa dan dikoreksi oleh Pastor pendamping (chaplain), entah oleh Pastor Rektor Pra-TOR RD Johannes Sihombing atau oleh Magister Spiritualis RD Anton Nguyen van Viet.
Oh iya. Sesuai dengan maksud dari tulisan ini, maka artikel ini dapat pembaca gunakan menjadi sarana untuk memberikan masukan terhadap pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris yang kami lakukan sehingga terjadi penyempurnaan berkelanjutan.
Saran terkait apa saja? Kita boleh menyasar aspek manapun dari sebuah kotbah: aspek penyampaian (delivery), isi, struktur atau bahkan aspek teknikal seperti gestur, pengucapan dan pelafalan dan sejenisnya. Saran dan diskusi membangun selalu penting dan berguna, sebagaimana yang kita semua harapkan terjadi pada semua institusi pendidikan, terutama pembinaan calon imam kita. Bagaimanapun, pembinaan calon imam sekarang akan ikut menentukan keberlangsungan Gereja di masa depan.
Video penyampaian kotbah ini dapat kita saksikan di kanal Youtube SPP Kabanjahe.
