According to The Economic Times, the five countries that spend the most when it comes to building their military are:

1. United States
2. Russia
3. China
4. India
5. United Kingdom

With all the chaos in the world, it is very important to them to have strong militaries. In fact, many observers are saying that World War III has already begun.

St. Paul, on the other hand, talks about the greatest battle happening – Spiritual Warfare. In the realm, the battle of the seen and the unseen. Hence we have to be prepared.

In the Gospel, Jesus calls his disciples. Three qualities of the disciples based on the Gospel:

1. “The Son of Man has no place to rest his head.” No security but God. All the trimmings of the world: money, fame, power, intelligence, beauty, pedigree, and connections are fleeting and passing. Only God is constant. A true disciple trusts God.
2. “Let the dead bury the dead.” It is not that Jesus has no regard for the dead. He was telling a would-be disciple that he must always be prepared. When he has to pack up and go, he must be ready; when he has to move to a new assignment; he must be ready; whenever life throws him a curve ball, he must be ready.
3. “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” When we are disciples of God, we cannot be fence-sitters, we cannot be just Sunday Catholics, we cannot say I will not be involved, we cannot just be neutral. In being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, we have to be passionate.

With so much going on in the world today, a true disciple is at peace. He or she knows that all these will come to pass; He or she knows that God will never abandon us; He or she knows that even if the world is blackened by evil, we still have to be good Christians. Jesus was persecuted but good will always prevail.