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reading of the first letter of St John
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dear friends whatever we ask we receive
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from him because we keep his
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Commandments and do what pleases him
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this is his Commandment that we believe
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in the name of his son Jesus Christ and
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love one another according to the
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Commandment he gave us whoever keeps his
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Commandments remains with God and God
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remains with him that he remains with us
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we know by the spirit he gave us for
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dear friends do not believe in any
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Spirit but examine the spirits to see
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whether they are from God for many false
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prophets have come into the world this
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is the Criterion for knowing whether an
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inspiration comes from God every spirit
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that leads to professing that Jesus
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Christ came in the flesh is from God and
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every spirit that does not profess faith
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in Jesus is not of God it is the spirit
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of antichrist you have heard that the
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Antichrist will come well he's already
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in the world Little Children You are of
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God and you have overcome the Antichrist
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for with you is one who is greater than
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he who is in the world your adversaries
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are from the world therefore they act
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according to the world and the world
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listens to them we are from God whoever
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knows God listens to us those who are
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not from God do not listen to us in this
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we recognize the spirit of truth and the
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word of the Lord thank
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God proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St Matthew Glory To
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You Lord at that time upon learning that
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John had been arrested Jesus returned to
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Galilee he left Nazareth and went to
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live in keram which is on the shores of
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the Sea of Galilee in the territory of
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to fulfill what was said by the prophet
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Isaiah land of zabulon land of nephal
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way of the sea region of across the
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Jordan River Galilee of the Heathen the
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people who lived in darkness saw a great
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light and to those who lived in the dark
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region of death a light Shone from then
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on Jesus began to preach saying repent
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for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand
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Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching
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in their synagogues preaching the gospel
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of the kingdom and and healing all kinds
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of illnesses and diseases among the
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people and his Fame spread throughout
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Syria they took to him all the sick who
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suffered various illnesses and torments
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demoniacs epileptics and paralytics and
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Jesus healed them numerous crowds
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followed him coming from Galilee the
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decapolis Jerusalem Judea and the region
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beyond the Jordan word of Salvation
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dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
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repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at
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hand these words of Jesus which we hear
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in today's Gospel echoed down the
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centuries to us as urgent and relevant
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today as they were when they were first
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spoken on the shores of the Sea of
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Galilee but before we dive into the
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meaning of this Proclamation let's
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consider the powerful context that our
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first reading of John's letter offers us
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John tells us something extraordinary
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whatever we ask we will receive from him
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because we keep his Commandments and do
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what pleases him what an extraordinary
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promise but take note it comes with a
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condition it is not some kind of
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spiritual blank check but it is
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intrinsically linked to our obedience
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and our desire to please God John is
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telling us that there is a deep
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connection between our moral life and
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our prayer life and what is the
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fundamental commandment that we must
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keep John expresses it with Crystal
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Clarity that we believe in the name of
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his son Jesus Christ and love one
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another notice how faith and love are
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inseparably united we can't have one
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without the other our faith in Christ
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must manifest itself in concrete love
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for others but John also warns us about
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a real danger do not believe in every
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Spirit but test the spirits to see
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whether they are from God in our time of
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fake news conspiracy y theories and
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false prophets these words gain special
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relevance how do we discern the truth
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amidst so many conflicting voices John
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gives us a clear Criterion every spirit
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that confesses that Jesus Christ has
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come in the flesh is from God in other
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words true Christian spirituality always
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recognizes the reality of the
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Incarnation God becoming truly human in
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Jesus Christ returning to the gospel we
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see Jesus beginning his public Ministry
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in circumstances that could seem
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unfavorable John the Baptist had been
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arrested a dark Omen of what awaited
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Jesus but instead of retreating in fear
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Jesus moves forward he leaves Nazareth
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and goes to live in keram fulfilling
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Isaiah's prophecy about a light shining
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in the darkness the people who lay in
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darkness have seen a great light to
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those who lay in the shadow of death a
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light is shown what a powerful image
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Jesus is that light piercing the
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darkness of our world of Our Lives of
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our hearts and what is the first message
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of this light repent for the Kingdom of
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Heaven is at hand repentance is not just
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feeling remorse for our sins the Greek
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word metanoia means a complete change of
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mind and heart a total reorientation of
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Our Lives toward God Jesus ministry was
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not limited to words Matthew tells us
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that he went all over Galilee teaching
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in the synagogues preaching the gospel
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of the kingdom and curing all manner of
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sickness and disease among the people
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teaching Proclamation and healing these
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three dimensions of jesus' ministry
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continue to be the model for the mission
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of the church today and the impact was
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extraordinary people came from
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everywhere From Galilee the decapolis
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Jerusalem Judea and across the Jordan
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the Light of Christ attracted people
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from all directions Crossing Geographic
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cultural and religious barriers what do
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these readings mean for us today first
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we are called to continuous discernment
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in a world full of conflicting voices we
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need to develop the ability to recognize
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the voice of God and distinguish what is
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truly of the spirit second we are
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challenged to a faith that manifests
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itself in concrete love it is not enough
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to profess to believe in Jesus our faith
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must translate into loving actions for
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others third we are invited to genuine
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not just feeling remorse for our sins
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but reorienting our entire lives toward
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God and his kingdom and finally we are
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called to be light as Christ was light
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in our workplaces in our families in our
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communities we must reflect the Light of
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Christ to those who lie in darkness may
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the Lord give us the grace to discern
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his voice amid the noise of the world
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the courage to respond to his call to
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repentance and the strength to be his
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light in a world that so desperately
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needs hope and may Mary the first and
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most perfect disciple of Jesus intercede
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for us on this journey
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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 heaven H 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
