Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Thursday of the 31st week in ordinary time, November 6, 2025

Delivered by Vivian from the Parish Saint Thomas the Apostle in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indonesia. Romans 14: 7-12; Rs psalm 27: 1.4.13-14; Luke 15: 1-10.BEING GOD'S PEOPLE Our meditation todayhas entitled: Being God's People. The teenager and adult catechumens arepreparing themselves for baptism in the coming Holy Week. They hold regulardiscussions at every meeting during learning activities. There was a veryinteresting discussion session, and a young man who participated in this sessionthen shared his reflection. At that time theydiscussed on the consequences one should face after the baptism. In general,they understand that all rules and teachings in the Catholic Church must bediligently followed. For this young man, those general guidelines andinstructions are very normative. That means, each and every member of theCatholic Church must obey and practice them. The focus of his attention is hispersonal commitment to be responsible for his own faith. He is very seriousabout that commitment. This has abackground. Before choosing to be baptized Catholic, he had gone throughperiods of conflict and suffering. He involved in many types of crimes in thesociety, and had spent two years life in prison. Reflecting on his way of life,he then made a conclusion, that if God had created him, God certainly will takecare and guide him, even though he is a very sinful person. In short, he cannotrun away from God. God will catch him anywhere and anytime. The young man reallyrealizes that he belongs to God. This belief then led him to the decision tochoose to come close to God, through baptism in the Catholic Church. The youngman's experience is a reflection of what is said in the first reading of today,that is, whether we live or die, we remain belong to God. As God has good andrighteous people, this is something very natural. They always reveal the faceof God in the world through their real lives. They are the light of God for theworld. But this does notmean that God closes His eyes to those who are sinners or who are weak infaith. A husband and wife never give up on their children who do not praydiligently, do not attend the Holy Mass regularly every Sunday, and are notactive in Church activities. They believe that their children still belong toGod. Even though it seems they are far away and outside the circle of theChurch, they also never forget and negate God. They still pray individually andentrust their lives into God's hands. In fact, God isguiding them and many others who are living like the lost sheep, who in propertime will return to the sheepfold, the Church. Everyone has his or her own timeto become again the good sheep. Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O tender and kind Lord, make us Your true shepherds who will find the manylost sheeps in whatever place in this world, and to bring them back to You.Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name ofthe Father...