Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Friday of the fourteenth week in ordinary time, July 11, 2025, Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

Delivered by Shendy and Andrew Jost from the Parish of Saint Albert the Great in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Genesis 46: 1-7.28-30; Rs psalm 37: 3-4.18-19.27-28.39-40; Matthew 10: 16-23.THE SPIRIT WHO SPEAKS The title for our meditation today is:The Spirit Who Speaks. A friend who is a priest has been a missionary for manyyears in a very remote and far away country. He even got a privilege to servethe Local Church and his religious congregation through various importantpositions. He said that, the secret he is very well accepted in the internalcircles of the Church, fellow members of his congregation and the people of thearea, is because he really enters into the hearts of people. He intended to explain that tounderstand what the locals’ hearts and minds say, you must enter into theircircle and actively talk with them. Ironically, the culture of that societydoes not show that they like to talk openly and to freely express themselves.In general they seem silent and reserved. To other people or guests, someoneneeds to bow his head to show a proper way of speaking and communicating. According to the missionary, if youwant to be in their midst and understand their conversation, you need to bewith them when they talk and share about themselves and their lives. Whenexactly is that moment? He said, when they are drinking beer or alcoholicdrinks. The spirit or energy that makes them speak and express themselves isalcohol. Without that spirit and without being with them, a missionary or guestis still considered foreign to them, and is never considered belonging to them. For all people as we communicate aboutthe identity of our faith, Jesus Christ reminds us that we will be likestrangers in the midst of the world. We are like sheep in the middle of wolves.One simple example. I, who have faith and knowledge of God, I am in the midstof digital communication with its culture and ways of communication. I have totry my best to enter with my Christian spirit and values, which may fail or canbe carried away by the huge manifestations of the digital world interaction. Thereis a common choice to make is to do a compromise. In the midst of today's worldcomplexity, God teaches us to have the ability to hear and obey the Holy Spiritwho speaks. We do not choose the spirit of alcohol or the type of pleasure ofthe flesh or the world to make us speak. We need to provide appropriate spacein ourselves for the Holy Spirit so that He speaks to us, and sends us to speakto the world around us. That space is our heart and mind, which is in every personin good will and faith. That space can also be our families, groups andcommunities. Let us give the place and time for the Spirit to speak. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O most Holy Spirit, come to us and speak to us according to Yourwill. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the nameof the Father ...