Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Friday after Epiphany of the Lord, January 10, 2025

Delivered by Father Peter Tukan, SDB from Salesian Don Bosco Gerak in the Diocese of Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. 1 John 5: 5-13; Rs psalm 147: 12-13.14-15.19-20; Luke 5: 12-16 OVERCOMING THE WORLD   The theme for our meditation today is: Overcoming the World. There was a boy who was a grade 1 student of elementary school, coming home from school and immediately met his mother then he said: "Mom, I can read and write fast." The mother wanted to test whether her son was right or not. Then she asked him to read a word or two which she had written on a sheet of paper. The boy was also asked to rewrite those words. He proved his own words. He could read and write fast. The mother was confident in the progress of her son.   This simple experience of that boy was an example of the ability to overcome the world. In this world gather various kinds of difficulties such as ignorance, laziness, boredom, crime, pain, suffering, lies and so on. That boy of the first grade of elementary school had taken at least one step forward, namely to win against the reality of illiteracy or ignorance. That little experience reminds us of the opportunities and experiences of progress in the way we overcome various difficulties, so that our lives can move forward to achieve our expected goals.   God actually has a plan to defeat the world, that is, from the moment the first human being fell into sin, the entire world has been in the slavery of sin including all human persons who may commit sin any time any place. God's plan is called the plan of salvation. The realization of this plan is clear, namely the incarnation which is marked by the great event of the birth of Jesus Christ, which we have just celebrated in Christmas. This is the basic and solid background for every act or effort we do to overcome the world. Every individual or family or community always receive the power from Jesus Christ to overcome the world.   Saint John spoke about this in his first letter as our reading today, as he said: "The one who overcomes the world is he who believes in Jesus as the Son of God". Jesus himself had proven in His word and deed to bring salvation to people who need, for example in what he did to overcome the sickness of leprosy, that once the divine intervention takes place, that is the moment the glory and salvation stand to power. When a school principal succeeded in disciplining some of his teachers who broke the rules, he defeated the world of deceit in the school by certain dishonest teachers. A journalist overcomes the flow of lies that blow strongly by some members of the society, by telling the truth of the facts of an event.   Each of us should be able to overcome the world through our work and profession, and what is really needed is the will and the implementation. Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... Almighty God, may we become even more honest and sincere in our words and deeds. Our Father who art in heaven ... In the name of the Father ...