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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,

“I praise You, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

because You have hidden these things

from the wise and the intelligent

and have revealed them to infants;

yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will.”

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– Luke 10:21(NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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It is not that Jesus is against the wise and intelligent.

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Jesus knows, however,

that those who arrogantly regard themselves as having a superior intellect,

become so full of themselves,

so haughty and proud,

that even in matters of religion

they loftily consider others to be inferior

and, possibly, less worthy!

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Such persons, invariably,

fail to apply Jesus’ constant call for humility to themselves

and, therefore, they can never go beyond the human realm

in their understanding of Christ.

Their attitude blocks having a genuine personal relationship with Jesus.

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The humble, on the other hand,

(and to be humble does not mean to lack intellect)

experience Christ in a very special personal manner

as the Spirit faithfully reveals to them

that which is otherwise beyond human understanding

…that which brings deep and indescribable joy!

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PRAYER…

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Lord Jesus,

I want to be humble

like You were humble on this earth.

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I want to learn from You

and listen to Your voice.

I want to always be guided by You.

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Lord Jesus,

the fact that You are my friend,

overwhelms me;

the fact that You walk by my side along the way,

fills me with great joy.

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Lord, You are the King…of Kings…

yet You are so wonderfully meek and humble of heart.

Lord, teach me how to be like You.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, teach me how to be like You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.”

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– Matthew 8:8 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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At the solemn moment

when Christians are about to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,

the Church’s liturgy places on our lips and in our hearts

these words (of the centurion), to enliven our faith:

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof…”

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One of Jesus’ parables comes to mind,

about the two men who were praying in the temple.

One prayed like this:

“God, I thank You that I am not like other people…” (Lk 18:11)

and the other, who was “standing far off,

would not even look up to heaven,

but was beating his breast and saying,

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Lk 18:13)

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When He finished relating the parable,

Jesus explained the consequences of our attitude before God

by reminding us that

“all who exalt themselves will be humbled,

but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Lk 18:14)

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PRAYER…

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Lord,

I am not worthy,

but please have mercy on me, a sinner.

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Lord,

You are my God,

and before my God I cannot but realise my nothingness,

my unworthiness;

my sinfulness;

and how much I need Your love and mercy.

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Lord, I am not worthy of Your love,

yet You love me unconditionally

and beyond my understanding.

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I thank You for Your love, O God,

and my prayer is that, with the help of Your grace,

I will always love You back

with all my heart, mind, soul and strength.

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For this I pray.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, I am not worthy,

but please have mercy on me, a sinner.

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TODAY’S WORD…and PRAYER

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Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am devoted to You;
save Your servant who trusts in You.
You are my God; be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to You do I cry all day long.
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Gladden the soul of Your servant,
for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For You, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call on You.
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Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my cry of supplication.
In the day of my trouble I call on You,
for You will answer me.

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– Psalm 86:1-7 (NRSV)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, please hear my prayer; have mercy on me.

..

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TODAY’S WORD…

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As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,

He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.

They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said,

“and I will send you out to fish for people.”

At once they left their nets and followed Him.

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– Matthew 4:18-20 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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These two disciples had already met our Lord (John 1:35-42),

and that first brief meeting with Him

seems to have had a powerful effect on their souls.

The next time they saw Him and He called them to follow Him,

they were move to follow Him “at once”

and leaving all else behind.

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So it is with Christians when they truly meet Jesus

and, make themselves open to His teachings.

They are struck by Him;

they recognise Him as the Way, the Truth and the Life;

they realise that nothing and no one compares to Him.

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It is such a grace when Jesus calls us;

it is such a grace when we actually hear Him call;

it is such a grace when we decide to readily follow Him

in spite of the ways of the world,

which seems hell-bent on drawing us away from Him.

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God passes by and calls us.

If we do not answer Him “at once”, He may continue on His way

and we could so easily lose sight of Him.

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When God passes by, He may do so rapidly,

and it would be sad if we were to fall behind and be unable to keep up with Him

simply because we may insist in taking our “baggage” with us

– baggage which is nothing but dead weight and bother

and which only makes us struggle along the way.

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QUOTE…

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“God draws us from the shadows of our ignorance,

our groping through history,

and, no matter what our occupation in the world,

He calls us in a loud voice,

as He once called Peter and Andrew.”

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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PRAYER…

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Lord Jesus,

I was not prepared for the amazing grace

that I received that day that I met You

and accepted You as Lord.

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I made a choice – I chose You

and my world changed,

and so did the meaning of my life.

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Suddenly I realised that nothing compares to You

and to Your truth.

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Lord Jesus,

grant me the grace of perseverance in my faith,

that I will always seek to do Your will;

that I will always love You with all my heart, mind, soul and strength;

that I will love my neighbour as You commanded;

that I will stop focusing on myself

and seek only to follow You.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Here I am Lord. Lead me Lord.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Heaven and earth will pass away,

but my words will never pass away.”

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– Luke 21:33 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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More than two thousand years have passed,

and Jesus’ words still ring true.

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Everything under the sun passes away,

but Jesus’ word endures forever!

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QUOTE…

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“Heaven and earth, since they are created things, are not necessarily unchangeable;

it is possible for them to cease to exist;

whereas, Christ’s words, which originate in eternity, have such power and force

that they will last forever.”

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– St. Hilary

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PRAYER…

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Lord Jesus,

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path.
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When I feel afraid,

and think I’ve lost my way,
still You’re there right beside me.
Nothing will I fear
as long as You are near;
please be near me to the end.
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Jesus, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
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I will not forget
Your love for me and yet,
my heart forever is wandering.
Jesus be my guide,
and hold me to Your side,
and I will love You to the end.
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Nothing will I fear
as long as You are near;
please be near me to the end.
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Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path.
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Jesus, You’re the light unto my path.

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Amen.

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[Today’s prayer consists of the lyrics of the Christian song of praise “Thy Word”.

To hear this beautiful song and sing it to God as a prayer from the heart,

please click here >> “”]

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, You’re the light unto my path – please be near me to the end.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Christ’s message in all its richness must live in your hearts.

Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom.

Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs;

sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts.

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– Colossians 3:16 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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Christ’s message should be ever-present to the Christian’s soul

and dwell abundantly in the heart,

imbuing everything the believer does.

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The word of Christ is the best nourishment of one’s life of prayer

and an inexhaustible source of practical teaching;

and it is to be found, in the first instance, in the books of the New Testament.

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St John Chrysostom says that these writings

"are teachers which never cease to instruct us […].

Open these books. What a treasury of good remedies they contain! […]

All you need do is look at the book, read it

and remember well the wise teachings therein.

The source of all our evils is our ignorance of the sacred books"

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Once we read these sacred books

we will be filled with appreciation

and that should lead us to thank the Lord with all our hearts

and glorify Him with songs of joy and gratitude.

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PRAYER…

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Jesus, my Lord and my God,

Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light for my path!

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Thank You for living the scriptures for me,

and for being my Teacher and Mentor.

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Thank You for the Holy Spirit

who brings Your words to life in my heart

– words of wisdom that reinforce my faith

and fill me with great hope;

words that revive my tired soul

which then sings out with great joy

as You come alive within me.

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All glory be to You, my King and Saviour!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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All glory be to You, my Teacher and Mentor;

my King and my Saviour!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Stand firm,

and you will win life.”

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– Luke 21:19 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Stand firm in your faith,

endure and withstand with determination and faith

…and you will win life – eternal life.

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In some way or other,

“everyone who wants to live a godly life in union with Christ Jesus

will be persecuted.” (2 Tim 3:12)

This increasingly God-less world

seems to be constantly bullying and belittling

those who try to live a good Christian life.

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But these challenges are part of God’s providence:

they happen because He lets them happen,

which He does in order to draw greater good out of them.

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When we, in one way or another, suffer because of our faith,

it is a wonderful opportunity to bear witness to Christ,

and He promises us divine help

as we strive to adhere to His teachings.

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He tells us not to be afraid,

because even apparent misfortune and loss

will be for us a beginning of Heaven.

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As Christians,

we should be people of faith, hope and joy!

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PRAYER…

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My Lord and my God,

I believe…I know…that You are always with me;

always by my side.

Who or what, therefore, should I fear?

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But Lord, I pray that my faith is increased;

that trust in You strengthened,

and that my submission to Your will be total.

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Lord Jesus, stay with me

as I strive to live my life for You

and to be more like You.

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Lord, with You in my heart I shall live forever.

Fill me with faith and hope and joy,

as I walk the narrow path that leads to life everlasting.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, with You in my heart I shall live forever!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord;
sing praise to Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you heavens;
sing praise to Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you angels of the Lord;
sing praise to Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all you waters above the heavens;
sing praise to Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all you powers of the Lord;
sing praise to Him and highly exalt Him for ever.

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– Daniel 3:57-61 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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All creation extols the glory of the Lord.

All creatures, in the heavens and on earth, praise the Most High.

His glory is acknowledged with great fervour

because He is Love;

because His mercy is eternal.

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God is great!

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PRAYER…

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My Lord, my God, You are great!

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You deserve the glory

and the honour,
Lord, I lift my hands in worship

and I bless Your Holy name.
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For You are great,

You do miracles so great,

there is no one else like You.
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Lord, there is no one else like You!
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I love You, Lord.

I praise You, Lord.

I bless You, Lord.

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Amen.

[Today’s prayer is taken from the lyrics of the Christian song of praise “You Deserve the Glory”.

please click here >> “”]

TODAY’S WORD… [for today, Sunday the 24^th November 2013, the last day of THE YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013]