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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I consider my life worth nothing to me;

my only aim is to finish the race

and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me

— the task of testifying to the good news of God’s Grace.

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– Acts 20:24

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REFLECTION…

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Paul has come to love Jesus Christ so much

that he gives himself no importance:

he sees his life as having no meaning

other than that of doing what God wants him to.

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He sees holiness

as a constant, uninterrupted striving towards his encounter with the Lord.

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That is how it should be with me, as a Christian,

to never tire of announcing God’s Grace

by word and by deed,

through the example I give others.

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I must be eagerly determined to live the Gospel,

and to joyfully share the amazing treasure of my Christian faith.

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PRAYER…

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Lord, help me complete the task You gave me and fulfil my duty as a true Christian,

as a true believer blessed with Your awesome grace.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

[…] that He may teach us His ways

and that we may walk in His paths.

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– Isaiah 2:3

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REFLECTION…

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The Lord is like a beautiful mountain which you spot from a distance

and which invites You to get closer and even climb up to its top.

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The closer we get to a mountain

the bigger and more magnificent it gets

…and the smaller we feel in relation to it!

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That is how it is with the Lord,

the closer we get to Him

the more glorious He becomes in our eyes

and the less significant we feel.

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Yet, the closer we get to the Lord,

the more we can see, in His eyes, this great love which He has for us,

and the more we can feel

the individual attention and importance which He gives us.

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Our own love for Him grows

and our ego is transformed into a humble yearning

which drives us ever-closer to the Mountain,

with an inner determination to climb up the paths,

which the Lord has prepared for us to get to the top…

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PRAYER…

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Lord God, lead me to the top of Your Mountain.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus prayed to the Father,

“Now at last they know

that all you have given me comes indeed from You;

for I have given them the teaching You gave to me,

and they have truly accepted this,

that I came from you, and have believed that it was you who sent me.

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I pray for them.”

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– John 17:7-9

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REFLECTION…

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As a Christian and a disciple of Jesus,

I can gradually acquire knowledge of God and of divine things

through living a life of faith

and maintaining a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

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“I pray for them.”

When Jesus prays for His disciples, He is also praying for us.

Jesus prays for our unity, perseverance, joy and holiness

– until we join Him in His Kingdom.

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PRAYER…

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Pray for me, Lord Jesus, and heal me.

Grant that I may persevere in seeking to be holy,

and in the desire to be always filled with, and to keep,

that wonderful, deep inner joy, which only You can give.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Christ died for all,

so that those who live should no longer live for themselves,

but only for Him who died and was raised to life for their sake.

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– 2 Corinthians 5:15 (GNT)

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St. Francis de Sales TEACHES AND GUIDES US…

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“It is easy to see, Christians,

what Christ desired by dying for us.

What did He desire but that we should become like Him?

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‘That those who live should no longer live for themselves,

but only for Him who died and was raised to life for their sake.’

How powerful a consequence is this in the matter of love!

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Jesus Christ died for us;

by His death He has given us life;

we only live because He died;

He died for us, by us, and in us;

our life then is no longer ours,

but belongs to Him who has purchased it for us by His death.

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We are therefore no more to live to ourselves but to Him;

not in ourselves but in Him;

nor for ourselves but for Him.”

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PRAYER…

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Help me be more like You.

Help me commit myself to always seek to love You like You have loved me,

and to live for You and in You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I ask that your minds may be opened to see His light,

so that you will know

what is the hope to which He has called you,

how rich are the wonderful blessings He promises His people,

and how very great is His power at work in us who believe.

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– Ephesians 1:18-19 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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The author of these verses, St Paul,

prays to God and asks

that we not only be given a deeper knowledge of God,

but that we are granted a fuller and livelier hope,

because God and hope are inseparable.

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Hope is a gift from God,

and this prayer asks for hope to shine more brightly

for us who embrace our Christian faith

which we reflect by striving to love others

in the manner that Jesus taught us.

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St. Paul prays that God enlightens our minds

that we may realise what it truly means to be members of the holy people of God

– to be good and worthy Christians.

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The ground for hope lies in God’s love and power.

That same power is what is instilled in us through our faith

as we contemplate upon God’s eternal plan for our salvation.

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QUOTE…

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“Hope is a supernatural virtue,

infused by God into our soul,

by which we desire and expect eternal life,

promised by God to His servants,

and the means necessary to obtain it”

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– St Pius X Catechism.

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PRAYER…

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Jesus, my Lord and Saviour,

in You the whole of God’s truth has been made manifest.

Full of grace and love, You are Light of the World.

You are the Truth.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,

to give you the Spirit,

who will make you wise and reveal God to you,

so that you will know Him.

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– Ephesians 1:17 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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This verse leads us into prayer,

to appeal to God to grant us Christians supernatural wisdom

that we may recognize the greatness of the blessings He has given us through His Son

– that is, that we may acknowledge that He is truly our Father and the origin of all glory.

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This verse leads us into prayer,

to seek the special gifts of wisdom and personal revelation.

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Wisdom is that great gift of the Holy Spirit

which enables us to penetrate the mystery of God.

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Personal revelation is that special light from the Holy Spirit

which provides us with a deeper appreciation of the truth of faith,

and of the will of God in particular situations.

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PRAYER…

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Almighty God, Heavenly Father,

in Jesus’ Holy Name I humbly ask You to give me the Spirit,

who will make me wise and reveal You to me,

so that I will know You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“When the Spirit of Truth comes,

He will guide you into all truth.”

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– John 16:13 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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It is the Holy Spirit

who makes us fully understand the truth revealed by Christ.

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When we gladly receive the Holy Spirit;

when we invite Him into our hearts and let Him take over,

He will then lovingly guide us unto all truth.

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He will gently enlighten us,

and enable us discover the depth and richness

of everything we have read and heard about Jesus.

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It is through the Holy Spirit

that we receive counsel,

find consolation,

and are guided towards personal holiness

which will make us one with Christ.

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PRAYER…

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Lord, thank You for the Holy Spirit,

for the One who gently tugs away at my hardened heart

and who lovingly leads me to open my eyes to Your truth.

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TODAY’S WORD…and PRAYER…

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I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:

You have heard the words of my mouth.

In the presence of the angels I will bless You.

I will adore before Your holy temple.

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I thank You for Your faithfulness and love,

which excel all we ever knew of You.

On the day I called, You answered;

You increased the strength of my soul.

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You stretch out Your hand and save me,

Your hand will do all things for me.

Your love, O Lord, is eternal,

discard not the work of Your hands.

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– Psalm 137(138):1-3;7-8 (TGP)

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QUOTE…

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"In [God’s] hand is the life of every living thing