BE IN THAT NUMBER II

For quite sometime we have been planning to go on a trip but just couldn't get our number right. At first there were 6 of us then it appeared that 2 or 4 more people would be joining us but it didn't work out then we were back to 6 but one of us backed out and then we were only 5 and so we thought. A few days ago, this 5th person was not answering our calls, nor replying to our voice messages. It was easy to assume then that she had backed out too. Finally last night we got our number right and all 5 of us have confirmed to join the trip. This incident makes me think again of the song, "...how I love to be in that number when the saints go marching in..." We really couldn't be too sure of anything at all. But come to think of a place with endless joy and singing as in today's 1st reading where there is perfect peace and harmony then it should make all the difference. Instead of having second thoughts or backing out we surely have to be in that number. Amen. Hallelujah!

Revelation 15:1-4
...They were holding God’s harps, 3 and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God almighty. Just and true are your ways, O king of the nations. 4 Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Are we in or out? This is the big question that we have all been dealing with lately with regards to the trip we have planned. It's just a simple question that we've got to have a straight answer for. Sometimes we just can't make up our minds about something that we tend to delay, ignore or put it off as long as we could without realizing that the more we do this the more we miss out on some things. Let me change the question. Is there any other place we would like to be other than in the loving presence of God? This, I'm sure we can and should have a straight answer without delay. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 7-8, 9
R: Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm...Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; 8 let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy.


When we decide to always be in the loving presence of God it means we stay away from sin. This is not an easy thing to do in fact it is written in Mt. 18:21-22, "Then Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. Our faith demands a great deal from us even to the point of being hated by all as in today's gospel. Our focus should not be on what seems to be the downside of it because God assures us that not a hair will be destroyed and our perseverance will secure our lives. This, we could definitely count on. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 21:12-19
...You will be hated by all because of my name, 18 but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. 19 By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”