Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Friday of the 23rd week in ordinary time, September 11, 2026.
The theme for our meditation today is: The End Justifies the Way. There was a leadership training for a group of Catholic youth held in a remote village. Part of this training was to travel to the top of the hill about 8 kilometers away. The participants were required to walk from the middle of the village to the top of the hill, by choosing various alternative roads. The one who reached the top first will be given a gift that has been prepared for the winner.
It turned out that there was something happened that made this training activity less impressive and meaningful. Some of the participants cheated. They rented motorbike taxis to bring them to the top of the hill. Then they declared themselves the winners, and they thought that their cheating was unnoticed to anyone. In fact there were unknown eye witnesses, who testified that they were not the winners. The real winners were those who walked, who reached the goal as number one, two, three and so on.
The winners who cheated were those who justified the ways to achieve the end. However, according to the training rules, the ways or means were already determined to achieve the goal. So the participants should obey the rules, namely walking to the destination at the top of the hill that had been agreed upon. The principle which we are familiar with, namely the end reruires the just and proper way, or the appropriate means used to achieve the goal should be observed.
The Word of God today teaches us to always obey the rules that we accept as our common standard for our lives, namely the goal that needs the just or proper ways or means already established in order to achieve the desired goal. The Lord Jesus affirms on how the blind man guides another blind man that will never arrive at the destination. The way a student achieves a goal by not following or imitating his teacher is not the right way. The hypocrisy style in solving problems by only blaming others and without correcting oneself is not the right way to do.
Likewise, Saint Paul teaches us through his first letter to the Corinthians, that in doing God's will, we must follow God's way, namely the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can't make up or enforce our own will. Saint Paul completed the mission of God by preaching the gospel, until the end of his life. We should also complete our duties and callings in this world by following the path of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whoever does not use the way of the Lord, will go astray and will not reach the destination.
Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... O Almighty God, strengthen and lead us so that we do not get lost in our way of life, but always follow Your true path to achieve salvation. Our Father who art in heaven ... In the name of the Father ...
