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!
No one can totally claim to know what's in store for us in the days to come. No matter how well planned and structured we've made our lives nothing can be too sure. For some people, death is something that should not be spoken of but in today's 1st reading it speaks of it as if death is something to look forward to. Come to think of it, if there's something certain in this unpredictable life then that is death. For it is something that we should not take for granted. Though, we are not eagerly looking forward to it yet, knowing that we still have an unfinished business for the Lord. We might as well be ready for it so that when the time comes we can stand face to face with God and rejoice in it exultingly. The whole principle involved here is discovery and deciding. When our approach is discovery then we are being lead to the events in our life with a sense of total surrender, trust and faith in the Lord's Providence for the realization of things that are unseen and hoped for. God may not fully reveal and present us with a surprise but we maintain full confidence in a God who brought us to wherever we are right now. In deciding, our approach is a lot different since we already have an answer for something that we don't know yet. It boils down to the fact that we think we know too much but we don't. We end up playing God. We need to remain as man and allow God to be God of our life. When man becomes God, we lose everything because we are not God. We have to realize the impact in our life of discovery versus deciding. In all these uncertainties and disappointments we've met along the way, we can be sure of one thing. After all Job has been through, he was quite sure about something also in today's 1st reading. There is no doubt about it and we can surely be at peace with the fact that God has hemmed in our paths. Amen. Hallelujah!
Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23
...They wait for death and it comes not; they search for it rather than for hidden treasures, 22 rejoice in it exultingly, and are glad when they reach the grave 23 men whose path is hidden from them, and whom God has hemmed in!
Sometimes we are tempted not to say our prayers nor make any special effort to be good. It would have been easy to fall into sin and stop befriending God. We know deep down that it is not a good thought since faith is friendship with God. It is never right to just aim for the bare minimum because that is not what friends do. It is not true that we don't need God. One way to make sure that we don't forget how much we need God is to always ask Him to bless us in all we do. We can do this by offering everything to God. Our works, joys and suffering at the beginning of the day. We must not neglect this and always practice hope. There are many things that we don't understand especially with the things that happen to us. We can always trust that it comes from God. We can turn to God in times of trouble and not run away from our problems. We should rely on our friend Jesus in both good and bad times. No matter what happens we should always lift everything to God in prayers. Day in and day out we should call upon the Lord. We know in our heart that in His great and unequaled love for us we can never outdo what God is doing and can do for us. We have to persevere in our prayers and never get tired nor stop in calling out to God for help. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 88:2-3, 4-5, 6, 7-8
R: Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
1 [2] O LORD, my God, by day I cry out; at night I clamor in your presence. 2 [3] Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my call for help.
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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