surat ke-4 bulan Maret 2005

“Christ has become our paschal sacrifice;
Let us feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, alleluia.”

HAPPY EASTER 2005
To All of You, my sisters and brothers, God blesses you all.

4) Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord, March 27, 2005

Monday, March 21, 2005. This week I had a spring and Holy Week break (no school, no homework, but ‘house-work’). In the morning after Mass, with red car we (Father Rocco, Petrus, Pascal Atumisi and I) headed to Detroit for mission animation at a parish, Saint Patrick Church. We stayed at Motel 6 in Lansing, Michigan one night. We arrived at the parish at 5 p.m. and met the coordinator of the children catechetization, Mary. Interestingly, there are a lot of children who come to this parish program every other week. After having supper together with the children, we gave talk to 6th to 8th graders, as many as 300 kids in two separate single-hour. Father Rocco showed them 20-minute Xaverians mission video depicting our mission in the world then we shared our own stories. It reminded me very much my own experience visiting many school children when I was in Indonesia.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005. One night we stayed at Motel 6, Lansing then in the morning we had a breakfast at Bob Evan restaurant. We continued our journey to visit Gerald R. Ford Museum at Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ford was the 37th U.S. President in 1974-1977 without campaign or election, replacing Richard Nixon. It’s interesting to know the history of the U.S. government with its world’s situation. In the afternoon, we returned to Chicago and stopped by a restaurant to have dinner. We visited a dune in Indiana, an area that produces maple syrup. On the way to Chicago, all of sudden, my stomach was upset and luckily we got stop at McDonald restaurant to release my pain. Probably, I drank too much soda and ate too much in the morning and afternoon. We arrived at Chicago at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005. In the morning I went to CTU to meet my academic advisor, Gil Ostdiek, OFM to clarify my M.Div studies and transition from him to Sister Barbara Bowe, RSCJ as our (Xaverians) academic advisor after almost two years in sabbatical year. He promised and let me know next month about my rest of M.Div studies before the fall registration in the middle of April. Before noon, I went to Saint Peter Loop Church to have monthly reconciliation. In the afternoon I cooked an Indonesian chicken soup (Soto Ayam) plus crackers. Before supper and evening prayer, Ignas and Harno arrived at Hyde Park from Milwaukee. At night together with Pascal Atumisi, I watched a video of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

HOLY Thursday, March 24, 2005. This morning after morning prayer, I did some work at the basement and laundry of my own clothes. In the afternoon, we are all as theology community went to Saint Therese Church Chinatown to celebrate the Holy Thursday. We started with supper prepared cordially by Father Michael Davitti. Then at 7 p.m. together with the parishioners, we had Mass concelebrated by 6 Xaverians priests (Michael, Aniello, Rocco, Victor, Pascal, Willy) and an SVD deacon, Paul. After the Mass over, some of us remained there. With the idea of Dharmawan, we (Petrus, Ignas, Dharmawan, Harno and I) prayed in front of Jesus in the church till 10.40 p.m. Father Aniello also together prayed with us. It reminded me my Xaverians formation experience during the Holy Thursdays, we always had this community prayer in groups. We remembered our family both the Xaverians and our origin families and gratefully prayed for them. We recalled also our confreres especially our colleagues who already scattered all over the world. In the spirit of Xaverians family, we gathered and said our prayer. At 11 p.m. we returned to Hyde Park.

GOOD Friday of the Lord’s Passion, March 25, 2005. The whole day it’s raining. In the morning I continued to clean up the second floor and my own room. At 3 p.m. I attended the service of Good Friday at Saint Thomas the Apostle Church. A lot of people came to this celebration, almost the church was full. After supper, I telephoned some of my families and friends and also some Xaverians confreres in Indonesia to utter my Easter greeting.

HOLY Saturday, March 26, 2005. In the morning I cleaned up the third floor and tried to be faithful to type this weekly journal. In the evening I attended Vigil Mass at Saint Therese Church Chinatown at 8 p.m. The Mass was concelebrated by Xaverian Fathers: Michael, Aniello, Rocco, Victor and Willy and an SVD deacon named Paul. There were two adult people baptized at this special faith celebration, Judy and Wei. As many as 110 people attended this Vigil Mass. We enjoyed hospitality and cake at the basement.

EASTER Sunday, March 27, 2005. I celebrated this Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Therese again with Indonesian Catholic Community at 12.15 p.m. and concelebrated by Father Michael, sx, Father Jack, cm and Father Rudi, osc. There were about 90 attendants at this Mass. Plenty of food served at the hospitality by Indonesian generous ladies. In the evening at our community we celebrated the Sunday Easter with dinner together with some friends from Saint Therese Church Chinatown also Father Michael and Aniello. I rushed to CVS store to make a CD for my new 106 pictures.


4) Hari Minggu Paskah Kebangkitan Tuhan Yesus, 27 Maret 2005

Senin, 21 Maret 2005. Minggu ini saya liburan, libur musim semi plus liburan Pekan Suci menjelang Paskah (tak ada kuliah, tak ada PR, namun ada sedikit pekerjaan rumah tangga). Pagi hari setelah misa, dengan mobil merah Corolla kami (Pastor Rocco, Petrus, Pascal Atumisi dan saya sendiri) pergi menuju Detroit, Michigan untuk animasi misi di sebuah paroki, Santo Patrik. Kami tinggal semalam di Motel 6 di Kota Lansing, Michigan. Kami tiba di gereja ini pukul 5 sore dan bertemu dengan koordinator pengajaran kateketik anak-anak, yaitu Mary. Hal yang menarik, ada banyak anak yang datang ke paroki ini untuk program katekisasi setiap dua minggu sekali. Setelah makan malam bersama anak-anak ini, kami memberikan sharing pengalaman untuk anak-anak dari kelas 6 hingga kelas 8 SD, sebanyak 300 anak dalam dua kurun waktu berbeda berdurasi sejam setiap session. Pastor Rocco mempertontonkan sebuah video misi Xaverian selama 20 menit mengisahkan misi misionaris Xaverian di seluruh dunia lalu kami masing-masing menceritakan pengalaman kami. Pengalaman ini sungguh mengingatkan saya pada pengalaman saya pribadi mengunjungi anak-anak SD sewaktu saya masih di Indonesia.

Selasa, 22 Maret 2005. Semalam kami tinggal di Motel 6, Lansing lalu di pagi hari kami sarapan pagi di restauran Bob Evan. Kami melanjutkan perjalanan kami mengunjungi sebuah museum yaitu museum Gerald R. Ford di Kota Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ford adalah presiden USA ke 37 dari tahun 1974-1977 tanpa kampanye dan pemilu, menggantikan presiden sebelumnya yaitu Richard Nixon. Menarik sekali mengetahui sejarah pemerintahan USA dengan situasi dunia saat itu. Di sore hari kami kembali ke Chicago dan berhenti di sebuah restauran untuk makan malam. Kami juga singgah di sebuah tempat yang menghasilkan syrup maple dari pendarasan pohon-pohon yang ada di sana yaitu di daerah Indiana. Saat perjalanan menuju ke Chicago, tiba-tiba perut saya bergejolak protes dan untunglah kami menemukan restauran McDonald terdekat meredakan sakit perut saya ini. Kemungkinan besar, saya terlalu banyak minum soda dan makan terlalu banyak di pagi dan sore tadi. Kami tiba di Chicago pukul 6 sore.

Rabu, 23 Maret 2005. Pagi hari saya pergi ke CTU untuk bertemu penasehat akademik saya yaitu Gil Ostdiek, OFM untuk minta penjelasan lebih lanjut tentang program studi M.Div saya juga proses transisi dari dia ke Suster Barbara Bowe, RSCJ sebagai penasehat akademis kami (Xaverians) setelah hampir dua tahun dia menjalani tahun sabatikal. Gil berjanji dan akan memberitahu padaku tentang sisa matakuliah program M.Div ku sebelum masa pendafataran kuliah musim gugur 2005 dimulai di pertengahan April ini. Sebelum siang saya pergi ke gereja Santo Peter di downtown Chicago untuk rekonsiliasi bulanan. Di sore hari saya memasak Soto Ayam dan kerupuk campur. Sebelum doa sore dan makan malam, Ignas dan Harno tiba di Hyde Park dari Milwaukee. Malam harinya bersama Pascal Atumisi saya menonton sebuah video tentang Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Kamis PUTIH, 24 Maret 2005. Pagi ini setelah doa pagi, saya membersihkan basement dan laundry mingguan. Di sore hari, kami semua anggota komunitas teologi SX di Hyde Park pergi ke Gereja Santa Theresia di Chinatown untuk merayakan hari Kamis Putih. Kami mulai dengan makan malam yang disiapkan oleh Pastor Michael Davitti dengan penuh kebaikan hatinya. Lalu pukul 7 malam kami bersama para umat merayakan misa yang dihadiri oleh 6 pastor Xaverian (Michael, Aniello, Rocco, Victor, Pascal, Willy) dan seorang diakon SVD, Paul. Setelah misa selesai, beberapa dari kami yaitu kelima frater SX asal Indonesia tetap tinggal di gereja. Dengan ide dari Frater Dharmawan, kami berlima (Petrus, Ignas, Dharmawan, Harno dan saya sendiri) berdoa di hadapan Yesus di gereja ini acara tuguran hingga malam pukul 10.40. Pastor Aniello juga bersama-sama kami berdoa. Hal ini mengingatkan saya pada pengalaman menjalani hidup di Xaverian dalam hari-hari Kamis Putih, di mana kami selalu menjalankan doa bersama dalam komunitas dalam kelompok-kelompok tuguran. Kami mengingat keluarga-keluarga kami yaitu keluarga besar SX dan kelaurga asal kami masing-masing dan penuh syukur berdoa bagi mereka semua. Kami mengingat pula para sama saudara khususnya para frater/romo dan ex SX yang telah terpencar ke segala penjuru dunia. Dalam semangat keluarga Xaverian, kami berkumpul dan mengucapkan doa-doa kami. Pukul 11 malam kami pulang kembali ke Hyde Park.

Jumat AGUNG, 25 Maret 2005. Sepanjang hari ini hujan terus. Pagi hari saya masih melanjutkan kerja rumah tangga, membersihkan lantai dua serta kamar saya sendiri. Pukul 3 sore saya menghadiri acara doa Jumat Agung di Gereja Santo Thomas Rasul. Banyak orang hadir dalam ibadat ini dan gereja hampir penuh. Setelah makan malam, saya menelpon ke beberapa teman, saudara dan para konfrater SX di Indonesia untuk menghaturkan selamat Paskah.

Sabtu SEPI, 26 Maret 2005. Di pagi hari saya membersihkan lantai 3 dan berusaha untuk setia mengetik jurnal mingguan ini. Malam hari saya menghadiri misa malam Paskah di Gereja Santa Theresia di Chinatown Chicago pukul 8 malam. Misa dipimpin oleh para pastor Xaverian yaitu: Michael, Aniello, Rocco, Victor dan Willy serta dikon SVD, bernama Paul. Ada dua baptisan dewasa dalam acara perayaan iman yang khusus ini. Sebanyak 110 orang hadir dalam acara misa malam paskah ini. Kami menikmati ramah tamah dan makan kue di basement usai misa.

Minggu PASKAH, 27 Maret 2005. Saya merayakan misa Minggu Paskah di Gereja Santa Theresia sekali lagi dengan komunitas Katolik Indonesia pukul 12.15 siang. Ada sekitar 90 yang hadir dalam misa kali ini. Cukup banyak makanan Indonesia disajikan oleh para ibu Katolik kita yang berbaik hati dalam acara ramah tamah seperti biasa setelah misa di basement. Malam hari di komunitas kami merayakan hari Minggu Paskah ini dengan makan malam bersama dengan para sahabat dari Gereja Santa Theresia Chinatown juga Pastor Michael dan Aniello. Saya segera bergegas pergi ke CVS store untuk membuat photo dalam CD terbaru sebanyak 106 photo.