First reading Exodus 23:20-23
I myself will send an angel before you
The Lord says this: ‘I myself will send an angel before you to guard you as you go and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Give him reverence and listen to all that he says. Offer him no defiance; he would not pardon such a fault, for my name is in him. If you listen carefully to his voice and do all that I say, I shall be enemy to your enemies, foe to your foes. My angel will go before you.’
Responsorial Psalm 90(91):1-6,10-11
The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
and abides in the shade of the Almighty
says to the Lord: ‘My refuge,
my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’
It is he who will free you from the snare
of the fowler who seeks to destroy you;
he will conceal you with his pinions
and under his wings you will find refuge.
You will not fear the terror of the night
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the plague that prowls in the darkness
nor the scourge that lays waste at noon.
Upon you no evil shall fall,
no plague approach where you dwell.
For you has he commanded his angels,
to keep you in all your ways.
Gospel Matthew 18:1-5,10
Anyone who welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me
The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’
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Trusting dependence on God
As we reflect on today’s two readings, the message is: We are never alone because God’s presence is always so close to us. He cares for us and will never stop guiding and protecting us. Therefore, we can trust God and turn to Him for our needs.
Too often, we tend to live with the preoccupation of being the greatest, the most powerful and important in the eyes of society. In the gospel, Jesus tells us that the attitude we need to have towards God is that of little children. Their greatness is expressed by their freedom to be vulnerable and their natural awareness of their dependence on others. Today, let us humbly ask for the light and wisdom to see how I can live with trustful dependence on God.
Reflective question:
How can I change and trust more in God and His care for me?
How can I change and trust more in God and His care for me?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
