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reading of the book of the prophet
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Isaiah May the land that was deserted
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and impassible Rejoice rejoice in
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solitude and Blossom like a lily
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germinate and exalt with joy and praises
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the glory of Lebanon was given to him
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the Splendor of Carmel and Sharon its
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inhabitants will see the glory of the
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Lord the Majesty of our God
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strengthen your weakened hands and
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strengthen your weak knees say to
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depressed people be encouraged do not be
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afraid see it is your God it is
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Vengeance that comes it is God's reward
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it is he who comes to save you then the
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eyes of the blind will be opened and the
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ears of the deaf will be opened the lame
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man will leap like a deer and the tongue
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of the mute will be loosed just as
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Waters will spring up in the desert and
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torrents will gush out in the wilderness
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the dry land will be turned into a lake
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and the Thirsty region into Springs of
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water in the caves where dragons lived
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Reeds and Reeds will grow there will be
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a path and a way the way will be called
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The Holy Road the unclean will not pass
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along it but it will be a straight road
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on which even the weak will not be lost
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there are no Lions there no predatory
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animals roam there they don't even
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appear there those who are freed will be
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able to to travel it Those whom the Lord
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saved will return home they will come to
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Zion singing praises with infinite Joy
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shining on their faces full of joy and
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contentment they will no longer know
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pain and mourning word of the Lord thank
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God proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St Luke glory to to
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you Lord one day Jesus was teaching and
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around him Sat Pharisees and teachers of
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the law who had come from all the
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Villages of Galilee Judea and Jerusalem
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and the virtue of the Lord led him to
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heal some men were bringing a paralyzed
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man on a bed and trying to get him to
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come in to introduce him but finding no
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way to bring him in Du to the crowd they
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went up to the roof and led him down
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through the tiles with his bed into the
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middle of the assembly before Jesus
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Jesus seeing their faith he said man
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your sins are forgiven the scribes and
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Pharisees began to murmur saying who is
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this that blasphemes thus who can
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forgive sins but God knowing their
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thoughts Jesus answered saying why do
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you murmur in your hearts what is easier
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to say your sins are forgiven or to say
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get up and walk for so that you may know
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that the son of man man has power on
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Earth to forgive sins he said to the
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paralytic I say to you get up take up
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your bed and go home immediately before
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them he stood up he took his bed and
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went home praising God everyone was
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beside themselves they glorified God and
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filled with fear said today we saw
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wonderful things word of
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Salvation Glory To You Lord
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my brothers and sisters imagine a desert
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an arid place where life seems
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impossible where the scorching Heat and
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the absence of water turn everything
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into desolation now think of that same
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desert blooming covered in flowers with
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streams of crystal clear water running
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through it it seems like a miracle
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doesn't it this is the scenario IO that
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the prophet Isaiah presents to us in
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today's first reading it is a powerful
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image an invitation to believe that even
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in the most difficult situations God can
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bring life renewal and hope Isaiah tells
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us of a glorious future where the
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parched land will rejoice and the desert
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regions will exalt he describes a holy
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path where the lame will leap like deer
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the mute will sing for joy and those in
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Exile will return home with joy
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this vision is much more than poetry it
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is a Divine promise a guarantee that God
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is capable of transforming even the
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darkest scenarios into Landscapes of
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life and joy now let's look at Luke's
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gospel we see Jesus in the midst of a
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crowd teaching healing bringing hope a
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group of men determined to help a
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paralyzed friend do something
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extraordinary they go up to the roof
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remove the tiles and lower the man in
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front of Jesus imagine this scene for a
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moment their boldness is almost
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disconcerting but it is exactly this
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bold faith that impresses the heart of
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Christ Jesus does not begin by healing
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the man's body but rather his soul man
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your sins are forgiven for the Pharisees
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and teachers of the law this was a
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scandal who can forgive sins but God
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they ask in their hearts but Jesus
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knowing their thoughts resp responds
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with an act of power and compassion get
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up take up your bed and go home and the
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man in front of everyone stands up
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completely healed these two readings
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have a lot to teach us first Isaiah
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shows us that God is the Lord of
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transformation no matter how desolate
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the desert of our lives may be a family
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crisis a health problem A desperate
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financial situation or even spiritual
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aridity God is able to bring new life he
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is the creator who makes hope flourish
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where before there was only despair the
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gospel on the other hand challenges us
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to act with the same bold Faith as those
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friends they were not stopped by the
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physical barriers nor by the crowd nor
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by the roof they knew that Jesus was the
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only hope for their friend and they did
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everything they could to bring him to
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him what an example of true friendship
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now let's reflect on the paralytic he
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could symbolize any of us we all have
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areas in our lives where we feel stuck
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maybe it's fear guilt doubt or even sin
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sometimes we feel like we can't move
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forward that we're stuck in a spiritual
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bed but when we allow Jesus into our
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lives he not only heals us but also
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gives us new purpose lifts us to our
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feet and sends us to be winess es of his
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grace and here's another important
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forgiveness Jesus begins by healing the
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man's Soul before healing his body this
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teaches us that the deepest and most
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urgent healing is spiritual healing
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often we are so concerned with our
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material or physical needs that we
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forget to take care of our soul but
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Jesus reminds us that forgiveness of
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sins is the first step to True healing
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and renewal let us think for a moment
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about the friends of the paralytic they
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represent the community the role we all
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have in leading others to Christ who in
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our lives needs help who needs a word of
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encouragement an act of kindness a
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prayer just like those men we are called
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to be Bridges to bring people to
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encounter Jesus now let's return to the
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image of the desert that
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blooms sometimes our lives can feel just
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like that empty aimless hopeless but God
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promises us that he can transform even
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the driest deserts into Lush Gardens and
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This Promise is not just for the distant
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future but also for the here and now
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when we allow God to work in us he makes
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flowers of Faith joy and love Sprout
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even in the most difficult
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circumstances but this transformation
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demands something of us it requires
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faith it demands that we trust God even
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when all seems lost it requires that we
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have the courage to approach Jesus as
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the paralytic did and that we have the
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determination to lead others to him as
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his friends did what wonderful images
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the gospel and Isaiah offer us a desert
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blooming and a paralyzed man being
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lifted up in both readings we see that
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God is the god of the impossible he is
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the one who transforms who heals who
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restores and he continues to do this
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today in our lives in conclusion I want
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to leave a challenge for all of us what
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are the desserts in your life that you
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need to hand over to God what are the
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barriers you need to overcome to get
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closer to Jesus and who in your life is
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waiting for you to be the friend who
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will lead them to meet the Savior let us
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now ask God to renew our faith to heal
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our wounds and to use us as instruments
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of his grace may he give us the courage
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to face challenges with determination
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and the confidence that with him even
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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
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by 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