Dear brothers and sisters,
One day, I was asked to celebrate
a Eucharist in an orphanage community in Jogjakarta, Indonesia. This was a
special moment for me as I could serve those who are marginalized. Most of them
do not know who their parents are because since they were babies they were
brought to this place and fostered by some religious sisters. Not only that,
some of them are disabled children. After celebrating a mass, we had a
wonderful moment together when we danced and sang together. I could see how
happy they were in their personal circumstances. I realized how important a
community that grows and brings love to one another is. Besides, to convince
these members that they belong to one community and they are not alone. To make
sure that these children are accepted because feeling accepted has a massive
impact to grow their self-esteem as this world promotes a “throw-away culture”.
If we reflect on what Paul the
apostle said in his letter in Romans 1:6, he emphasizes the community life. It
means that we cannot live alone in this world, we cannot rely on ourselves for
our power. We need others to complement ourselves as human beings. From others,
we can learn a lot of things such as being gritty, perseverance, resilience,
and commitment. Moreover, our community life must be centered on Jesus Christ.
By this, we can release and let go our egoism, arrogance and self-importance to
establish peace and equality then serve Jesus who is present in those who are
suffering and marginalized.
Indeed, we are called to belong
to Jesus. Sometimes, we feel unaccepted by our surroundings. We are removed
from our family, community, or society but remember that Jesus is always with
us. He never lets us walk alone. Once we belong to Jesus, he will live forever
in our hearts.
Reflection on Romans 1:1-7 by Fr. Aris Mada, SVD
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