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A gift is freely given, and expects no return. Its reason is love.What is first given is love; that is the first gift. The Holy Spiritcomes forth as the substance of love, and GIFT is His proper name."- St. Thomas Aquinas [13th C], "Summa Theologica," 1, 38, 2 -(God's love and Spirit are gift to us. Open your mind and heart to
receive God's gifts this day.) |
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Rv 5:1-10; Ps 149:1-6, 9; Lk 19:41-44
R.
The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
USCCB Lectionary
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When God visits his people he comes to establish peace and justice by rooting out our enemies - sin and Satan who enslave us to fear and pride, rebellion and hatred, envy and covetousness, strife and violence, and every form of evil. That is why God both judges and purifies his people - to lead us from our sinful ways to his way of justice, peace, love, and holiness. God actively works among his people to teach us his ways and to save us from the destruction of sin and Satan. Are God's judgments unjust or unloving? Scripture tells us that "when God's judgments are revealed in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness" (Isaiah 26:9). To pronounce judgment on sin is much less harsh than what will happen if those who sin are not warned to repent. The Lord in his mercy gives us grace and time to turn away from sin, but that time is right now. If we delay, even for a moment, we may discover that grace has passed us by and our time is up. Do you accept the grace to turn away from sin and to walk in God's way of peace and holiness?
"Lord Jesus, you have visited and redeemed your people. May I not miss the grace of your visitation today as you move to bring your people into greater righteousness and holiness of life. Purify my heart and mind that I may I understand your ways and conform my life more fully to your will." DailyScripture.net
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Stages of Growth in Christian Prayer, by Philip St. Romain One way to chart the spiritual journey is to follow its development through various stages of prayer. These stages will be described during the following weeks, beginning with active prayer forms and continuing with the various stages of contemplative prayer, and the transitions between active and contemplative prayer. These stages seem to apply to most people, although there are many exceptions to this general pattern. Stay tuned. |
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