The readings of today explain to us the difficult path of faith that we must all walk before we get to our final destination. Our challenges will not only come from outside but also from among our brethren. This is the challenge the Apostles dealt with in the First reading. But then, it is through our perseverance in faith and by making Jesus our fundamental option in life that we will be able to stand when trouble grows. This is the message of the Second reading. The Gospel is Jesus’s assurance to us that when our heart quakes in troubles, he is always there to console us and to fill us with the hope of looking ahead to the Eternal Home he has prepared for us in the house of the Father. Thus, the challenges in this life cannot stop those who have placed their focus on Christ; the Way, the Truth and the Life.