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Denny together with Fr. Willy from our Theology
 

Mary in my Life - Reflection by Denny Wahyudi::  Mary in My Life's Vocation ::

 

by Denny Wahyudi

 

Denny Wahyudi, of our Chicago Theology community, was just ordained a Deacon and made Final Vows in the Xaverian Congregation.  He shares with us his journey and his devotion to Mary who keeps sustaining him in his consecration and life's commitment as a missionary.

Marian Spirituality - in Focus on Mission #44eflecting on my life and vocation with the Xaverian missionaries, I will never forget my experience of praying the rosary with my Catholic neighbors during the evenings of May and October. This opportunity helped me express my positive answer to the vocation that I am living right now with the Xaverian Missionaries, which is a journey toward missionary, religious, and priestly dedication. 

When I was in Junior High, I moved in a new rented-house with my family. This move certainly influenced my future life and idea to be a priest. It was in this house that some catechists some evening came to visit and ask my father whether we, his children, wanted to be catechumens and be baptized in the Catholic Church. One of the catechists, Joko was his name, works now in Muara Siberut-Mentawai, one of the missions of the Xaverian Missionaries. I even visited with him in the Mentawai before I entered the Xaverians in 1996. My Father agreed to the request, and I began attending catechism classes in a convent of nuns not far from my house, the Blessed Sacrament Missionaries Sisters of Claris (MC), originally from Mexico. This convent has a shrine of Mary with a gorgeous mosaic depicting Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas. 

A word about my parents: they married in a Catholic Church in my native town in 1970, but none of us children was baptized. My mother was Catholic, who later on changed religion, and my father, who was not Catholic, professed no religion at all. Things are different with him, now. After almost two years of the journey of a catechumen, I was baptized on December 24, 1990: I was 16 year old at that time. Even though I was baptized an adult, I already knew some Catholic teachings from my Catholic schools since kindergarten at Saint Bernard, which belongs to the Ursuline Sisters, and from my grade school at Saint Joseph, which belonged to the Brothers of Saint Aloysius. In both schools, I would often mentioned that I was Protestant like my mother, but during my Junior High School in public school, I decided to be Catholic because I knew some Catholic teaching. The study and memorizing of verses of the Scriptures did not attract me much. The influence and life example of my oldest sister and my grandmother (the mother of my father) who lived in our family after my mother passed away, were great motivations for me to be Catholic. After their baptism in the Catholic Church, I followed them.

My grandma invited me often to pray the rosary with our Catholic neighbors. I used to walk with her to the place of gathering. Her baptismal name was Maria, and even my mother's name was Anna Maria. It is not a coincidence that the two most important nurturing “mothers” in my life were called “Mary.” Unfortunately, my mother passed away when I was nine and my grandma died as well when I was 18 years old. 

My first thoughts about the priesthood happened on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of our Lady in 'Gua Kerep' Ambarawa, in Central Java, with some parishioners of my Church, Saint Cornelius, in Madiun, in May 1991. We joined the Trappist Sisters at the evening prayer before our departure for home, and I remained impressed by the sisters who solemnly prayed the evening prayer. They came from different parts of Indonesia, yet they were “one.” At that time, my heart and my mind began calling me deep inside, urging me to dedicate my life for something greater, to be a priest. I felt a strong eagerness to answer this call, but on my return home, I also thought that it would be an impossible reality for me. In the days that followed, and especially during the rosary prayer with my Catholic neighbors, a lady approached me and said to me, "You are worthy to be a priest, I will pray for you." It reminded me of that first desire to be a priest, and encouraged me toward that journey, even though I had hid it in my memory. At that time, I knew very little about the priesthood vocation, and what it entailed, and so I asked my grandma whether I could be a priest. My grandma answered me mysteriously, "I don’t think you should be a priest… then we’ll all look bad, with all our sins.” 

Ignoring her answer, I tried to search about this sort of vocation in the church and I found in a Catholic magazine my answers, especially when I prayed the rosary in the house of the neighbor lady. From this magazine I came to know the Xaverian Missionaries and I sent a letter to the vocation director, Father Silvano Laurenzi, SX in Yogyakarta. The articles I read in those days and the getting to know of the stories of these missionaries, eventually drew me to answer God's call with the Xaverian Missionaries, after an extended period of discernment of this vocation. 

During the rosary prayer with my Catholic neighbors, a lady approached me and said to me, "You are worthy to be a priest, I will pray for you."

It is not a coincidence but providence that my call to the Xaverian Missionaries is from the chronicle-story-chain of my young life involving with my Catholic neighbors and Mary as my intercessor to this call. I believe Mary always accompanies me on this spiritual journey that finally led me to the Xaverian Missionaries after I had worked for three years in Jakarta. 

The founder of the Xaverian Missionaries, Blessed Guido Maria Conforti had a spiritual experience of Mary at Fontanellato (Italy) whom he believed to be the intercessor of his healing before his priesthood Ordination. The Xaverian Constitutions, at number 49, reads, "Mary, mother of the Lord and the Church, has a singular role in the history of salvation. We look to her as the attentive Virgin who harbors the Word of God within. She transmits it with courage and simplicity. She is ever mindful of others' needs." And, in number 49.1: "The Rosary: In Christian tradition one of the most popular and revered Marian devotions is the rosary. We recommend its frequent use." In the formula of renewal of vows of the Xaverian missionaries, I found a correlation to Mary: "Grant me, Lord, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, your assistance so that my whole life, free from evil, may be a gift and sign of your love to all."

Because of my strong devotion to Mary, before entering the period of Xaverian Pre-Novitiate, I approached the statue of Mary at the Cathedral Church in Jakarta in February 1996. In my prayer there, I surrendered myself to her, so that what I had decided at that time would really be God’s will, and not mine own. And I came to believe that everything was going to be O.K. Even during the months of my going back and forth from office to office in order to get the Visa to come to the USA in 2002, I asked a special grace from Mary through my confreres who landed in Mexico City for theology studies. They, Maryono and Setyawan, pray to our Lady of Guadalupe for this intention. Our Lady made it possible for me to come to the USA.

Finally, as Mary lived in the midst of the disciples of Jesus, so my vocation also grew from the neighborhood Catholic community, who are strongly devoted to Mary. This Catholic community is named after Mary as well, and I can never forget the origin of my priestly vocation that stems from this community. The rosary prayer that leads me to contemplate the mysteries of Jesus is always my prayer before going to bed at night. In the midst of the Catholic community, Mary initiated, developed and nurtured the beginnings of my call to the Catholic Church and my missionary, religious and priestly vocation. And she still does today. I praise and thank God for this beautiful vocation journey I have been privileged to experience in my life. Certainly, Mary will guide me in my future steps. 

Alexander Denny Wahyudi

Companion on the Journey

 

Holy Mary,
Tender and strong Mother, our companion in the journey of life; every time we contemplate the great things that the Almighty has done for you, we feel deeply our shortcomings, our weaknesses, that we need to hurry our steps to catch up with you and stay close to you.
Forgo, we plead you, of our desire to hold your hand, and enliven our steps from being tired sojourners.
As we become more and more pilgrims in faith, we will not only seek the face of the Lord, but also contemplate your image in the faces of those in need. Thus, we will reach our “city of destiny”, and bring the same fruits of joy that one day, long ago, you brought to Elizabeth, your relative.

Bishop Tonino Bello

 

Prayer to Mary

Mary, Woman of Jerusalem
Where you offered yourself with Jesus at the foot of the Cross
Mary, Woman of the Last Supper
Where you gathered the breath of the Holy Spirit,
Mary, Woman of Ephesus,
Where you came with John, ‘Your Son’
Sent in mission by the Spirit:
Pray for us.

Mary, Mother of the sheep outside the fold,
Mother of those who do not know your son,
Mother of those who know not what they do:
Pray for us.

Mary, Mother of lifeless souls,
Mother of lightless minds,
Mother of hopeless hearts,
Mother of sons, who killed your son,
Mother of sinners, Mother of the thief who did not repent,
Mother of the son who did not come back:
Pray for us.

Mary, Mother of those who did not follow Him,
Mother of those who repudiated Him,
Mother of those who went back,
Mother of those who were not called:
Pray for us.

Mary, Mother of those who like John 
Seek the loss children of God,
Mother of those who those who descend in hell
To announce life to the dead:
Pray for us.

Mary, Mother, come and live with me:
Come to the house where I am asked to live,
Come to the land where I am asked to go,
Come among the men I am asked to love,
Come to the divisions that I am asked to heal,
Come into the hearts that I am asked to visit.
Come to my home and be my mother,
Come Mary; give me your heart as mother.
“Meryem anà” “Mary, Mother” of all peoples:
Pray for us.

Father Andrea Santoro
Missionary killed in Turkey

 

Paid in Full - A Mother's Love is Priceless

 


A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and he handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said: 

For cutting the grass: $5.00
For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00
For going to the store for you: .50
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping: .25
Taking out the garbage: $1.00
For getting a good report card: $5.00
For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00 
-----------------------------
Total owed: $14.75 

 

Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote: 

For the nine months I carried you while you grew inside me: No Charge.
For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you: No Charge.
For all the trying times, and all the tears that you've caused through the years: No Charge.
For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead: No Charge.
For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose: No Charge 
----------------------------
When you add it up, Son, the cost of my love is: No Charge. 

 

When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight up at his mother and said, "Mom, I sure do love you." 

And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote: "PAID IN FULL". 

 

MONTH ACTIVITY:

Pray the Mission Rosary, remembering the needs of each Continent. You will certainly experience Mary's closeness in your life.

 

Published - May 2006