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TODAY’S WORD…

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I cried to You for help, O Lord my God,

and You healed me;

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Sing praise to the Lord,

all His faithful people!

Remember what the Holy One has done,

and give Him thanks!

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His anger lasts only a moment,

His goodness for a lifetime.

Tears may flow in the night,

but joy comes in the morning.

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You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance;

You have taken away my sorrow

and surrounded me with joy.

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So I will not be silent;

I will sing praise to You.

Lord, You are my God;

I will give You thanks forever.

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– Psalm 30:2,4-6,11-13 (GNT)

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From a REFLECTION on Psalm 30 by Pope Saint John Paul II…

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This Psalm reflects that intense and gentle thanksgiving that rises to God from the heart,

after deep anguish and fear has been dispelled.

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After every tearful night, the dawn of a new day arises

and the faithful believer praises the Lord, God and Healer,

recalling the cry directed to Him in the time of trial,

and God’s subsequent liberating intervention.

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Sensations oscillate constantly

between the terrible memory of the nightmare experienced and the joy of deliverance.

The memory of past suffering is still clear and vivid;

weeping has been dried from the eyes only a short while ago.

But now the dawn of a new day has arisen…and life continues.

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The faithful believer forcefully contrasts the earlier anguish felt,

with the joy of restoration to life, hope and freedom.

Such a crisis enables one to pass from the illusion of self-sufficiency

to an abiding trust in the Lord, who remains ever faithful to His promises.

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The Psalm is an encouragement never to despair of God’s saving power

in all circumstances, even in the face of death.

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QUOTE…

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"We must never be ensnared by the dark confusion of despair, when it seems that everything is lost.

Of course, one must not fall into the illusion of being able to save oneself, with one’s own resources."

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– Pope Saint John Paul II

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PRAYER…

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I will sing praise to You, O Lord, for You are my God.

You fill my heart with an abundance of joy and peace, and I will give You thanks forever.

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