surat ke-3 bulan Maret 2005

3) Palm Sunday of The Lord’s Passion, March 20, 2005

Monday, March 14, 2005. In the millennium spirituality class, Barbara presented The New Cosmology and Teilhard de Chardin. She explained a theory that the universe has 15 billion years old and life began on Earth 4 billion years ago. It seems that the scientific theory is not in accord with religions teaching regards the creation story but in the perspective of our faith, even though the science can answer and discover many things in the universe, there are still mystery areas that we as human being cannot figure out. We should not contradict the science and the religion because the primary concerns are different, one based on faith (is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen, Hebrew 11:1) and the other based on the physical and empirical data.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005. In the morning I had a theological reflection class at the Claretian house and this time Martin presented his ministry experience and I did facilitate in the sharing group. With the information and inspiration of Sister Pat last Sunday at SU CASA, I borrowed a book at CTU library entitled Blindfold Eyes, by Dianna Ortiz. She is an Ursulin Sister who survived of rape and torture in Guatemala. It is another story about a woman who is victimized by military male oppression that the USA military and government also involved in this conspiration.

Wednesday, March 16, 2005. In the class of millennium spirituality, Mari Carmen, a Benedictine sister from Torreon, Mexico, presented feminisme/womanism/mujerista spirituality. In the evening we celebrate Jacques Bahati’s birthday (33) from the Congo. I called up Cik Ana, an Indonesian friend of mine who lives in Orlando-Florida and she and her husband work at Walt Disney there. Since they kindly invite me to visit them, I plan to do it in May 20-27 as my vacation before entering my CPE summer program (6 June to 19 August 2005).

Thursday, March 17, 2005. Today is the 9th year anniversary of beatification of the Blessed Guido Maria Conforti, the founder of the Xaverian Missionaries. In the evening I cooked Pizza for my community and other simple food that only need to be warmed in the oven but unfortunately the vegetable and the corn were little bit burnt because too long in the oven while I attended the Holy Hour/adoration at the chapel for an hour.

Friday, March 18, 2005. In the morning I attended a workshop at CTU, namely, the workshop for acolyte preparation. Father Richard Fragomeni guided us this workshop with reviewing the rite of acolyte institution and at the second part he gave us (25 students from various different orders) a Pope document named ‘Mane Nobiscum Domine’ (Lord, Stay with us), an apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II about the Eucharist for commemoration of the Year of the Eucharist, October 2004 – October 2005. In the afternoon starting at 3 p.m. at the chapel, Petrus guided us in our monthly retreat. In the beginning he played a guitar and together with us sang a song: “Holiness, holiness is what I long for…Holiness is what I need. Holiness, holiness is what you want from me. Take my heart and form it, take my mind transform it, take my will conform it (the same with joyfulness, prayerfulness, faithfulness).” He gave us input with his story of his cow’s characteristic that ruminate its food/grass so do we in this retreat/recollection try to ruminate, recall and remember again our life, experience in the communal and personal dimensions. Then he uttered another story of an elderly man plays a guitar who is joined by others such as flute man, piano man, and other men who play other instruments of music. They enjoy to be in this group playing orchestra as they build with their creativity and mutual friendship based upon their same hobby. Unfortunately, at the end of his story, one new man, who is professional in the music joined them and impacted a lot in their group, namely, the flute man could not play professionally then he was dismissed, then the piano man could not fulfill the requirement of professionalism of the new man, then he was fired. Then, finally the guitar man who initiated this group also considered unworthy to be member of this ‘new’ group. After 30 minutes telling the story, Petrus gave us moment of silence and I reflected upon his Scripture passage from 2 Cor.5:11-14 (Caritas Christi Urget Nos). I was impressed by the verse number 17 at the same passage, “If anybody lives in Christ, there is a new creation…. everything has become new.” We celebrated the Mass at 5 p.m. then supper at 6 p.m. The second session of this recollection, Petrus provided some music instruments and we sang and played these instruments with Caritas Christi Urget Nos song that this title was repeated becoming a song. It’s a motto of the Xaverian founder, the Blessed Guido Maria Conforti and it’s theme of Petrus final thesis when he studied philosophy and theology in Jakarta-Indonesia. At the end of the retreat, he said that our community is similar with the story of the music group he told in the beginning of the retreat. He proposed a question: how do we help each other in the spirit of love and trust in order to cultivate our talents and grow in togetherness? Thank you Petrus, for your wonderful wisdom and simple guidance for our spiritual growth in this kairos moment while you still live with us at Hyde Park. It will be remembered by each one of us your voice in spite of your influenza because for a little while you will leave us here in next two months.

Saturday, March 19, 2005. I was typing this journal and doing some of my paper. In the afternoon, I headed to my ministry site, David Darst retreat center by CTA (this time I tried to take Green Line train). There were two groups of retreat these days, namely, one college group consisted of 9 girls from Minnesota, and the other group from Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha-Nebraska (20 people). There were also 3 novices of Salvatorian Congregation from Milwaukee who took part of our retreat. They are Reed from Boston, Ignacio from Colombia and the other one from New York City. I was glad to have nice and friendly chatting with these novices who were invited by Sister Paula to this retreat. Even Reed, a former PIME candidate knows Father Ivan, the provincial of the Xaverians. Together with Gayle, a volunteer and full time staff of David Darst, Ignacio and Reed, I accompanied the retreatans from Nebraska at the chapel. Gayle asked me to give something, as usual my rope game and I gave small picture of Jesus’ image. It seemed they were delightful to try and take the meaning of my game that has a cross meaning. Some of the chaperons told me that they will use it in their school, for the faculty or other students in some retreat. In this occasion, I tried to envoy some message spontaneously to the retreatans that before reaching out other people in some places such as soup kitchen, better if we try first to see the face of Jesus in our heart, to be aware of our spiritual life then with this modal we come to do our service for others. That’s all about what I spoke to them at the first night after they traveled about 8 hours by cars from Omaha to Chicago and bit of tired.

Sunday, March 20, 2005. In the morning after breakfast, with the retreatans, I went to Holy Angel Catholic Church to have Mass at 9.15 with Afro-American liturgy. What made me impressed was the spirit of youth choir at this Mass very powerful. I never saw a parish in the USA with the large number of young people in their activity of the liturgy. The Mass lasted 2 hours then I talked to the priest who presided the Mass named Father Robert Miller, a former of the Redemptorist Order and now belongs to the Archdiocese of Chicago. He was openly welcoming us as guests. We continued to go to SU CASA soup kitchen and this time we were joining with the homeless people were who standing in line to get in the soup kitchen for lunch. We enjoyed the conversation with the homeless people, mostly Afro-American people then Freida gave us her sharing about her experience taking care of the soup kitchen. The retreatans invited me to have Chicago tour at Lake Michigan then downtown and I showed them Chinatown and returned to the retreat house at 4 p.m. This time I felt comfortable and in at this retreat experience especially they accepted me in their group and activity and we had good conversation and took pictures at the Lake Michigan with its windy and chilly weather. After while, I went back to Hyde Park to continue my life’s journey in my community. This coming week we have Holy week break and I plan to go to Detroit with Father Rocco, Petrus and Pascal Atumisi to give mission animation at a parish and will be coming back on Tuesday.


12 March 2005
Pierre Teilhard De Chardin

“Spirit and matter are not identical or fused, but they are intricately and mysteriously interrelated. God is everywhere.” Most people who live in the world will experience dualism of spirit and matter. We are all trying to make balance both of them in some ways that sometimes our tendency is focused on the matter. In the perspective of spirituality of a new millennium it is what people are searching the meaning of our life in the world in fulfillment of both spiritual and material. One will be difficult to achieve a good spiritual life if one does not have minimal material life and vice versa. In my experience of living in the world, people tend to see the result in a physical and superficial outcomes and very rare to notice the inner of spiritual life behind the wrapped-physic and tangible things. Maybe someone poor in material stuffs but having high spirituality. Often times if somebody devotes him/herself in material things, she/he will neglect the spiritual things. Everything is measured by number and money and always trying to get more and more in a tight competition. In a simple way, I can experience when I eat a lot of food more than I need in my body, I do not feel good in my body and I will never be well satisfied if I always eat overwhelmingly. When I can experience how to be hungry of food, I also can be satisfied by the food. If I never have experience of hunger of food, probably I will never be grateful to what I eat everyday. In the spiritual life is the same: when I never be hunger of spiritual food in my life, and just take for granted to all I have in my daily routine, I will never be satisfied and awakened by a renewed spirituality. When I see my member of family died, I experience the meaning of spirit and material separated. The corpse is just like other dead physical things, no more life, no more useful and soon to be destroyed by the nature. I do not see their spirit and soul anymore but with my faith and belief I see them in the way toward God that I will also experience someday when I come to die. Just in matter of time and taking turn, we will pass the cycle of life to death. “Time, which postpones possession, time, which tears us away from enjoyment, time, which condemns us all to death – what a formidable passivity is the passage of time…In death, as in an ocean, all our slow or swift diminishments flow out and merge. Death is the sum and consummation of all our diminishments…”
I am impressed with what Teilhard points out, “I, your priest, will make the whole earth my altar and on it will offer you all the labors and sufferings of the world.” This is a sort of universal spirituality in the Eucharist that I never thought before. In the Eucharist that normally I perceived as a local action in my faith, is limited in the small altar table and simple offering and sacrifice but I find difficult to include all universe in this ritual and liturgical manner. But, with the Teilhard spirituality I come to understand and convince on my practiced faith. “I will place on my paten, O God, the harvest to be won by this renewal of labor. Into my chalice I shall pour all the sap which is to be pressed out this day from the earth’s fruits.” In my journey toward missionary-religious-priesthood, I will have struggle and wrestle with my daily spirituality especially the Eucharist as a source of my spirituality and faith. I am glad that Teilhard gives me new insight to live this daily spirituality when I become a priest. “My paten and my chalice are the depths of a soul laid widely open to all the forces which in a moment will rise up from every corner of the earth and converge upon the Spirit. Grant me the remembrance and the mystic presence of all those whom the light is now awakening to the new day.” It is what I try to embrace in my prayer life, to include and remember everyone whom I know and need prayer. Moreover in Teilhard’s spirituality, I found that I am not only recalling those whom I know but also those whom I do not know, the universe and all creatures. I remember prayer of Buddhists who mentions, “May all creatures be happy.”
In terms of interreligious dialogue, I found in Teilhard, “Is there, in fact, a universal Christ, is there a divine milieu?” I have faith in Christ Jesus, but not everyone has the same like me. Maybe they have faith in ‘Christ’ as well but not in Jesus as Christ. They have faith in other ‘Christ’ that draws me in a reflection: how do I understand my ‘Christic’ teaching and personal relation? Do I see my Christ Jesus live as well in others who have different belief and religions? Do I have superior Christ in my belief system so that I neglect other’s belief in their own ‘Christ’? I hope and believe that Christ Jesus also takes shape in otherness since he says, “If you do to the least of my people, you do unto me.”

16 March 2005
Feminist/Womanist Spirituality
In our societies and religions, the structural leaderships are in the hand of men. Often times this structures oppressed women. Many rules they employ resist and limit the role of women. Maybe some people think it is a normal way that our cultures in the most part of the world practices and no need changes and criticism. The male human who are in the position of this establishment most likely will keep this system and try many efforts to stay in their ‘superiority.’ Unfortunately Christianity and more specifically the Catholicity undertake this patriarchal system. Many feminists have tried to renew the spiritual of equality but until now the Church is still convinced with their male-domination. Even the image of God as a male God is very rooted in our tradition. “The teaching of religions that the inferiority of women is experienced as betrayal of deeply felt spiritual and religions experience. They are convinced that religions must be reformed or reconstructed to support the full human dignity of women” (Carol P. Christ and Judtih J. Plaskow, Womanspirit Rising, p.1).
When I study theology in the USA (CTU) I come to realize that our Catholic tradition very much emphasizes the hegemony of men in many aspects of the Church’s life. In the other side I learn of feminist opinions in the field of Bible interpretation, liturgical and ecclesial application. My eyes are opened to the reality that women have right and voice to say in their own capacity and experience. I found a bulletin at the CTU library about ordained women conference in the USA and still they name themselves as Catholics. I question myself whether the Church really manipulates the system in many dimensions and repressed the potential of women. As a man, I do not have the same feeling of the women regards to this issue but in a spirit of openness and middle way, I do agree that the Church has many defects in the gender issues. As an individual person, probably I cannot do much to change the system but I think in the spirit of compassion and acceptance, I can contribute myself to the grievance of the women. To be emphatic to the oppressed is the message of Jesus in the modern and millennium world in nowadays that sometimes difficult to take a part of it because once I belong to the structure, willy-nilly I must be consequent to it. Realizing that most of the Church’s faithful are the women, I re-think about the spirituality of the womanist. Like Saint Augustine felt owe to his mother, Monica in his process of confession, so do I feel that my spirituality and vocation are very closely related to some women in my life such as my mother, grandmother and some women in my Catholic neighborhood. From them I learn a lot of wisdom that I live them out in my life until now. The question and duty I carry on in my shoulder as I am preparing myself toward missionary-religious-priesthood in a new millennium: how do I approach and contribute my capacity to implement the womanist spirituality to the women faithful as Jesus did to other women 2000 years ago? Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza points out that an analysis of Christian tradition and history, however, indicates that Church and theology will transcend their own sexist ideologies only when women are granted full spiritual, theological and ecclesial equality…Only if we, women and men, are able to live in non-sexist Christian communities, to celebrate nonsexist Christian liturgies, and to think in nonsexist theological terms and imagery will we be able to formulate a genuine Christian feminist spirituality (Feminist Spirituality, Christian Identity and Catholic Vision, pp. 146, 147).


3) Hari Minggu Palma, 20 Maret 2005

Senin, 14 Maret 2005. Dalam kelas spiritualitas millennium, Barbara mempresentasikan tema Kosmologi Baru dan Teilhard de Chardin. Ia menjelaskan sebuah teori bahwa alam semesta berusia 15 milyar tahun dan kehidupan berawal di bumi ini 4 milyar tahun lalu. Nampaknya ilmu pengetahuan tidak seirama dengan ajaran agama-agama berkaitan dengan kisah penciptaan namun dalam perspektif iman kita, kendati ilmu pengetahuan dapat menjawab dan menemukan banyak hal dalam alam semesta ini, masih ada juga hal yang misteri yang kita sebagai umat manusia tidak dapat memecahkannya. Kita seharusnya tidak mempersoalkan ilmu pengetahuan dengan agama karena perhatian utama keduanya berbeda, agama berdasarkan iman (adalah dasar segala sesuatu yang kita harapkan dan bukti dari segala sesuatu yang tidak kita lihat, Ibrani 11:1) dan ilmu pengetahuan berdasarkan hal yang fisik/kasap mata dan data-data empiris.

Selasa, 15 Maret 2005. Pagi hari ini saya mengikuti kelas refleksi teologi dalam kelompok saya yang kali ini bertempat di rumah teologi tarekat Claretian dan yang mensharingkan pengalaman kerasulannya adalah Martin dan saya sendiri sebagai fasilitator. Dengan informasi dan inspirasi dari Suster Pat hari Minggu lalau di SU CASA, saya meminjam sebuah buku di perpustakaan CTU berjudul Blindfold Eyes, oleh Suster Dianna Ortiz. Ia adalah seorang biarawati Ursulin yang bertahan hidup dari pemerkosaan dan penganiayaan di Guatemala. Ini adalah sebuah cerita lain tentang seorang wanita yang menjadi korban oleh pihak militer pria yang menindas di mana pemerintah dan militer USA juga turut terlibat dalam konspirasi ini.

Rabu, 16 Maret 2005. Dalam kelas spiritualitas millennium, Mari Carmen, seorang suster dari tarekat Benedictine asal Torreon, Mexico, mempresentasikan spiritualitas feminisme/kewanitaan/mujerista. Di malam hari kami merayakan ulang tahun frater SX asal Congo yaitu Jacques Bahati (33). Saya menelpon Cik Ana, seorang teman saya asal Indonesia yang tinggal di Orlando-Florida dan ia bersama suaminya bekerja di Walt Disney di sana. Karena mereka dengan baik hati mengundang saya untuk mengunjungi mereka, saya berencana untuk melaksanakannya yaitu dari 20-27 Mei sebagai liburan saya sebelum mengikuti program CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education di Rumah Sakit Alexian Brothers) di musim panas ini (6 Juni hingga 19 Agustus 2005).

Kamis, 17 Maret 2005. Hari ini adalah peringatan ke-9 tahunnya pengukuhan pendiri Xaverian, Beato Guido Maria Conforti sebagai Beato (satu langkah sebelum menjadi santo). Di sore hari saya memasak Pizza untuk komunitas di sini dan juga makanan yang mudah dipersiapkan yang hanya memerlukan waktu untuk dipanaskan di oven namun sayangnya sayur dan jagungnya agak terbakar sedikit karena kelamaan di dalam oven sementara kami saya ikut adorasi di kapel selama satu jam.

Jumat, 18 Maret 2005. Di pagi hari saya mengikuti sebuah workshop di CTU, yaitu workshop tentang persiapan pelantikan menjadi akolit. Pastor diosesan dari Albany, New York State bernama Richard Fragomeni memandu kami dalam workshop ini dari jam 9 hingga 11.30 pagi dengan pembahasan tentang tata liturgi acara pelantikan akolit dan bagian kedua ia memberikan kepada kami semua (25 peserta dari berbagai macam tarekat religius) dokumen apostolik dari Paus Yohanes Paulus II berjudul ‘Mane Nobiscum Domine’ (Tuhan, tinggallah bersama kami), sebuah dokumen apostolik dari Paus tentang Ekaristi untuk peringatan Tahun Ekaristi, Oktober 2004 – Oktober 2005. Di sore hari pukul 3, Petrus memandu kita semua dalam retret/rekoleksi bulanan. Pada permulaan ia bermain gitar dan bersama-sama kami semua menyanyikan sebuah lagu yang bunyinya: “Holiness, holiness is what I long for…Holiness is what I need. Holiness, holiness is what you want from me. Take my heart and form it, take my mind transform it, take my will conform it (sama pula dengan kata-kata: joyfulness, prayerfulness, faithfulness).” Ia memberikan masukan dengan ceritanya tentang karakter lembu/sapi yang ia punya saat di Indonesia di kampung halamannya Wonogiri yang memamah makanan/rumput demikian pula kami semua di sini saat rekoleksi ini mencoba untuk memamah yaitu merenungkan, meningat kembali jalan kehidupan kita, pengalaman dalam komunitas dan pribadi. Lalu ia bercerita sebuah kisah lain: seorang tua bermain gitar yang diikuti oleh seorang lain lagi pemain suling, lalu juga orang lain lagi pemain piano dan orang lain lagi pemain alat musik lain. Mereka menikmati kebersamaan dalam kelompok orkestra musik ini saat mereka membangun group ini dengan kreatifitas dan persahabatan yang indah ini berdasarkan kesamaan hoby dan perasaan kebersamaan. Sayang sekali, pada akhir cerita seorang pria, yang adalah profesional dalam bidang musik bergabung dengan mereka dan berakibat besar dalam kelompok ini, yiatu pemain suling karena tidak dapat bermain dengan profesional, ia diminta berhenti lalu pemain piano yang tak dapat memenuhi harapan keprofesionalismean anggota baru ini, juga harus dipecat. Kemudian, akhirnya pemain gitar yang memulai kelompok musik ini juga dianggap tidak layak menjadi anggota kelompok ‘baru’ ini. Setelah 30 menit bercerita , Petrus memberikan saat refleksi pribadi dan saya merenungkan perikop Kitab Suci dari 2 Kor.5:11-14 (Caritas Christi Urget Nos). Saya cukup terkesan dengan ayat ke-17 dalam perikop yang sama, “Jika seorang hidup dalam Kristus, terdapat sebuah ciptaan baru…segalanya telah menjadi baru.” Kami merayakan misa pukul 5 sore lalu disambung dengan makan malam pukul 6 sore. Bagian kedua rekoleksi ini, Petrus menyediakan beberapa alat musik di kapel lalu kami menyanyikan dan bermain musik bersama-sama dengan alat-alat musik ini dengan lagu yang syairnya diulang-ulang: Caritas Christi Urget Nos (Kasih Kristus Mendorong Kami). Ini adalah motto dari pendiri Serikat Xaverian, Beato Guido Maria Conforti dan ini adalah tema skripsi Petrus saat studi filsafat teologi di Jakarta-Indonesia. Pada akhir retret ini, ia mengatakan bahwa komunitas kita juga mirip dengan cerita kelompok musik ini sebagaimana ia ceritakan pada awal retret tadi sore. Ia mengusulkan sebuah pertanyaan reflektif: bagaimana kita dapat membantu satu sama lain dalam semangat kasih dan saling percaya guna mengolah talenta kita semua dan menumbuhkembangkannya dalam komunitas kita dalam kebersamaan? Terima kasih Petrus atas kebijaksanaanmu dan kesederhanaan panduanmu untuk pertumbuhan rohani kita semua dalam saat kairos ini sementara kamu masih tinggal bersama kami semua di Hyde Park ini. Ini semua akan diingat dan dikenang oleh kami semua, suaramu kendati kamu sedang menderita flu dan pilek karena sebentar lagi kamu akan meninggalkan kami semua di sini dalam jangka waktu dua bulan ke depan.

Sabtu, 19 Maret 2005. Hari ini saya menulis jurnal mingguan ini dan mengerjakan sedikit tugas PR. Di sore hari, saya pergi ke tempat kerasulan saya di rumah retret David David Darst naik bis dan kereta CTA dan kali ini saya ambil Green line, kereta jalur hijau. Ada dua kelompok peserta retreat dalam yang dimulai hari Sabtu malam hingga lima hari ke depan, yaitu satu kelompok dari sebuah universitas yang terdiri dari 9 cewek dari Minnesota dan kelompok lainnya adalah SMA Katolik Skutt di Omaha-Nebraska. Ada juga 3 orang novis dari tarekat Salvatorian dari Milwaukee yang juga mengambil bagian dalam retret ini. Mereka adalah Reed dari Boston, Ignacio dari Colombia dan satu lagi dari New York City. Saya gembira berbincang dengan mereka yang penuh persahabatan dan mereka diundang datang ke retret ini oleh Suster Paula. Bahkan Reed yang adalah mantan calon tarekat PIME ini mengenal Pastor Ivan, provinsial SX di USA ini. Bersama dengan Gayle, seorang volunteer dan staff full time di rumah retret ini, dengan Ignacio dan Reed, saya mendampingi para peserta retret dari Nebraska ini di kapel. Sementara kelompok lainnya didampingi oleh Suster Paula dan satu novis Salvatorian. Gayle memintaku untuk memberikan sesuatu pada awal acara retreat ini, seperti biasa aku berikan permainan tali dan juga saya bagikan gambar kecil yang menunjukkan gambar Yesus. Nampaknya mereka cukup senang mencoba permainan tali saya ini dan mengambil makna yang kuberikan yaitu makna salib. Beberapa pendamping dari mereka berkata padaku bahwa mereka akan menggunakan permainan ini di sekolah mereka, untuk para guru atau para murid lain dalam retret mereka. Dalam kesempatan ini, saya mencoba untuk menyampaikan secara spontan pesan-pesan kepada para peserta retret bahwa sebelum mereka bertemu dengan orang di tempat-tempat yang akan mereka kunjungi seperti dapur umum untuk para tuna wisma, sungguh lebih baik jika mereka mencoba pertama-tama melihat wajah Yesus dalam hati mereka, menjadi sadar akan kehidupan rohani mereka sendiri lalu dengan modal ini kita datang melakukan pelayanan bagi mereka yang membutuhkan dan kita layani. Kira-kira demikian pesan saya pada malam pertama retret mereka setelah mereka menempuh perjalanan panjang selama 8 jam dari Omaha ke Chicago dengan naik mobil dan agak sedikit lelah dan letih.

Minggu, 20 Maret 2005. Di pagi hari setelah sarapan, dengan para peserta retret, saya pergi ke Gereja Katolik Holy Angel untuk merayakan misa Minggu Palma pukul 9.15 dengan gaya liturgi Afro-American. Yang membuat saya terkesan adalah semangat dari para muda dan mudi koor di gereja ini saat misa sungguh luar biasa. Saya belum pernah melihat sebuah gereja Katolik di USA ini yang memiliki banyak muda dan mudi dalam kegiatan liturgi semacam misa ini. Misa berlangsung selama 2 jam lalu saya sempat bercakap dengan pastor yang memimpin misa yaitu Robert Miller yang adalah mantan pastor dari tarekat Redemptorist selama 26 tahun dan saat ini sudah menjadi pastor projo keuskupan agung Chicago. Ia terbuka menerima kedatangan kami sebagai tamu. Kami melanjutkan perjalanan kami ke SU CASA yaitu dapur umum dan kali ini kami ikut mengantri masuk ke dapur umum untuk makan siang. Kami turut antri bersama para tuna wisma yang berdiri di luar untuk makan siang. Kami menikmati makan siang dan percakapan dengan para tuna wisma yang kebanyakan adalah orang Afro-American lalu Freida memberikan sharing tentang pengalamannya mengelola dapur umum ini. Juli salah satu sopir dan youth minister para peserta retret ini mengundangku untuk ikut tour melihat kota Chicago yaitu Danau Michigan lalu dowtown dan saya menunjukkan mereka Chinatown Chicago lalu kembali pulang ke rumah retret jam 4 sore. Kali ini saya merasa nyaman dan ‘in’ dalam kelompok retret ini khususnya mereka menerima saya dalam kelompok mereka dan juga dalam kegiatan mereka juga kami bercakap-cakap dengan cukup akrab dan menarik serta tidak lupa berfoto bersama di pinggir Danau Michigan untuk kenang-kenangan sementara cuaca cukup dingin karena angin berhembus semilir di Danau ini. Setelah tiba kembali di rumah retret, saya pergi pulang sendirian ke Hyde Park untuk melanjutkan perjalanan kehidupan saya di komunitas Xaverian tercinta. Satu minggu ke depan ini kami mendapatkan liburan masa Minggu Suci menjelang Paskah dan saya besok pagi akan pergi ke Detroit bersama Pastor Rocco, Petrus dan Pascal Atumisi untuk memberikan animasi misi di sebuah gereja Katolik dan akan kembali hari Selasa sore.