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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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You are all children of light and children of the day;

we are not of the night or of darkness.

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– 1 Thessalonians 5:5 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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A true Christian is illuminated by the light of faith

– what a wonderful blessing!

We should therefore live a transparent life,

with the divine light shining clearly through it.

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QUOTE…

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“I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness

but will have the light of life.”

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– Our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn 8:12)

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PRAYER…

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You, Lord, are my light and my help;

whom shall I fear?

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;

You turn my darkness into light.

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Lord, grant that I shall always acclaim You,

and walk in the light of Your presence.

Lord, fill me with the fruit of Your Spirit;

fill me with the light of life!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, fill me with the light of life!

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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By [the] power of the Spirit, God’s children can bear much fruit.

He who has grafted us onto the true vine

will make us bear “the fruit of the Spirit: …love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal 5:22-23)

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“We live by the Spirit”; the more we renounce ourselves, the more we “walk by the Spirit.” (Gal 5:25)

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Through the Holy Spirit

we are restored to paradise,

led back to the Kingdom of heaven, and adopted as children,

given confidence to call God “Father”

and to share in Christ’s grace, called children of light

and given a share in eternal glory. [St. Basil]

[CCC 736]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Dear brothers and sisters,

we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died

so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

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For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again,

we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him the believers who have died.

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We tell you this directly from the Lord:

We who are still living when the Lord returns

will not meet Him ahead of those who have died.

For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout,

with the voice of the archangel,

and with the trumpet call of God.

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First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.

Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

Then we will be with the Lord forever.

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So encourage each other with these words.

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– 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NLT)

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PRAYER…

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I know that Heaven awaits us, O Lord my Saviour,

and we owe this only to You

and to Your loving sacrifice on that Cross.

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Lord, be my Guiding Light,

keep my faith strong,

strengthen my love for You

and fill me with hope

for that day when infinite beauty and greatness

and happiness and Love

will be poured into those who loved You,

who will be filled for eternity

with the freshness of an ever-new joy.

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Amen.

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[today’s prayer inspired by words of St Josemaria Escriva.]

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, be my Guiding Light and fill me with hope!

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven

promised by God to those who love Him and do His will.

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In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God,

to persevere to the end

and to obtain the joy of heaven,

as God’s eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ. […]

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Hope, O my soul, hope.

You know neither the day nor the hour.

Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly,

even though your impatience makes doubtful what is certain,

and turns a very short time into a long one.

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Dream that the more you struggle,

the more you prove the love that you bear your God,

and the more you will rejoice one day with your Beloved,

in a happiness and rapture that can never end.

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– St. Teresa of Avila

[CCC 1821]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“For all who exalt themselves will be humbled,

and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

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– Luke 14:11 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Humility is so necessary for salvation

that Jesus takes every opportunity to stress its importance..

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QUOTE…

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“True glory flees from those who seek it.

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True glory seeks those who flee from it.”

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– Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa

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PRAYER…

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Lord Jesus,

help me learn from You.

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Forgive me for when I felt

better than or above others.

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My Lord and my God,

in the name of love and truth,

give me the strength and grace

to be humble and unpretentious.

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Help me be more like You, Lord,

and may I be blessed and exalted

– not by others

but by You.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, remove my pretentiousness…and make me humble.

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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Sin is an offense against God:

“Against You, You alone, have I sinned,

and done that which is evil in Your sight.”(Ps 51:4)

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Sin sets itself against God’s love for us and turns our hearts away from it.

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Like the first sin, it is disobedience,

a revolt against God through the will to become “like gods,”

knowing and determining good and evil.

Sin is thus “love of oneself even to contempt of God.” (St Augustine)

In this proud self- exaltation,

sin is diametrically opposed to the obedience of Jesus, which achieves our salvation.

[CCC 1850]

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TODAY’S WORD…and PRAYER

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‘‘If I only touch His cloak,

I will be made well.”

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– Matthew 9:21 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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All I have to do

is just make that effort,

and seek out Jesus;

yearn to make contact with Him,

and to touch Him

– even if just the tip of His cloak –

and He will, in His own wonderful way, make me well.

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Our faith in Him

renews us

and strengthens us.

If it is physical healing we need,

and if it is in His plan for us,

then we will be healed.

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When He sees

the humble faith we have in Him,

He will heal us internally

and draw us to Him

and embrace us.

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We will then begin to understand

and to accept

and to love

and to feel a return of that joy

that only He can bring.

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PRAYER…

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My Lord and my God,

I will never forget the day

when I decided to put aside my pride

and to reach out to You and seek to touch You,..

and, especially, how You immediately embraced me

and healed my soul.

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Lord, my prayer is

that my faith will remain strong,

and that I will always seek

Your healing grace

and accept that Your will be done.

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For this I pray. Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My Lord, my Healer!

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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Very often in the Gospels people address Jesus as "Lord".

This title testifies to the respect and trust of those who approach Him for help and healing.

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At the prompting of the Holy Spirit,

"Lord" expresses the recognition of the divine mystery of Jesus.

In the encounter with the risen Jesus,

this title becomes adoration: "My Lord and my God!"

It thus takes on a connotation of love and affection

that remains proper to the Christian tradition:

"It is the Lord!" (Jn 20:28,21:7)

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[CCC 448]

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TODAY’S WORD…and PRAYER

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“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for You created all things,
and by Your will

they existed and were created.”

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– Revelations 4:11 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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We praise and honour and worship God

as our Creator.

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Unfortunately, the world today

does not appear to want to enthusiastically honour the Lord God.

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Though mankind benefits from His goodness

and lives in a universe of His creation,

we Christians, of the so-called Western World,

seem to have a regrettable tendency

to neglect the worship of God.

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Am I one of these “Christians”?

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Do I praise and worship the Lord my God

by devoting time to Him;

by wholeheartedly honouring Sunday;

by what I do, say, or think?

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Or don’t I?

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PRAYER…

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You are worthy, my Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for You created all things,
and by Your will

they existed and were created.

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Lord, mark my heart indelibly;

Brand me as one of Yours.

Fill my mind with true love,

and let me always praise and worship You

as my Lord, my God, my Creator.

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For this I pray in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My Lord and my God, You are worthy!

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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Without the Creator, the creature vanishes.

This is the reason why believers know

that the love of Christ urges them to bring the light of the living God

to those who do not know him or who reject him.

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[CCC 49]

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TODAY’S WORD…and PRAYER…

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Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence,

and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

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– Psalm 51:10-11 (ESV)

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QUOTE…

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We are born, each of us, with a desire for good

and a lust for evil.

We are called to life

and attracted to death.

We hear: “Do good,”

and we respond: “Choose pleasure.”

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Sometimes when God reaches out to us

we disdain Him.

Even so, God does not forsake us.

His gracious pity shows itself in our lives

in abundance of mercy and compassion,

Looking upon the sorrows

of all who attempt to follow Him.

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He is with us to console and save our souls,

to prepare us for eternal life,

not eternal death.

His grace precedes and follows us,

so that we can, with passion,

receive and fulfill His words of life.

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– St Hildegard of Bingen

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PRAYER…

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Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence,

and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Create in me a clean heart, O God!

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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Faced with a moral choice,

conscience can make either a right judgment in accordance with reason and the divine law

or, on the contrary, an erroneous judgment that departs from them.

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[CCC 1786] .

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TODAY’S WORD…and PRAYER

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Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
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If I go up to the heavens, You are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there Your hand will guide me,
Your right hand will hold me fast.
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If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,’
even the darkness will not be dark to You;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to You.

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– Psalm 139:7-12 (NIV)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, You are my light – guide me, save me..

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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[…] The simplest and most direct prayer [and petition to the Holy Spirit] is…

"Come, Holy Spirit"

and every liturgical tradition has developed it in antiphons and hymns.

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Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.25

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Heavenly King, Consoler Spirit, Spirit of Truth,

present everywhere and filling all things,

treasure of all good and source of all life,

come dwell in us,

cleanse and save us, You who are All Good.

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[CCC 2671]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate,

but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

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You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,

so that the outside also may become clean.”

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– Matthew 23:25-26 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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After reproaching the Pharisees and scribes for their hypocrisy in religious practice,

our Lord now goes on to indict their two-facedness in matters of morality.

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However, Jesus is not just addressing them, but all of us,

and this reflects the Lord’s concern

for that moral purity which should characterise every Christian’s interior life.

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Jesus is telling us all that what is of prime importance

is cleanliness of heart,

an upright intention,

and consistency between what one says and what one does.

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PRAYER…

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You are blessed, O God,

the Source of happiness in Your creatures,

my Maker,

my Lord,

my Defender.

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You have sustained me,

supported me,

and protected me,

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You are, in every situation,

able to meet my needs and despairs.

May I live by You,

and live for You.

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May I get to resemble Jesus;

and may I steadily conform to His principles

and to His character.

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Let Your unparalleled love constrain me into holy obedience,

and let my duties be my delight.

Lord, eliminate my selfishness,

remove my hypocrisy.

and grant that I may truly love You.

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Save me, Lord,

don’t give up on me;

keep me close to You.

Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Save me, O Lord..

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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Truth or truthfulness is the virtue

which consists in showing oneself true in deeds

and truthful in words,

and guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.

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[CCC 2505]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“We urge you

and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus

to make more and more progress

in the kind of life that you are meant to live:

the life that God wants…”

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– 1 Thessalonians 4:1 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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We know the Commandments,

but knowing them is not enough;

they must be put into practice

…and then we must go beyond that,

progressing in the Lord’s direction, step by step.

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True Christians go beyond “just” being good.

Good Christians yearn to love the Lord, their God,

with all their heart, mind, soul and strength,

through their words, thoughts and deeds.

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QUOTE…

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“Two things make for virtue

– avoiding evil and doing good.

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Fleeing from evil is not the be-all of virtue;

it is the beginning of the path that leads to virtue.

One needs, in addition, to have an ardent desire to be good

and to do good”

..

– St John Chrysostom

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PRAYER…

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Lord God,

I thank You for Your great love,

for teaching us how we should live,

and for giving up Your life to free us from sin.

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Holy Spirit,

I thank You for Your promptings

and I pray, with all my heart,

that I will shun evil

and love only what is good.

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Help me, Sweet Spirit of God,

to live my life according to Your commands,

…whatever the circumstances.

.

For this I pray. Amen.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, I so want to love You

with all my heart, mind, soul and strength.

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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Spiritual progress tends toward ever more intimate union with Christ.

This union is called “mystical”

because it participates in the mystery of Christ through the sacraments – “the holy mysteries” –

and, in Him, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity.

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God calls us all to this intimate union with him,.

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[CCC 2014]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Try your best to enter by the narrow door,

because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.”

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– Luke 13:24 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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Everyone is called

to form part of the Kingdom of God,

for He “desires all people to be saved” (1 Tim 2:4).

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Certainly, only those who make a serious effort

can reach the goal of salvation

– and Our Lord emphasises this

by using the simile of the narrow door.

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My ego, my pride,

my selfishness,

my weaknesses, urges and cravings,

my justifications…

am I ruled by them?

Do I seriously want to pass through that narrow door?

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There is no way

that I will be able to pass through

that ultimate and all-important door

– not unless I recognise,

and struggle against,

and repent from,

and shed,

my self-indulgence.

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PRAYER…

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Heavenly Father, open my eyes for me to see

in how many ways I am not the person You want me to be.

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Almighty God,

help me in my struggle.

Help me defend myself

against self-defeating urges and passions.

Help me discard any self-inflating attitude,

and all self-centered excuses

which draw me away from You

and which can ultimately deprive me

from passing through that glorious door

which leads into Your Loving arms.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, save me from myself.

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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It remains for the holy people to struggle, with grace from on high,

to obtain the good things God promises.

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In order to possess and contemplate God,

Christ’s faithful mortify their cravings

and, with the grace of God, prevail over the seductions of pleasure and power.

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[CCC 2549]

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