THE WALLS

Today's 1st reading reminds me of a game that my 2 sons and I used to play when they were still kids. We used to run around the house and pretend that an enemy was chasing us. When I got really tired I usually end up lying down in bed and tell my sons to do the same. I would assure them that even if the enemy catches up with us, we won't be hurt or captured because we have a wall that surrounds us. Somehow, this made me realize that God has indeed surrounded us with a protective wall that shelters and secures us. But there are times too when we allow our circumstances to breach these walls just like what happened to the Israelites. We, too are confronted with challenges in life that could sometimes break our defenses and yield. Let us always stand firm in our faith in God and never allow our situations to break us down. We should never doubt the truth that God has each one of us in the palm of His hand. Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Kings 25:1-12

...when famine had gripped the city, and the people had no more bread, 4 the city walls were breached...tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem...

 Today's psalm encourages us to be firm in our beliefs in God. This is especially true during times when terrible things happen and causes us so much sorrow. We can not help but be full of grief. In spite of all of these we can always look to God and not forget that He never forsakes nor abandon. Amen. Hallelujah

Psalm 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6

R: Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

1 By the streams of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.

The faith of the leper in today's gospel is certainly commendable and worthy of praise. He practiced and exercised his faith at all cost. Just in case we don't know or forget, lepers during the time of Jesus are considered outcasts and never allowed to be seen in public. He defied all these, braved through it, stood forward and was rewarded. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 8:1-4

1 When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2 And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” 3 He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately.There is really no doubt to the power of God as shown in today's gospel for all He had to do was to wish it. God wishes all of us to be happy and we should no longer doubt God's great love for us as shown in His fidelity, loving compassion and our response should be no other than to seek and find it personally for ourselves without others forcing us to it to have true knowledge of who our God really is. In a way mortal sin could also be equated to leprosy although it does not rot the flesh as leprosy does but it rots the soul. The faith of the leper in today's gospel is certainly commendable and worthy of praise. He practiced and exercised his faith at all cost. Just in case we don't know or forget, lepers during the time of Jesus are considered outcasts and never allowed to be seen in public. He defied all these, braved through it, stood forward and was rewarded. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately.