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TODAY’S WORD…

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Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion…

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Ezra opened the book.

All the people could see him because he was standing above them;

and as he opened it, the people all stood up.

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Ezra praised the Lord, the great God;

and all the people lifted their hands and responded, ‘Amen! Amen!’

Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

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– Nehemiah 8:4-6 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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When we gather together to take part in the Holy Mass

we stand, in an attitude of watchfulness,

to hear the Good News that the Gospel always brings us.

We have to listen to it

with a disposition which is at once attentive, humble and grateful

because we know that it is God who is speaking to each one of us in particular.

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We can only love someone we know.

In order to get to know Christ,

we need to dedicate some minutes each day to reading and meditating on the Gospels;

we need to regularly go and visit Him and gladly listen to what He has to say to us.

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This practice leads us by the hand, as it were,

to the knowledge and contemplation of Jesus Christ.

This practice teaches us to see Jesus as the Apostles saw Him,

to observe His reactions,

to watch the way He behaved

and to listen to His words which were always filled with wisdom and authority.

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The Gospels show Him to us

on some occasions moved with compassion at the plight of people in misery.

At other times they show Him full of understanding for sinners,

or firm with the Pharisees who are presenting a false image of their religion.

We see Jesus full of patience

with those disciples who so often fail to grasp the meaning of His words.

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It would be very difficult to love Jesus, to get to know Him really well,

if we did not frequently hear the Word of God,

if we did not regularly go to visit Him and respectfully listen to Him during Holy Mass,

if we did not attentively read part of the Gospel each day.

All of this serves as spiritual nourishment.

All of this increases our piety

and our love for Jesus.

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QUOTES…

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“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ!”

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– St. Jerome

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“We should hear the Gospel as if Our Lord were present and speaking to us.”

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– St. Augustine

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, thank You for always there, waiting for me in Your sanctuary,

to speak to me, to teach me.

Lord, You have the words of eternal life!

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… … … … … … … … … … … …… …

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Note: The main source of today’s REFLECTION is the seven-volume work

“In Conversation with God” by Padre Francisco Fernández Carvajal.