My First Homily at St. Therese Church Chinatown Chicago

25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 24, 2006

“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all”

(Mark 9:30-37)

Looking back on my experience of four years ago when I had to wait for such a long time to get my student visa to the USA, I come to realize that at that time I had a big ambition and desire to come to the USA to continue my formation in the Xaverian Congregation becoming a missionary priest. I was very sad and disappointed when my first application of the visa was denied. It reduced my strength to follow up my ambition to go to the USA and I tried to be realistic and surrender to God’s will. I had three months without knowing I would get my visa or not. The second interview was promised that I could get it but I had to wait the screening from Washington. Meantime, I used my time to visit school’s children at several Catholic Primary Schools both in my hometown and Jakarta. I did animation wearing white long cassock and gave children some games. It seemed that they were very interested and friendly to me. I always asked them to pray for me with the intention of my student visa to the USA. Amazingly, after waiting for 2.5 months since the second interview, finally, I got it. I believe it was the help of the prayer of so many children whom I met at the schools. Believe it or not, my friend who was with me supposed to have the visa as well but he couldn’t get it on the due time. Needles to say, that eventually, I flew to the USA by myself. Shortly, it’s all about grace and mystery that I could come to the USA and I am here now. It’s all about God’s providence that I could speak English in this homily this morning before you in this Eucharistic Celebration. It’s all about God’s call that I was ordained deacon at this parish last May 2006. There’s always a struggle to achieve good things in our life.

Today’s Gospel (Mark), for the second time Jesus tells the disciples that he (the Son of Man) is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death will rise. But, the disciples do not understand what Jesus saying even though he has said for the second time. Instead, on the way to go to Capernaum, the disciples argued and discussed among themselves who was the greatest. Jesus knew their ambition. Jesus knew their desire to become the BOSS among others. Jesus knew that they want to become the FIRST, the PRESIDENT who can rule over others. It’s exactly what is happening in our life: in our family, society, country, world, and even in the church. Since a kid we are trained to defeat others, to be the WINNER, not a loser. Since a kid we have upbringing to study hard in order to be the FIRST in the class, to be the FIRST in many competitions of sports and music or other games. There are a lot of campaigns to promote one to be PRESIDENT. We can imagine how much money a party or a candidate of President in the USA and other countries spend in campaign to gain their goal. Our society, our country, and our family are used to fight against others in order we could get the BEST position. In Japan, for instance, children are very stressful to face the exams because if they fail, they have to bear shameful sanction in the society. No wonder there is high risk of suicide among children.

It is legal and good if want to be a good and the best person in many areas of our life. It gives us a drive to do better and better. But, if it’s only for the sake of SUCCESS and PRESTIGE, it’s just the opposite of Jesus’ teaching today. Jesus invites us to be like a child, to be humble and small among others. Even Jesus offers us totally DIFFERENT value that the world and our society give us. Jesus does not ask us to be a BOSS instead Jesus asks us to be a servant. Jesus says, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Isn’t it a PARADOX: we should be the LAST and the SERVANT of ALL, if we want to be the first? What Jesus said is accomplished in himself. The SERVANT’s identity and Israel is paralleled by the identity of Jesus and the Church. Jesus is the Servant who brings Israel to fullness; He is the true and the perfect “corporate personality,” one with the Church, which is his Body. This great conception has many roots in the Old Testament, and one of them is the conception of the Servant who suffers in his own person and who sanctifies the sufferings of the group which he represents. Indeed, Jesus is the Servant who was willing to give his life for us. He shows us that in order to get God’s glory, we have to follow Jesus’ steps, the steps that are not easy because it costs suffering as Jesus has done for us. Humanly speaking we have our UPS and DOWNS of our life, no matter big and small. Then, if we put the value of Christianity, these UPS and DOWNS of our life give us REAL MEANING of our life in GOD’s perspective. Like in the second reading, James shows that in our life there is disorder and foul practice that take shapes in jealousy and selfish ambition. But, the wisdom from above is first of all pure, peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy, good fruits, constancy and sincerity.

Like my story in the beginning, I was invited to curb little bit my ambition to be proud to go to the USA and to surrender in God’s will through the prayer and help of others especially the children whom I met and animated in friendship, then realizing that to get something good, I have to be patient and struggle a lot. YOU and each and every one of us are invited to be SERVANT and to accept our shortcoming and accept others’ weakness in God’s perspective. Then, we can say to ourselves that we’re Jesus’ disciples since we have done service to others surround us. Like the Pope that is called as the servant of all the servants, so we can ask ourselves: What is personally my service to others that makes me to be God’s servant in our family, society, work, country and our church? May the example of our patron Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, the little flower, who gives us extraordinary witness of her humility in hidden life, draw us to be SERVANT and the LAST of all.