Today's 1st reading speaks of the consequences of the
failure to conduct ourselves right, the way a people of God would. Time and again even way back in the Old
Testament, the New Testament and up to the present time. God wants to have a
relationship with His people. God has made the new, perfect and everlasting
covenant, as shown in the repetitive words that can be found all throughout the
scriptures, "I will be your God and you will be My people." There is
no doubt about the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His part of the covenant
because He has shown from generation to generation that he is indeed our God
but have we fulfilled our part of the covenant in truly being a people of God.
We might want to pause and ask ourselves this very question and not end up
always asking God why we witness so much chaos and disorder nowadays. It is
time we make a real effort to let the goodness of God prevail. Amen.
Hallelujah!
Baruch 1:15-22
...And the evils and the curse which the LORD enjoined upon
Moses, his servant, at the time he led our fathers forth from the land of Egypt
Most people I believe will agree with me when I say that who
we are today is the sum total of what we've done in the past and what we're
still doing in the present. But the most important part of the equation that we
should never forget to add in our life is the Multiplier, for whatever it is
that we can do, is just a small fraction of what God can do in our lives. There
is no doubt that the Lord will show us the right path if we go to Him at all
times. Sometimes we go through life not really knowing what we're missing. Let
us no longer miss out but rather benefit and enjoy in the goodness of God. We
sometimes wonder how an act of obedience to God can seem so difficult at times
even if we know for a fact that it is for our own good. It is our sins that
draw us farther away from God, bury us deeper and bind us in chains. It all begins
in just a slight act of disobedience or negligence on our part which takes a
hold of us and before we know it we've gone so far away from God. Let's not
wait any longer before it's too late. The time is now for us to repent and go
back to God. There are 2 bible verses which I consider very special and of
great importance to me. The first is from Romans 8:28 which says that, "We
know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called
according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son..." The second one is from Ephesians
6:10-17, "Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to
resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So
stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a
breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all
circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of
the evil one.And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God." It is noteworthy that we realize the important
aspect in this bible passage about the need to wear an armor and most
especially for us to realize the need for a weapon when we engage in battle and
the only weapon mentioned is the sword which is the word of God. Sometimes we
tend to look at things in a general way and miss the important details or only
see, read and hear the things that we want and do not take the words of God in
its entirety. There are lots of prosperity preachers who present the word of
God in this manner and tend to overlook the equally important details and
instructions that God also wanted us to pay attention to. God has definitely
made it clear that everything will work for good but just the same, we have to
take note of the following words which say that we need to conform to the image
of Jesus. We definitely should not miss nor overlook this so that we can surely
be saved and delivered. It is inevitable that we always give praise to God.
Amen. Hallelujah!
P S A L M
Psalm 79:1b-2. 3-5. 8. 9
R: For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
...Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may
your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. (R) 9 Help us,
O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon our
sins for your name’s sake.
If we are just going to look back and recall all the things
that have happened in our life then we can never deny the presence of guardian
angels as spoken of in today's gospel. God always makes His messages known to
us in various ways but He confirms them to us too. God is assuring us that
there is no need to be afraid because He directs us always to the right path
and if ever we are led astray He constantly searches for us to lead us back to
Him. We should remain eternally trusting in our faith in God as a child is with
his/her parents. It is faith that must become the foundation of all that we do.
If we are just going to look back and recall all the things that have happened
in our life then we can never deny the presence of guardian angels as spoken of
in today's gospel. There is this very interesting detail I read with regards to
the instinctual behavior of oriental breed sheep whenever they get lost.
According to this study, upon sensing such a misfortune, they stop their
frantic wandering and just stay still. Instead of searching the right way on
their own, they prefer to sit still and just wait instead until they are found
by the shepherd. This somehow explains how Jesus in today's parable left the 99
in search of the astray. In our own lives we, too experience being lost and led
astray. Sometimes we are too wrapped up in our problems and miseries that we
just kept on searching for ways and means to get out of it. The more we do this
the more exhausted we become and the less likely we find a solution. God our
Father and Good Shepherd knows exactly what we are going through and He already
figured out what to do. Instead of relying on our own efforts which are
obviously no match for God's plan and design we might as well stop our frantic
wandering and just stay still if we want God to find us. Another interesting
message in today's gospel reading is the fact that the quantity is irrelevant
and looks after every person for God cares for each one of us. God wants to put
emphasis on this point that He is always with us and knows our deepest thoughts
and concerns. Jesus makes all things possible for we are adopted sons and
daughters of God.
Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 18:1-5. 10.
The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the
greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their
midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this
child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child
such as this in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise one of these
little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the
face of my heavenly Father.”
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