Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Monday of the sixth week of Easter, May 11th, 2026

Delivered by Melinda from the Parish of Saint Marinus Yohanes in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Acts of the Apostles 16: 11-15; Rs psalm 149: 1-2.3-4.5-6a.9b; Yohanes 15: 26 - 16: 4a.THE SECRET OF A HELPER Our meditation today has the theme: The Secret of aHelper. There is a female dog with three puppies that are very cute. In themorning the mother dog carried a number of bones from the back of the kitchento feed her three children. Day and night the food were also the bones leftoverfrom her master's kitchen. The next two days the food were still the samebones. The three children began to get bored and planned to fight. They showedtheir strong protest to their mother. Then all three agreed to do a hunger strike. Theychose to sleep or play instead of eating bones. It turned out that when theywere enjoying themselves, their mother brought fried rice from the master'skitchen. That most delicious food was just left alone until it was rotten, andthe children were very disappointed when they saw for themselves that whattheir mother had brought was not the bones, but the most delicious fried ricethey always dream to eat. The mother dog is an example of a faithful helper toher children. Many of us are good and faithful helpers in one way or another.What form the help is like and how it is manifested, depends very much on thehelper. The person who is helped does not need to be tempted to imagine theform of the help to be given to him or her. Lidya, a Christian woman in thefirst reading, offered lodging assistance to Paul and his companions. That isthe secret of Lydia, a good and generous helper. Paul and Silas did not have tobother knowing all the contents of the plan of help from that woman and herfamily. This is what we intend to say about the secret of ahelper. Do we ever know the secret of God's will to helps us? Never. The HolySpirit sent by Jesus Christ and His Father from heaven for us, also has secretaccording to His will. Jesus only revealed the sign that His messenger is ourAdvocate and Defender. We just allow Him to do His job in helping us. We do nothave the authority to force our desires on the Holy Spirit. The point is that,what He will do for us is our benefit and our salvation. Anyone from us who have intention, will, plan and workto help, let him do in good will and clear motivation out of love. His helpmust be appropriate, positive, healthy and with the aim of bringing goodnessand salvation to those people helped. We are not supposed to help others withevil means and ends. It is not helping, but only imposing one's own will whichplunges others into sin, trouble and suffering. Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... Lord Jesus Christ, help us to imitateYourself in helping others, and may we always open to all teachings of YourHoly Spirit. May we are happy to imitate your mother, the Virgin Mary, who isalso a true helper. Hail Mary, full of grace ... In the name of the Father ...