“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” – Matthew 18:12

       I was down on my knees, begging God to give me wisdom and lead me to the truth.

       I was on the crossroads of leaving the Catholic Church. I still went to Mass every day but I was also attending Bible studies in a Christian church where I was learning so much about the faith. I pleaded Jesus to lead me to the true Church.

    A week later, I was surfing channels on TV. I chanced upon a documentary on the life of Pope John Paul II. As I watched, I suddenly started to cry inexplicably. I was touched by the holiness of this man!

      At that moment, I knew in my heart that I was in the right Church. Then I cried a river at how God answered my soul’s prayer.

       Jesus is the Way, the Truth and Life. If we follow Him, we will never get lost. And even if we do, He will always find us. And how can He lose us when our names are forever etched in the palm of His hand? Ronna Singson-Ledesma (ronna_ledesma@yahoo.com.ph)

Reflection:Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God.

Jesus, my Savior, thank You for leading me to the truth.

In the Book of Consolation, Isaiah prophesies that the people will return from exile and their lives will be blessed. As Christians, we understand this text as the promise of the Messiah and the call to prepare the way for the proclamation of the Good News. It will take hard work to follow Jesus, but every drop of sweat and blood will be worth it.

1 Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; indeed, she has received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! 4 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. 5 Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. 6 A voice says, “Cry out!” I answer, “What shall I cry out? All flesh is grass, and all their glory like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower wilts, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it. So then, the people is the grass. 8 Though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the word of our God stands forever.” 9 Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! 10 Here comes with power the Lord God, who rules by his strong arm; here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. 11 Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.

Psalm 96:1-2, 3, 10, 11-12, 13

R: The Lord our God comes with power.

1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all you lands. 2 Sing to the Lord; bless his name; announce his salvation, day after day. (R) 3 Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. 10 Say among the nations: the Lord is king; he governs the  peoples with equity. (R) 11 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; 12 let the plains be joyful and all that is in them! Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice. (R) 13 They shall exult before the Lord, for he comes; for he comes to rule the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy. (R)

If we want to be true ministers of the Gospel, we need to have a heart like the Shepherd’s. The Good Shepherd does not only look after His sheep well – He wants everyone to be saved and to receive the gift of eternal life. Some may go astray because of the decisions they make, but the Good Shepherd will never give up on their salvation.

The day of the Lord is near: Behold, he comes to save us.

12 Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? 13 And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. 14 In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

think: It will take hard work to follow Jesus, but every drop of sweat and blood will be worth it.

Thank You Lord for: __________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR  Proverbs 9-12

OF ALL PLACES, WHY THE STABLE?

The Gospel of St. Luke states that since there was no more room for Mary and Joseph in the the regular inn, the pregnant mother had to be accommodated in the stable. Eventually, the birth of the Child Jesus was in a stable, and He was laid in a manger (Luke 2:1-7). We have taken this as a matter of fact.

       The Good News now makes us think deeper. Jesus in His ministry alluded to His coming as one with a mission to seek out the lost sheep. Doing so, Jesus did not only come with God’s power to save. He comes with great compassion and empathy. His birth in a stable, where animals are sheltered, is in truth a parable in action.

       Pope Francis captures the lesson for us very well when he taught that the shepherd does best when he takes on the odor of the sheep. From His first moment as God-Man, Jesus literally takes on the smell of the sheep, the stench of the dwelling of the animals. Later in His three-year ministry, Jesus sits at table fellowships with the “black sheep” of society: the deformed, the despised tax collectors, the “anawim”who never knew much of the Law, the looked-down-upon prostitutes, the bastardized Samaritans.

       The “first acts” of a man in ministry, like the first acts of a new pope, are watched and analyzed closely as they indicate certain values that will reveal his way of doing things. Jesus’ “first act” of manifesting Himself as God-Man born in a stinking stable thus indicate: He comes to save us by immersing Himself deep into our human conditions. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

REFLECTION QUESTION: Sit down before a “Belen.” Enter into the reality of the scene — the smell of hay, of cows, sheep and goats. What does this tell you about being a missionary “in the name of Jesus”?

Dear Jesus, grant me a missionary heart that longs to share Your love with those in need . Amen.