EMPHASIS

We just can’t help it at times when we start having some kind of scary or bothersome thoughts going on inside our minds. We just don't know why we suddenly have these thoughts entering our minds all of a sudden. God has endowed us with spiritual warfare weapons that we could use to battle the enemy. The talk of Bro. Bo Sanchez discussed about these weapons and they are the following. 1. Righteousness. Obey God and do not sin. 2. Worship. When we worship and praise God in spirit and in truth, the enemy crumbles down. 3. Intercession. God included this in the strategy of things that we should pray for our brothers and sisters in need. 4. Evangelization. We need to take part in God’s call to spread the Word. 5. Mercy work. 6. Binding the strong man. Cast away our fears and habitual sins.  Today's 1st reading is very clear that God wanted to emphasize to us these words of assurance that there is no need to be afraid for He will always be with us in all our battles. Amen. Hallelujah!

Deuteronomy 31:1-8

...Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them,...for you must bring this people into the land which the LORD swore to their fathers ...“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” 

There is really nowhere else to go but to God. His greatness is undeniable and displayed throughout all the ages. There is no doubt that only He can make all things beautiful. Amen. Hallelujah!

P S A L M

Deuteronomy 32:3-4ab. 7. 8. 9 and 12

R: The portion of the Lord is his people.

3 For I will sing the LORD’s renown. Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God! 4 The Rock — how faultless are his deeds, how right all his ways! (R) 7 Think back on the days of old, reflect on the years of age upon age. Ask your father and he will inform you, ask your elders and they will tell you.

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. God wants to clearly make a stress on this point that He is always with us and knows our deepest thoughts and concerns. 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. 12-14

...“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.” Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”