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reading of the book of the prophet
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Isaiah thus says the Lord God in a short
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time will not Lebanon be transformed
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into a garden and can't the garden
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become a forest on that day the deaf
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will hear the words of the book and the
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eyes of the blind will see in the midst
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of darkness and Shadows The Humble will
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increase their joy in the Lord
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and the poorest of men will rejoice in
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the Holy One of Israel the Arrogant
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failed the trickster disappeared and all
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the precocious evildoer succumbed those
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who made others sin with words and who
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laid a trap for the judge at The City
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Gate and attacked the righteous with
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false words this says the Lord to the
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house of Jacob he who freed Abraham now
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Jacob will no longer have to be ashamed
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nor will his face have to blush when
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they see the works of my hands they will
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honor my name among the people
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they will honor the Holy One of Jacob
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and they will fear the god of Israel men
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of fickle spirit will obtain wisdom and
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those who curse will agree to learn word
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God proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St Matthew Glory To
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You Lord at that time as Jesus left two
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Blind Men Men followed him shouting have
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mercy on us son of David when Jesus
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entered the house the Blind Men
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approached him then Jesus asked them do
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you believe that I can do this they
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replied yes Lord then Jesus touched
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their eyes saying according to your
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faith be it and their eyes opened Jesus
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warned them sternly take care that no
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one finds out but they left and spread
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their Fame throughout that region word
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of Salvation Glory To You
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Lord dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
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imagine being completely in the dark not
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just in a room without light but in
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total darkness where you can't even make
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out your own hand in front of your face
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now suddenly an intense light breaks out
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revealing colors shapes and details that
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were previously invisible this image of
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transformation of passing from Darkness
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to light is at the heart of our readings
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today in Isaiah prophetically the Lord
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promises a radical transformation within
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a short time Lebanon will be transformed
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into an orchard and the orchard will be
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considered as a forest what a powerful
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image of change what was arid sterile
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unproductive productive will be
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transformed into something fertile
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abundant vibrant this is not just a
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prophecy about geographic Landscapes it
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is a powerful metaphor for the spiritual
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transformation that God wants to work in
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our lives how many of us feel like
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Lebanon dry Aid seemingly unable to bear
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fruit but God says I can transform this
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Isaiah continues with an even more
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extraordinary promise in that day the
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deaf will hear the words of the book and
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the eyes of the blind will see again
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this is not just a literal prediction of
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physical healing but a profound symbol
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of spiritual restoration the deaf who
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could not hear the word of God whether
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through Hardness of Heart worldly
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distraction or deliberate resistance
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will now hear clearly the blind who were
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unable to see Divine truth whether due
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to Prejudice ignorance or Pride will
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have their spiritual eyes opened and
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then comes the gospel of Matthew as if
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vividly illustrating this prophecy of
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Isaiah Jesus encounters two Blind Men
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Who follow him crying out have mercy on
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us son of David notice how they already
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recognize him as the Messiah the Son of
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David even in their condition of
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physical blindness Jesus does not heal
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them immediately first he asks do you
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believe I can do this it's a question
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that resonates through the centuries to
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us today do we believe that God Can
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Transform our lives do we believe that
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he can convert the desert of our
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existence into a fruitful Orchard the
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blind respond with simple direct Faith
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yes Lord and then Jesus touches their
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eyes saying according to your faith let
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it be done and they are healed not by an
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impersonal power but by their faith by
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the compassion of Jesus by the Personal
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Touch of the Lord but look at the
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interesting detail Jesus sternly orders
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them see that no one knows it and they
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disobey they spread the news throughout
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that region sometimes the joy of
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transformation is so great that it
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cannot be contained what do these
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readings tell us today first they remind
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us that God is a god of transformation
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he does not leave us as we are where
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there is idity he can create fertility
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where there is spiritual deafness he can
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give hearing where there is Blindness he
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can give sight second they show us that
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transformation passes through faith
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those Blind Men believe before they saw
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they trusted Jesus before healing Faith
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Comes First Transformation follows third
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we are taught that God's healing is
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Personal Jesus did not heal the blind
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from a distance he touched them likewise
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his transformation in our lives is not
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impersonal or mechanical but deeply
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relational fourth they challenge us to
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spread the good news of transformation
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like the Blind Men Who were unable to
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remain silent we are called to share how
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God has acted in our lives where are the
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desserts in your life today where is the
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aridity where is the spiritual deafness
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where is the blindness that prevents you
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from seeing God's action Jesus is saying
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today do you believe that I can do this
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your answer will determine your
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transformation experience may the Lord
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Open the Eyes of our faith the ears of
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our heart so that we can see and hear
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his transforming action
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amen say Michael the Archangel defend Us
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in battle be our protection against the
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wickedness and snares of the devil may
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God rebuke him we humbly pray and do
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thou o Prince of the Heavenly Host by
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the power of God cast into hell Satan
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and all the evil spirits who prow
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throughout the world seeking the ruin of
