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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.

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– Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)

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SOMETHING TO REFLECT UPON…

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Direct your children onto the right path.

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If both father and mother attend church regularly,

33% of their children will end up as regular churchgoers

and 41% will end up attending, although irregularly.

26% of their children will end up not practicing at all.

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If the father attends church, but irregularly, and the mother regularly,

only 3% of the children will subsequently become regulars themselves

with 59% becoming irregulars.

38% will be lost.

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If the father is non-practicing and the mother regular,

only 2% of children will become regular worshippers

and 37 percent will attend irregularly

61% will lose their way.

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Where neither parent practices,

to nobody’s very great surprise, only 4% of children will attend church regularly

and a further 15% will be irregulars.

80% will be lost to the faith.

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From the above one cannot fail to note

the importance of both parents directing their children in unison,

and also the amazing significance of the father’s example in matters of faith.

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Direct your children onto the right path

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The above information appears in the publication

“The Demographic Characteristics of National Minorities in Certain European States”

published by the Council of Europe Directorate General III, Social Cohesion, Strasbourg, January 2000.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord God, help me to be a good, loving and unselfish parent.

Help me learn to look to You, each moment of my life,

for guidance in this great task You have given me.

Amen.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world,

but let God transform you into a new person

by changing the way you think.

Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,

which is good and pleasing and perfect.

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– Romans 12:2 (NLT)

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QUOTE…

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“May the Virgin Mary teach and help us

to make of our life a humble and joyful hymn of praise to God […].

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May Mary sustain us in our daily effort

so that…we do not conform ourselves to the mentality of the world,

but renew our mind to be able to discern the will of God.”

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– Pope John Paul II

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me,

that I may let God transform me

and be made worthy of His promises.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Let your hope keep you joyful,

be patient in your troubles,

and pray at all times.

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– Romans 12:12 (NET)

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REFLECTION…

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“What is this joy that some Christians like me speak about?

Surely they aren’t going through what I am going through!”

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“How can I be joyful when my world seems to be collapsing around me;

when everything seems to be going wrong;

when I feel so lonely and misunderstood?”

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It is believing in

and accepting

the love of God

that makes us joyful, strong and persevering.

That is how one can accept trouble and suffering with joy and hope,

because one knows that what the Lord promises in exchange

is something so much better,

so beyond one’s understanding or imagination!

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That inner joy in the midst of difficulties

is in fact one of the clearest signs

that we trust in the Lord;

that we faithfully accept that His will be done;

that the love of God is influencing everything we do.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, I trust in You!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves,

you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy,

kindness, humility,

gentleness, and patience.

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Make allowance for each other’s faults,

and forgive anyone who offends you.

Remember, the Lord forgave you,

so you must forgive others.

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Above all, clothe yourselves with love,

which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

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And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.

For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.

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And always be thankful.

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– Colossians 3:12-15 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Is God’s word telling me something that really applies to me?

Have I read it well?

Am I listening to His prompting?

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Most importantly,

do I intend following His advice…with humility…

so that I will live and think and act and love

like a good Christian should?.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Mould me, change me, lead me,

stay with me, Holy Spirit of God, and fill me with Your peace.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Therefore stay alert,

because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

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– Matthew 24:42 (NET)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus is telling us, in other words,

that we need to be careful and expectant,

living each day as if it were our last.

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The important thing is to keep ourselves in a state of grace

– by living accordingly.

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QUOTE…

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“If Jesus were to return right now, how will He find me?

Am I … focused entirely on myself?

Or am I … focused on the needs of my brothers and sisters?

Do I sing my own praises and seek earthly glory

or do I sing God’s praises

and seek to glorify God by my words and actions?”

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– Fr. Jason Mitchell LC

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord Jesus, come live in me and take over.

Keep my eyes focused on You;

my feet on the right path;

my heart desiring only what is good;

my mind fixed on Your truth.

Come, Lord Jesus!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in You,
all whose thoughts are fixed on You!

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– Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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The gift that God offers the faithful is peace.

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As He was approaching the end of His ministry on earth,

Jesus caringly gave us His peace:

“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart.

And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.

So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (Jn 14:27)

In giving us His peace, Jesus gave us His Spirit

to be always with us,

to guide us,

console us,

counsel us,

and to lead us back into the Father’s arms.

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If I am not feeling the peace of the Lord inside of me,

I need to look deeply into myself

to examine my faithfulness to Him and His commandments;

to check on whether I really do trust fully in Him;

to see if, in spite of the Spirit’s prompting,

I still insist on doing my thing and on going my own way

in order to satisfy my earthly needs and desires.

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Yes, the peace of the Lord

is felt by those who place their trust fully in Him

and whose thoughts are, therefore, fixed on Him.

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So, what about me,

is my soul rejoicing in God’s peace?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Strengthen my faith, O God, that I may rejoice in Your peace.

Your peace is all I need!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Happy is the person whom God corrects!
Do not resent it when He rebukes you.
God bandages the wounds He makes;
His hand hurts you, and His hand heals.

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– Job 5:17-18 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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If we accept God’s corrections and rebukes,

then we are accepting Him as our Father

and also admitting, in humility, that we are not blameless.

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Jesus Himself tells us,

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.

So be earnest and repent.” (Rev 3:19)

Such a dire warning comes from His love, not His anger:

it is His affection that leads Him to reprove and correct us:

“For the Lord corrects those He loves,

just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights.” (Prov 3:12)

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The Lord is also like that surgeon

who needs to use the knife and scalpel wherever they are needed.

A good surgeon’s hands may hurt and cause pain,

but they do so in order to heal.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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I love You, Lord God.

Forgive me, Lord God.

Heal me, Lord God.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbour;

that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments.

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– Romans 13:10 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Love is a living, active principle of obedience to the whole law.

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Loving others involves kindness, goodness, generosity, patience…

and such love is in perfect harmony with the Law,

which is the principle of Eternal Love.

It is the surest way of fulfilling God’s Law.

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QUOTE…

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“Our motive in everything we do should be the Love of God,

which makes it easier for us to love our neighbour

and which purifies and raises all earthly loves on to a higher level […].

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Charity, which is like a generous overflowing of justice,

demands first of all the fulfilment of one’s duty.

The way to start is to be just;

the next step is to do what is most equitable…;

but in order to love, great refinement is required,

and much thoughtfulness, and respect, and kindliness”

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, show me how to love like You have loved me.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I love the Lord, for He heard my voice;

He heard my cry for mercy.

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Because He turned His ear to me,

I will call on Him as long as I live.

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– Psalm 116:1-2 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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The Lord hears our voice and cries for mercy

– if we do not believe this,

then we have no faith,

nor do we trust in Him.

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St Paul tells us,

“Do not be anxious about anything,

but in every situation,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7)

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Amen!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, I love You

and I will call on You as long as I live.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
Your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
When anxiety was great within me,
Your consolation brought me joy.

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– Psalm 94:18-19 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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The Lord reassures us

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!

Don’t be frightened, for I am your God!

I strengthen you – yes,

I help you – yes,

I uphold you with my saving right hand!” (Isa 41:10)

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Those of us who have faith in the Lord,

reach out for His hand.

and He picks us up

and places us back on the right path,

and His Spirit consoles and strengthens us

and fills us with incomparable inner joy.

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The Lord never gives up on us.

and we must never give up on the Lord!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Come, Lord, and hold my hand.

Keep me from falling, remove my anxieties,

and fill me with Your joy.

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