"Being Stoical heart with Passion".

(taken from the three monthly reflection material by Indonesia province).

What is exactly the meaning of being stoic? In the Scriptures to reveal the meaning of being stoic often used the words "be strong", as we can trace in 2 Samuel 13:28 – “be strong and brave”.; Joshua 10:25 – Joshua said, "do not be afraid and do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”; also in Psalm 31:25 -Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

One of the stories showing steadfastness of heart can be observed in the journey of the Apostle Paul along with his people. He climbed aboard and got the storm on the way. The Apostle Paul affirms, "But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because no one of you will be lost, only the ship will be destroyed." (Acts 27:22). Note that Paul was actually not sailed to Crete, but in an atmosphere that is creepy, Paul is not behind the devotees attacked with him. Instead she calmly face the difficulties faced with people who are with him. Paul acted that way because it believes will help God. The experience of his life has been forged his beliefs in difficult situations to keep relying on the help of God. Very firm Paul said, " So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me."(acts 27:25).

In this occasion we pass some excerpts of steadfastness story championed by Mgr. Rutten and Bro. Bernard in its inception and early development of our Congregation. We start with the steadfastness of heart of Mgr. Rutten in searching of candidates for members of the Congregation who will set it up. In his autobiography and Project Mgr. "Rutten wrote, I began to realize my plan immediately after my retreat ended (1839). Immediately after the retreat, he went to Hasselt and after that to St. Truiden. It took ten hours on foot. Rutten approached the Brothers of Charity to help him by admitting two postulants and educating them as religious, so that afterwards they could procees to Maastricht as the first members of the new Congregation. The superiors of St. Truiden was not able to do so. He had to go to the motherhouse and asked the perssion of the spiritual director of the congregation (Mr. de Dekker, a priest) and of the superior general. The general director gave his anwer positively, while the superior general was not very much in favour, but he could not refuse. Further Mgr. Rutten wrote, "I went to Gent carrying a letter from Pastor Dirix. When I arrived in Brussels, once again I tried to appeal to the Brothers of Charity, but my request was rejected again and again ". Mgr. Rutten did not despair, he stoically accepted the situation and kept trying again. 

Fransiscus Donkers is the first postulant. It is deposited at the Sint Truiden, as has been agreed between Mgr. Rutten with the Brothers of  Charity. The story of this first candidate came to a sad end. Frans Donkers died on 9th December 1839. In the autobiography of Mgr. Rutten wrote, "I received the news from my candidate that he is experiencing a tremendous inner strife. With great love in him, I advised him in my letter and asked him to persevere in adversity he was facing. Until one day, I received word that the postulant was sick until he vomited blood. Immediately I rushed towards Sint Truiden to see him. When I visited him, he looked better. After that I returned back to Maastricht and suddenly I got the news that Frans Donkers had gone. I went to the Sint Truiden to pay off all costs of the funeral and stay at the convent of the brothers. That night, I slept on a bed that ravished by Frans Donkers. In his bedcover there were still stains of blood spewed out by Frans Donkers. That experience really made an impression on my heart. 

With stoic and entrust everything to God, Mgr. Rutten is not discouraged in his efforts to establish a congregation. Despite the difficulties and rejection come against the run, he didn't give up. Furthermore he wrote, "When I had settled everything in the morning and paid for everything, I was assured - at my request - that I was allowed to send another postulant.
I immediately wrote to Tilburg and after some time I was informed that Father Zwijsen from Tilburg assured me that I was to get two new postulants. So there was an interval from 9th December to the last day of February, when two new postulants arrived, namely Mr. Hoecken from Tilburg and Mr. van Weert. So there is a gap of approximately 3 (three) months after the death of Donkers on 9 December (1839).

I was glad and as I expected new difficulties and as I had almost run out of money I went on foot to St. Truiden in the morning with the two postulants.In the evening we arrived at the religious house of the Reverend Brothers. But the Superior Franciscus refused to accept them. What induced him to do so, I don't know, but he said that, as he had not heard anything for 3 months, he thought it was a matter done with. I protested, reminded him of his promises and begged him not to be the instrument of evil by preventing a good work and I told him that I refused to leave. Then he went to the Very Reverend Dean of St. Truiden to ask for his advice and finally the two postulants were allowed to stay. 

In 1840 I could happily ask the two novices to come to Maastricht where they began to occupy themselves with the nursery-school for boys and girls in part of the room where now the religious house is situated in 'Capucijnengang'. On 23rd November 1840 I was so happy as to say the first Mass for them in a small room. (The annals of the Congregation say that this event took place on 8th December 1840.
On 21st November 1840 the oratory had been consecrated by the Rev. Dean van Baer of St. Servatius Church. This last date is considered to be the foundation-day of the Congregation). On 8th December they put on their habits and appeared, dressed in this way, in the streets in Maastricht. Some days later they were at once ordered to appear before the captain of police. He asked them what habits they were wearing and who had given them permission to wear them. They simply answered they had no other habits and that they looked after poor children. He made a report and that was all. 

Further Mgr. Rutten wrote, "The beginning of the brothers was most miserable. When the number of postulants increased by 3, 2 others left so that, if we had not hoped for God's generous help, we should not have thought the foundation of the Congregation possible.
For they had a small and wretched house, there were but few means, sometimes they lacked human consolation and they had got but little education. Very often one did not know where one stood, but through courage and perseverance the work of the Lord went on”. 

As the Congregation's first brother, Bro. Bernard knows exactly what it means to start a congregation, difficulties, challenges and rejection come alternates. Bro. Bernard wrote, "‘If it is true that all good things have to contend with opposition, contradiction, suffering and difficulties, then the Very Reverend Father Founder and Bro. Bernard may certainly congratulate themselves because they have experienced all this from all sides and in all kinds of forms, something that could not have been foreseen and fortunately so, because in that case the matter would probably never have been accomplished. Once, completely fed up, they both remarked: "If we had known all this beforehand, we would perhaps never have started the thing". It must be said here and everywhere, without the special protection of the Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mother the Congregation would have been smothered at its birth...’ (Annals p. 41) 

And in 1865, at the time of the Silver Jubilee of the Congregation he wrote to the brothers in a circular: ‘What was our Congregation like at its start? Poor, insignificant and without much interest being taken in it. Its field of activity - taking care of and guarding some poor children and in the meantime instructing others in Christian doctrine. What did the future promise? Little, very little... Neither did our plans for the future come to much. Our worthy Founder hardly dared mention that it was his intention, if the Good God blessed the work, at some later time to bring the institute up to twelve brothers with a brother superior at the head. This, however, seemed audacious to us, the more so as we met with so little cooperation. Humanly speaking things looked sombre and gave the cause little hope for the future. I believe I have sufficient reason to say that no Congregation ever started in a more insignificant and weaker way than ours...’ 

Reflection

Reflecting on the establishment and development of the Congregation, as the first brother, who since the beginning of the struggle with Mgr. Rutten, Bro. Bernard knows very well the things that should a member-owned successor of the Congregation he incubated. One of them is the spirit or the primacy of stoical heart. Stoical heart refer to the establishment of us on what we are good for viewpoint championed despite the challenges awaiting us. Not the origin of the staunchly with the establishment, but merely for the sake of the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

We as the successor of the Congregation, were trying to embody the ideals of Mgr. Rutten and Bro. Bernard in this day and age, by 175 years of the founding of the Congregation and 90-year presence in Indonesia. Every phase of our lives as brothers (starting from the moment of being the candidate, the young, medior, senior, and the elderly brothers), experience difficulties, challenges, doubt, whether from ourselves or from external factors. Many times experience difficult, tiredness and boredom (cf. art. 116 of the Constitution FIC). In that situation if we would complain and loosened his passion? If we lose confidence in our vocation as brother which is the way to salvation? In such an uncomfortable atmosphere, we are invited to further assert themselves, to increasingly fast to what we're going to strive for. Bro. Bernard is advising us by writing in the instructions for leaders as follows, "Grant yourself with the shield of faith, steadfast confidence with… . Lift up your eyes on the banner of the cross and heart bertabah like the rock that they could not move. Do not back off one bit, if it was determined to defend the honor of God or the salvation of souls ".

Looking at Jesus's fortitude in the face of his inner struggle, especially when suffering from in the way of the cross towards Golgotha, we get the reflection to what extent we are stoical in facing our troubles? What we normally do? Bro. Bernard asks us vigorously to be stoical stare at all the difficulties. It is Christ's example which guide our lives. Bro. Bernard again confirms for us. He wrote, "Then, empty your hearts from fear and anxiety which is not feasible for a believer who struggled as the representative of God, for God, and with God. With no hesitate say along with the Apostle Paul, ' I'm alive, but not I that live, but Christ who lives in me '. And elsewhere he wrote: 'all things can be……in him, which gives me strength'". Next Bro. Bernard appealed to us, "do not let yourself be defeated by petty thoughts, so that the sense of brooding is not rooted in the heart. Tribulation, distress, persecution, or change wherever there is in your path in life; bertabah care, do not falter, because inevitably you will win ".

Many brothers have been living up what was presented by Bro. Bernard in facing distress, misfortune and possible persecution. The story brings to our reference Kesilir could be how the brother with  stoic facing a difficult situation and gripping. Not rarely the brothers receive physical torment. It was told by Bro. Celsus through internment experience in Java. If we read the story, we'll get a lot of learning and reassurance about how excited we should be stoic. Have you read the full story of bringing goods to Kesilir? What do you learn from the struggles of Bro. Timotheus and Bro. Peter Claver? What traces of the struggle of the brothers in the internment? Do you have the same struggle with theirs? What quotation can you make for your life now?

Another thing that is found in yourself in a difficult place, either geographically or limited infrastructures. The brothers who were pioneering ministry in Borneo 50 years ago is definitely having a lot of troubles. Also the beginning of our mission in Sumatera, the apostolate in Tegalarum and Belitang. From the testimony of perpetrators of the history, we know that our fellow brothers  were experiencing pressure, threats, and even persecution. So does the work of pioneering in other places and now in East Timor. The geographical terrain, culture, and the language is different from us, can be a challenge. In this context we can also find a lot of learning from the struggles of the brothers who worked outside the province of Indonesia, in Malawi, Ghana, Chile, and the Netherlands. It demands the availability. Article 22 of the Constitutions mention, "We are expected to have the attitude of a great availability and unselfishness. We should devote entire ourselves anywhere needed and in the most appropriate way. This demands courage, self-denial, as well as sober prudence and appreciation of potential". How could the brothers be in solidarity with the brothers who were in difficult situation and having a lot of challenges? How could the brothers be grateful for the brothers or otherwise easy to complain, grumble, don't feel satisfied, even when we are finding  lack of service from a fellow brother in the community?

Revision

The Stoic is necessary  when we felt when we were having difficulties or problems in living our lives as a religious brother, either in the place of postolate or in the community. However, Bro. Bernard reminds us to faithfully engaged in the spirit of the daily time and legitimate customs in the community and in the Congregation. He confirms this by writing, "a leader of (of all of us) have to be careful, especially in  keeping legitimate custom or in small things". Bro. Bernard warns that, "with the unconscious, there was a violation of the Constitutions, there was the aberration in the community, which not infrequently lead to sad circumstances. With a frankly to say: a community that lost adherence to Constitutional rules appropriately be called the hell in the world ". Working in mutual agreement can be led happiness for themselves and each other. And this need to struggle and steadfastness of heart. Wasnt it what we strive for? Isn't it a logical consequence of the choice of our lives?

The other thing we can strive for is grateful for all the grace we receive from God and one's neighbor. Instead of grumbling or complaining it is better to act for the sake of the happiness of our fellow brothers. Maybe the things we strive for is a trivial or invisible, but if we do it can in the spirit of compliance, it would be a blessing for yourself and fellow that around us. Easily be thankful makes our lives more beautiful. Our Constitutions article 117 among others mentions, "gratitude can add to the beauty and the brilliance of our life, that is the feeling of gratitude that we human beings, that we are Christians, that we are religious". We are invited to stay thankful and rejoice together with the success of our fellow brothers in the apostolic works, the spirit of our elderly brothers, the enthusiasm of the young or confidence that still we received from the community and the Church.

The Congregation will continue, we can learn that the Lord always accompany the Congregation, especially in the difficult moments. Ahead of the celebration of 175 years, we have dealt with the challenge of the lack of candidates, brothers who resigned, the demands of the apostolic work in schools, and personal issues that hit us. Bro. Bernard reminds us to believe that God is always with us by writing, "Soil as a determine helmsman moving forward against storms and rolling waves. God will protect you as he did to St. Peter in the past”. 

Let us make all challenges to purify themselves, purify our motivations in order to solely to glorify God and the salvation of souls. The challenges in all its forms will inevitably confront us, but we can all cry along with St. James, "Blessed are those who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (JAS. 1:12) We are all aware that during our life in this world will all be experiencing difficulties and challenges. Only by being dogged energetically we are empowered by God to interpret any more difficulties and challenges so that we can be thankful as well as joy.