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TODAY’S WORD…

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So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to

– the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires.

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Your hearts and minds must be made completely new,

and you must put on the new self, which is created in God’s likeness

and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.

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– Ephesians 4:22-24 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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When we willingly permit the Holy Spirit to work in us, we are given a new self,

a way of life which is more spiritual, happier and better than the old.

But we need to – we must – actively put away our old self

so that we may experience the true life.

It is not enough, then, for one to have simply a veneer of piety.

Goodness, faithfulness, righteousness, holiness…are much more than skin deep

and we must always be on guard to avoid deceiving our own selves through our own self-styled outward appearance;

through the mask that we may be constantly wearing,

which seeks to disguise our true, egoistical self…

which may work with others, but not with God!

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QUOTE…

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"Entering the church and venerating sacred images and crosses is not sufficient for pleasing God,

just as washing one’s hands does not make one clean all over.

What truly pleases God is that a person flees from sin

and gets rid of his stains by means of confession and penance.

Let him break the chains of his faults by being humble of heart."

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– St Anastasius of Sinai

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"The power of God is made manifest in our weakness and it spurs us on to fight,

to battle against our defects,

although we know that we will never achieve total victory during our pilgrimage on earth.

The Christian life is a continuous beginning again each day.

It renews itself over and over."

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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PRAYER…

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Heavenly Father, cleanse me, make me holy, empower me with Your Spirit,

that I may determinedly put aside my old habits and desires.

Give me a new and clean heart, Lord,

and a mind that focuses only on You and Your truth.

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