Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Wednesday of the third week in Ordinary Time, January 29, 2025

Delivered by Father Peter Tukan, SDB from Salesian Don Bosco Gerak in the Diocese of Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. Hebrews 10: 11-18; Rs psalm 110: 1.2.3.4; Mark 4: 1-20 ORIGINALITY AND OBEDIENCE   Our meditation today has the theme: Originality and Obedience. Nowadays, if you are shopping for mechanical and electronic goods, your mind is divided between buying original or non-original and pirated ones. Written and research works, musical compositions and songs, speeches and sermons, thoughts and actions when presented, the public can judge straightforwardly whether what is presented is original or just made by others.   Likewise in terms of obedience or compliance. There are standards and norms that are always with our lives at all times. No human being who lives every day is outside the scope of these boundaries. Although life of a person in solitude, he must obey the existing structure or condition. Entering a narrow door or passing through an upper limit lower than his body, he must obey to tilt his body and bow down. When the wind and rain come, he must try to protect himself.   The benefit of originality is to maintain what is your identity so as to strengthen your identity as already gifted by the Creator. This is a basic indication for every created being. Goods or things created by humans also show originality, because they present the identity of both the goods or things, as well as their creators. In other words, originality refers to obedience to whoever holds it or creates it.   The benefit of obedience is to be and to walk on a predetermined path so that people do not go beyond the boundaries or exceed what is not expected. In other words, obedience always directs a person to be loyal to his originality. If your identity as a teacher, then obedience requires you to remain a teacher, even if you are doing another job or temporarily taking part in a certain different activity.   Today, our sacred readings teach us about being original as God has ordained us so. Jesus gave the parable of the sower who sowed seeds. He was a sower, and did not go to teach in the classroom or keep the shop. It is authenticity. Our existence anywhere, and any job, must present our authenticity. In His work Jesus, we who have been called and sanctified by Him through baptism, are given our originality as our participation in Jesus Christ. We cannot be part of Satan or anyone other than Jesus. To Jesus, we offer all our obedience, so our lives remain original. Let us pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord Jesus, make us always faithful to God's will as you are ever faithful to God the Father. Hail Mary full of grace... In the name of the Father...