FIRM

It is faith that makes us confident and firm in our belief no matter what our situation. We must have the conviction to say that we are where we are, doing what we are doing right now and holding on to the promises of God without a shadow of doubt that everything will come to pass and press on to fulfillment. We have an Almighty and Powerful God. His power knows no limits and we can be assured that we are always safe in His hands. There is no reason to fear nor be discouraged if we are firmly anchored in our faith in God. We are standing on a steady and firm foundation, we shall not be moved. Our hope rests in God who never fails. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 7:1-9

...Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail...Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!

We may all come to a point in our Christian walk of faith when we are no longer sure if what we are doing is the right thing. It is so hard at times when we are confronted with people and situations that are difficult to handle. Some may look at what we are doing as being impractical and inappropriate when we make decisions that are not conformed to the existing and current standard of this world which is always after personal gain and glory. No matter how confusing things may be, let us continue to consult God with regards to our plans and totally entrust everything to Him. After having said and done what we are supposed to do then we ought to be always confident that God can make things work for good and turn it into a blessing. For as long as we stand by the principles and values of God then we can never be wrong. God knows our every thought, motive and intention and if we act on it based on what is just, true and peaceful then we will never be disturbed. Nobody can fully understand the display of such great faith revealed in the life of the martyrs and saints of the Church. It is only safe to assume that we have a great and awesome God who is able to surmount the highest mountain and make all things possible. Thus it is noteworthy that today's psalm reading is reminiscent of this song that is usually sung in charismatic gatherings. Here’s the lyrics in Tagalog, "Si Kristo ang sandigan hindi magigiba kasing tatag ng kabundukan di magigiba." (In english, Christ is the wall we are leaning on that is as strong as the mountain that never crumbles.) When we go to our own churches and parishes we almost always ponder on the goodness of God and as we do this we look forward to someday dwell in a much greater place of worship in the city of our God. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 48: 2-3a, 3b-4, 5-6, 7-8R: God upholds his city for ever.

1 [2] Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, 2 [3] fairest of heights, is the joy of all the earth...renowned is he as a stronghold

We can not deny it! God has done a lot of great and marvelous things for us. The problem is, the people of our generation has become insensitive, oblivious and simply stubborn to God's call. Let's choose the right course of action before it's too late. Let us not disappoint Jesus by always striving to recall, remember and be driven to the right course of action whenever God reveals to us the mighty deeds He has done in our lives. If we are to really examine our life, we'll find that there have been many instances in our life when God has undeniably shown His mighty deeds and power. In fact we need not look long and far and just look at ourselves right here and now. Every single day that we are gifted with is already a great blessing in itself and not many people realize this all the time. The very moment that we were able to wake up this morning already meant that we were able to go through the night and still rise up to face a new day. We should always be alert, sober and not oblivious of these divine truths. We wouldn't want to hear these words of Jesus in today's gospel being addressed to us when our time comes. We would rather be full of joy rather than woe when we enter life in eternity. Everything in this world passes away, not a single one holds a permanent and lasting effect. We could be enjoying a delicious meal at this moment but it would be over soon. It could be a nice movie or whatever we enjoy doing. Nothing lasts forever and all is bound to end. It would be nice to know that if we commit a life dedicated to God by turning away from sin then we can look forward to a life of eternal happiness and joy. In fact, it's not just looking forward but to enjoy right now. If we read with care the beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-23 we will notice that all the beatitudes that were enumerated are stated in the future tense except for the first which is "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. or Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This first beatitude is stated in the present tense and does not have the word "will" in it unlike all the others. This means that we can start being blessed right now rather than in woe. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 11:20-24

20 Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And as for you, Capernaum: ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’ For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”