Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent, April 2, 2025

Delivered by Father Peter Tukan, SDB from Salesian Don Bosco Gerak in the Diocese of Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. Isaiah 49: 8-15; Rs psalm 145: 8-9.13cd-14.17-18; John 5: 17-30BEING WITH THE FATHER The theme for our meditation today is: Being With theFather. Saint Teresa of Calcutta when she was still alive, carried a dyingadult on the way to her convent. She tended to all the man's wounds, fed himnutritious food, and covered his thin body with proper clothing. The man raisedhis face and asked: "Why is Sister so kind to me"? Mother Teresareplied simply, "Because I am only carrying out orders from my Boss."The man wanted to know: "Who is the Boss of Sister?" Mother replied:"My Boss is Jesus Christ. I live with him all the time." Jesus defended himself against the accusation of hisenemies that he was blaspheming God for making himself the same with God. Heemphatically said: God is His own Father. In the language of Saint Teresa, Godis her Boss.  The Lord God puts His poweron us, and we also rely on His power, so both Jesus and we deserve to invokethis phrase: I am with the Father, or we are with the Father. The reality of living and being with the Father inheaven can be expressed through an affirmation, that is, a way to defendoneself or affirm one’s identity. Through that way then we will feel strong.Suppose you are experiencing a state of strong isolation, and in solitude thereis a feeling of being disturbed by evil forces or a feeling of fear thatthreatens the peace in your heart. The affirmation that you live with theFather and rely on His strength is paramount, so that you may be freed fromthat isolated and strange experience. Living and being with the Father can also be expressedas Mother Teresa did. We use the power and participation of the Father in doinggood and serving others. This is the same as that proclaimed by the prophetIsaiah, who says this in the first reading of today: I have formed and givenyou a covenant for mankind to rebuild the earth. We work, serve, do good, buildup this world, with our primary guideline, which is because we are in and withthe Almighty Father. With that gift the kingdom of God is present in theworld. Today we as a Church bear the important responsibility of renewing theface of the earth from time to time with the help of the Holy Spirit. To facethe problems of this world, the good advice would be this: we use our strengthto be with our own Father. What to keep in mind is we should always avoid the actof distancing oneself from the unity with the Lord, or the tendency to rely onlyon human strength. Because God Himself says that being outside of Him and notrelying on His power, we will be nothing. We are in danger of being nothing anddoing nothing.Let us pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord Jesus Christ,strengthen always our communion with the holy Triune God in order to renewourselves and life on this earth. Hail Mary full of grace... In the nameof the Father ...