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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.

Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

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– James 1:22 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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We claim to be believers;

we say that we are Christians;

we go to Mass on Sundays and perhaps even weekdays;

we read reflections on passages from Scripture

– and yet?

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To claim, is one thing.

To actually be, is another.

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God’s word is life,

it is the truth

and it shows us the way to salvation,

but do we do what it says?

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To hear and listen to, and to read God’s word, is good.

To do what it says is another.

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Self-pity, pride and self-centeredness;

our selfish (though we will never admit it) search

for the quickest and least painful escape route from personal issues;

the desire to satisfy our cravings…

all of these can cause us to re-interpret or simply ignore what God tells us.

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If we listen to God’s word

but do not do what it says,

then we are only fooling ourselves.

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QUOTE…

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“Anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish,

like a person who builds a house on sand.”

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– Our Lord, Jesus Christ (Mat 7:26)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O Lord, my God, I so want to do Your will.

My Lord, my Defender, protect me from myself.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Be like-minded, have the same love,

be one in spirit and of one mind.

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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

not looking to your own interests

but each of you to the interests of the others.

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– Philippians 2:2-4 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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True Christians should always act humbly and with an upright intention

if they truly want love to reign among them.

Kindness, gentleness and compassion should be the order of the day,

even towards those who we feel may be undeserving.

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At home, in our work, and in our social life

we should be upright in all that we do.

We should go about everything, whether important or unimportant,

in a humble way,

doing it all for God.

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We should also never forget

that our behaviour, our attitude, has an effect on others.

We can be a source of inspiration and encouragement;

but we can also cause scandal, offence, and mislead others.

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Do I always act responsibly, correctly, and unpretentiously?

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QUOTE…

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“Let us try therefore, not only to be good

but to conduct ourselves well in the eyes of others.

Let us try to see that there is nothing that our conscience reprimands us for,

and also, bearing in mind our weakness, do all that we can,

to avoid giving scandal to those who are less mature."

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– St. Augustine

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, help me love like You loved and to serve like You served.

Jesus, help me be more like You!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Praise the Lord!
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Praise the Lord, O my soul!
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I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

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– Psalm 146:1-2 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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We can give glory and praise to our God

by raising our voice in song;

lifting our hands in praise;

bowing our head in worship.

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We can give glory and praise to our God

with our heart and mind,

putting everything else aside and focusing on Him

and declaring our love for Him who is always with us.

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We can give glory and praise to our God

with what we say and do as we live our daily lives,

always striving to be more like Jesus,

trusting fully in Him;

humbly accepting His will;

always thankful to Him;

and by being truly loving and caring in our attitude towards all others.

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Let us determinedly make our life a song of praise to God!

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Let us gladly sing praises to the Lord

– with all our being

and with every breath that we take!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My Lord and my God, You are everything to me,

and I shall sing Your praises for evermore!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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… I will sing of Your strength,

in the morning I will sing of Your love;

for You are my fortress,

my refuge in times of trouble.

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You are my strength, I sing praise to You;

You, God, are my fortress,

my God on whom I can rely.

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– Psalm 59:16-17 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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I will sing of Your strength,

in the morning I will sing of Your love …

Is this my attitude towards God

during those first moments of my day,

or do I get up feeling sad or sullen,

dejected, anxious or angry even?

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In those first moments of our day

it is good to stop looking inwardly

and to remind ourselves

that the Lord our God is with us, right by our side,

and that with Him there all will be well;

our burdens lighter;

our worries less overwhelming.

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In those first moments of the day

forget yourself,

call out to the Lord

and just focus on Him who is your fortress, your refuge and your strength,

and sing praise to the One on whom you know you can rely

and who will lovingly carry you through another day.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, You are my strength, my fortress, my God on whom I can rely,

and I sing praise to You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“I am the resurrection and the life.

Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,

and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?”

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– John 11:25-26 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.

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Here and now, Christ resurrects us, His people,

and He fills us with hope.

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Christ gives life to those who have faith in Him;

to those who know that they too will rise one day,

just like He did.

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If we lovingly embrace Jesus Christ as our Saviour

and allow Him to renew us and give us new life,

then we are already living in His Kingdom

and gladly looking forward to the day when He will call us

and when we will meet Him face to face.

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“Do you believe this?”

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord Jesus, You are my Saviour; You are my life!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables;

without a parable He told them nothing.

This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet:

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‘I will open my mouth to speak in parables;

I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.’

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– Matthew 13:34-35 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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When we truly and gladly accept Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life,

and humbly allow His Spirit to act in us,

Scripture, and every word that Jesus tells us, will come to life

and the Holy Spirit will reveal to us – at every given moment of our lives –

what the Lord is telling us; what He wants from us.

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The need for simplicity, humility and docility to the Gospel

cannot be emphasised enough.

Jesus speaks to those of us who go to Him,

and the Spirt will give us the wisdom

to help us understand.

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On the other hand,

God’s true plans are hidden from those who are not disposed to accept them;

from those who are not truly willing to allow the Lord to lead them;

from those who come to God’s Word with their own agenda

and with their minds pre-set on what they expect it to say and mean.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Speak to me Lord, Your servant is listening.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Your Word is a Lamp to my feet

and a Light to my path.

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– Psalm 109:105

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PLEASE NOTE THAT…

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…for the next few days (3 or 4 at the most)

we will not be in a position to issue the “Lamp…”

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We will be back with you soon.

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READINGS…

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In the daily “Lamp…”, we normally reflect on a particular verse or more taken from the day’s Liturgy.

You could try to do the same.

You can read the day’s Liturgy every day by going to the following URL: http://www.universalis.com/mass.htm.

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PRAYER…

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Eternal God,

Your Word is a Lamp to my feet

and a Light for my path.

Teach me the true way of prayer;

nourish me by Your Word;

fill me with Your Spirit;

and give me the grace to please You in all that I do.

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My Lord and my God,

help me get to know you better

so that day by day, through Your Word,

I may enter into the fullness of life.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Your Word is a Lamp to my feet

and a Light to my path.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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‘Be appalled at this, you heavens,
and shudder with great horror,’
declares the Lord.
‘My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me, the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns

– broken cisterns that cannot hold water.’

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– Jeremiah 2:12-13 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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The world seems to be turning its back on God

as it stares into the mirror of deception

and relishes in worshipping itself.

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The image of the broken cistern that cannot hold water

reflects our condition

when, instead of trusting in the Lord,

we start to rely on ourselves

or on earthly things.

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Instead of drinking from the abundant water of life,

which the Lord has so generously and lovingly provided,

we indulge in the stagnant water

which lies at the bottom of the broken cisterns which we make for ourselves.

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QUOTE…

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“…their appetite grows and their thirst increases

the further they find themselves

from the only source that can satisfy them, who is God.

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God Himself said to them through Jeremiah His prophet:

They have forsaken me, the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns

– broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

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What they drink in created things cannot satisfy their thirst,

but only increases it.

they sin in a thousand ways through their love for created things,

and do themselves incalculable harm.”

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– St. John of the Cross

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, save me from my selfishness, and from deceiving myself.

You are the Fountain of Living Water,

and only You can satisfy my thirst.

You are my God!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

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– Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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This is a wonderfully simple word of advice

which, if you embrace and imprint in your heart,

can help you combat your bad traits; your weaknesses; your dark desires.

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You can sanctify all that you say and do

by making genuine efforts to be morally correct and proper,

and by doing so for the love of God,

and so as to reinforce your union with Christ.

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If you want to advance, fervently and joyfully, along the right path,

then, whatever you do, whether in word or deed,

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Whatever I do, whether in word or deed,

I do it all thankfully and in Your name, Lord Jesus.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I lift up my eyes to the mountains –
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

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– Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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The Lord watches over you –

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

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The Lord will keep you from all harm –

He will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and for evermore..

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[Ps 121:5-8]

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SING TO THE LORD…

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…acknowledge Him

and tell Him how much you need Him!

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click here >>>

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Oh how I need You Lord!

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