Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Tuesday of the eighteenth week in ordinary time, August 5, 2025

Delivered by Kezia Nikita from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Numbers 12: 1-13; Rs psalm 51: 3-4.5-6a.6bc-7.12-13; Matthew 14: 22-36.THEBLIND DON'T GUIDE THE BLIND  Ourmeditation today is entitled: The Blind Don't Guide the Blind. The work ofguiding is of the same quality as leading, directing and teaching. Thispresupposes that the person who guides is a person more qualified than the onebeing guided. For example, teachers guide students and parents guide theirchildren or grandchildren. Godprovides our lives with a learning model to become something that is expected.The animals live naturally in this law, and how much more human beings who havecivilization, where reason and faith are the basic instruments used to guideand teach, must be something more extraordinary. God's chosen people such asprophets, apostles and priests are gifted with this ability. Thisspecial task can be seen as a privilege or honour. The elects are well aware ofthis special gift. Just like a bishop or priest or president with his specialduties, he is compelled to perform it responsibly and fairly. But on the otherhand, people who are jealous or don't like this privilege tend to see it assomething unfair, unnatural and untrue. Usually there is the influence of Satanwho fills them with ambition to power, then want that position or privilege. Thathappened with God's care and compassion for the Israelites who were inBabylonian captivity, but were illuminated by the prophet Jeremiah's prophecythat their deliverance really happened. This prophecy was opposed by people whodo not like God's will. They were like blind men leading the blind Israeliteson their way to their native land. Their behaviour is similar to that of thePharisees whom Jesus denounced. They were against the Lord Jesus Christ. Theevents described by today's Gospel reading are enough to explain to us that asmall or weak faith as shown by the apostle Peter, cannot be relied on to guideand teach others whose faith is not yet strong. What has happened is thaterroneous believers like the Pharisees thought they were capable of guidingothers. Yet it is the same as the blind leading the blind. It could be thatthey together fell into ruin. Or worse, it could be that they plunge peopleinto the valley of sin, while they know how to escape. To avoid this, one wisepiece of advice for us should be this one: the blind don’t lead the blind. TheApostle Peter has now become a true model of our faith, because his faith isalready genuine. Let'spray. In the name of the Father... O Lord and our God, may in Your grace we canfill this whole day always with words and deeds that acknowledge Your greatnessand glorify Your name. Hail Mary full of grace... In the name of the Father...