Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Thursday of the 20th week in ordinary time, August 21, 2025, Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope

Delivered by Grace Larope from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Judges 11: 29-39a; Rs psalm 40: 5.7-8a.8b-9.10; Matthew 22: 1-14.NEW HEART AND A NEWSPIRIT Our meditation todayhas the theme: A New Heart And A New Spirit. Human heart has its spiritualdimension, from which the activities such as feeling, willing and choosingcome. Meanwhile, human spirit is the spiritual element of human person thatconnects himself or herself with God. When he or she is praying or meditating on the Word of God, his or her spiritual activity becomes dominant, wherein all his or her attention is in union with the divine. There are occasionswhen the condition of one's heart and spirit is considered old or out of date.This means that if his heart and spirit below the standard of the Lord, namelya old type of human profile enslaved by sin and evil. The Lord wills that thistype must be replaced with a new profile of man or woman, namely the one who isrenewed and redeemed in the spirit of God. In general, the scriptures give usthe truth that Jesus Christ had made new the face ofthe earth and particularly the people who take part in His being the Son of Godand in His mission, are truly made new. There was a boy whowas too naughty at home that has caused him a big setback in his study at thejunior high school near his home. Surely he became frustrated and his parentswere mostly anxious about their son's study situation. They responded to this bybringing the boy to the school dormitory at the beginning of the new schoolyear. Priests and religious brothers took care the boys who were members ofthis dormitory. On the first day at the dormitory, this teenager soonexperienced a situation of confict within himself. The condition of thedormitory, the rules, togetherness with his fellow students, and the assistancefrom priests and brothers; all these seemed to make him unable to follow hisown will as he used to be in the past, such as laziness, grumbling, protesting,insulting, stealing, fighting. This conflict did notdiscourage him. However, the life in the dormitory for him was a goodchallenge, especially since he remembered that in the beginning he was givenencouragment that he would obtain good achievement in his study. He just livedout this new life day by day and wanted that, that promise would come true.During the holidays after school year and while at home, his family noticed thefact that this boy has completely changed.His mother asked him: "What has made youchange, son?" He responded the mother by pointing out to the cross ofJesus hanging on the wall. This is an example ofa new heart and a new spirit. The prophetEzekiel explained that God would come and walk around to forgive His people whowere already so sinful. They would be released from their old life, and begiven a new life, with their hearts and spirits made new. When every time we acceptand fulfill God's will to do His work, we are made new again. Let's alwaysaccept His invitation to work in His Kingdom! Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord Jesus, may we always fulfill Your word and invitation to follow andfulfill the Father's will. Our Fatherwho art in heaven ... In name of the Father ...