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Every truth without exception -- and whoever may utter it -- is from the Holy Spirit.
- St. Thomas Aquinas
(This opens the door to a much wider understanding of the workings of the Spirit. Where do you find truth nurturing you these days?)
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WIS 1:1-7; PS 139:1B-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-10
LK 17:1-6
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'
you should forgive him."
And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
USCCB Lectionary
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Praying the Daily Gospels: A Guide to Meditation, by Philip St. Romain,
2018 (3rd ed.)
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Luke 17: 1-6 (The importance of good example)
Because God reveals himself to us through human behavior, those of us committed to following Jesus Christ should be especially careful not to scandalize the innocent and the ignorant. It is, therefore, our duty to confront one another when we veer away from a life of love.
• He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass,” George Herbert wrote. How does withholding forgiveness hurt you?
• Is there a friend or loved one whose alcohol and/ or drug use concerns you? If you are not sure how to confront this person, call a substance abuse counselor for help.
Paperback, Kindle and eBook
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Treatise on the Love of God, by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
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BOOK I: CONTAINING A PREPARATION FOR THE WHOLE TREATISE
Chapter 9: That love tends to union
Yet we do not utter our discourse nor the thoughts which proceed from the spiritual portion of our soul, which we call reason, and by which we are distinguished from beasts, except by words, and consequently by help of the mouth; insomuch that to pour out our soul and open out our heart is nothing else but to speak. Pour out your hearts before God, says the Psalmist, that is, express
and turn the affections of your hearts into words. And Samuel’s pious mother pronouncing her prayers so softly that one could hardly discern the motion of her lips: I have poured out my soul before the Lord, said she. And thus one mouth is applied to another in kissing to testify that we would desire to pour out one soul into the other, to unite them reciprocally in a perfect union. For this reason, at all times and amongst the most saintly men the world has had, the kiss has been a sign of love
and affection, and such use was universally made of it amongst the ancient Christians as the great S. Paul testifies, when, writing to the Romans and Corinthians, he says, Salute one another in a holy kiss. And as many declare, Judas in betraying Our Saviour made use of a kiss to manifest him, because this divine Saviour was accustomed to kiss his disciples when he met them; and not only his disciples but even little children, whom he took lovingly in his arms; as he did him by whose example he
so solemnly invited his disciples to the love of their neighbour, whom many think to have been S. Martial, as the Bishop Jansenius says.
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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