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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Joyful are people of integrity,

who follow the instructions of the Lord.

Joyful are those who obey His laws

and search for Him with all their hearts.

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You have charged us

to keep Your commandments carefully.

Oh, that my actions would consistently

reflect Your decrees!

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As I learn Your righteous regulations,

I will thank You by living as I should!

I will obey Your decrees.

Please don’t give up on me!.

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– Psalm 119:1-2,4-5,7-8 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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How full of that indescribable inner joy

are those who are open to hope and permeated by faith.

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The Law of the Lord, which is the object of the passionate love of every true Christian,

is a source of life.

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The desire to understand God’s Law,

to observe it and to direct the whole of one’s being by it

is the characteristic of every righteous person who is faithful to the Lord,

who meditates on His Law and whose heart fills with joy and hope as a consequence.

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PRAYER…

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O Lord, my God, Your Law is joy in my heart.

Help me always embrace it, obey it and be guided by it.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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From the depths of my despair I call to You, Lord.

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Hear my cry, O Lord;

listen to my call for help!

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If You kept a record of our sins,

who could escape being condemned?

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But You forgive us,

so that we should stand in awe of You.

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I wait eagerly for the Lord’s help,

and in His word I trust.

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– Psalm 130:1-5 (GNT)

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From a REFLECTION on Psalm 130 by Pope Benedict XVI …

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Psalm 130 is first and foremost a hymn to divine mercy

and to the reconciliation between the sinner and the Lord,

– a God who is just but always prepared to show himself

as “a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity,

continuing his kindness for a thousand generations,

and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin”. (Ex 34: 6-7)

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The Psalm opens with a voice that rises from the depths of evil and sin:

From the depths of my despair I call to You, Lord.

Hear my cry, O Lord; listen to my call for help!

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It is significant that reverent awe, a sentiment in which respect and love are mingled,

is not born from punishment but from forgiveness.

If You kept a record of our sins, who could escape being condemned?

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Rather than sparking His anger, God’s generous and disarming magnanimity must kindle in us a holy reverence.

But You forgive us, so that we should stand in awe of You.

Indeed, God is not an intransigent, unyielding sovereign who condemns the guilty

but a loving father whom we must love, not for fear of punishment,

but for His kindness, quick to forgive.

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And then, “I wait eagerly for the Lord’s help, and in His word I trust.” Expectation, hope, the certainty that God will speak a liberating word and wipe away the sin

– these are now blossoming in the heart of the penitent.

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PRAYER…

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Hear my cry, O Lord; listen to my call for help!

Thank You, Lord God; forgive me, Lord God.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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You light a lamp for me.

The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.

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– Psalm 18:28 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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The Lord gives us internal spiritual light,

and, to those faithful to Him, He increases this light by giving fresh supplies of the oil of grace.

As He does this, He causes our lamp to burn more clearly,

to bring us out of the darkness into light;

out of adversity to prosperity;

from walking in darkness to basking of the light of His presence.

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“O Lord, You are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness.” (2 Sam 22:29)

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PRAYER…

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O Lord, You are my lamp. You turn my darkness into light.

Thank You, Lord. I love You, Lord.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I love you, Lord;

You are my strength.

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The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me,

and my place of safety.

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– Psalm 18:1-2 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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If Jesus isn’t in my heart,

if His Gospel doesn’t strengthen me,

then routine takes over and exhaustion and discouragement.

Jesus is our Rock, our Fortress, our Saviour and our Shield.

Above all He is our Lord, our God, and we must trust Him.

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QUOTE…

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"O my God, who first gave me the help of Your call so that I could trust in You!

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My protector, the guarantor of my well-being, and my redeemer;

You are my protector because I did not rely on my own resources,

did not raise the weapon of pride against You.

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You Yourself became my weapon:

I found the sure strength of salvation,

in such a way that as soon as You made it known to me You redeemed me.”

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– St. Augustine

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PRAYER…

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Lord, You are the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Protect me, Lord. I need You, Lord.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me;

He freed me from all my fears.

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The oppressed look to Him and are glad;

they will never be disappointed.

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The helpless call to Him, and He answers;

He saves them from all their troubles.

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His angel guards those who honour the Lord

and rescues them from danger.

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But He opposes those who do evil,

so that when they die, they are soon forgotten.

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The righteous call to the Lord, and He listens;

He rescues them from all their troubles.

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The Lord is near to those who are discouraged;

He saves those who have lost all hope.

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Good people suffer many troubles,

but the Lord saves them from them all.

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– Psalm 34:4-7,16-19 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Today’s psalm is an invitation to join the psalmist in prayer,

to glorify God and to trust in God.

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God hears the cry of the humble, the poor and the just.

He is close to them and saves them.

Even before we seek the Lord, He is seeking us and watching over us.

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For this is how God loved the world:

He gave His one and only Son,

so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (Jn 3:16)

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As believers, we know that Jesus was sent out by the Father to save and redeem us;

we know that He came to do the will of the Father, come what may;

we know that He wants us all to trust in Him and to accept His Father’s will;

we know that through Him, the righteous will not perish but have eternal life.

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The righteous call to the Lord, and He listens.

It is the righteous who praise and thank God for His great love;

who love Him with all the heart, mind, soul and strength;

who seek His forgiveness and mercy as they themselves truly forgive and have mercy;

who ask that He let them not yield to the temptations of the evil one.

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PRAYER…

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I pray to You Lord, and You answer me;

You free me from all my fears;

You save me from all my troubles;

You fill me with hope and peace.

Thank You, Lord God.

Forgive me Lord God.

I love You, Lord God.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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The law of the Lord is perfect,

it revives the soul.

The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,

it gives wisdom to the simple.

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The precepts of the Lord are right,

they gladden the heart.

The command of the Lord is clear,

it gives light to the eyes.

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The fear of the Lord is holy,

abiding for ever.

The decrees of the Lord are truth

and all of them just.

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May the spoken words of my mouth,

the thoughts of my heart,

win favour in Your sight, O Lord,

my rescuer, my rock!

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– Psalm 19:8-10,15 (TGP)

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From a REFLECTION on Psalm 51 by Pope Francis…

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God is the Living One, the Merciful One;

Jesus brings us the life of God;

the Holy Spirit gives and keeps us in our new life as true sons and daughters of God.

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But all too often, as we know from experience, people do not choose life,

they do not accept the "Gospel of Life"

but let themselves be led by ideologies and ways of thinking that block life, that do not respect life,

because they are dictated by selfishness, self-interest, profit, power and pleasure, and not by love, by concern for the good of others. […]

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The wisdom of the Psalmist says:

"The precepts of the Lord are right, they gladden the heart.

The command of the Lord is clear, it gives light to the eyes."

Let us always remember: the Lord is the Living One, He is merciful.

The Lord is the Living One, He is merciful.

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Dear brothers and sisters, let us look to God as the God of Life,

let us look to His law, to the Gospel message, as the way to freedom and life.

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The Living God sets us free!

Let us say "Yes" to love and not selfishness.

Let us say "Yes" to life and not death.

Let us say "Yes" to freedom and not enslavement to the many idols of our time.

In a word, let us say "Yes" to the God who is love, life and freedom, and who never disappoints;

let us say "Yes" to the God who is the Living One and the Merciful One.

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Only faith in the Living God saves us:

in the God who in Jesus Christ has given us His own life by the gift of the Holy Spirit

and has made it possible to live as true sons and daughters of God through His mercy.

This faith brings us freedom and happiness.

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PRAYER…

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Your precepts are right, O Lord, and they gladden my heart,

Your command is clear and it gives light to my eyes.

Thank You O Lord, my God, my rescuer, my rock.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Have mercy on me, O God,

according to Your merciful love;

according to Your great compassion,

blot out my transgressions.

Wash me completely from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin.

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My transgressions, truly I know them;

my sin is always before me.

Against You, You alone, have I sinned;

what is evil in Your sight I have done.

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Create a pure heart for me, O God;

renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence;

take not Your holy spirit from me.

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Restore in me the joy of Your salvation;

sustain in me a willing spirit.

O Lord, open my lips

and my mouth shall proclaim Your praise.

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– Psalm 51:3-6,12-14,17 (RGP)

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From a REFLECTION on Psalm 51 by Pope Francis…

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This is the moment of reconciliation with God, in the confession of David’s sin.

And here David was humble; he was great!

Whoever prays with this Psalm (known as the Miserere)

is invited to have the same sentiments of repentance and trust in God that David had,

when he repented and, although being King, humbled himself,

without fearing to confess his fault and show his misery to the Lord,

convinced, however, of the certainty of His mercy.

And what he had dine was not a small sin, a little fib: he had committed adultery and murder!

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The Psalm…is a heartbroken appeal to God, the only one who can free from sin.

Very adaptable images are used: blot out, wash me, cleanse me.

Man’s real need is manifested in this prayer:

the only thing that we truly need in our life is to be forgiven, freed from evil and its consequences of death.

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Unfortunately, life often makes us experience these situations

and, in them, we must first of all trust in mercy.

God is greater than our sin. Let us not forget this: God is greater than our sin! …

And His love is an ocean in which we can immerse ourselves without fear of being overwhelmed:

for God, to forgive means to give us the certainty that He never abandons us.

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Whatever we might reprove ourselves for, He is still and always greater than everything (1 Jn 3:20)…

In this connection, whoever prays with this Psalm seeks forgiveness, confesses his fault;

however, acknowledging it, he celebrates God’s justice and holiness.

And then, he requests grace and mercy again.

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With forgiveness, we sinners become new creatures, brimming with the Spirit and full of joy.

Now a new reality begins for us: a new heart, a new spirit, a new life.

We, forgiven sinners, who received divine grace, can also teach others not to sin anymore. …

If you fall into sin out of weakness, raise your hand: the Lord will take it and help you to rise.

This is the dignity of God’s forgiveness.

The dignity that God’s forgiveness gives us is that of rising, of standing always, because He created man and woman to stand.

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Dear brothers and sisters…it is lovely to be forgiven,

but you also, if you want to be forgiven, must in turn forgive. Forgive!

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PRAYER…

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Have mercy on me, O God,

according to Your merciful love;

according to Your great compassion,

blot out my transgressions.

Wash me completely from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin.

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TODAY’S WORD…and PRAYER…

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Hear me, Lord, and answer me,

for I am poor and needy.

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Guard my life, for I am faithful to You;

save your servant who trusts in You.

You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord,

for I call to You all day long.

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Bring joy to Your servant, Lord,

for I put my trust in You.

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You, Lord, are forgiving and good,

abounding in love to all who call to You.

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Hear my prayer, Lord;

listen to my cry for mercy.

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– Psalm 86:1-6 (NIV)

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TODAY’S WORD…
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Have mercy on me, O God,
because of Your unfailing love.
Because of Your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
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– Psalm 51:1-2 (NLT)
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QUOTE…
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“Even if our sins were as black as the night, divine mercy is greater than our misery. Only one thing is needed:
the sinner has to leave the door to his heart ajar…. God can do the rest…. Everything begins and ends with His mercy.”
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– St Faustina Kowalska
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ACT OF CONTRITION…
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O my God, I am sorry and beg pardon for all my sins,
and detest them above all things, because they have crucified my loving Saviour Jesus Christ, and, most of all, because they offend Your infinite goodness; and I firmly resolve, by the help of Your grace,
never to offend You again,
and carefully to avoid the occasions of sin.
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Amen.
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TODAY’S WORD…
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Happy are those
who reject the advice of evil people,
who do not follow the example of sinners
or join those who have no use for God.
Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord,
and they study it day and night.
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They are like trees that grow beside a stream,
that bear fruit at the right time,
and whose leaves do not dry up.
They succeed in everything they do.
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– Psalm 1:1-4 (GNT)
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PRAYER…
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Jesus, Your teachings sustain me.
You are my joy and my strength.
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