A LAMP TO MY FEET. A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I take joy in doing Your will, my God,

for Your instructions are written on my heart.

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– Psalm 40:8 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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What joy fills us believers

when the temptation to satisfy our selfish needs and desires

is overcome with God’s help

and, instead, we consciously do His will.

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We know what the Lord wants from us;

what He wants us to do;

the manner He wishes us to act in all circumstances.

We also know that He has sent us His Spirit

to guide us and help us through.

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We know what the Lord commands

and we are well aware of His teachings,

all of which are there to see us through life’s maze

to the place that God has lovingly prepared for us in His heavenly Kingdom.

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How sad it is

to be ready to consciously turn our backs on the Lord

and to trade-in everlasting joy

for short-lived self-satisfaction.

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How uplifting and joyful it is

when we decide to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord,

and accept and do His will,

knowing and proclaiming that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O God of love and truth,

I do Your will – You fill me with joy!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before Him with joyful songs.

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– Psalm 100:1-2 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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There’s nothing more contradictory than an unenthusiastic Christian.

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The Bible tells us that God loves us so much,

in fact, that God gave His only Son

so that all who believe in Him will have everlasting life.

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Nothing not even death can separate us from God’s love!

If we really believe that, we can’t help but overflow with joy!

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[*]

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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To You I sing with joy, O Lord,

for You’re the one who reigns within my heart!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar,

and give to God what belongs to God.”

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– Matthew 22:21 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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We must be careful not to misinterpret or misunderstand Jesus.

God and the world (as it is run by humans) are on two quite different levels

and quite clearly, where God is concerned,

a true believer certainly cannot please two masters.

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What our Lord says is so profound

that we may fail to grasp its meaning:

we must give to the powers-that-be what is their due,

but God must certainly be given what He has a right to.

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In life, we sometimes have to decide who we owe our ultimate allegiance to.

Jesus’ words show that, while He recognised civil authority and its rights

and that it is part of God’s will that we faithfully fulfil our civic duties,

God’s rights must be respected

…and it should go without saying, that the latter are clearly superior.

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What must God be given?

Obedience to all His commandments

above all;

above everything

above everyone.

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QUOTE…

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“The citizen is obliged in conscience

not to follow the directives of civil authorities

when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order,

to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel.

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Refusing obedience to civil authorities,

when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience,

finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving the political community.

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"Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar,

and give to God what belongs to God."(Mt 22:21)

"We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29)

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“When citizens are under the oppression of a public authority which oversteps its competence,

they should still not refuse to give or to do what is objectively demanded of them by the common good;

but it is legitimate for them to defend their own rights and those of their fellow citizens

against the abuse of this authority

within the limits of the natural law and the Law of the Gospel.” (Gaudium et spes 74)

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– Catechism of the Catholic Church 2242

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, You are my God!

There is no one like You,

and there is no God but You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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The Lord is righteous in everything He does;
He is filled with kindness.
The Lord is close to all who call on Him,
yes, to all who call on Him in truth.

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– Psalm 145:17-18 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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The Lord’s is a kingdom of justice,

in the sense that He responds with kindness and salvation

to all who invoke Him and love Him.

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These words can tell us something about how we should pray:

“There is no better way

to be granted the petitions that we hold in our hearts

than to put all the strength of our prayer into what is most pleasing to God;

for then He will not only grant us what we ask – our salvation;

He will also give us what He sees we need

and what would be good for us,

even though we did not petition Him for it.

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…may only those things of the highest value

form the subject of our petition;

may our prayer be for salvation;

for as it says later in the Psalm (vs 19-20):

“He grants the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cries for help and rescues them.
The Lord protects all those who love Him…”

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What David is saying then,

is that God will satisfy all our heart’s desires

and grant us all we want,

even though it has not crossed our mind to petition Him for them.”

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– St. John of the Cross

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O Lord, my God, my Saviour,

change my heart and make it clean and pure,

that I may forget myself and only seek Your face.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus,

on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.

He did not give up because of the cross!

On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for Him,

He thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross,

and He is now seated at the right side of God’s throne.

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– Hebrews 12:2 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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We Christians are called to be loyal to God

as we persevere in all life’s circumstances,

and as we faithfully endure

in spite of all the difficulties we may encounter.

Our incentive is Jesus’ promise of everlasting life with Him.

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It is Jesus Christ Himself who gives us the perfect example,

and it is what helps us to overcome not just our difficulties,

but also all criticism and derision – even from our loved ones –

which can arise as we stick to our Lord’s teachings.

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Christ’s example reminds us

that we should not be surprised to meet up with humiliation and hostility

rather than success and rejoicing.

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As Christians, we should fix our gaze on Jesus,

letting nothing distract us from our determination to reach our goal.

Christ has marked out the path we should take.

He is mentor and guide of all the faithful,

the one who takes the lead and opens the way.

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Christ is the pioneer of our faith by His death on the Cross,

and its perfecter by His glorification.

It is only those who are prepared to share in Christ’s sufferings

who will be raised up like Him in glory.

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The Christian life begins in Christ and finds its climax in Him.

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QUOTE…

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"Very likely there will be times,

when alone in front of a crucifix, you find tears coming to your eyes.

Don’t try to hold them back….

But try to ensure that those tears give rise to a resolution"

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, when I look at You on that Cross

I realise how much You love me

and I realise how much I need You.

Help me carry my cross, Lord.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us.

So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way,

and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly,

and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.

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– Hebrews 12:1 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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We need to be faithful in spite of all difficulties.

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of obedience,

of faithfulness to His mission,

of union with the Father,

and of endurance in suffering.

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“We have this large crowd of witnesses around us.”

This is a reference to the multitude of holy people

who, in the course of the history, stayed faithful to God

– they are a huge number and they fill the sky.

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It is good for me to keep these “witnesses”, these saints, in mind

because, while I am like an athlete running the race of life,

they are like active spectators

applauding my efforts, giving me their support,

urging me on to run the race as God wants me to run it.

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It is good for me to keep this large crowd of witnesses in mind,

and not forget that they will also be there watching me

should I give up on running my race according to God’s rules.

They are greatly saddened when that see that happen

…because they are the ones who know and have already experienced

the glorious prize that awaits those who persevere in truth.

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“Let us rid ourselves…of the sin which holds on to us so tightly.”

Sin is a "weight" which hinders our movements and reduces our agility

and, just like athletes do, we too must shed all surplus weight

and keep to a strict training schedule involving many small sacrifices.

Like athletes, our only hope of success depends on this.

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We are urged to run with determination.

Ours is not a short race

but a long test which calls for endurance

and an ability to cope with pain and fatigue.

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As difficult as the race might be,

we should always remain mindful of that glorious prize that awaits us

– eternal life with Christ.

If that does not make us determined, then nothing else will!

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QUOTE…

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"Anything that does not lead to God is a hindrance.

Root it out and throw it far from you."

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord Jesus, as I run the race you have set before me,

fill me with strength and courage
and help me focus on the glorious prize that awaits me.
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TODAY’S WORD…

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The fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

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– Galatians 5:22-23 (NET)

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REFLECTION…

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The Holy Spirit pours out over us

generous and never-ending helpings

of all that is good and nutritious for our soul.

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The fruit of the Spirit

is a divine and freely available antidote to the viruses of

“sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,

idolatry, sorcery,

hostility, quarrelling, jealousy,

outbursts of anger, selfish ambition,

dissension, division, envy,

drunkenness, wild parties,

and other sins like these.” (Gal 5:19-21)

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However, do I gladly accept and digest the fruit of God’s Spirit,

…or do I simply not want to change my ways?

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How sad it is if I allow self-centeredness and pride to take over.

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What could be more wonderful for my soul,

than for it to be filled with

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Come Holy Spirit, melt me, mould me, fill me, use me!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Show me how much You love me, Lord,
and save me according to Your promise.

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Enable me to speak the truth at all times,
because my hope is in Your judgments.
I will always obey Your law,
forever and ever.
I will live in perfect freedom,
because I try to obey Your teachings.

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I find pleasure in obeying Your commands,
because I love them.
I respect and love Your commandments;
I will meditate on Your instructions.

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– Psalm 119:41,43-45,47-48 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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Psalm 119 is, in its entirety, a reflection on the Word of God,

and a prayer to learn it, love it and keep it.

This Psalm fosters reverence and devotion to the Law of God,

emphasising the blessings and benefits one receives in doing so.

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God has made His Law known to us,

He has spoken His Word,

and we are encouraged to obey it

and to orient our life to it.

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We find God’s grace by following His mercy and truth

and we will succeed through prayer.

We need to pray that we are never afraid or ashamed to own God’s truths,

and we must gladly live our faith

and declare it

by the manner in which we conduct ourselves;

by bearing our crosses with patience and trust;

by loving and caring for others.

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Let us therefore resolve to keep God’s law

and be constant in our obedience…without backsliding.

Only then will we find true happiness

and attain perfect liberty.

The more delight we take in serving God,

the more Christ-like we become.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, help me learn Your truth,

forever speak it;

relentlessly seek to obey it;

and always love You with all my heart, my mind, my soul and my strength.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord,

plans for your welfare and not for harm,

to give you a future with hope.

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– Jeremiah 29:11 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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The Lord desires the best for those who seek Him.

He wants us to express sincere remorse about our wrongdoings,

and if we do so, He will lovingly respond…immediately.

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QUOTE…

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“God did not come to condemn us,

to accuse us of meaness and smallness.

He came to save us, pardon us, excuse us,

bring us peace and joy.

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If only we realise the wonderful way in which God deals with His children,

our hearts must change.

We will see opening up before us an absolutely new panorama,

full of relief, depth and light.”

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, it is You I seek; You I love.

Forgive me, Lord.

Lead me, Lord.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

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– Matthew 22:14 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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The dreadful truth is

that the majority of those to whom the Gospel is offered,

will either openly reject it

or secretly disobey it.

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Therefore, while all are invited,

it is unfortunately clear that the world is doing all it can

to ensure that many will not qualify

to reap the eternal blessings

that God has prepared for all of us – His beloved creation.

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Many hear,

few believe.

Many accept the invitation,

but not all are ready to comply with its conditions.

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If we feel that we are among those

who have accepted the Lord’s invitation and are complying,

we need to make sure that we regularly look closely at ourselves

to see if we are truly living the Gospel of Christ,

and passing it on, lovingly, to others

by word of mouth,

by deed,

and by example.

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“Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

These words of Jesus in no way conflict

with God’s will that all should be saved.

In His love for men,

Christ patiently seeks the conversion of every single soul,

going as far as to die on the cross.

However, God in His infinite wisdom respects man’s freedom,

and man is therefore free to reject grace.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord Jesus, You for loved me and gave Yourself for me.

Lord, I want to do the same for You!

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