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reading from the second letter of St
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John I was very glad lady to have found
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some of your children who walk according
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to the truth according to the
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Commandment we received from the father
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and now lady I ask you not that I am
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writing to you about a new commandment
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for this is what we have had since the
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beginning let us love one another and
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love consists of this living according
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to his Commandments this is the
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Commandment that you heard from the
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beginning to guide your actions it turns
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out that many seducers have spread
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throughout the world who do not confess
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Jesus Christ incarnate there is the
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Seducer the Antichrist be careful lest
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you wish to lose the fruit of your labor
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but rather receive the full reward
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whoever does not abide in the doctrine
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of Christ but passes Beyond it does not
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possess God He Who abides in the
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doctrine is the one who possesses the
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father and the son word of the Lord
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God proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St Luke Glory To You
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Lord at that time Jesus said to his
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disciples as it was in the days of Noah
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so it will be in the day days of the son
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of man they were eating drinking
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marrying and giving in marriage until
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the day that Noah entered in the ark
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then the flood came and killed them all
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it will happen as in the days of lot
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they ate and drank bought and sold
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planted and built but on the day that
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lot left Sodom God reigned fire and
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sulfur from heaven and caused them all
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to Die the same will happen on the day
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when the son of man is revealed on that
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day whoever is on the roof must not go
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down to collect the goods that are in
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his house back remember Lot's wife
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whoever seeks to gain his life will lose
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it and whoever loses it will keep it
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taken and the other will be left two
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women will be grinding together one will
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be taken and the other will be left one
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will be taken and the other will be left
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the disciples asked Lord where will this
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Jesus replied wherever the corpse is
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there the vultures will gather word of
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Salvation Glory To You
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Lord dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
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I have found some of your children who
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walk in the truth with these tender and
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encouraging words John begins his second
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letter which we heard today in our first
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reading but what does it mean to walk in
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truth and how does this relate to Jesus
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urgent warning in Our Gospel about the
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end times imagine for a moment a
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lighthouse on a rocky Shore during a
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violent storm the lighthouse does not
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remove the storm it does not calm the
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waves but it offers safe guidance to
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ships in distress likewise the truth of
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Christ does not remove us from the
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turbulences of life but guides us safely
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John reminds us that the Commandment of
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love is not new the one we have had from
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the beginning but it is eternally
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relevant it's fascinating how he
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intertwines Love and Truth showing that
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they cannot be separated love without
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truth can become empty
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sentimentality truth without love can
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turn into cruel legalism and love
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consists in living according to his
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Commandments What A profound statement
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love is not just a fleeting feel
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a passing emotion it is an active
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commitment to live according to God's
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will it is a daily choice to walk in
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truth even when that path is difficult
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and then John warns us about those who
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do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in
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the flesh this warning reminds us that
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our faith is not an abstract philosophy
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but is rooted in the concrete reality of
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Incarnation God becoming flesh entering
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our story sharing our Humanity now let
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us turn our gaze to the gospel where
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Jesus presents us with a disturbing
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scenario he compares the end times to
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the days of Noah and lot periods marked
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not by extraordinary evil but by a
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dangerous normality people eating
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drinking marrying buying selling
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planting building what is the problem
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with these activities nothing in
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themselves the problem is how they can
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distract us from the deeper reality
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make us forget our true identity and
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Destiny as John warned us in the first
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reading about losing what we have
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accomplished Jesus warns us about the
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risk of losing our soul in the routine
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of everyday life whoever seeks to
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preserve his life will lose it and
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whoever loses his life will preserve it
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what a paradox Jesus is telling us that
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our desperate attempt to hold on to life
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our search for security Comfort Control
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maybe the very thing that keeps us from
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finding true life think about the days
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of Noah people were so absorbed in their
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daily activities that they ignored the
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signs of impending judgment think of lot
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his wife was so attached to the life she
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was leaving behind that she became a
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pillar of salt an eternal Monument to
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the danger of excessive attachment how
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does this apply to us today we live in a
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world that constantly bombards us with
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distractions false urgencies and
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superficial concerns our technology
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while useful can keep us perpetually
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busy but spiritually empty our social
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networks can give us the illusion of
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connection while isolating us from True
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Community jesus' call is not to abandon
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our daily responsibilities but to live
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in them with a deeper awareness a higher
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purpose it is an invitation to walk in
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the truth as John exhorts us even in the
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midst of worldly activities how do we do
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this this first we need to cultivate
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spiritual vigilance not a paralyzing
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anxiety about the end of times but a
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living awareness that every moment is an
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opportunity to encounter God second we
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must evaluate our attachments what stops
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us from following Christ fully what salt
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pillars are we becoming by not being
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able to let go of what we need to leave
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behind third we need to live the
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Commandment of love in a concrete and
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practice practical way as John reminds
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us love is not Theory but action it's
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choosing the truth when it would be
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easier to compromise it's serving when
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it would be more comfortable to be
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served it's forgiving when it would be
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more natural to resent my brothers and
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sisters we live in challenging times as
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in the days of Noah and lot it is easy
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to become absorbed in routine forgetting
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our true identity and Mission but we
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have something they didn't have we have
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Christ who is the way the truth and the
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life we have the Holy Spirit who guides
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us into all truth we have the Community
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of Faith which helps us remain faithful
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may we like the faithful children spoken
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of by John continue to walk in the truth
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may we be attentive to the signs of the
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times not with fear but with hope may we
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live each day with the awareness that we
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belong to Christ and that our true life
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is hidden with him in God and when the
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Lord comes whether on the last day or on
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our last day may he find us not
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distracted by worldly concerns but
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Vigilant in faith active in love
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steadfast in the truth may the Lord give
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us the grace to live like this losing
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our lives for the love of him so that we
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can truly find them and May the peace of
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Christ which surpasses all understanding
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keep our hearts and Minds in the
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knowledge and love of God
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Amen St 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 oh Prince of the Heavenly Host by
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the power of God cast into hell Satan
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and and all the evil spirits who prowl
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throughout the world seeking the ruin of
