Dear students, teachers and staff,
We live in a competitive world which offers comfort and speed, starting from goods and services that can all be made and done easily and quickly. Although we have a lot of alternatives to choose, we tend to choose  the fastest and most comfortable one. When we want to shop, we can do it on line. When we want to eat pizza or burger, we can just telephone and our order will be delivered in less than an hour. Many things, if not to say almost everything can be done easily and swiftly.
We have to realise, however, that  certain kinds of comfort can as well destroy both our mentality and faith. Of course doing things easier and faster is not always  wrong  but when we  have the attitude of wanting everything to be done fast, by taking  shortcuts in a wrong way, then we have jeopordized both our mentality and faith. Quite many people are fond of taking shortcuts. They say : if we have the chance to cheat, why should we study hard? If we can  live a rich life by corrupting, why should we be honest but still live a hard life? If we can litter freely without being fined, why should we put ourselves in trouble to search for the garbage bin to throw the rubbish? If we can still continue our way without being caught by the policeman when the traffic light is red, why should we wait for the green light before we can proceed? If we can go home earlier without being known by our leaders or teachers, why should we be patient and wait until the bell rings?

Dear students, teachers and staff,
Al Gore the nobel pize winner in climate field and  a former vice president of America during his visit in Jakarta, ten days ago  on January 9, 2011, in front of a number of ministers, members of house of representatives,
Businessmen, mass media editors, and NGO members, at Shangri-la Hotel, said  ; I always remember the message from my teacher when I was a little kid. My teacher said that in our life, we only need to answer one question whether we will choose the difficult right ( hal benar yg sulit) or the easy wrong ( hal salah yg mudah ). It is the same question for us in coping with climate crisis. We need some courage/bravery in making our choice to overcome the complicated problem in climate crisis that can risk the lives of mandkind, said al Gore.

My brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
The same question is also asked to all of us now  whether we will choose the difficult right or
The easy wrong in coping with problems in lives. Of course, the choice is all at our hands but let me just remind you that
Psalm 14:12 in the old tastement says that there are some people considering the way is straight, but it is
Actually leading you to death. Let us now contemplate, if we are on our trip and arrive
At a three junction. One way is narrow, bumpy,and muddy but this is leading you to your destination. The other way is wide, soft and convenient but is actually taking you to a steep
Cliff. My simple question is which way will you take? Well, we need some courage and patience to proclaim the difficult right.  May God the almighty bless you the wisdom in making your choice. Amen.       
(by Hermanus Malo Dona) 

Bulan September adalah Bulan yang dikhususkan oleh Gereja Katolik sebagai Bulan Kitab Suci Nasional. Pada bulan ini, Pimpinan Gereja menganjurkan umat Katolik agar menjadi lebih akrab dengan Kitab Suci dengan berbagai cara, sehingga dengan demikian umat semakin tangguh dan mendalam imannya dalam menghadapi kerumitan dan kesulitan hidup dewasa ini. Sejak kapan tradisi Bulan Kitab Suci Nasional (BKSN) ini berawal? Apa gunanya Bulan Kitab Suci?

Sejarah Singkat

Latar belakang diadakannya BKSN berawal dari Konsili Vatikan II (KV II). Dalam salah satu dokumennya  yang berbicara mengenai KS, yaitu Dei Verbum, para bapa Konsili menganjurkan agar jalan masuk menuju Kitab Suci dibuka lebar-lebar bagi kaum beriman (DV 22). Konsili juga mengajak seluruh umat beriman untuk tekun membaca KS. Untuk maksud itu, yang harus dibuat Pertama-tama adalah menerjemahkan KS ke dalam bahasa setempat, dalam hal ini Bahasa Indonesia. Sebelum konsili menganjurkan ini, sebenarnya Gereja Katolik Indonesia telah selesai menerjemahkan seluruh KS, baik PL maupun PB.

Namun, KV II menganjurkan agar diusahakan terjemahan KS ekumenis, yakni terjemahan bersama oleh Gereja Katolik dan Gereja Protestan. Mengikuti anjuran KV II ini, Gereja Katolik Indonesia mulai “meninggalkan” terjemahan PL dan PB yang merupakan hasil kerja keras para ahli Katolik, dan memulai kerja sama dengan Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia. Dengan demikian, mulailah pemakaian KS terjemahan bersama, yang merupakan terjemahan resmi yang diakui baik oleh Gereja Katolik maupun Gereja-gereja Protestan di Indonesia. Yang membedakan hanyalah Kitab-Kitab Deuterokanonika yang diakui termasuk dalam KS oleh Gereja Katolik namun tidak diakui oleh Gereja-gereja Protestan.

Meskipun Kitab Suci telah diterjemahkan ke dalam Bahasa Indonesia, namun umat Katolik Indonesia belum mengenalnya dan belum mulai membacanya. Karena itu, Lembaga Biblika Indonesia, yang merupakan Lembaga dari KWI untuk kerasulan Kitab Suci, mengadakan sejumlah usaha untuk memperkenalkan KS kepada umat dan sekaligus mengajak umat untuk mulai membaca KS. Hal ini dilakukan antara lain dengan mengemukakan gagasan sekaligus mengambil prakarsa untuk mengadakan Hari Minggu Kitab Suci secara nasional. LBI mengusulkan dan mendorong agar keuskupan-keuskupan dan paroki-paroki seluruh Indonesia mengadakan ibadat khusus dan kegiatan-kegiatan sekitar KS pada Hari Minggu tertentu.

LBI telah dua kali mencobanya. Pada tahun 1975 dalam rangka menyambut terbitnya Alkitab lengkap ekumenis, LBI menyarankan agar setiap paroki mengadakan Misa Syukur pada bulan Agustus. Bahan-bahan liturgi dan saran-saran kegiatan yang dapat dilakukan beberapa bulan sebelumnya dikirimkan ke keuskupan-keuskupan. Percobaan kedua dilakukan pada tahun 1976. Akhir Mei 1976 dikirimkan bahan-bahan langsung kepada pastor-pastor paroki untuk Hari Minggu Kitab Suci tanggal 24/25 Juli 1976,  ditambah lampiran contoh pendalaman, leaflet, tawaran bahan diskusi, dan lain-lain.

Walaupun dua kali percobaan itu tidak menghasilkan buah melimpah seperti yang diharapkan, LBI toh meyakini bahwa HMKS harus diteruskan dan diusahakan, dengan tujuan sebagai berikut:

1. Untuk mendekatkan dan memperkenalkan umat dengan sabda Allah. KS juga diperuntukkan bagi umat biasa, tidak hanya untuk kelompok tertentu dalam Gereja. Mereka dipersilahkan melihatnya dari dekat, mengenalnya lebih akrab sebagai sumber dari kehidupan iman mereka.
2. Untuk mendorong agar umat memiliki dan menggunakannya. Melihat dan mengagumi saja belum cukup. Umat perlu didorong untuk memilikinya paling sedikit setiap keluarga mempunyai satu kitab suci di rumahnya. Dengan demikian, umat dapat membacanya sendiri untuk memperdalam iman kepercayaannya sendiri.

Dalam sidang MAWI 1977 para uskup menetapkan agar satu Hari Minggu tertentu dalam tahun gerejani ditetapkan sebagai Hari Minggu Kitab Suci Nasional. Hari Minggu yang dimaksudkan adalah Hari Minggu Pertama September. Dalam perkembangan selanjutnya keinginan umat untuk membaca dan mendalami KS semakin berkembang. Satu Minggu dirasa tidak cukup lagi untuk mengadakan kegiatan-kegiatan seputar Kitab Suci. Maka, kegiatan-kegiatan ini berlangsung sepanjang Bulan September dan bulan ke-9 ini sampai sekarang menjadi Bulan Kitab Suci Nasional?.

(Dikutip dari Media Komunikasi Paroki Santo Arnoldus Jansen, Bakasi)

12:46 While Jesus was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. 12:47 And one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee. 12:48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 12:49 And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren! 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Reflection

Today the Catholic Church in the world commemorates the prophet Elijah, the great prophet in the Old Testament. Do you remember how He met God? Yes, He met or experienced God not in the strong and furious wind, neither in the earthquake nor in the fire, but he met God in the soft whisper of a voice. It is symbolizing that he met God in the silence, in his deep and peaceful heart, not in anger or any other unhealthy feelings.

Today’s Gospel spells the similar words when Jesus said my mother, my brothers and sisters are those who do the will of my Father in heaven, not just those who are related to the blood or physical relationship. Jesus clearly asks all of us, teachers, staff and students to GO BEYOND our physical performance. Indeed our physical performance is important, we should wear a neat dress, keep smiling, greet each other, etc. Yes, you are right! We have to be proud as members of Saint Peter’s School, a catholic Christian School, we should loudly declare to others that we are students of Saint Peter’s or we are teachers of Saint Peter’s. But moreover Jesus wants us to go beyond such physical identities, Jesus wants us to behave as teachers or students who are expressing God’s will in our day to day life, in our feeling, our thinking and in our acting properly. For instance, how students have to respect to teachers and teachers also do the same by real actions, such as preparing lesson plan, creating a good learning and teaching process, how to make it fun, etc.

Let’s pray. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. Saint Peter, pray for us.

When I was having meal in a Rice Bowl Restaurant with my wife, just opposite our table I saw a young boy wearing T-Shirt and a cross round his neck and before meal he made a sign of the cross to pray. I immediately recognized he is a catholic. I felt happy that such young boy dared to express his faith in a public place. The Acts of the Apostles (14:19-28) mentioned above tells us how Saint Paul expressed his faith without any fear or afraid. He was stoned by the Jews when he was preaching the Good News, and even he was dragged out of the town and left him half-dead. It’s scary, right! But Paul was unceasingly preaching the Good News to everyone and even he dared to say: “We must pass through many troubles to enter the Kingdom of God.” Why did Paul dare to preach though a lot of troubles even he had to sacrifice his life? Because we know well that in the past Paul was Saul, he hated Jesus Christ and his followers, and tried to persecute them, but after he met the Risen Lord Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus, he converted to be the disciple of Jesus Christ. He preached the Gospel everywhere in the whole Asia Minor and crossed to Rome. Why did Paul dare to preach that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world? The answer is because of FAITH. Faith is a totally surrender to God and let God’s will be done in our day-to-day life. It is what happened in Saint Paul after believing in Jesus Christ. He wholeheartedly surredered to God, to be an instrument of the Kingdom of God. As a student of Saint Peter, whatever your faith is, let make our faith be really fruitful, which can be seen in our good attitudes, our effective learning style and habit, respect to others properly, etc.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD

One of the best things I’ve learned is that God does not bring people into my life so I can make them just like me. God wants us to be different. He’s given us different personalities, different strengths, different hobbies and different looks. He’s made us all different so we can sharpen one another and cause each other to rise up higher in life.

If you’re going to be happy and enjoy your relationships, you’ve got to learn how to appreciate the differences and learn from the people in your life. If you don’t focus on the right things, you’ll end up allowing the little irritations to cause you to become resentful. Remember, nobody is perfect. If you’re going to grow, you’ve got to be willing to overlook some things. Our assignment is not to fix people. Our assignment is to love people. Our assignment is to sharpen one another so we can move forward in the good plan God has prepared.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for the people You have placed in my life. Help me see them the way You see them. Help me to appreciate the ways we sharpen one another so that we can help each other fulfill Your plan for our lives. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Do not resist the evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Jesus Christ, in Matthew 5:39).

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” (Martin Luther King Jr.) “An eye for an eye only makes the world blind.” (Mahatma Gandhi).

Pacifism is the belief that violent acts are wrong and that only peaceful, non-violent solutions to disagreement should ever be used. Biblical teachings suggest that peace is a better way forward. These teachings have led some Christians to dedicate themselves against any act of violence, no matter what the justification. The Quakers (The Society of Friends, a Christian Denomination) are an important example of this view. “We utterly deny all outward wars and strife, and fighting with outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretence whatever; this is our testimony to the whole world. The Spirit of Christ by which we are guided is not changeable, so as once to command us from a thing as evil, and again to move unto it; and we certainly know, and testify to the world, that the Spirit of Christ, which leads us into all truth, will never move us to fight and war against any man with outward weapons, neither for the kingdom of Christ nor for the kingdom of this world.” (from the Quakers peace testimony). During the first and second world wars, Quakers and other pacifists supported people who refused to join the army because of their religious or ethical beliefs. They were often given dangerous tasks as alternative. These included assignments to be stretcher-bearers, sent out onto the battlefields to bring in the dead, or driving ambulances during the London Blitz. They would drive the ambulances with their headlamps off (because of the blackout) towards the sights and sounds of the bombings and into the bombing areas to search the injured. The Roman Catholic Church does not express the pacifists views found among Quakers, but it does support the rights of those who object to fighting on grounds of conscience. There have been Catholic movements that have been pacifist, inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the Church. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church as any other Christian churches, are not exclusively pacifist. “Dorothy Day was an American journalist and devout Catholic who founded the Catholic Worker Movement in 1933, which struggled for non-violent social revolution, labor organization, civil rights and peace. At a time of Spanish Civil War and growing militarism in Italy and Germany, she grounded her movement on Christ’s ethic of love and the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. As a Catholic she thought that war was a sin against love and life and argued that we should use the spiritual weapons of prayer and the sacraments to resist evil, rather than weapons. She proposed that people should resist conscription into the army, refused to pay war taxation, and refused to make arms. She promoted the idea of community which had no national boundaries. In 2000 Pope John Paul II declared her a servant of God. She has been proposed for sainthood.” (Summarized from GCSE Religious Studies A, Roman Catholicism: Ethics, pp. 136-137 by Januarius Widyantarto).

In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks to a crowd who would have been very familiar with the food laws. But, as sometimes happens to all of us, there might have been more focus on the technicalities of the law rather than the importance and meaning of the religious practice. Jesus tries to shift the focus from the rules about the defilement of our bodies to something more important – what is in our hearts. We see a very human Jesus using the example of the most basic bodily functions. He says that it is not what comes out of our body that defiles us but what goes into our hearts. Then he notes the kinds of sins that might be in our hearts. It’s a list most of us can start reading comfortably, knowing we don’t commit those sins. Jesus begins his list: “unchastity, theft, murder, adultery…” Really, those are the kinds of sins other people commit. Then Jesus gets to the end of his list: “envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly”… Now I feel the pinch. These are clearly things Jesus says will defile us. Am I ever envious? Do I use God’s name in vain? Arrogance – it’s one of my best sins! Folly? It means the lack of good sense and to that I must sometimes admit guilt, most often during a good bout of arrogance. The list of things that defile us, take away from the dignity and sanctity we have as human beings, is a list of ordinary struggles of everyday life. When we run into a situation that is overwhelming, do we spontaneously turn to God or do we conclude we can handle this situation ourselves? That arrogance, that independence, draws us away from feeling God’s presence in our lives. God is still there just as deeply, but we are so busy testing our own power, sure we can go it alone. Today’s gospel is a reminder that we aren’t created to “go it alone” and that Jesus is our savior, wanting to heal us. We have to be aware of how often we fall short, because it is only when we realize how much we need a savior, that we will allow one to enter our lives. We can ask for Jesus’ grace to change what comes out of us, to bless our envy, blasphemy, arrogance and folly, and to transform it by his love into generosity, kind words, compassion and a willingness to let go of our stubbornness.

Let us pray, Lord, change my heart and what comes out of it. Bless my efforts and my life and allow me to really feel how much I need you as a savior in my life. Let my heart be open to everyone you have sent to be in my day.]]> http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/2010/02/09/compassion-overcomes-rules.php/feed 0 http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/2010/02/04/pencil-philosophy.php http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/2010/02/04/pencil-philosophy.php#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:19:58 +0000 januar http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/?p=1186 ...more]]> And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God to those who are the called according to this purpose This is the word of The Lord.  Thanks be to God This time I want to tell you a story, full of wisdom from a pencil.                              As narrated, a pencil will be wrapped and sold to the market.                                   By the marker, the pencil was advised on the tasks that it will perform.                 So, some of the advice was given to the pencil. This is what the maker says to the pencil. “O pencils, your first and foremost duty is to help people find it easier to write. You can perform any function, but your main job is as a writer. If you fail to function as stationery, jammed, broken, then your main task fail.” “Second, so you can function perfectly, you will experience the process of refinement. Indeed it is going to be painful, but that’s what will make you useful and function optimally. “Third, it is not outside yourself  which is important, the main and most useful thing is within you. That’s what makes you valuable and useful to mankind “. “Fourth, you can not function alone. In order to be useful and beneficial, then you should allow yourself to work with people who use you “. “Fifth. At last moment, what you have produced will show how great you are the real you. Pencils which will be considered successful, not when they are still complete but when they have help produce the best work, which function until the shortest cut. That’s what really makes then reach their goal “. Since then, the pencils were put into the box, wrapped, packed, and sold into the market for people who need them. Dear teachers and students, these pencils also remind us of our purpose and mission in this world.    I also believe that it is not without cause we are and were created or born in this world. Clearly, there is a purpose in us that need to be fulfilled and completed. Just as the pencil, we also have our own purpose in this world. Whatever the profession is, I believe our awareness of the purpose and the call of our live, will make our lives more meaningful. Thus, from the philosophy of our pencil on learn about five important things in life. First, life must have a definite purpose. Whatever the job, profession or role we play in this world, we must be efficient. If not, we will be in vain /useless. Unfortunately, we were born without an instruction manual or book that explains our role in this world. The search for the destination and our calling, become an important theme for us lives in the world. Obviously, our lives are meant to be useful, beneficial and positive for the people around us. If not, then we are useless. Just like a pencil that can not be used to write, so he is not helpful at all. Second, the process of sharpening will occur so that we can use it optimally.  Therefore, we come across difficulties, obstacles or challenges. Everything is useful and helpful, so we always learn from them to become better. Third, it is the internal part of ourselves which is playing the important role. In the end, what lies within us such as character, ability, talent, motivation, morale, that mindset will be more affected than the outside view of ourselves. Fourth,  to function perfectly, the pencil teach us to work to succeed, sometimes we must learn from a pencil to ’submit’ and allow ourselves to be transformed into the perfect tool to learn and hear from experts. That is why, the ability to learn to work together with others, listen to others, learn from the ‘teacher’ who can make us better. Finally, the pencil has taught us a valuable things to leave something good to others. That is the philosophy of ‘giving and serving’ as taught by our Lord. That’s why Mother Teresa of Calcutta or Albert Schweitzer in Africa serving more. Assuming them like a pencil that is used by God. Let us pray Thank you, Lord, for this new day Help us to be good today And lead us to be a pencil that is used by You, so we make a good mark in our surrounding. Amen.]]> http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/2010/02/04/pencil-philosophy.php/feed 0 http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/2010/02/02/god-always-answers-prayer.php http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/2010/02/02/god-always-answers-prayer.php#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:10:28 +0000 daniel http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/?p=1183 ]]> http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/2010/02/02/god-always-answers-prayer.php/feed 0 http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/2010/02/01/building-up-our-country.php http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/2010/02/01/building-up-our-country.php#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:34:01 +0000 januar http://www.saintpeter.sch.id/?p=1166 ...more]]> “Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are.” (Mat 6: 19-21).

My dear Principals, teachers, staff and beloved students,

Jesus Christ, Our Lord and God, always reminds us to look for the highest values in our day to day lives, not temporary things but eternal things. Even if we are going to participate building up our beloved country, or our environment, or or family and school, first of all not the material things but the humanity. How our matters could support our humanity. The story below gives us a reflection how important to build up our humanity, and by it we build our country, too.

His father was reading the newspaper after a hard day’s work in the factory, but Jovan would not leave him alone. Jovan was doing his home work in geography and kept asking his father questions: “Father, what is the capital city of Japan?”  “Tokyo, my son”. “What is the capital city of Malaysia?” “Kuala Lumpur” “And what is the capital city of Indonesia?” “Jakarta”.

His father was getting annoyed now at all these questions which Jovan asked. Trying to get a few minutes peace, he said to Jovan, “Look, son, I am going to give you something to do. Write out the name of the USA states and put beside it its capital.” Thinking this would give him a few minutes rest, he smiled as Jovan began to do the task.

He had hardly begun to read the newspaper again, when Jovan returned with the task neatly and correctly done. “Well done, my son”, he said, “but I have one more task for you.” Taking his newspaper,  he tore off half a page which in an advertisement for PANAM (It’s an airlines company of America), had a map of USA. He tore out the map neatly, and then to Jovan’s surprise, he tore the picture of USA into little pieces. Handling the pieces to Jovan, he said, “Now, my son, let’s see how much geography you know. See if you can put these pieces together correctly.”

Confident that he would now be able to finish reading the newspaper in peace, the father sat back contentedly and began to read. But not for long! Minutes later Jovan was back with his work complete and correct. His father could not believe his eyes. In real wonder at the work of his son, he asked, “How did you do it so quickly, my son?” Jovan replied, “Oh, it was easy, Father. On the other side of the paper there was a picture of a man. By building up the man, I build up USA.”

To build up our country, or our city, or our environment, or our family, or our school, we have to begin with building up our own selves. Building up our humanity, our talents, our knowledge, our skills, our personality.

OUR FATHER. HAIL MARY. GLORY BE.