Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Thursday of the 19th week in ordinary time, August 14, 2025, Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, priest and martyr

Delivered by Gabriella Natani from the Parish of Good Shepherd in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Joshua 3: 7-10a. 11.13-17; Rs psalm 114: 1-2.3-4.5-6; Matthew 18: 21 - 19:1.A NEW LIFE ACROSSTHE JORDAN The title forour meditation today is: A New Life Across the Jordan. There is a remotevillage called the Valley of Life. Before becoming a densely populated andprosperous village, the valley was only known for the river that gives lifethroughout the season and inhabited by wildlife. But slowly the inhabitants ofthe mountains came to the valley to settle down. For them, living in the valleywill bring prosperity because there is a constant source of water and fertilesoil. The location is on one of the banks of the river with a flat and widesurface, while opposite it is rocks and cliffs. According toboth readings of today, the phrase "across the Jordan" indicates aperiod of new life that God had provided for those who made it through a riverwhose waters could be frightening and dangerous. This situation reminds us ofthe liberation of the Israelites when the Red Sea parted and they escaped thepursuit of the Egyptian army. Joshua, the young Moses' successor, managed tolead his people across the Jordan and was able to gain freedom across theJordan. When teachingHis disciples about forgiveness, the Lord Jesus wanted to lead us to break freefrom the habit of not forgiving. In general, people cannot or will not forgivebecause they are still hurt, angry and resentful. In order to truly forgive,one must pass through the "Jordan", which is a burden of lack orinability to forgive, so that after reaching the other side, one becomes a newperson who always forgives.  Jesus taughtthis with authority and He took all who followed Him to walk a new life acrossthe Jordan. There was a husband who recently had a serious conflict with hiswife. The most important factor is that after he retired early from his placeof work, the family economy began to falter. The wife was always angry and eveninsulted her husband, because he no longer had the ability to build a family.The anger resulted in the husband's heartache and further caused him to fallseriously ill. Her threechildren, who have just started working, finally became a solution. Each ofthem is committed to overcoming the economic situation of their parents. Theyand their mother worked together to take care of and treat their father. In themoments of cooperation and that sense of responsibility expressed to overcomedifficulties in the family, they all feel how the burden of life is eventuallygone away. What exists is a new life. They are already on the other side of theJordan. May we all strive to cross the Jordan and enjoy a new life there.Letus pray. In the name of the Father ... O merciful and loving Father, hold us inyour mighty hands when we fall because of the burdens of life. Our Father who artin heaven... In the name of the Father ...