Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Friday of the 7th week in Ordinary Time, February 28, 2025

Delivered by Father Peter Tukan, SDB from Salesian Don Bosco Gerak in the Diocese of Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. Sirach 6: 5-17; Rs psalm 119: 12.16.18.27.34.35; Mark 10: 1-12THE MEASURE OF FIDELITY The theme for our meditation today is: The Measure of Fidelity.There is a couple who seem to love each other and often seen in public, but itseems that many people do not know if they have personal problem that is quitedisturbing. In front of the children they look peaceful, yet they hide their shortcomings.In the midst of the people around, they look harmonious, but there is aconflict between them that they don't want to show. At the heart of the problem between the two is theirmisunderstanding of expressing a sense of belonging between them. The wifequestions that the husband only says and promises about fidelity, but inpractice it is empty. For example, the wife was often promised to go shoppingor go on a recreational trip with the children, but the husband never kept it.In recent years, she has not been accompanied by her husband when she celebratedher birthdays. Her husband was very busy with official works. The reason given by the husband is that he alwaysexpresses his concern and fidelity through the fulfillment of all materialneeds for his wife, children and the family as a whole. This clearlyillustrates that the views and understandings of fidelity are very differentbetween the two. The wife wants the measure of loyalty from her husband to bereal in the form of his presence and togetherness. Meanwhile, the husbandthinks that fidelity is realized through the fulfillment of all material needsfor the household. The important thing is to eat, drink, wear, shop, and workguaranteed. What does the measure of fidelity actually look like?In principle, fidelity is often felt to be useful when it is measuredqualitatively. For example, the use of adjectives such as very good, goodenough, quite good, quite encouraging; or less and not good. The satisfactionof the experience of faithfulness is easy for us to accept, as said in thefollowings phrases: "faithfulness is very good", or"faithfulness is very unpleasant". In short, with this qualitativestatement of fidelity, we are helped to judge that a person's fidelity at aparticular moment is good or bad. Apart from that, we can also look at and judge fidelityquantitatively, which is a measure to reveal that fidelity lasts for a moment,some time, or forever. God created a bond of love between a man and a woman,and then decreed that their marriage was supported by fidelity with a quantitativemeasure, that is, for all eternity. With this quantitative measure, good or badfidelity will greatly influence shaping whether a person's fidelity lasts ordoes not last. Our sacred readings today truly teach us about faithfulness thatendures forever.Let us pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord our God,strengthen our faithfulness, especially our faithfulness to You and to ourneighbors. Our Father who art in heaven ... In the name of the Father...