QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

 We don't have a straight answer to the many questions we have in life just like all these questions stated in today's 1st reading. In the same way, we sometimes do not have the answers to the things that happen to us. We may never come to a full understanding of these things. Just like Job we must keep up the faith and never question God's will in our lives anymore. Only God knows. Our consolation lies in the truth that He knows best.

There are times when we fail to stand firm in our convictions and commitments to God when the toughest gets really going. Though, God is always good and we can always rely on His ways to get us through. When we are confronted by a situation wherein we need to make a decision it may come to a point when we will falter and just like Job end up entertaining thoughts that could lead to a possibility of another option which is neither good nor bad but is not in conformity with the life statement that we have committed to God. When we finally make a decision it is good to be guided by the scripture readings. If we do, we may be surprised that things are falling in place and are being confirmed by God’s spoken word in the bible. We may be overwhelmed because of the continuous assurance and concern that God is showering us that there is no more room for doubt. God has all the answers and though we are not able to comprehend them all just like Job it is better for us to just be silent and completely trust Him. God is the beginning and the end. He is in charge in control and knows best. Amen. Hallelujah!

Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5

The LORD addressed Job out of the storm and said: 12 Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place 13 for taking hold of the ends of the earth...Then Job answered the LORD and said: 4 Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you? I put my hand over my mouth. 5 Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again; though twice, I will do so no more.

Technology has become so advanced nowadays that nothing remains unknown for long. With the latest in probes, sensors and the like in just one click of the computer everything is laid before us. Sometimes it just goes too far and out of bounds and we fail to conform and align all these innovations to the Author and Inventor of all these things. Let us not forget, He is the source of everything there was, is and will be. In the midst of all the trouble we're going through it is always a consolation to know that we have a God who knows every single thing that is going on with us and He cares and loves us a lot. For indeed in today's psalm reading is another confirmation that God knows our deepest thoughts and longings. We should always be aware of this undeniable truth that God's Spirit dwells in each one of us. There is no reason to doubt what today's psalm speaks about with regards to our relationship with our Creator. May we not forget and always remember who we are before the eyes of God. We can never allow our flesh, things of this world and the enemy to lure, confuse and deceive us any longer. It helps to always remember what St. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:11-13, "Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day..."  We are who we are in the eyes of God and not what the flesh, the world and the destructive enemy wants us to believe.  We are special to God, He calls each one of us by name. We should all value the special care and attention that God has given to us as His most valued among all of His creation.

This reminds me of this lady who used to ask me, "How do I look?" I would always reply, "You're beautiful." But she would say in return, "Oh you're full of baloney" and every time I would just laugh back at her. Eventually I got inspired to respond to her differently when I told her that it is not baloney but it's biblical that we are all beautiful. In fact the Tagalog translation in text message that I have received is quite funny, it goes something like this, "Kilabot sa ganda, nanginginig pa" (I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works.) which is stated right here in today's psalm. As man, we have the concupiscence or the natural inclination to the flesh, lust, greed and pride. The perfect formula for self destruction is based on this popular and well subscribed saying that goes like this, "If it feels good just do it." Pope John Paul II in his book, "Splendor of Truth" said that the power to decide what is good and evil is not within the power of man. This is clear in the book of Genesis when He forbid our 1st parents to eat of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God gave us the free will and the source of conflict came from the inability to acknowledge God as our Creator and that only Him can define morality. Man doesn't make rules of morality, we only discover it. The 10 commandments are an expression of God's love and the means to have true freedom which means the ability to do what we ought to do and not what we want to do. Catholic Morality is under attack as issues on abortion and artificial contraception have become so liberated. We should be firm in our stand not give in or budge an inch as we stand by the teachings of the Church. We should all value the special care and attention that God has given to us as His most valued among all of His creation. Our life is precious this we know is true as stated in today's psalm.  Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 139:1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14ab

R: Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

1 O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; 2 you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. 3 My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar. (R) Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence where can I flee? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I sink to the nether world, you are present there. R. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea, Even there your hand shall guide me, and your right hand hold me fast. R. Truly you have formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. 14 I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works.

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!

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.”