Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Friday of the fourth week of Easter, May 16, 2025

Delivered by Vici from the Parish of Saint John the Baptist in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indonesia. Acts of the Apostles 13: 26-33; Rs psalm 2: 6-7.8-9.10-11; John 14: 1-6.THE GOOD SHEPHERD COMFORTS ANDWELCOMES The title for our meditation today is:The Good Shepherd Comforts and Welcomes. We humans feel comfortable when weengage in our interpersonal relationships with one another. Whereas we feelbeing welcomed or at home when we relate to the environtment around and thingswe have or use. For example, you feel comfortable with friends near you, and atthe same time you feel at home in the atmosphere of cooperation and peaceenvironment. The Lord Jesus as our good shepherdgives us comfort and feeling at home in such context. Jesus makes uscomfortable with Him and our fellow believers. Jesus makes us feel at home inHis house, the Church, also in relation with all His teachings andcommandments. The very fitting expression for this is what Jesus says today inthe Gospel reading: do not let your heart be troubled, have faith in God, havefaith also in Me. With My Father and Me, everything will be at home andcomfortable. But not everyone agrees about beingcomfortable and at home in Christ. There are always people who don'timmediately understand. There can also be different interpretations. Forexample, the apostle Tomas asked in this way, “Show us what you are saying!”Then Jesus so convincingly said: I am the way, the truth and the life. Thisassertion is sufficient enough to overcome that doubt. Jesus empowers the ministers of theChurch to comfort and make every believer in the Church feel at home. Like theApostle Peter, Saint Paul also had the teaching authority to preach all thetruths about Jesus Christ. This really comforted and gave feeling at home toall those who listened to his preaching, especially the Gentiles or non-Jewishbelievers who were very critical and skeptical. They could accept Paul'steachings and eventually chose to become followers of Christ. Then the question to be raised aboutthis would be: who is the most responsible to provide a comfortable and feelingat home experience of one’s life? For sure it is not God and the Churchleaders. They will always give attention and care to all of us out of love.Being comfortable and at home is not their primary concern. So, feelingcomfortable and at home must be first created by each one of us. It is the same with the fact of lifewhen we reject or accept our father and mother. They are God's gift to each ofus. But about being comfortable with your own father and mother, it is your ownresponsibility. You and I have to create it. Feeling at home and comfortablewith God and the Church must be our duty to make it.Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... Almighty God, may we always feel comfortable and at home because youare always in our midst through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Our Father who art inheaven ... In the name of the Father …