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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus exclaimed,

“I bless you, Father,

Lord of heaven and of earth,

for hiding these things

from the learned and the clever

and revealing them to mere children.”

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– Matthew 11:25 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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A humble person, who gives himself little importance,

sees;

a person who is full of self-esteem,

fails to perceive supernatural things that fill the heart and soul.

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Those who perceive themselves as being wise and understanding,

that is, those who rely on their own judgment,

cannot accept the revelation which Christ has brought us.

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True Christian belief in God

is always connected with humility.

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As You hold our hand, Lord,

please lessen us

…and increase our faith.

Remove all foolish pride

which still lurks within us

…and fill us with Your Spirit of wisdom and truth.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Father, hold my hand, and fill me with Your truth.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Happy the pure in heart:

they shall see God.”

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– Matthew 5:8 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Here, Jesus is teaching us

that the source of the quality of whatever we do,

lies in our heart,

that is, in our soul – in the depths of our spirit.

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In fact, on another occasion,

Jesus warns that

“from within, out of men’s hearts,

come evil thoughts, sexual immorality,

theft, murder,

adultery,

greed, malice, deceit,

lewdness,

envy, slander,

arrogance and folly.” (Mk 7:21-22)

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It is dangerous to "entertain" sinful thoughts.

The road to sin begins in our thought life.

When we commit a sin, it never "just happens"

– sinful acts begin as attitudes, fantasies or temptations

in our mind and emotions.

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Helped by God’s grace,

I should constantly strive

to cleanse my heart

and acquire this purity Jesus talks about,

the reward for which is the vision of God.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Purify my heart, O Lord – I want to see You!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Brethren, be joyful.

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– 2 Corinthians 13:11 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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“Be joyful”,

give thanks and be joyful!

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Whatever your circumstances today,

right now

– be they good or bad –

remember that God is with you,

His loving eyes on you

…reassuring you.

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Christians who believe

that the Lord is truly their Shepherd,

will, in Him, have all they need

…and so much more!

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I place my full trust in Him

and my anxieties are tamed

…and I am thankful

…and I am full of that special indescribable joy

that only God brings!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Thank You, O Lord, for the indescribable joy You bring!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

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– Matthew 5:3 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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The poor in spirit

are those who, through their own free will

– whatever their worldly status –

are humble, meek and gentle,

and ready to bear personal discomfort and even pain for God’s sake.

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The poor in spirit

are those who place all their trust in God and His Son.

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The poor in spirit

are those who acknowledge their sin,

those who accept their shortcomings,

who know of the darkness that’s within

and go before the Lord with a humble contrite heart

seeking healing and forgiveness.

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The poor in spirit

are those who are empty of all pride,

but are conscious of their greed.

They are those who believe Jesus paid their debt

and who go meekly before Him,

trusting in Him

and constantly seek His mercy.

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The poor in spirit

are those who believe in God’s power and great love

and who know

that when they repent and make amends – they are forgiven!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Thank You Lord God. Forgive me Lord God.

Grazzi Sinjur Alla. Aħfirli Sinjur Alla.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“For everyone who exalts himself

will be humbled,

and the man who humbles himself

will be exalted.”

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– Luke 14:11 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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We live in a society

that has an extreme need

to hear this Gospel message of humility

over and over again.

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Using others as stepping stones, without scruple;

being opportunistic and viciously competitive

– to get to the top

and be seen at the top.

Such ambition is universally condemned

but, unfortunately, is also universally practiced.

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Humility and unpretentiousness,

when sincere and not false, conquer.

Humility and unpretentiousness,

make those, who practice these virtues, loved;

make their presence desirable;

their opinion appreciated.

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Wherever genuine humility may get you in the short term,

it will get you to ‘the top’ – in the long term!

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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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[from a reflection by Padre Raniero Cantalamessa]

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QUOTE…

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“Be modest in evaluating your merits,

allow others to do this instead

and already in this life God will lift you up.

He will lift you up in His grace;

He will make you rise in the ranks

of Jesus’ friends and true disciples,

which is the only thing that really matters.”

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– Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, remove my pretentiousness…and make me humble.

Jesus, make me more like You!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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With God on our side

who can be against us?

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– Romans 8:31 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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With God on our side

who can be against us?

This is an expression of confidence and optimism

coming from the heart

of those of us who believe that God is with us

and that He is always by our side!

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We believe in the Lord, our God and Saviour,

and we know that if we follow His teachings

and obey His Commandments,

we will emerge victorious and unscathed

from all the attacks, dangers and sufferings we experience,

from all that threatens our peace,

and from the worst that might befall us.

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Nothing and nobody – no created thing –

is stronger than God’s love for us

and so,

with God on our side

who can be against us?

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QUOTE…

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"Our Lord wants us to be in the world

and to love the world but without being worldly.

Our Lord wants us to remain in this world

– which is now so mixed up

and where the clamour of lust

and disobedience and purposeless rebellion

can be heard –

to teach people to live with joy. […]

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Don’t be worried.

The world won’t harm you

unless you want it to.

No enemy of our soul

can do anything if we don’t consent.

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And we won’t consent,

with the grace of God

and the protection of our Mother in heaven."

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– Salvador Bernal

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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With You on my side, O Lord, I know I will overcome.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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…you too, in Him,

are being built into a house

where God lives, in the Spirit.

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– Ephesians 2:22 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Do I want to become a “house”

in which God is gladly welcome to live and take over

…or do I treat God

as if He is only welcome to visit occasionally?

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I may even not welcome Him at all.

I know He will not approve of the state of my “house”,

but I am not really prepared to change

…and this for a number of selfish reasons

as well as out of pride.

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Faith, hope and love

are the bricks and mortar

that build the “house” that God wishes us to become like.

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The Word of God,

the Commandments,

prayer,

and the Sacraments,

are the essentials for us to maintain our house in order

…making it fit for the King to reign in.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, You are my strength.

Lord, I want You to be the Cornerstone of my life!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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For the word of God is alive and active.

Sharper than any double-edged sword,

it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;

it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

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– Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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Maybe this is why many do not gladly listen to the word of God!

Maybe this is why many prefer to regard it as passé and irrelevant:

because they don’t want to grant God the freedom of their heart.

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But God’s word is a welcome light for those who receive it gladly,

in the knowledge that it points them in the right direction.

The word of God is life-giving

and, through the work of the Holy Spirit, fills the humble heart

with the incomparable hope and joy that only truth can bring.

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The word of God is alive and active

– God speaks to us through His word.

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QUOTE…

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"The word of His truth

is hotter and brighter than the sun,

and pierces the very depths of hearts and minds."

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– St. Justin

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, welcome into my heart.

Cleanse and renew it, and set it on fire with love for You!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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What we suffer in this life

can never be compared

to the glory, as yet unrevealed,

which is waiting for us.

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– Romans 8:18 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Take heart…

we shall be included in the radiance of the coming glory

which will put in the shadow

all our present sufferings

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No sooner are we called to our Maker,

that our souls will be freed from evil and unbelief,

from doubts and fears,

and from everything that is distressing.

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This present time is but a short time

– a little while,

and all sufferings will be at an end;

they can never be compared

to the glory, as yet unrevealed,

which is waiting for us.

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Christ has promised His saints eternal glory!

[*]

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QUOTE…

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"Who is there then,

who will not strive to attain so great a glory,

by making himself God’s friend,

to rejoice immediately with Christ,

to receive the divine rewards

after the pains and sufferings of this life?”

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– St. Cyprian

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My sweet Lord, console and strengthen me with Your love.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,

always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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– Ephesians 5:19b-20 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,

always giving thanks…

and why not?

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I claim to believe in God the Father Almighty

and I believe that He loves me.

I claim to believe in Jesus Christ His Son, our Lord,

who died for me on the cross that I may be saved;

I claim to believe in the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life,

Counsellor, Consoler, Sanctifier,

inseparable from the Father and the Son,

the One whom the Father has sent into my heart

and who is always here by my side.

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If I claim to believe all this,

if I truly believe all this,

then how can I not sing and make music from my heart to the Lord,

always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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I have You, Lord, so I have everything I need!

To who should I give thanks and praise if not to You, my Lord?

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