THE REED & THE WICK

 Whenever something bad happens to us whether it is caused by our own doing or of others it is always for our good to go to God. He is our true friend and He will always put our cause into His hands all we have to do is completely trust Him and know that He will always uphold justice for the downtrodden, outcasts and right our wrongs if we repent and turn away from sin. We should pity those people who do evil or no good instead of being angry and despising them. We are supposed to feel sorry for them. There is very little difference between succumbing to evil and failing to do good. Both becomes a trap that we fall into and is so difficult to get away with. It brings dishonor, disgrace and takes away our dignity that we become full of shame and could not even lift our heads high. Evil is like a wolf disguised in sheep's skin. We should be wise and vigilant at all times so as not to fall for the schemes and tactics of the enemy who wants us to fall into his trap. Let us always guard our defenses so as not to fall prey to the roaring lion that is always on the lookout to get his chance to devour us. The only thing that we could do to stand against the attacks of the enemy is to always do good and avoid evil. Amen. Hallelujah! 

Micah 2:1-5

1 Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil ...Therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I am planning against this race an evil from which you shall not withdraw your necks; nor shall you walk with head high, for it will be a time of evil...

There is no sense in brooding or crying over spilled milk. We should always believe that God will always fill our glasses to the brim and overflowing. We can always count on the Lord's help at all times. There was, is or will never be a time when the Lord abandons the poor, the afflicted, those in sorrow and misery. It is just a matter of trusting and hoping always in the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 10:1-2, 3-4, 7-8, 14

R: Do not forget the poor, O Lord.

...You do see, for you behold misery and sorrow, taking them in your hands. On you the unfortunate man depends; of the fatherless you are the helper.

Let us be sure that we do not drive away Jesus in our lives. It is important that we are aware of our actions and know if it draw us closer to God or end up pushing Him away from us. There are times when we are not keen on striving to direct all our actions towards this goal. The Pharisees for sure are so wrapped up in their self righteousness that they have this feeling that they are pleasing God by condemning Jesus. They have become so blinded and failed to recognize who Jesus is. We hope and pray that we will always be sensitive to God's presence in our lives and not forfeit the blessings. Just like the Pharisees who ended up rejecting what was really meant for them first and foremost because God withdrew from them and turned to the Gentiles. God will never impose or force, it should be by our own volition that we love Him back. Sometimes we wonder why things are happening the way they do. The same way we may find it hard to fully understand what is being said in today's gospel. Why is something meant to be known to everyone be kept hidden? The wisdom of God is so unfathomable that it comes to a point when our limited capacities can no longer process everything in our minds. But it is always a consolation to know that we have an Almighty God who makes all things possible. Everything that happened, is happening and is bound to happen is already known to Him and we can always trust Him, our God and Savior to deliver us out of our miseries and lead us through to our Promised Land. Rather than complain, whine and be discouraged, it is best to just allow God to do wonders in us. We need not even do anything at all. We sometimes come to a point when we are no longer confident of what to do and just entrust everything to God completely. A lot of people may even take it as simply stupid and dumb when we act in the manner when we hesitate to follow the wise and smart suggestions of this world. Some may even doubt that there could still be something good in store for us. We may have experienced a time when we feel that we have to do something but is not quite sure about it. If we do then we can always hope in the Lord who will surely bring justice to victory. In spite of all these uncertainties that we go through, we can surely learn from and follow the example of Jesus. Today’s gospel is a prophecy foretold by Isaiah long before the time of Jesus. When He freely accepted death on the cross for our sake, He did it with perfect resignation to the Master Plan and Will of God. During His Passion and Suffering, He never said a word of contempt or bitterness in what He went through because He trusted God completely. We should have the same attitude of Jesus when it comes to pain, difficulty and suffering if we truly believe that God's plan for us is perfect and will surely come to pass. Nothing or no one could get in the way for it would press on to fulfillment even if things seem to be not going to the right direction and look delayed.  All we have to do is just trust and wait on the Lord because nothing is ever late for those who hope in the Lord. Amen. Hallelujah!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 12:14-21.

14 The Pharisees went out and took counsel against him to put him to death. 15 When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many [people] followed him, and he cured them all, 16 but he warned them not to make him known...I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles...Many (people) followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet...He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. 21 And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”