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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His temple.

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Hear my voice when I call, Lord;

be merciful to me and answer me.

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My heart says of You, “Seek His Face!”
Your Face, Lord, I will seek.

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– Psalm 27:4,7-8 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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If we truly wish to spend life everlasting in God’s presence,

we must never give up seeking Him here on earth

– in His creation

and, above all, in all human beings created in His image and likeness.

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We need to pray constantly,

spend quality time with Him, daily,

pray fervently for His grace,

and constantly seek to practise the Fruit of His Spirit

– which is

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22).

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As we pray, pray, and pray

and ceaselessly seek His Face,

we will be building a wonderful life-changing relationship with the Lord

an everlasting relationship,

beyond imagination and description.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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I seek Your Face, O Lord. Your Face I seek.

Thank You, Lord God. Forgive me, Lord God.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.

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Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

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Love each other with genuine affection,

and take delight in honouring each other.

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Never be lazy, but work hard

and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

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Rejoice in confident hope.

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Be patient in trouble,

and keep on praying.

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When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them.

Always be eager to practice hospitality.

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Bless those who persecute you.

Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.

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Be happy with those who are happy,

and weep with those who weep.

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Live in harmony with each other.

Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people.

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And don’t think you know it all!

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– Romans 12:9-16 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Such straightforward instruction

for all well-intentioned Christians to reflect upon!

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With all humility,

we need to constantly go before the Lord,

and, with Him, reflect on these simple words of advice

on what makes us act like truly good Christians should.

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Let us gladly resolve to improve or change

…wherever we need improving or changing.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My Lord Jesus, let me reflect You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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See how much the Father has loved us!

His love is so great that we are called God’s children

– and so, in fact, we are.

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– 1 John 3:1a (GNT)

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REFLECTIVE QUOTE…

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“We do not exist in order to pursue just any happiness.

We have been called to penetrate the intimacy of God’s own life,

to know and love God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,

and to love also

– in that same love of the one God in three divine Persons –

the angels and all men.

This is the great boldness of the Christian faith

– to proclaim the value and dignity of human nature

and to affirm that we have been created to obtain the dignity of children of God,

through the grace that raises us up to a supernatural level.

An incredible boldness it would be,

were it not founded on the promise of salvation given us by God the Father,

confirmed by the blood of Christ,

and reaffirmed and made possible by the constant action of the Holy Spirit”

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O Love Divine, You are my Father

and I want to remain, always, united to You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Him,

so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened,

you may know what is the hope to which He has called you,

what are the riches of His glorious inheritance among the saints,

and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power

for us who believe, according to the working of His great power.

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– Ephesians 1:17-19 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Let us pray to the Father

to give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Let us yearn for and welcome the gift of wisdom from the Holy Spirit

– the gift which enables us to penetrate the mystery of God.

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Let us pray that God grants us the grace of personal revelations

– that special light from the Holy Spirit

which gives us a deeper appreciation of the truth of faith,

or of the will of God in a particular situation.
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Let us pray also for a fuller and livelier hope,

because God and hope are inseparable.

May hope shine more brightly for us;

may God enlighten our minds and make us realise the consequences

of having been called to be members of His holy people.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O God of faith, hope and love, I yearn for more of You.

Take over, Lord and fill me with Your Spirit!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“In Him we live and move and have our being.”

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– Acts 17:28a (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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This verse reminds us about the absolute nearness of God

and His mysterious but real presence in every man and woman.

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Merely to exist, man needs God, his Creator.

We need Him if we are to continue in existence, to live and act.

We need Him if we are to think and love.

And in particular we need Him in order to love goodness and be good.

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“In Him we live and move and have our being”

– such is the intimate union of God and man.

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QUOTE…

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“Not only is God in the place where you are,

but He is in a very special manner in your heart and in the depth of your soul,

which He quickens and animates with His divine presence […].

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Paul said that we live and move and have our being in God.

By reflecting on this truth,

you will stir up in your heart a great reverence for God,

who is so intimately present there."

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– St. Francis de Sales

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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I need You, Lord!

Breath in me, Lord. Come and change me.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,

set your hearts on things above,

where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

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Set your minds on things above,

not on earthly things.

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– Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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Let’s keep our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus.

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It is by living in the way Jesus taught us

that we can survive life’s many challenges,

all its dizzy highs and vicious downs,

all the painful suffering and anxiety,

all the temptations and soul-destroying enticements.

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It is by keeping my eyes and mind fixed on Heaven,

that I can prevail over what are, after all, temporary situations

and look forward to the everlasting, glorious life which Jesus promises!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“If we have died with Him,

we shall also live with Him.”

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– 2 Timothy 2:11 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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There is an intimate union

between the baptised person and Christ, who died and is now risen.

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In Baptism

the Christian becomes a sharer in the passion, death and burial of the Lord,

and also in the glory of His resurrection.

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This special bond of faith

encourages us, therefore, to seek Christ’s grace

as we stay faithful to Him and His teachings

even when we face adverse circumstances and suffering.

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The grace that we seek

is that supernatural life which will attain its full form in heaven.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Your grace I seek, O Lord,

to live this life for You

and life everlasting with You!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them

are the ones who love me.

My Father will love those who love me;

I too will love them and reveal myself to them.”

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– John 14:21 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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Those who choose to live righteously

are the ones who truly love Christ the Lord.

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If we live by God’s commandments,

the Holy Spirit will enlighten our soul and reassure our hearts

and we shall gladly walk the path chosen for us,

filled and encouraged by the love of the Father and of the Son.

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QUOTE…

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“For ‘I will…reveal myself to them’, He says.

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For to the pure in heart

the mystery of the Godhead will be clearly revealed,

and Christ gives them light,

illuminating the path of every duty by His Spirit

and unveiling Himself and making Himself visible, as it were,

by the indescribable torchlight of the soul.

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And those who have made their choice once for all

are blessed…”

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– St. Cyril of Alexandria

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, my Lord and my God,

You are a Lamp to my feet and a Light for my path.

I love You, Lord. Lead me, Lord!

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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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Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

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For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.

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– Psalm 100:1-3,5 (NIV)

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QUOTE…

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,

so that you may overflow with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

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– St. Paul (Rom 15:13)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Nothing and no one compares to You, O God

– only You fill me with such great hope.

Oh the peace and the joy

that come from knowing that You love me!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“You are my friends if you do what I command.”

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– John 15:14 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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Is there an alternative, Lord?

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What am I, if I do not do as You command?

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When we decide to be docile and follow the will of God

and to obey His commands,

if we do all we can to keep Jesus company,

from Bethlehem to Calvary,

sharing His joys and sufferings,

we will become worthy of entering into loving conversation with Him;

worthy of Him calling us His friends.

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Jesus is truly God and truly Man,

He is our Brother and our Friend.

If we make the effort to get to know Him well,

to listen to Him

and to do as He says,

we will share in the joy of being God’s friends.

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If we don’t…

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, Son of the Living God,

have mercy on me a sinner.

Heal me, Lord, I want to be Your friend.

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