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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus asked,

“…yet, when the Son of Man comes,

will He find faith on earth?”

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– Luke 18:8 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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This is serious food for thought!

It comes directly from Jesus Himself,

who gives us a key warning

about the need to remain firm in the faith

– and we need to remember that faith and prayer go hand in hand.

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Jesus had promised us,

“I am always with you,

to the end of the age” (Mat 28:20)

and that fills us with encouragement and determination.

Yet, when He asks

“when the Son of Man comes,

will He find faith on earth?”

it is a serious and sincere warning.

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Our Lord, therefore, urges us to stay watchful

and to persevere in the faith

and in prayer,

even though people all around us

may be falling away

and consciously turning their backs on the faith

and focusing only on themselves and their immediate needs.

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QUOTE…

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"In order to pray, let us believe;

and for our faith not to weaken, let us pray.

Faith causes prayer to grow,

and when prayer grows our faith is strengthened."

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– St. Augustine

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, every day help me live my faith like I knew You were coming tomorrow!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus Christ is the same

yesterday

and today

and for ever.

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– Hebrews 13:8 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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We Christians will always have a teacher and guide

who will never die,

who lives for ever crowned with glory.

Men come and go,

but Jesus remains for ever.

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Jesus exists from all eternity

– He is the Alpha and the Omega,

the Beginning and the End.

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Christ’s teaching

is as immutable as He is

– it cannot change,

and it will eventually transform the world.

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In Christ, all dimensions of human life

– work, family life, life in society, affections, suffering –

all acquire a new, lasting and glorious purpose.

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QUOTE…

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“Let Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament, speak to your hearts.

It is He who is the true answer of life that you seek.

He stays here with us:

He is God-with-us.

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Seek Jesus without tiring,

welcome Him without reserve,

love Him without interruption:

today, tomorrow, forever!”

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– St. Pope John Paul II

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Speak to my heart, Lord Jesus, today, tomorrow, forever!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Your Word, O Lord,

for ever stands firm in the heavens:

Your truth lasts from age to age,

like the earth You created.

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By Your decree

it endures to this day;

for all things serve You.

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– Psalm 119:89-91 (GP)

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REFLECTION…

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Wonderful, isn’t it,

how God’s Word remains valid,

continually attesting to His unfailing power

and unchanging care!

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God’s truth is unparalleled,

and He continues to speak to us

– to those who want to listen –

through Holy Scripture.

He continues to nourish us

through His Divine Word,

and to lead us to the truth.

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When Jesus Christ came among us

He fulfilled the Old Testament,

and we, as Christians,

honour and revere the Old Testament,

and interpret it through Him.

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The Old Testament prepares for the New

and the New Testament, therefore, fulfils the Old.

The two shed light on each other;

both are the true Word of God.

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QUOTE…

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“All Sacred Scripture is but one book,

and this one book is Christ.”

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– Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC134)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Your Word, Lord, is the truth.

It is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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‘Wherever the river flows,

all living creatures teeming in it will live.

…wherever the water goes it brings health,

and life teems wherever the river flows.’

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– Ezekiel 47:9 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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The vision of the river

revitalising everything it meets as it flows,

is so inspiring…and uplifting;

Christ is so much like that river

– that river is Christ!

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Once the water of this river touches us

our sins and impurities are washed away,

and we walk out of the water,

our hearts filled with grace,

with fear of the Lord,

and with hope in Jesus.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Quench my great thirst, O Lord,

wash away my sins

and give me life!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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My children,

our love is not to be just words

or mere talk,

but something real and active.

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– 1 John 3:18 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Love for others – following our Lord’s example –

must go beyond mere talk;

it must show itself in deed

and in truth.

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There is no comfort in the selfish heart

– it is full of darkness

and un-admitted desperation.

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It is the generous heart which gives from itself to others,

that is full of light

which overflows on to others

and uplifts those in need of loving compassion.

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True love is expressed in actions,

actions that are guided by truth.

If we ‘close our heart’

when we see others in need

– then we do not truly love.

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QUOTE…

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"We may give without loving,

but we cannot love without giving."

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– attributed to Bernard Meltzer

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, teach me how to love.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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God, the Lord, says:

“I shall make the darkness that is around them

into light.

I shall make crooked things straight.”

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– Isaiah 42:16 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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It is after having met the Lord,

after having welcomed Him into your heart and let Him take over,

that you realise how dark it was

before you allowed Him into your life.

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It is when I let the Holy Spirit change me, mould me and fill me,

that I readily acknowledge and admit

how crooked I was

before His divine action began to “straighten” me out.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Shine on me, Lord Jesus, and make me a better person.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Wisdom is radiant and unfading,
and she is easily discerned by those who love her,
and is found by those who seek her.
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She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.
One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty,
for she will be found sitting at the gate.
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To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding,
and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care,
because she goes about seeking those worthy of her,
and she graciously appears to them in their paths,
and meets them in every thought.

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– Wisdom 6:12-16 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus is Wisdom.

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Wisdom is Jesus.

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One way of reflecting on today’s passage

is to replace the word “Wisdom” with “Jesus”

…and it will then read like this:

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Jesus is radiant and unfading,
and He is easily discerned by those who love Him,
and is found by those who seek Him.
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He hastens to make Himself known to those who desire Him.
One who rises early to seek Him will have no difficulty,
for He will be found sitting at the gate.
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To fix one’s thought on Him is perfect understanding,
and one who is vigilant on His account will soon be free from care,
because He goes about seeking those worthy of Him,
and He graciously appears to them in their paths,
and meets them in every thought.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Thank You for coming into my life, Lord,

and thank You for always being there for me.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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What is good

has been explained to you, man;

this is what the Lord asks of you:

only this,

to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.

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– Micah 6:8 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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True religion

is not only a matter of formal worship.

It also – it must – involve obedience towards God

and His commandments.

This, in turn, means

practicing justice and charity towards one’s neighbour.

..

It has been explained to us

time and time again

…and yet…

do we truly follow what the Lord asks of us?

..

Do I make every effort

to always act justly

or do I let my biases and prejudices

and my personal interests

influence my actions?

..

Do I love others tenderly and in truth

or do I “love” only who or what satisfies my needs and desires now,

almost ignoring all that does not produce an immediate and tangible return?

..

Do I walk humbly with God,

or do I only reserve some time for Him on Sundays?

Whether in His “temple” or out in the world

is my general attitude a humble one?

..

What is good has been explained to me

…but do I follow it?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord God, make me truly humble, loving and just. Amen.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“For the people of this world

are more shrewd

in dealing with their own kind

than are the people of the light.”

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– Luke 16:8 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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“The people of this world”

are those who dedicate themselves to this world;

who are "devoted" to this world;

who live for this world only;

who are careful only to obtain and to provide for now;

who accumulate possessions.

It does not mean that they

are especially wicked and immoral,

but it is clear that they are "worldly,"

and anxious about earthly things.

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“The people of the light”

Are those who have been enlightened from above

– who are Christians;

who know the Truth

and who seek to live in the light of Christ.

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Those who "are" worldly – “the people of this world”–

show much skill and cunning

in providing for themselves;

seize occasions for making good bargains;

are active and industrious;

never miss an opportunity,

and therefore are prepared

to exert themselves to the utmost

to advance their own personal interests.

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Our Lord wants us – “the people of the light” –

to apply at least the same ingenuity and effort

as people who are worldly,

when it comes to matters of the soul;

to the promotion of Christian spirituality

and the spreading of the Kingdom of God;

to being charitable

and truly “Christian” towards others.

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And me, where do I stand?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, fill me with Your light and guide me!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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The life and death of each of us

has its influence on others;

if we live, we live for the Lord;

and if we die, we die for the Lord,

so that alive or dead

we belong to the Lord.

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– Romans 14:7-8 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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We Christians

should not live to please ourselves,

but with the conscious aim of pleasing the Lord

…because we love Him.

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If we love Him,

that has its influence on others

…because, if our love for Him is true,

then is reflected

in the love we show to our neighbour – to all others.

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While living,

our aim must be to do the Lord’s will.

When we die,

we will be fully resigned to His will.

..

As a true Christian,

I should acknowledge and gladly accept

that I am not at my own disposal.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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I am at Your disposal – use me, Lord!

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