The Lord has assured us of His salvation and that His word will be fulfilled. The first reading shows the people of Israel looking back at their history and discovering how God has always been faithful. This fact gives them courage and hope for the future. The gospel invites us to be constantly vigilant, to be found always ready for the Lord who comes to bring liberation. He may come whenever we least expect Him. The second reading speaks of Abraham and Sarah, models of faith in God. They heeded the voice of God, and always responded readily; they believed his salvation even when all appearances suggested the exact contrary. They were ever vigilant. We too, like the Hebrews, addresses of the letter of St. Paul, are at times tempted to get discouraged. We are all anxiously awaiting for the fulfillment of the promises of liberation and peace proclaimed by Jesus, but they never seem to take place. Feuds, betrayals, unfaithfulness, corruption continue unabated on the earth, in our countries, in our nations and villages, even in our Christian communities. This is the time that our faith is being tested! This is when we must continue to believe like Abraham and Sarah, happy to see now and then some sign of the full salvation that will certainly come one day. And so as Jesus urges to his disciples he also gives us the same assurance as he did to them. He says to us in the gospel, ‘’Do not live in fear, little flock.’’ And yet fear is part of our life. The only thing we have to fear then, is not fear itself, but a lack of faith!