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TRÁI TIM
MẸ: NƠI CON NƯƠNG NÁU - ĐƯỜNG ĐẾN VỚI CHÚA |
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"Chúa Giêsu muốn dùng con để làm
cho Mẹ được nhận biết và yêu mến" |
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November 22/2009 - Monday
of
34th Week of Ordinary Time
LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION:
"She out of her poverty put in all the
living that she had"
UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S):
Conscience and Public Policy
SAINT OF THE DAY
Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro
GENERAL
MARIOLOGY
Nativity of the
Virgin Mary
DIVINE MERCY
Divine Mercy: The Miracles
TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION:
Facing Temptation in Our Lives
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DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION |
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Monday (11/23): "She out of her poverty put in
all the living that she had"
Scripture: Luke 21:1-4
1 He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the
treasury; 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. 3 And he
said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of
them; 4 for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of
her poverty put in all the living that she had."
Meditation: Do you know the joy of selfless giving and love
for others? True love doesn't calculate; it spends lavishly! Jesus drove
this point home to his disciples while sitting in the temple and
observing people offering their tithes. Jesus praised a poor widow who
gave the smallest of coins in contrast with the rich who gave greater
sums. How can someone in poverty give more than someone who has ample
means? Jesus' answer is very simple: love is more precious than gold or
wealth! Jesus taught that real giving must come from the heart. A gift
that is given with a grudge or for display loses its value. But a gift
given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, is
precious. The amount or size of the gift doesn't matter as much as the
cost to the giver. The poor widow could have kept one of her coins, but
instead she recklessly gave away all she had! Jesus praised someone who
gave barely a penny – how insignificant a sum – because it was
everything she had, her whole living. What we have to offer may look
very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord's
disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then God can do with
it and with us what is beyond our reckoning. Do you give out of love and
gratitude for what God has already given to you?
"Lord Jesus, your love knows no bounds and you give without measure.
All that I have comes from you. May I give freely and generously in
gratitude for all that you have given to me. Take my life and all that I
possess – my gifts, talents, time and resources – and use them as you
see fit for your glory."
Psalm 119:17-24
17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live and observe thy
word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
19 I am a sojourner on earth; hide not thy commandments from me!
20 My soul is consumed with longing for thy ordinances at all times.
21 Thou dost rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from thy
commandments;
22 take away from me their scorn and contempt, for I have kept thy
testimonies.
23 Even though princes sit plotting against me, thy servant will
meditate on thy statutes.
24 Thy testimonies are my delight, they are my counselors.
www.dailyscripture.net
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UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS |
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Conscience and Public Policy
Catholic Institutions Under Pressure
By Father John Flynn, LC
ROME, NOV. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The transition to a post-Christian society in many countries is bringing with it increasing pressure on believers who work in publicly funded institutions. One of the latest cases involves a same-sex marriage bill in Washington D.C.
As a Nov. 1 article published by the Washington Post explained, an analysis of the proposal to legalize same-sex unions reveals that the clauses meant to protect religious liberty "are woefully inadequate and provide protection that is more illusory than real."
The proposed rules, the Post detailed, provide no meaningful protection against a loss of government benefits for refusing to recognize same-sex marriages. As well there is a lack of protection for individual dissenters, other than authorized marriage celebrants, who have a religious objection to facilitating same-sex marriage ceremonies. This includes caterers, musicians and photographers.
As a result the Archdiocese of Washington declared that it will not be able to continue providing the social service programs it now runs, the Washington Post reported Nov. 12.
The archdiocese fears, for example, that it could be obliged to provide employee benefits to same-sex married couples.
According to the article, Catholic Charities currently provides services for 68,000 people in the city. In addition to the public funds it receives for such activities, the archdiocese provides another $10 million from its own resources.
Washington's Catholic leader, Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, penned an opinion piece for the Washington Post's Web site, published Nov. 17.
In it he pointed out that while the Catholic Church does not agree with redefining marriage, all that they are asking is that the bill provides a more equitable balance between the different interest groups.
Archbishop Wuerl stated that the archdiocese and Catholic Charities are committed to continuing to provide services, but the provisions of the new law on same-sex marriages could restrict their ability to carry out this desire.
This cut no ice with the editorial writers of the Los Angeles Times, who in a Nov. 18 editorial urged Washington, D.C. officials to stand firm. As well, they urged the federal government to take a stronger stance regarding federal funds and faith-based groups, specifically in regards the possibility not to hire people who do not share their religious views.
Abortion obligation
Meanwhile in Australia, last month marked a year since the passage in the state of Victoria of legislation that denies doctors the right to conscientious objection in cases of abortion.
According to Nicholas Tonti-Filippini, a bioethicist based at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family in Melbourne, at least two doctors with a conscientious objection to abortion have refused to refer patients to another practitioner so they could procure an abortion.
''We're waiting to see if anyone will take action,'' said Tonti-Filippini, according to an article published Oct. 10 in the Age newspaper.
As the article explained, along with the decriminalization of abortion last year the new law obliges doctors with a conscientious objection to abortion to disclose their belief and to also refer a patient on to another practitioner with no such objection.
On Oct. 22 this year, the Catholic bishops in the state of Victoria issued a pastoral letter on the topic of the 2008 Abortion Law Reform Act.
In their letter the bishops noted that in addition to negating the right of doctors to abstain from cooperating in abortion the law also overrides the conscientious objection of nurses.
"A certain kind of hypocrisy now prevails in hospitals," the letter stated. "In one room a premature baby will be saved with great effort and the best technology. In another room an unborn infant, perhaps older than the premature baby, can be killed with impunity."
The bishops also pointed out that women seeking an abortion have no access to accurate information about what happens to their child or the risks to themselves.
Deeper problems
"We should not see the legalization of abortion in Victoria as an isolated problem, but a symptom of a much deeper cultural problem of increasing secularization and relativism," the letter warned.
"Laws such as the Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 represent a direct threat to the entire culture of human rights because the theory of human rights is based on the affirmation that the human person cannot be subjected to domination by others," the letter continued.
Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne presided over an ecumenical prayer service held in St. Patrick's Cathedral on Oct. 25, in reparation for abortion. In his homily he pointed out that since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion.
"Since it must be treated as a person from the moment of conception, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for and healed as far as possible like any other human being," he affirmed.
Further north, in the country's capital of Canberra, Catholic leaders are concerned over the proposed sale of Calvary Hospital by the Little Company of Mary Health to local government authorities.
As the Canberra Times reported on Oct. 29 Cardinal George Pell of Sydney is worried that the government's motives are ideological and driven by anti-Christian elements.
The article also noted that earlier the vicar-general of the Canberra Archdiocese, Monsignor John Woods, said there was concern that the Church's mission to provide health care would be compromised by the sale.
As Angela Shanahan wrote in the Australian newspaper on Oct. 31, there is a suspicion that the government, under the control of a green-Left coalition, "simply wants to get the Catholic Church out of public health care in the national capital."
She cited a report chaired by former Greens' assembly member Kerrie Tucker, who recommended that the hospital be taken out of Catholic hands or sold to the government because it won't do abortions, elective sterilizations or the "full range of reproductive services."
Health workers
The United States, of course, has been through these debates earlier this year when the Obama administration rescinded rules protecting health workers who do not wish to take part in abortions.
In February the Department of Health and Human Services gave notice that it was undoing the rules, reported the New York Times, Feb. 28.
In a statement dated March 23 the Office of the General Council of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops declared that: "Protection of the basic right of conscience takes on even greater urgency when members of the healing professions are subjected to pressure, or risk being pressured, to participate in the taking of innocent human life, conduct which is directly inimical to the role and function of medicine."
The statement also pointed out the fundamental contradiction between the position of the federal administration in committing itself to a policy of "choice" as regards abortion, while at the same time removing the possibility of choice for nurses, doctors, and hospitals not to provide or facilitate abortions.
Archbishop Raymond Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, addressed the theme of the culture of life in the current political context in a dinner held Sept.18.
"While true religion teaches the natural moral law, the observance of the moral law is not a confessional practice," he observed. "It is rather a response to what is inscribed in the depths of every human heart," he said.
"If Christians fail to articulate and uphold the natural moral law, then they fail in the fundamental duty of patriotism, of loving their country by serving the common good," he affirmed. Thus, violating the rights of conscience not only is an affront to believers, but also a denial of the fundamental principles that should guide a secular society.
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DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT |
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http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay
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GENERAL
MARIOLOGY |
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Nativity of the Virgin Mary
The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
Translation by Saint Jerome
CHAP. 18.--And
having come to a certain cave, and wishing to
rest in
it, the blessed [8] Mary dismounted from her
beast, and sat down with the
child Jesus in her bosom. And there were with
Joseph three boys, and with
Mary a girl, going on the journey along with
them. And, lo, suddenly there
came forth from the cave many dragons; and when
the children saw them, they
cried out in great terror. Then Jesus went down
from the bosom of His
mother, and stood on His feet before the
dragons; and they adored Jesus,
and thereafter retired. Then was fulfilled that
which was said by David the
prophet, saying: Praise the Lord from the earth,
ye dragons; ye dragons,
and all ye deeps [9] And the young child Jesus,
walking before them,
commanded them to hurt no man. But Mary and
Joseph were very much afraid
lest the child should be hurt by the dragons.
And Jesus said to them: Do
not be afraid, and do not consider me to be a
little child; for I am and
always have been perfect; and all the beasts of
the forest must needs be
tame before me.
CHAP.
19.--Lions and panthers adored Him likewise, and
accompanied them
in the desert. Wherever Joseph and the blessed
Mary went, they went before
them showing them the way, and bowing their
heads; and showing their
submission by wagging their tails, they adored
Him with great reverence.
Now at first, when Mary saw the lions and the
panthers, and various kinds
of wild beasts, coming about them, she was very
much afraid. But the infant
Jesus looked into her face with a joyful
countenance, and said: Be not
afraid, mother; for they come not to do thee
harm, but they make haste to
serve both thee and me. With these words He
drove all fear from her heart.
And the lions kept walking with them, and with
the oxen, and the asses, and
the beasts of burden which carried their
baggage, and did not hurt a single
one of them, though they kept beside them; but
they were tame among the
sheep and the rams which they had brought with
them from Judaea, and which
they had with them. They walked among wolves,
and feared nothing; and no
one of them was hurt by another. Then was
fulfilled that which was spoken
by the prophet: Wolves shall feed with lambs;
the lion and the ox shall eat
straw together. [10] There were together two
oxen drawing a waggon with
provision for the journey, and the lions
directed them in their path.
CHAP. 20.--
And it came to pass on the third day of their
journey,
while they were walking, that the blessed Mary
was fatigued by the
excessive heat of the sun in the desert; and
seeing a palm tree, she said
to Joseph: Let me rest a little under the shade
of this tree. Joseph
therefore made haste, and led her to the palm,
and made her come down from
her beast. And as the blessed Mary was sitting
there, she looked up to the
foliage of the palm, and saw it full of fruit,
and said to Joseph: I wish
it were possible to get some of the fruit of
this palm. And Joseph said to
her: I wonder that thou sayest this, when thou
seest how high the palm tree
is; and that thou thinkest of eating of its
fruit. I am thinking more of
the want of water, because the skins are now
empty, and we have none
wherewith to refresh ourselves and our cattle.
Then the child Jesus, with a
joyful countenance, reposing in the bosom of His
mother, said to the palm:
O tree, bend thy branches, and refresh my mother
with thy fruit. And
immediately at these words the palm bent its top
down to the very feet of
the blessed Mary; and they gathered from it
fruit, with which they were all
refreshed. And after they had gathered all its
fruit, it remained bent
down, waiting the order to rise from Him who bad
commanded it to stoop.
Then Jesus said to it: Raise thyself, O palm
tree, and be strong, and be
the companion of my trees, which are in the
paradise of my Father; and open
from thy roots a vein of water which has been
hid in the earth, and let the
waters flow, so that we may be satisfied from
thee. And it rose up
immediately, and at its root there began to come
forth a spring of water
exceedingly clear and cool and sparkling. And
when they saw the spring of
water, they rejoiced with great joy, and were
satisfied, themselves and all
their cattle and their beasts. Wherefore they
gave thanks to God.
CHAP. 21.
-- And on the day after, when they were setting
out thence,
and in the hour in which they began their
journey, Jesus turned to the
palm, and said: This privilege I give thee, O
palm tree, that one of thy
branches be carried away by my angels, and
planted in the paradise of my
Father. And this blessing I will confer upon
thee, that it shall be said of
all who conquer in any contest, You have
attained the palm of victory. And
while He was thus speaking, behold, an angel of
the Lord appeared, and
stood upon the palm tree; and taking off one of
its branches, flew to
heaven with the branch in his hand. And when
they saw this, they fell on
their faces, and became as it were dead. And
Jesus said to them: Why are
your hearts possessed with fear? Do you not know
that this palm, which I
have caused to be transferred to paradise, shall
be prepared for all the
saints in the place of delights, as it has been
prepared for us in this
place of the wilderness? And they were filled
with joy; and being
strengthened, they all rose up.
CHAP.
22.--After this, while they were going on their
journey, Joseph
said to Jesus: Lord, it is a boiling heat; if it
please Thee, let us go by
the sea-shore, that we may be able to rest in
the cities on the coast.
Jesus said to him: Fear not, Joseph; I will
shorten the way for you, so
that what you would have taken thirty days to go
over, you shall accomplish
in this one day. And while they were thus
speaking, behold, they looked
forward, and began to see the mountains and
cities of Egypt.
And
rejoicing and exulting, they came into the
regions of Hermopolis,
and entered into a certain city of Egypt which
is called Sotinen; [1] and
because they knew no one there from whom they
could ask hospitality, they
went into a temple which was called the Capitol
of Egypt. And in this
temple there had been set up three hundred and
fifty-five idols, [2] to
each of which on its own day divine honours and
sacred rites were paid. For
the Egyptians belonging to the same city entered
the Capitol, in which the
priests told them how many sacrifices were
offered each day, according to
the honour in which the god was held.
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DIVINE MERCY
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Divine Mercy:
The Miracles
It is not
possible to relay all of the miracles connected to the Divine Mercy and the
promise Jesus made to mankind in regards to the image and the chaplet. To
list all, would fill many books by themselves. There is much less written
about the miracles than has taken place. This is because they are often
personal and people do not report them. For instance, a gentleman from
America bought himself an alarm watch which he set to off at 3: pm. At this
time every day whether he was working or at leisure, he would pray the
chaplet. One time, he was ill and an operation was scheduled, which meant he
was unable to pray the chaplet on that day. He was somewhat anxious, the
operation was risky. He was being prepared just before the hour of Divine
Mercy, and silently he prayed asking Jesus to forgive him for not being able
to pray the chaplet. He described that after he had prayed, he looked up and
saw Jesus as He is shown in the Divine Mercy Image. Jesus smiled at him.
This is one personal account out of thousands that has never been made
public.
In 1993, there was a miracle that is not well known. The events surrounding
it are undeniable, and because of its nature it is surprising that it never
made International front page news headlines. It should have done! It never
left the tight knit Christian circle, when in truth, it is God and so every
human being has a right to be told.
Stanley Villavicencio was born in Bais, Negros Oriental in the Philippines.
He was raised a Roman Catholic and had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart
(Divine Love) of Jesus Christ. It is a devotion that started when he was in
grade school at the Sacred Heart Academy in Bais, Negro Oriental. He married
a nurse, Melissa Gantuangco Villar and moved to Cebu in Mambaling. Close to
his house was a chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This had a
great baring on his decision to buy the house. Unfortunately, after moving,
it was discovered that the chapel was portable, erected only during the
fiesta celebration and dismantled afterwards. In 1983, Stanley became Chapel
President. A neighbor donated some land close by in order for a permanent
chapel to be built for the Christian Community. Stanley was basically and
ordinary man. In 1993, he was an employee of AVSECOM (The Aviation Security
Command). He also became a member of the Perpetual Dawn Rosary Association
in Cebu.
In the Cebu Roman Catholic Community, there is a tradition that when ever a
special family occasion occurs in a house hold, the head of the family
receives into the home a large statue of the Virgin Mary. March 2, 1993 is a
birthday of one of Stanley's children, therefore, that morning, he was to
receive the statue. However, when the statue arrived just before eight
o'clock in the morning, Stanley was not up and so his mother-in-law received
it. Being concerned, she entered Stanley's bedroom.
Stanley, the night before he retired, was perfectly healthy. But this
particular morning his mother-in-law found him convulsing. Blood was
spurting from his mouth with incredible force. She felt his pulse which was
too weak to detect. When she forced open his eyes, they were white. An
ambulance was called and Stanley was taken to Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu. He
was rushed to the Emergency Room. There, still bleeding profusely from his
mouth, and convulsing, he was injected with the maximum dose of Valium to
try to stop the convulsions and slow down the huge quantity of blood pouring
from his mouth. The doctors ran all sorts of tests. They could not locate
the source of the bleeding, nor any kind of illness. They took a blood test
with view of giving him a blood transfusion, but his blood count was normal
which medically was impossible, it meant that his body was not short of
blood, despite the fact he had lost so much blood. Stanley slipped into a
coma. His heart beat became slower, his skin color turned gray and then he
stopped breathing. He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit, where a
specialist inserted an Ambue Bag, the end - tracheal tube being placed
through his nose, going down to his stomach. This was the only form of life
support that the Hospital had available. An I.V. drip was placed into a vein
in his hand, running dextrose fluid into his system.
However, very quickly, Stanley's organs shut down. He was declared "brain
dead". His family at first did not believe this. Mainly because Stanley had
shown no previous signs of being ill and the doctors were unable to
determine what was wrong. However, by the second day, the family prepared
for Stanley's funeral. His coffin was arranged, a burial plot, and a burial
gown. By the third day Stanley's blood had congealed in the bottom of his
legs and feet and rigomortis begun to set in.
Early in the morning on the third day, Stanley's wife brought the burial
gown to the Hospital to prepare her husband. Neighbors gathered outside of
the chapel to receive Stanley's coffin. Flowers were laid out for the wake.
A death certificate was already signed. But Stanley came back from the dead,
perfectly healthy, as if nothing had happened. While his heart was flat
line, his brain dead, Stanley had in spirit met for the first time "Jesus
Christ of the Divine Mercy".
Now, the fact is, that all of Stanley's medical records show this happened.
He was first in a coma and then dead. Every sequence of his medical
attention was, as is the custom, documented. On investigation these records
were examined and all medical staff involved, questioned.
Stanley came to England in the year 2001. Here, he very kindly gave an
interview, in which he described the events and his experience during death,
and how after he was sent back with a mission. This is his testimony. No
attempt has been made to edit Stanley's account or accent: the way he speaks
the English language.
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CATHOLIC TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY |
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Facing Temptation in Our Lives
by Vu Ngoc
ach of us at one time or another has been tempted.
None of us is too old or too young, too sophisticated or
too naive, to escape some form of temptation. Of course,
some of us are tempted more than others.
In a Bible sharing group in which I helped coordinate
last Friday; we talked about Jesus' temptations. I asked
the group, "Have any of you ever been faced with
temptation and, with Jesus' help resisted?"
A young woman who was attending her first Bible
sharing raised her hand. "A couple years ago," Cindy
began, "I was into cocaine really big. You know what
that's like! You know how that stuff makes you crazy."
She told the group that a few years before she and her
boyfriend robbed a gas station. "It was as simple as
taking candy from a baby," she said. That night her
boyfriend also wanted to rob a convenience store, but
something inside of Cindy told her it was wrong. Even
though her boyfriend beat her for refusing to go along
with him, she felt good saying no, "cause that was the
only time in my life I ever said no to anything," as she
told the group.
Through the stunned silence in the room I said
softly, "Well, that's resisting temptation. That's sort
of what this text is about." I then led the group in the
closing prayer.
Temptation is a reality in our lives. We all face
temptations large and small. We are also aware that
there are many people who are tempted with situations
that you and I cannot even imagine.
Even Jesus faced temptation. Out in the wilderness,
for forty days, Jesus was tempted just as we are
tempted. But He overcame his temptation by praying and
putting his complete trust in God. That's a good example
for us. Whenever we are tempted; we need to learn from
Jesus; we also need to pray and trust that God will
provide all that we need.
Of course, Jesus was not alone in his confrontation
with temptation, and neither are we. "You shall not
tempt the Lord your God," Jesus resisted. Jesus was
warning Satan that he was confronting not simply human
power, but the very power of God. That same power is
also available to us. Jesus was not left all alone in
the wilderness. God was with him.
I was born and attended school during the Vietnam
War. At our school, we sometimes had to evacuate from
bombing. Unfortunately, one day we were hit by a bomb
and the school was almost completely destroyed. Luckily,
many students were only injured, but no one died. In the
midst of the confusion, my father left home and rushed
to my school. When he arrived there, he discovered the
building was as flat as a pancake.
Standing there looking at what was left of the
school, my father remembered the promise he made to his
son, "No matter what, I will always be there for you!"
Tears began to fill his eyes. It looked like a hopeless
situation, but he could not take his mind off of his
promise.
My father remembered that my classroom was in the
back right corner of the building. Along with some other
people he rushed there and started digging through the
rubbles. After many hours of digging, my dad finally
heard my voice. He screamed my name, "Bich!" And I
answered him, "Dad? It's me Dad" Then I said, "I told
the other kids not to worry, I told them if you were
alive, you would save me and when you saved me, they
would be saved too. You promised, 'No matter what, I
will always be there for you!' You did it, Dad."
That was a very special relationship between my
father and me. I believe you and I have that same
relationship with God. When we come face to face with
temptation, we need not fear because God is there with
us.
God promises each one of us that no matter what, He
will be there for us. We have a God who loves us
unconditionally. We have a God who never gives up on us.
We have a God who will not let us fall. If we ask for
His strength, He will give it.
A few weeks ago, I was reading the National Catholic
Reporter and I found an interesting story entitled "The
Pit." Let me share just a little bit of it with you:
A man fell into a pit and he couldn't get out.
Buddha said: "Your pit is only a state of mind."
A Hindu said: "This pit is for purging you and making
you more perfect."
Confucius said: "If you would have listened to me,
you would never have fallen into that pit."
However, Jesus saw the man, took him by the hand and
lifted him out of the pit.
A pit is an awful place to be -- particularly the pit
of temptation. There are times when all of us are
tempted. Nothing in this world is surer than that. But
there is One who will help. God will be there for us. He
will surely help us to overcome.
During this Lenten Season, we are preparing to
celebrate the mystery of Christ's love for us. Let us
take this opportunity to ask Jesus to take our hand and
lift us up whenever we fall into a pit, particularly the
pit of temptation.
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