Parade Times Square, oleh Alexander Chen
WE hidup di masa yang berbahaya. Namun, hanya sedikit yang menyadarinya. Yang saya bicarakan bukanlah ancaman terorisme, perubahan iklim, atau perang nuklir, tetapi sesuatu yang lebih halus dan berbahaya. Itu adalah kemajuan musuh yang telah menguasai banyak rumah dan hati dan berhasil menimbulkan kehancuran yang mengerikan saat menyebar ke seluruh dunia:
Kebisingan.
Saya berbicara tentang kebisingan spiritual. Suara yang begitu keras bagi jiwa, begitu memekakkan telinga, sehingga begitu ia menemukan jalan masuknya, ia mengaburkan suara Tuhan, membius hati nurani, dan membutakan mata untuk melihat kenyataan. Ini adalah salah satu musuh paling berbahaya di zaman kita karena, sementara perang dan kekerasan membahayakan tubuh, kebisingan adalah pembunuh jiwa. Dan jiwa yang telah menutup suara Tuhan berisiko tidak akan pernah mendengar Dia lagi dalam kekekalan.
KEBISINGAN
Musuh ini selalu mengintai, tapi mungkin tidak pernah lebih dari hari ini. Rasul St. Yohanes memperingatkan itu kebisingan adalah pertanda dari roh antikristus:
Jangan mencintai dunia atau hal-hal duniawi. Jika ada orang yang mencintai dunia, maka cinta Bapa tidak ada di dalam dirinya. Karena semua yang ada di dunia, nafsu inderawi, bujukan untuk mata, dan kehidupan yang megah, bukan dari Bapa tetapi dari dunia. Namun dunia dan bujukannya sedang lenyap. Tetapi siapa pun yang melakukan kehendak Tuhan tetap selamanya. Anak-anak, ini adalah jam terakhir; dan sama seperti Anda mendengar bahwa antikristus akan datang, maka sekarang banyak antikristus telah muncul. (1 Yohanes 2: 15-18)
Nafsu daging, bujukan untuk mata, hidup yang megah. Ini adalah cara yang digunakan pemerintah dan penguasa untuk mengarahkan ledakan kebisingan terhadap umat manusia yang tidak menaruh curiga.
KEBISINGAN NAFA
One cannot surf the internet, walk through an airport, or simply buy groceries without being assaulted by the noise of lust. Men, more than women, are susceptible to this because there is a stronger chemical response in men. It is a terrible noise, for it pulls not only the eyes, but one’s very body into its path. To even suggest today that a half-clad woman is immodest or inappropriate will draw bewilderment if not scorn. It has become socially acceptable, and at younger and younger ages, to sexualize and objectivy the body. It is no longer a vessel for transmitting, through modesty and charity, the truth of who the human person truly is, but has become a loudspeaker blaring a distorted message: that fulfillment comes ultimately from sex and sexiness, rather than the Creator. This noise alone, now broadcast through rancid imagery and language in nearly every facet of modern society, is doing more to destroy souls than perhaps any other.
KEBISINGAN ENTICEMENT
In the Western nations in particular, the noise of materialism—the enticement of new things—has reached a deafening pitch, yet few are resisting it. Ipads, ipods, ibooks, iphones, ifashions, iretirement plans…. Even the titles themselves reveal something of the potential danger that lurks behind the need for personal comfort, convenience and self-pleasure. It is all about “I”, not my brother in need. The exportation of manufacturing to third world 
negara-negara (sering menimbulkan ketidakadilan dalam dirinya sendiri melalui upah yang menyedihkan) telah membawa tsunami barang-barang berbiaya rendah, didahului oleh gelombang iklan tanpa henti yang menempatkan diri, dan bukan tetangga, di atas totem prioritas.
But the noise has taken on a different and more insidious tone in our day. The internet and wireless technology continually serve up a vast array of high definition color, news, gossip, photos, videos, goods, services—all in a split second. It is the perfect concoction of glitz and glamor to keep souls enamored—and often deaf to the hunger and thirst in their own soul for the transcendent, for God.
We cannot deny that the rapid changes occurring in our world also present some disturbing signs of fragmentation and a retreat into individualism. The expanding use of electronic communications has in some cases paradoxically resulted in greater isolation… —POPE BENEDICT XVI, pidato di Gereja St. Joseph, 8 April 2008, Yorkville, New York; Kantor Berita Katolik
KEBISINGAN PRETENSI
St. John warns about the temptation to “pride of life.” This is not limited to simply wanting to be rich or famous. Today, it has taken on a more cunning temptation, once again, through technology. “Social 
networking”, while often serving to connect old friends and family, also feeds into a new individualism. With communication services like Facebook or Twitter, the trend is to put one’s every thought and action out there for the world to see, fostering a growing trend of narcissism (self-absorption). This is really in direct opposition to the rich spiritual heritage of the Saints in which idle chatter and frivolity are to be avoided, as they cultivate a spirit of worldliness and inattention.
KUSTODI HATI
Tentu saja, semua kebisingan ini tidak boleh dianggap benar-benar jahat. Tubuh manusia dan seksualitas adalah anugerah dari Tuhan, bukan halangan yang memalukan atau kotor. Hal-hal materi tidak baik atau buruk, mereka hanya… sampai kita meletakkannya di altar hati kita menjadikannya berhala. Dan internet juga bisa digunakan untuk kebaikan.
Di rumah Nazaret dan dalam pelayanan Yesus, ada 
always the background noise of the world. Jesus even walked into “the lions den,” eating with tax collectors and prostitutes. But He did so because He always maintained hak asuh hati. St. Paul menulis,
Jangan menyesuaikan diri dengan usia ini tetapi diubah oleh pembaruan pikiran Anda ... (Rom 12: 2)
Penjagaan hati berarti bahwa saya tidak terpaku pada hal-hal duniawi, pada cara-cara yang tidak bertuhan, tetapi pada Kerajaan, cara-cara Tuhan. Itu berarti menemukan kembali makna hidup dan menyelaraskan tujuan saya dengannya…
… Marilah kita melepaskan diri kita dari setiap beban dan dosa yang melekat pada kita dan bertekun dalam menjalankan perlombaan yang ada di hadapan kita sambil tetap mengarahkan mata kita pada Yesus, pemimpin dan penyempurna iman. (Ibr 12: 1-2)
In our baptismal vows, we promise to “reject the glamor of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin.” Custody of the heart means avoiding that first fatal step: being sucked into the glamor of evil, which, if we take the bait, leads to being mastered by it.
… Setiap orang yang melakukan dosa adalah budak dosa. (Yohanes 8:34)
Jesus walked among sinful people, but He kept Hi s heart unstained by continually seeking first the will of the Father. He walked in the truth that women were not objects, but reflections of His own image; in the truth that material things are to be used for the glory of God and the good of others; and by being small, humble, and hidden, meek and gentle of heart, Jesus shunned the worldly power and honor that others would have bestowed on Him.
KEEPING CUSTODY OF THE SENSES
In the traditional Act of Contrition prayed in sacramental Confession, one resolves to ‘sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.’ Custody of the heart means avoiding not just the sin itself, but those well-known traps that would cause me to fall into sin. "Membuat tidak ada bekal untuk daging,” said St. Paul (see Harimau di Kandang.) A good friend of mine says that he hasn’t eaten sweets or had any alcohol in years. “I have an addictive personality,” he said. “If I eat one cookie, I want the whole bag.” Refreshing honesty. A man who avoids even the near occasion of sin—and you can see the freedom in his eyes.
Nafsu
Many years ago, a married fellow worker was lusting after the women who were walking by. Noting my lack of participation, he snorted, “One can still look at the menu without having to order!” But Jesus said something quite different:
… Setiap orang yang melihat seorang wanita dengan nafsu telah melakukan perzinahan dengan dia di dalam hatinya. (Mat 5:28)
Bagaimana, dalam budaya pornografi kita, dapatkah seseorang menjaga agar tidak jatuh ke dalam dosa perzinahan dengan matanya? Jawabannya adalah menyingkirkan menunya 
all together. For one thing, women aren’t objects, commodities to be owned. They are beautiful reflections of the Divine Creator: their sexuality, expressed as a receptacle of life-giving seed, is an image of the Church, which is a receptacle of the life-giving Word of God. Thus, even immodest dress or a sexualized appearance is a snare; it is the slippery slope that leads to wanting more and more. What is necessary, then, is to keep hak asuh mata:
Pelita tubuh adalah mata. Jika mata Anda sehat, seluruh tubuh Anda akan dipenuhi dengan cahaya; tetapi jika matamu buruk, seluruh tubuhmu akan berada dalam kegelapan. (Mat 6: 22-23)
The eye is “bad” if we allow it to be dazzled by the “glamor of evil”: if we allow it to wander around the room, if we peruse the magazine covers, sidebar internet pictures, or watch movies or shows that are indecent.
Avert your eyes from a comely woman; gaze not upon the beauty of another’s wife——through woman’s beauty many perish, for lust for it burns like fire. (Sirach 9:8)
It is not a matter then of just avoiding pornography, but all forms of indecency. It means—for some men reading this—a complete transformation of the mind as to how women are perceived and even how we perceive ourselves—the exceptions we justify that, in reality, snare us, and drag us into the misery of sin.
Materialisme
Seseorang bisa menulis buku tentang kemiskinan. Tapi St. Paul mungkin merangkumnya dengan baik:
If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. (1 Tim 6:8-9)
Kita kehilangan hak asuh hati dengan selalu mencari sesuatu yang lebih baik, untuk hal terbaik berikutnya. 
Salah satu Perintahnya adalah untuk tidak mengingini hal-hal tetangga saya. Alasannya, Yesus memperingatkan, adalah bahwa seseorang tidak dapat membagi hatinya antara Tuhan dan mamon (harta benda).
Tidak ada yang bisa melayani dua tuan. Dia akan membenci yang satu dan mencintai yang lain, atau mengabdi pada yang satu dan membenci yang lain. (Mat 6:24)
Menjaga hak asuh hati berarti memperoleh, sebagian besar, apa yang kita perlu daripada apa yang kita ingin, bukan menimbun tapi berbagi dengan orang lain, terutama orang miskin.
Kekayaan yang berlebihan yang engkau timbun dan menderita menjadi busuk ketika engkau seharusnya memberikannya sedekah kepada orang miskin, pakaian berlebih yang engkau miliki dan lebih suka dilihat dimakan ngengat daripada pakaian orang miskin, dan emas dan perak yang Engkau memilih untuk melihat kebohongan dalam kemalasan daripada menghabiskan makanan untuk orang miskin, semua hal ini, saya katakan, akan menjadi kesaksian melawan engkau di Hari Penghakiman. —St. Robert Bellarmin, Kebijaksanaan Para Orang Suci, Jill Haakadels, hal. 166
Pretensi
Penjagaan hati juga berarti menjaga perkataan kita, memiliki hak asuh lidah kita. For the tongue has the power to build-up or tear down, to snare or liberate. So often, we use the tongue out of pride, saying (or typing) this or that in hopes of making ourselves appear more important than we are, or to please others, gaining their approval. Other times, we simply release a wall of words to entertain ourselves by idle chatter.
There is a word in Catholic spirituality called “recollection.” It means simply to remember that I am always in God’s presence, and that He is always my goal and the fulfillment of all my desires. It means recognizing that His will is my food, and that, as His servant, I am called to follow Him in the path of charity. Recollection then, means that I “gather myself up” when I have lost custody of my heart, trusting in His mercy and forgiveness, and once again committing myself to loving and serving Him in saat ini dengan segenap hati, jiwa, pikiran, dan kekuatan saya.
When it comes to social networking, we need to be careful. Is it humble to paste pictures of myself that stroke my vanity? When I “tweet” others, am I saying something that is necessary or not? Am I encouraging gossip or wasting other’s time?
Saya beritahu Anda, pada hari penghakiman orang akan mempertanggungjawabkan setiap kata ceroboh yang mereka ucapkan. (Mat 12:36)
Pikirkan hati Anda sebagai tungku. Mulutmu adalah pintunya. Setiap kali Anda membuka pintu, Anda mengeluarkan panas. Ketika Anda menutup pintu, terus mengingat di hadirat Tuhan, api cinta Ilahi-Nya akan semakin panas dan semakin panas sehingga, ketika saatnya tepat, perkataan Anda dapat berfungsi untuk membangun, membebaskan, dan memfasilitasi kesembuhan orang lain — untuk hangat others with God’s love. At those times, even though we speak, because it is in the voice of Love, it serves to stoke the fires within. Otherwise, our soul, and that of others, grows cold when we keep the door open in meaningless or s inful chatter.
Amoralitas atau ketidakmurnian atau keserakahan bahkan tidak boleh disebutkan di antara Anda, seperti yang cocok di antara orang-orang suci, tidak ada kecabulan atau pembicaraan konyol atau sugestif, yang tidak pada tempatnya, melainkan, ucapan syukur. (Ef 5: 3-4)
ORANG ASING DAN SOJOURNER
Keeping custody of the heart is foreign sounding and counter-cultural. We live in a world that encourages people to experiment with a multitude of sexual acts and lifestyles, plaster themselves all over YouTube, seek to become a singing or dancing “Idol”, and be “tolerant” of anything and anybody (except practicing Catholics). In refusing this kind of noise, Jesus said that we would look odd in the world’s eyes; that they would persecute, mock, exclude and hate us because the light in believers would convict the darkness in others.
Karena setiap orang yang melakukan kejahatan membenci terang dan tidak datang menuju terang, sehingga pekerjaannya tidak disingkapkan. (Yohanes 3:20)
Keeping custody of the heart, then, is not some outdated practice of bygone ages, but the constant, true, and narrow road that leads to Heaven. It’s just that few are willing to take it, to resist the noise so that they can hear the voice of God that leads to eternal life.
Karena di mana hartamu berada, di situ juga hatimu berada… Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. (Matt 6:21; 7:13-14)
Cinta harta benda duniawi adalah sejenis kapur burung, yang menjerat jiwa dan mencegahnya terbang kepada Tuhan. —Augustinus dari Hippo, Kebijaksanaan Para Orang Suci, Jill Haakadels, hal. 164
BACAAN TERKAIT:
Terima kasih atas dukungan Anda!
