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reading of the first letter of St John I
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write to you little children your sins
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have been forgiven through his name I
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write to you fathers you know him who is
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from the beginning I write to you young
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people you have overcome the evil one I
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have already written to you little
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children you know the father
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I have already written to you young
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people you are strong the word of God
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remains in you and you have overcome the
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evil one do not love the world nor what
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is in the world if anyone loves the
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world the love of the father is not in
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him because everything that is in the
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world the passions of nature the lust of
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the eyes and the ostentation of wealth
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does not come from the father but from
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the world now the world pass passes away
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and so does its lust but he who does the
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will of God remains forever word of the
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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 there was also a
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prophetess named Hannah daughter of fuel
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he was very old when she was young she
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had been married and lived with her
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husband for 7 years then she became a
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widow and was now 84 years old he did
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not leave the temple day and night
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serving God with fasting and prayers
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Anna arrived at that moment and began
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praising God and talking about the boy
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to all who were waiting for the
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liberation of Jerusalem after fulfilling
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everything according to the law of the
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Lord they returned to G
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to Nazareth their City the boy grew and
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became strong full of wisdom and the
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grace of God was with him 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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the Peace of the Lord be with you today
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we are invited to reflect on a profound
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and transformative theme the call to
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Holiness Fidelity and perseverance
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today's readings tell us about the
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importance of a life lived in tune with
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the Lord of perseverance in faith and of
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the constant search for the presence of
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God in our daily lives let's open our
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hearts so that the word of God
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penetrates our soul and leads us to a
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path of conversion and renewal let's
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start with the first reading taken from
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the first letter of St John the Apostle
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John writes us words full of
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but also of warning he speaks directly
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to Little Children parents and young
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people representing the different stages
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of spiritual life to his children he
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says I write to you little children
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because your sins are forgiven you
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because of his name this statement
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reminds us that our faith is not based
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on what we do but on what Christ has
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done for us he forgave us and redeemed
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us and that is something we should carry
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with gratitude in our hearts s every day
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when addressing young people John says I
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write to you young people because you
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are strong and the word of God abides in
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you and you have overcome the evil one
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here he reminds us of the spiritual
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strength that comes from the word of God
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and how it is capable of strengthening
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us and giving us courage to face the
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Temptations and difficulties of life it
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is through the word of God that we find
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the wisdom to live faithfully and justly
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resisting evil and its sedu ctions
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however St John also makes a very
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important warning which resonates with
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all of us regardless of our age or stage
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of spiritual life do not love the world
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nor the things in the world if anyone
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loves the world the love of father is
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not in it he warns us against excessive
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attachment to temporal things to the
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illusions that the world offers us the
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world promises satisfaction and
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happiness but in the end it leaves us
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empty searching for more and more
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without giving us true peace it is a
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cycle of frustration that if not
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interrupted can distance us from the
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presence of God John challenges us to
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look at True Love The Father's Love
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which is eternal and leads us to full
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life what does the world offer he offers
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us momentary pleasure ephemeral power
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vanity and greed but as St John teaches
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us the world pass passes away and the
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lust thereof but he that doeth the will
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of God abideth forever the world may be
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tempting but its attraction is fleeting
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God's love however is eternal he is our
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source of life and only in him do we
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find true peace and happiness now
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looking at the Gospel of Luke we are
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introduced to a figure who perfectly
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reflects the search for True Holiness
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and Fidelity to God the prophetess Anna
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Luke tells us that Hannah was an elderly
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woman a widow since her early years of
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marriage and who spent his days in the
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temple worshiping god with fasting and
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prayers she is presented as a woman of
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solid and persevering Faith who despite
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the difficulties and loneliness of her
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life did not move away from God Anna is
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a woman who lives in total surrender to
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God without allowing herself to be
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seduced by the Temptations of the world
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exactly as St John guides us she
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embodies the vision that St John gives
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us of Holiness not to cling to temporal
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things but to remain firm in the Lord
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Hannah was blessed for her constancy in
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serving God and it is interesting to
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note that she was one of the first to
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recognize the Messiah the Savior when he
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was taken to the temple by his parents
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she with her pure faith and sincere love
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for God was able to see what others
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could not see here it is important to
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perseverance she waited her entire life
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in prayer to witness the coming of the
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Savior and when she saw the baby Jesus
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she not only recognized him but
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proclaimed him to everyone she teaches
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us a great lesson waiting and Patience
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are often part of the sanctification
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process not everything happens in our
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time or in the way we imagine but
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Fidelity to God leads us to a full
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encounter with him Anna teaches us that
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when we remain in prayer and Fidelity
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God in his perfect time gives us
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spiritual vision necessary to understand
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his will furthermore Anna offers us an
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example of true Freedom she was a woman
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who despite adversity was not enslaved
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circumstances her Freedom came from her
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surrender to God who supported her and
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gave her strength she did not live in
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search of recognition nor worldly
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success but rather in the constant
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search for God in the Simplicity of
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prayer and worship true Freedom my
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brothers is not in following the desires
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of the world but in surrendering oneself
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to the will of God as Jesus himself said
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you will know the truth and the truth
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will set you free today we are invited
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to reflect on what it means to live in
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Fidelity to God like Hannah and what it
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means to not love the world as St John
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warns us the the world offers us a
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series of empty promises but it is only
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in God that we find the true meaning of
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life Fidelity to God demands from us a
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deep commitment which goes beyond the
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difficulties and obstacles that arise in
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our path like Hannah we must be
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persevering in prayer and worship
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keeping our hearts focused on God
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regardless of the circumstances now
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brothers and sisters let us ask for the
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grace to be more like Hannah faithful to
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God in all situations of life and more
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like St John who calls us not to be
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seduced by the things of the world may
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we live with a pure heart dedicated to
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God and His will let's make a commitment
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to move away from The Temptations that
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keep us away from God and to seek his
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presence with the same constancy and
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love that Anna demonstrated throughout
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her life let us pause now and in silence
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ask the Lord to give us the grace to
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discern what we need to change in our
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lives to be more faithful to him make
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may we live with a pure faithful and
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surrendered heart confident that in the
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in the end God's reward will be
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infinitely greater than any material
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good we can achieve in this life Lord
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God thank you for reminding us through
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Anna's life and the teachings of St John
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of the importance of fidelity Holiness
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and Detachment from the things of the
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world help us to live with a heart
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toward you to persevere in prayer and to
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seek your will in everything we do may
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we be like and salt to the world
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proclaiming your love and your truth
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with our lives amen may the Lord bless
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us and strengthen us on our journey of
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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 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
