Perbarisan Times Square, oleh Alexander Chen
WE sedang hidup dalam zaman berbahaya. Tetapi hanya sedikit yang menyedarinya. Apa yang saya maksudkan bukanlah ancaman keganasan, perubahan iklim, atau perang nuklear, tetapi sesuatu yang lebih halus dan berbahaya. Ia adalah kemaraan musuh yang telah mendapat tempat di banyak rumah dan hati dan sedang berjaya menimbulkan kemusnahan yang mengerikan apabila ia merebak ke seluruh dunia:
Bunyi.
Saya bercakap mengenai kebisingan rohani. Suara yang sangat keras di jiwa, begitu memekakkan hati, sehingga setelah masuk, ia mengaburkan suara Tuhan, mematikan hati nurani, dan membutakan mata untuk melihat kenyataan. Ini adalah salah satu musuh paling berbahaya pada masa kita kerana, walaupun perang dan keganasan membahayakan tubuh, kebisingan adalah pembunuh jiwa. Dan jiwa yang telah mematikan suara Tuhan berisiko tidak pernah mendengar Dia lagi selama-lamanya.
NOISE
Musuh ini selalu mengintai, tetapi mungkin tidak lebih dari hari ini. Rasul St John memberi amaran bahawa bunyi bising adalah penanda semangat dajjal:
Jangan cinta dunia atau perkara dunia. Sekiranya ada orang yang mengasihi dunia, kasih Bapa tidak ada dalam dirinya. Untuk semua yang ada di dunia, nafsu sensual, hasrat untuk mata, dan kehidupan yang megah, bukan berasal dari Bapa tetapi berasal dari dunia. Namun dunia dan daya tarikannya sudah berlalu. Tetapi barangsiapa melakukan kehendak Tuhan kekal selamanya. Anak-anak, ini adalah jam terakhir; dan seperti yang anda dengar bahawa antikristus akan datang, jadi sekarang banyak antikristus telah muncul. (1 Yohanes 2: 15-18)
Nafsu daging, tarikan untuk mata, kehidupan yang megah. Inilah cara-cara yang digunakan oleh pemerintah dan pemerintah untuk mengarahkan kebisingan terhadap umat manusia yang tidak curiga.
BISNES KEHILANGAN
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.
Bunyi PEMBERITAHUAN
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 (sering menimbulkan ketidakadilan dengan sendirinya melalui upah yang menyedihkan) telah membawa tsunami barang kos rendah, didahului oleh gelombang iklan tanpa henti yang menempatkan diri, dan bukan sesama sendiri, di atas prioriti utama.
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, ucapan di Gereja St. Joseph, 8 April 2008, Yorkville, New York; Agensi Berita Katolik
Bunyi PEMBAKARAN
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.
KEBERANIAN HATI
Sudah tentu, semua bunyi ini tidak boleh dianggap jahat. Tubuh manusia dan seksualiti adalah anugerah dari Tuhan, bukan halangan yang memalukan atau kotor. Perkara-perkara material tidak baik atau buruk, hanya ... sehingga kita meletakkannya di mezbah hati kita menjadikannya berhala. Dan internet juga boleh 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 jagaan hati. St Paul menulis,
Jangan menyesuaikan diri dengan zaman ini tetapi berubah dengan pembaharuan fikiran anda ... (Rom 12: 2)
Penjagaan hati bermaksud bahawa saya tidak berpegang teguh pada hal-hal dunia, dengan mematuhi jalan-jalannya yang tidak bertuhan, tetapi pada Kerajaan, cara-cara Tuhan. Ini bermaksud menemui semula makna hidup dan menyelaraskan tujuan saya dengannya ...
… Marilah kita melepaskan diri dari setiap beban dan dosa yang melekat pada kita dan bertekun dalam menjalankan perlumbaan yang ada di hadapan kita sambil mengawasi Yesus, pemimpin dan iman yang sempurna. (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 hamba 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. "Buat tiada peruntukan untuk daging,” said St. Paul (see Harimau di Sangkar.) 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 memandang wanita dengan nafsu sudah berzina dengannya di dalam hatinya. (Mat 5:28)
Bagaimana, dalam budaya pornografi kita, seorang lelaki boleh terus jatuh ke dalam dosa perzinaan dengan matanya? Jawapannya ialah meletakkan menu 
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 jagaan mata:
Lampu badan adalah mata. Sekiranya mata anda sihat, seluruh badan anda akan dipenuhi cahaya; tetapi jika mata anda buruk, seluruh badan anda 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 boleh menulis buku mengenai kemiskinan. Tetapi St. Paul mungkin merangkumnya dengan terbaik:
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)
Kami kehilangan hak penjagaan hati dengan selalu mencari sesuatu yang lebih baik, untuk perkara terbaik seterusnya. 
Salah satu Perintah adalah untuk tidak mengingini barang jiran saya. Sebabnya, Yesus memperingatkan, adalah bahawa seseorang tidak dapat membelah hatinya antara Tuhan dan mamon (harta benda).
Tidak ada yang dapat melayani dua tuan. Dia akan membenci satu sama lain dan mencintai yang lain, atau setia kepada yang satu dan memandang rendah yang lain. (Mat 6:24)
Menjaga jagaan hati bermaksud memperoleh, sebahagian besarnya, apa yang kita perlu daripada apa yang kita mahu, bukan menimbun tetapi berkongsi dengan orang lain, terutama yang miskin.
Kekayaan yang berlebihan yang engkau menimbun dan menderita menjadi busuk ketika engkau seharusnya memberikannya sedekah kepada orang miskin, pakaian berlebihan yang engkau miliki dan lebih suka melihat dimakan oleh rama-rama daripada pakaian orang miskin, dan emas dan perak yang engkau memilih untuk melihat kebohongan dalam kemalasan daripada membelanjakan makanan untuk orang miskin, semua ini, aku katakan, akan memberi kesaksian terhadapmu pada hari kiamat. —St. Robert Bellarmine, Kebijaksanaan Orang Suci, Jill Haakadels, hlm. 166
Pepatah
Penjagaan hati juga bermaksud menjaga kata-kata kita, memiliki jagaan 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 masa sekarang dengan segenap hati, jiwa, akal 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 memberitahu anda, pada hari penghakiman orang akan membuat pernyataan untuk setiap perkataan ceroboh yang mereka ucapkan. (Mat 12:36)
Anggaplah hati anda sebagai tungku. Mulut anda adalah pintu. Setiap kali anda membuka pintu, anda akan mengeluarkan panas. Apabila anda menutup pintu, terus diingat di hadapan Tuhan, api cinta Ilahi-Nya akan bertambah panas dan lebih panas sehingga, ketika saatnya tepat, kata-kata anda dapat berfungsi untuk membangun, membebaskan, dan memudahkan penyembuhan 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.
Maksiat atau kekotoran atau kerakusan sekalipun tidak boleh disebut di antara anda, seperti yang berlaku di antara orang-orang kudus, tidak ada cabul atau ceramah bodoh atau bernas, yang tidak sesuai, tetapi sebaliknya, ucapan terima kasih. (Ef 5: 3-4)
PELANGGAN DAN PENJAGA
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.
Bagi setiap orang yang melakukan perkara-perkara jahat membenci cahaya dan tidak menghampiri cahaya, sehingga karya-karyanya mungkin tidak terpapar. (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.
Di mana harta anda berada, di sana juga akan ada hati anda ... 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 akan harta benda duniawi adalah sejenis burung, yang menjerat jiwa dan menghalangnya terbang ke Tuhan. - Augustine of Hippo, Kebijaksanaan Orang Suci, Jill Haakadels, hlm. 164
MEMBACA BERKAITAN:
Terima kasih atas sokongan anda!
