Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Thursday of the 7th week in Ordinary Time, February 27, 2025

Delivered by Father Peter Tukan, SDB from Salesian Don Bosco Gerak in the Diocese of Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. Sirach 5: 1-8; Rs psalm 1: 1-2.3.4.6; Mark 9: 41-50DO NOT DELAY REPENTANCE The theme for our meditation today is: Do Not DelayRepentance. There was a student began to learn to smoke cigarettes sinceentering junior high school. First of all, he learned from his father at homewho was very fond of smoking. At school, he also followed the habit of teacherswho smoked. Among their peers, they shared a sense of joy and pride in smoking. His mother advised him to stop smoking. He promisedthat after finishing the final exam, he would stop. But he did not keep hispromise, and he even liked to smoke more and more. He told his mother to stoplater after the second grade. It turned out that his promise was not provenafter he was in the second grade, and then in the third grade, until hegraduated from junior high school. In senior high school, his love of smokingwas unstoppable. He smoked as freely as he could. Many people reprimanded, advised and proposed ways forhim to stop smoking. But he always said that he would quit smoking later. Hepostponed once, then postponed, and then postponed again. By the time hefinished college and started working, he was already an addict. He always smokedand the only time he didn't smoke was when he's sleeping. In the end, came theconsequence. He began to complain of headaches. When diagnosed by the medical doctor,the bad news came was like a hard slap in the face, which was he had lungcancer. The doctor got all his life stories and the conclusionshould be revealed to him was, he always underestimated all the advices andwarnings to quit smoking. As a consequence, he always delayed his promise toquit smoking. Eventually, that long delay sent him to a bitter situation withthe doctor's verdict that the lung cancer that attacked him would soondetermine his fate of life or death. The advice and warning not to delay repentance is notjust for that man. Long before the coming of Jesus into the world, the book ofSirach had warned every human being not to delay repentance. Each of uscertainly does not have the perfect power to resist and drive out sin. Big orsmall, few or many, we have fallen into sin. Nevertheless, God has provided theway of repentance as a way to obtain freedom and salvation. So repentance isabsolutely necessary to be done now and in this place, so that we can be safeand happy. Regret then will be very useless. Repentance makes us safe eventhough we are already wounded by sin, rather than a complete condition but weare not saved.Let us pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord Jesus,strengthen our faith in the spirit of repentance for our salvation. Glory tothe Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of theFather...