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reading of the letter to the Hebrews
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every high priest is taken from among
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men and appointed for men in things that
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pertain to God to offer gifts and
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sacrifices for sins he knows how to have
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compassion on those who are ignorant and
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in error because he himself is
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surrounded by weakness therefore he must
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offer sacrifices both for the sins of
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the people and for his own no one should
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give himself this honor except he who
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was called by God like Aaron in this way
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Christ also did not attribute to himself
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the honor of being high priest but he
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was the one who said to him you are my
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son today I have begotten you as it says
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elsewhere you are a priest forever in
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the order of melkisedek Christ in the
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days of his Earthly life addressed
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prayers and supplications with strong
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cries and tears to the one who was
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capable of saving him from death and he
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was answered because of his surrender to
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God even though he was a son he learned
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what obedience to God means through what
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he suffered but at the end of his life
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he became the cause of Eternal salvation
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for all who obey him in fact he was
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proclaimed by God as high priest in the
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order of melkisedek word of the Lord
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proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St Mark Glory To You
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Lord at that time the Disciples of John
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the Baptist and the Pharisees were
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fasting then they came and said to Jesus
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why do the Disciples of John and The
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Disciples of the Pharisees fast but your
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disciples do not fast Jesus replied
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could the guests at a wedding fast while
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the bridegroom is with them while the
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bridegroom is with them the guests
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cannot fast but the time will come when
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the bridegroom will be taken out of the
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way then they will Fast no one puts a
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patch of new cloth on an old garment the
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old wine skins burst and the wine and
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the Skins are lost therefore new wine in
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new skins word of Salvation Glory To You
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my dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
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Today We Gather once again around the
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word of God which calls us to deep and
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transformative reflection to help us
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delve into the mystery that the Lord
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reveals to us through today's readings I
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want to invite you to reflect on a theme
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that runs through both passages the
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renewal of our relationship with God
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just like a Vine that needs to be pruned
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to Bear more abundant fruit we are
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called to leave behind what is old and
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welcome what is new and alive in Christ
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in the first reading taken from the
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letter to the Hebrews we are introduced
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to the figure of the high priest an
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image deeply rooted in Jewish tradition
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every high priest is chosen from among
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men and appointed as their
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representative before God to offer gifts
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and sacrifices for sins this text tells
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us about Jesus who is the perfect high
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priest not only does he offer sacrifices
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for our sins but he himself is the
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sacrifice giving himself out of love we
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can imagine this delivery of Jesus as a
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suspension bridge over an abyss on the
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one hand we are wounded by sin unable to
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cross over on our own on the other side
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there is God source of life and love
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Jesus is the bridge that allows us to
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cross not only safely but with a
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certainty that we are welcomed as
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beloved children the author of the
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letter to the Hebrews highlights that
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Jesus although Son of God learned
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obedience through suffering and thus
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became the cause of Eternal salvation
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for all who obey him here is a profound
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mystery the Son of God himself
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experienced pain Frailty and The Human
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Condition he is not a distant high
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priest but someone who walks with us in
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our difficulties when we Face our pain
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and challenges we can remember that
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Christ also suffered and that through
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him our suffering can become a source of
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redemption now let's look at the gospel
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of Mark in it Jesus presents us with a
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series of images that speak of newness
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the new patch of cloth on old clothes
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and the new wine in Old win skins these
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simple but profound examples are an
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invitation to examine how we are
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welcoming Christ's message into our
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lives let's explore this metaphor of new
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wine think about how wine is made grapes
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are harvested crushed and fermented
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transforming into something completely
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new and valuable the same happens to us
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when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in
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God wants to pour his new wine into our
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hearts but for that we need to be ready
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like new wine skins if we cling to old
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ways of thinking acting and living we
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risk wasting this transformative Grace
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the Pharisees in the gospel exemplify
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old wine skins they clung to external
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traditions and practices such as fasting
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without understanding that the heart of
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faith is in a living relationship with
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God for them religious practice had
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become an end in itself
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and not a means of approaching the Lord
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Jesus challenges them and us too to go
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beyond formalities and make room for the
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newness that he brings to illustrate
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this think of a farmer who cultivates
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the same field year after year without
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ever rotating the crops or fertilizing
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the land over time the soil is depleted
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and the Harvest becomes scarce likewise
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if we do not allow God to renew our
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hearts our spiritual lives can become
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but how can we become new wine skins the
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answer lies in what Jesus represents a
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radical renewal of our relationship with
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God he invites us to abandon empty
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legalism and embrace a faith based on
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love mercy and inner transformation this
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requires courage to leave behind what is
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comfortable and familiar and open
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ourselves to the unknown let us now
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think about our own lives are there
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areas where we are still like old win
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skins maybe we're stuck in resentments
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that we can't forgive in habits that we
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know keep us from God or in a mindset
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that resists change Jesus invitation is
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clear let us allow him to renew our
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interior as the Potter molds clay into a
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new vessel I would like to share a story
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that may help us better understand this
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process one monk when asked why he spent
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so much time in prayer replied I pray
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not to change God but for God to change
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me so too two our journey with Christ
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must be an ongoing process of renewal
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prayer the sacraments and the experience
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of love for others are ways in which
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God's new wine fills our wine skins
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returning to the figure of the high
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priest let us remember that Jesus not
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only calls us to Renewal but he himself
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empowers us to do so he gives us his
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grace which is like the sap that feeds
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the vine without this Grace our efforts
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would be useless but with it we are
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transformed formed and empowered to live
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fully what practical message can we take
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home today first let us reflect on how
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we are welcoming the newness of Christ
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into our lives are we willing to leave
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behind what is old and open ourselves to
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the new second let us seek to deepen our
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relationship with God remembering that
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Jesus is the high priest who understands
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us and accompanies us in our
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difficulties and finally let us be
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intentional in our experience of Faith
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always seeking to renew our commitment
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to love with God and others my brothers
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and sisters the call to renewal is a
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call to Abundant Life we need not fear
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for he who began a good work in US is
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faithful to complete it may we leave
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here today with new wine skins ready to
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receive the new wine of the Holy Spirit
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and that as we open ourselves to God's
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grace Our Lives become reflections of
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his love radiating light to everyone
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around us we close with this prayer Lord
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help us to abandon what is old and
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welcome the new that comes from you
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transform our hearts purify our
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intentions and make us instruments of
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Your Love in the world may we walk with
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you trusting that you are the high
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priest who leads us to Salvation
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amen St Michael the Archangel defend Us
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in battle be our protector ction against
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the wickedness and snares of the devil
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may 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
