Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Friday of the first week of Lent, March 14, 2025

Delivered by Father Peter Tukan, SDB from Salesian Don Bosco Gerak in the Diocese of Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. Ezekiel 18: 21-28; Rs psalm 130: 1-2.3-4ab.4c-6.7-8; Matthew 5: 20-26PEACE Our meditation today has the theme: Peace. A man drovehis car along the main road with a feeling of relief and comfort. Leaving thatroad, he entered the toll road with the same feeling. He seemed calm andenjoyed driving his car so comfortably, when the atmosphere of the city of Jakartathat day was very far from the crowd and density of vehicles as usual. Jakartais on vacation related to the holiday of that day. The man revealed that in matters of driving that day,he was very peaceful. There was no congestion, crowds, machine noise andnon-stop horning, bringing a calm and safe atmosphere.  The lack of vehicle smoke also reduces thefeeling of tightness in breathing that created an inner satisfaction. There wasno fatigue and pain on the faces of the drivers, which certainly brought asense of joy to the passengers. All of that brings peace in the heart. A sense of peace in our hearts and within us iscreated thanks to the completeness of its supporting factors. One of thefactors is as mentioned in the description earlier. With no chaotic, noisy,disturbing, crowded or busy atmosphere, we become calm and a sense of peace iscreated. One can find a way to avoid that situation, and in a quiet place toenjoy the state away from all kinds of crowds, he experiences peace. In a stateof calmness and solitude, there is peace. There is another factor that is a way of creatingpeace, namely by creating justice. If everyone is orderly to live in their ownpath, with their rights and obligations properly guaranteed, justice will come.Everyone lives rightly, and participates in creating a harmonious lifetogether, this is where peace is created. In this way, our Gospel today remindsus of the importance of justice that must be made and created in a real way, sothat peace is truly the embodiment of God's own love. With the example of making peace first with anopponent or enemy before coming to God's presence to pray and give thanks,Jesus here emphasizes the importance to be just. It seems that the enemy oropponent is abandoned or ignored, while we remain in talking or praying to God.This is really unfair. This is injustice. So justice demands that the problemwith the opponent be resolved for a solution that is acceptable to all parties,and only after that it becomes a prayer and an expression of gratitude. The prophet Ezekiel asks for sincere repentance, andwe should make the way of creating peace through the creation of justice as anexpression of our repentance in this period of Lent.Let us pray. In the name of the Father ... O Lord, may YourSpirit fill us with the gift of true justice and peace. Glory to the Father andto the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father...