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beginning of the letter to the Hebrews
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many times and in many ways God spoke in
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times past to our fathers through the
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prophets in these days which of the last
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he spoke to us through the son whom he
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appointed heir of all things and through
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whom he also created the universe this
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is the Splendor of the father's Glory
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the expression of his being he sustains
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the universe with a power of His word
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having purged his sins he sat down at
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the right hand of the Divine Majesty on
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high he was placed as much above the
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angels as the name he inherited
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surpasses their name indeed to which of
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the Angels did God ever say you are my
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son today I have begotten you or even I
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will be a father to him and he will be a
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son to me but when he brings the
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firstborn into the world God says all
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the Angels must worship Him word of the
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God proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St Mark Glory To You
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Lord after John the Baptist was arrested
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Jesus went to Galilee preaching the
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gospel of God and saying the time has
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come to an end and the kingdom of God is
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at hand convert yourselves and believe
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and as Jesus passed by the Sea of
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Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew his
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brother casting a net into the sea for
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they were fisherman Jesus said to them
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follow me and I will make you Fishers of
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Men and they immediately left the Nets
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and followed Jesus walking a little
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further he also saw James and John sons
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of Zebedee they were on the boat
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repairing the Nets and then called them
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they left their father Zebedee in the
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boat with a vants and left following
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Jesus word of Salvation Glory To You
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Lord my dear brothers and sisters today
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we are invited to contemplate the
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beginning of a great love story between
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God and Humanity the readings we hear
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confront us with a profound and
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transformative truth God who has spoken
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in many ways throughout the ages has
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Finally Revealed his fullness to us in
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Jesus Christ and he calls us to follow
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him to begin I want to tell you a little
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story imagine a child who is lost in a
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forest she is scared surrounded by
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shadows and sounds she cannot understand
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suddenly someone appears holding a
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flashlight lighting the way back home
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this person not only indicates the
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direction but extends their hand walks
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alongside the child and guides them
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safely this is the image that today's
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readings offer us God is not a distant
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stranger but someone who has come to us
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holding a light to guide us home he
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didn't just point the way he himself
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became the way in Jesus Christ in the
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first reading from the letter to the
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Hebrews we are reminded that God spoke
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to our ancestors through the prophets on
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many occasions and in many ways however
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now he speaks to us definitively through
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his son Jesus is not just another
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messenger he is the very reflection of
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God's glory the exact expression of his
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being he upholds all things by the word
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of his power let's think about this
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Jesus is the Living Word of God just as
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the words we use reveal our thoughts and
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intentions Jesus reveals the heart and
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character of God when we look at Christ
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we see who God is we see the father's
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compassion in Jesus acts of healing we
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see Divine Mercy In the words of
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forgiveness he offers we see God's
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infinite love in the sacrifice of the
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Cross but what does this mean for us
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today it means that God deeply desires
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us to know him he doesn't want to be a
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distant mystery or an abstract idea he
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wants a living real transformative
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relationship with us and that's why
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Jesus came so that we could see and
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experience God in a way that would never
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be possible otherwise in Mark's gospel
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we see Jesus beginning his public
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Ministry with a clear and Urgent Message
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the time has come to an end and the
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kingdom of God is at hand convert
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yourselves and Believe In The Gospel
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these words Echo as a call to action an
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invitation to change direction to
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abandon what binds us to sin and to
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embrace a new life in the kingdom of God
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soon after Jesus meets Simon and Andrew
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fisherman on the shores of the Sea of
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Galilee he calls them with a simple but
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powerful phrase follow me and and I will
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make you Fishers of Men and what do they
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do they immediately abandon their
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networks and follow him here is
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something remarkable these men were
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Ordinary People everyday workers like
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many of us they were not rich powerful
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or highly educated but when Jesus called
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them they responded without hesitation
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trusting that he would lead them to
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something greater let us think for a
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moment about the networks We Carry in
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Our Lives what are the things that hold
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us back that prevent us from following
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Jesus with freedom and courage these
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could be material concerns fears
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unhealthy relationships or even
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spiritual accommodation Christ's call
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invites us to let go of these nets and
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Trust fully in him we can imagine the
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scene SEO and Andre leave everything
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behind their boats their Nets their
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livelihood they don't know exactly where
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they are going or what awaits them but
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they trust the voice of the one who
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calls them and here is the mystery of
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faith when we trust God and respond to
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his call he transforms our lives in ways
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we could never imagine Jesus promises
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that these simple fishermen will become
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Fishers of Men it is a rich metaphor
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that points to the mission that will be
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entrusted to them just as they cast
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their Nets to catch fish now they would
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be sent to bring people into the kingdom
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of God leading them to the light and
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Love Of Christ and this calling my
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brothers is not reserved just for Simon
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Andrew James or John it is a calling
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that echoes in our hearts today Jesus
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invites us to follow him to leave behind
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what holds us back and to participate in
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his mission of bringing the light of the
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kingdom of God to the world maybe you're
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thinking but I'm just an ordinary person
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what can I do the answer is in today's
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readings God does not look for the
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powerful or the perfect he looks for
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those available those who are willing to
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trust and follow he transforms fishermen
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into Apostles transforms ordinary lives
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into extraordinary instruments of his
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grace let's think of a farmer he works
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with the land planting seeds and caring
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for them with patience and dedication he
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cannot control the weather but he knows
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that the Harvest depends on his
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faithfulness in doing his part so we are
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also called to sew the seeds of Love
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truth and Justice in our lives and in
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the lives of those around us God will
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take care of the rest today we are
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challenged to reflect are we hearing
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God's voice are we willing to cast down
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our Nets and follow him are we ready to
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trust him even when the path is
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uncertain at the end of this reflection
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I want to leave you with this image a
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lantern shining on a dark night Jesus is
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that light that illuminates our path
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that leads us to safety and the love of
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the father he calls us to follow him to
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be lights in the world reflecting the
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glory and love of God in everything we
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do may we like Simon and Andrew respond
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promptly to jesus' call may we have the
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courage to abandon our Nets and trust
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that he will lead us to deeper waters
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and a life full of purpose and Grace may
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God bless us and guide us always amen
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St Michael the Archangel defend Us in
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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 prowl
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throughout the world seeking the ruin of