Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Tuesday of the 8th week in ordinary time, May 26th, 2026, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest

Delivered by Stella from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. 1 Peter 1: 10-16; Rs psalm 98: 1.2-3ab.3c-4; Mark 10: 28-31.REPENTANCE THAT IS NOT IN VAIN Our meditation today has thetheme: Repentance That Is Not in Vain. Saint Peter as the leader of the earlyChurch had a very big responsibility to maintain and defend the faith of his fellowChristians. The members of the Church that were increasing day by day hadbecome the new baptized Christians. They came from other beliefs or ideologies,most of whom were considered pagans by the Jews. Their choice to abandon their old beliefs or ideologiesand embraced Christ-led Christianity was generally seen as a form ofconversion. The apostle Peter taught and guided them to repent sincerely whichmeans to have a repentance not in vain. Peter was not speaking without reason aboutrepentance not in vain. Its basis was his own experience with the companions ofthe apostles and the first disciples of Jesus. At first around Galilee in the area of ​​Judea, Peter andhis companions were Jewish ordinary people. They were like all other Jews. Someof them were fishermen in the sea of Galilee. They had the books of the Mosaiclaw and all its religious traditions. But Jesus Christ came and brought achange in their lives. The new life brought by Jesus had indeed completed whathas been handed down by Judaism and its traditions. It was then later calledChristianity. Peter and his companions experienced repentance for themselves,and that repentance was not in vain. What is meant by repentance not in vain? The evangelistMark today gives one definition. Repentance is not simply leaving an old lifeand acknowledging the new one. It is the same as a person leaving one place andarriving at a new destination. It is simply as that. In a new place he didn'tknow what to do or what to behave. This is not a repentance requested by theLord. It is tantamount to futile repentance. On the other hand, the apostle Peter and his companionsmade a repentance with the content of self-denial and all that is attached tooneself even like family members, then what is even more challenging is willingto endure suffering and persecution. This is a very meaningful repentance. So,someone who is truly converted is he or she who remains as a human person inthe world but with the clothes, body, and attitudes of Jesus Christ. A personwho follows his or her culture and traditions, but whose heart, mind, will,pattern of life, and spirit of life is Jesus Christ. It is a genuine repentanceor a radical new life. It is this repentance that revives the Church throughoutthe ages. Let'spray. In the name of the Father... Our Father in heaven, bless us so that thefaith we profess in Christ endures from now to the end of time. Our Father whoart in heaven... In the name of the Father...