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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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In Christ lives the fullness of divinity,

and in Him you too find your own fulfilment.

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– Colossians 2:9-10 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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The union of Christ’s human nature with His divine nature

is not just something which lasts for a while;

it is permanent.

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In Jesus Christ, then, there are two natures, divine and human,

united in one person, who is divine.

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Union with Christ makes Christians sharers in His "fullness",

that is, in Divine Grace,

of which He is absolutely full

and we have a partial share.

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Union with Christ, through the Sacraments,

makes us sharers in His perfections,

and moves us towards attaining the fullness of Christian life.

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QUOTE…

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“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord,

and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

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– St. Augustine

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My heart, my mind, my body, my soul

– my entirety yearns for You, my Jesus!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“All who love me will do what I say.

My Father will love them,

and we will come and make our home with each of them.

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Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me.”

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– John 14:23-24 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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When we hear Christ telling us,

”All who love me will do what I say”

do we, who claim to love Him, reflect deeply enough on those words?

Can we truly claim that we do what He tells us to?

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Christ tells us to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. (cf. Mk 12:21)

Do we?

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Christ also warns us about the vile things that defile us:

“evil thoughts,

sexual immorality,

theft,

murder,

adultery,

greed,

wickedness,

deceit,

lustful desires,

envy,

slander,

pride,

foolishness” (Mk 7:20-23).

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Do we take heed of His warning?

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Do we admit our weaknesses?

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Do we sincerely ask Jesus to help us overcome them?

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Or do we just tend to seek to justify them?

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Jesus says,“Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me.”

Do I love Him?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My Jesus, I so want to love You. Have mercy on me, Lord!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

”If the world hates you,

remember that it hated me before you.

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If you belonged to the world,

the world would love you as its own;

but because you do not belong to the world,

because my choice withdrew you from the world,

therefore the world hates you.”

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– John 15:18-19 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Christ is persecuted,

till this very day!

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Even in countries with deep Christian roots,

an aggressive form of secularism is emerging

to the exclusion of God, religion and virtue

from public life.

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Those seeking to stick to Christian principles

and who try to follow Jesus’ teaching,

are being increasingly rejected

and often scoffed at and insulted.

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The Christian who follows Jesus

tries to live in a manner which appears to go contrary to what society is doing.

This is why, often, those of us who do not go with the flow

are being regarded with disdain.

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However, in spite of growing provocation,

we must gladly stand up and be counted.

We must never be ashamed of the Gospel,

which is the wisdom and power of God.

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But we must also be loving and gentle in our response,

and to be so, we need to be strong…in our faith…

and we need to learn how to love like Jesus loves!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, help me be a good Christian by example, through restraint,

and by seeking to always love like You love.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.”

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– John 14:6 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus is the Way to the Father,

who He reveals

and with whom He is one because of His divine nature.

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Jesus is the Way to the Father also

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…through what He teaches,

for by keeping to His teaching we will reach Heaven;

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…through faith, which He inspires,

because He came to this world

so “that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (Jn 3:15);

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…through His example,

since no one can go to the Father without imitating the Son;

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…through His merits,

which make it possible for us to enter our Heavenly home;

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Jesus, the Son of God, is the Truth

because by coming to this world

He shows that God is faithful to His promises,

and because He teaches the truth about who God is

and tells us that true worship must be “in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23).

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He is the Life

because from all eternity He has divine life with His Father,

and because He makes us, through grace, sharers in that divine life.

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QUOTE…

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“[Jesus is], as it were, saying,

‘By which route do you want to go? I am the Way.

To where do you want to go? I am the Truth.

Where do you want to remain? I am the Life.’

Every man can attain an understanding of the Truth and the Life;

but not all find the Way.

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The wise of this world realise that God is eternal life and knowable truth; but the Word of God, who is Truth and Life joined to the Father,

has become the Way by taking a human nature.

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Make your way contemplating His humility

and you will reach God”

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– St. Augustine

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, You are the Only Way, the Real Truth, and the Eternal Life.

Enrich me, Lord, with Your grace!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“As the Father has loved Me,

so have I loved you.

Now remain in My love.

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If you keep My commands,

you will remain in My love,

just as I have kept My Father’s commands

and remain in His love.

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I have told you this

so that My joy may be in you

and that your joy may be complete.”

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– John 15:9-11 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Christ’s love for us

is a reflection

of the love the Three Divine Persons have for one another

and for all mankind:

“We love, because He first loved us” (1 Jn 4:19).

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The certainty that God loves us

is the source of Christian joy,

but it is also something which calls for a fruitful response on our part.

This should take the form of a fervent desire to do God’s will in everything,

that is, to keep His commandments,

in imitation of Jesus Christ,

who did the will of His Father.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Grant that I may remain in Your love,

so my soul can rejoice and delight in Your Truth.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“I am the true grapevine,

and my Father is the gardener.

He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit,

and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit

so they will produce even more.”

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– John 15:1-2 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Christ explains that He Himself is the true vine,

and that to be fruitful

one must be joined to the new, true vine: to Him.

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We must live the life of Christ,

listen to His teachings

and follow His commands

as we walk the life of grace

with Him who is the nourishment

which enables us to yield the fruit of eternal life.

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We cannot bear this fruit

until we are grafted in with the Lord Jesus Christ.

We cannot receive God’s Spirit

until we receive His Son.

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When I receive Christ as my Saviour,

I receive God’s Spirit,

and begin to bear the fruit

of love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness

and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)

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God, who so wants me to be saved,

must lovingly prune me.

It is a process, which can sometimes be painful,

but it is, in fact, strengthening me.

I cannot continue to bear fruit

without accepting to be pruned;

without trusting fully in God, my caring Gardener.

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Those who have no or very little faith, understanding and trust in God,

see this pruning as an abhorrent process.

They do not accept it,

they stop bearing fruit,

and they sadly end up detached from the True Vine.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O God of love, nurture me, prune me, abide in me, and enlighten me

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Peace is what I leave with you;

it is my own peace that I give you.

I do not give it as the world does.”

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– John 14:27 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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On our Lord’s lips

this common greeting of peace acquires its deepest meaning.

The peace which Jesus gives us

completely transcends the peace of the world,

which can be superficial and misleading

and compatible with injustice.

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The peace of Christ is, above all, reconciliation with God

and reconciliation of men with one another.

It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

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St. Augustine tells us that Christ’s peace is

“serenity of mind,

tranquility of soul,

simplicity of heart,

a bond of love,

a union of charity:

no one can inherit God if he does not keep His testament of peace,

or live in unity with Christ if he is separated from Christianity.”

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The peace which Christ brings to those of us who have full hope in Him,

is pure;

is true;

is unparalleled;

is loving;

and it fills us with deep, inner joy.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Give me Your peace, O Lord, that my heart may rest in You,

and my spirit be stirred and renewed, and filled with joyful hope.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Paul and Barnabas […]

strengthened the believers.

They encouraged them to continue in the faith,

reminding them

that we must suffer many hardships

to enter the Kingdom of God.

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– Acts 14:21-22

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REFLECTION…

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We must suffer many hardships

to enter the Kingdom of God

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Not easy to accept!

But Jesus tells us not to be troubled or afraid

and reassures us that He is always with us.

He encourages us to carry our cross

and reassures us that by sharing it with Him

He will make it lighter

and more bearable.

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This is the Lord’s promise,

and we have faith – we believe Him!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord Jesus, You make my burdens lighter.

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TODAY’S WORD AND PRAYER…

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Lord God, my Saviour, I cry out all day,

and at night I come before You.

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Hear my prayer;

listen to my cry for help!

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So many troubles have fallen on me…

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– Psalm 88:1-3a (GNT)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, hear my prayer, have mercy on me

and, Lord, please teach me how to be merciful like You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Sing a new song to the Lord

for He has worked wonders.

His right hand and His Holy arm

have brought salvation.

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– Psalm 98:1 (TJB)

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REFLECTION…

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What a wonderful resolution

– to sing a new song, every day, to the Lord.

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What a worthy resolution,

– which I, as a believer, should strive to keep –

to make each day a song of praise and glory,

sung from my heart to the Lord,

through my words, my thoughts and my deeds.

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Jesus, God’s right hand and His Holy arm,

was born to save us.

He triumphed over darkness and death

and He is my Lord and my Saviour!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Help me, O Lord my Saviour,

I so want to make my life a song of praise to You.

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