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Daily Gospel - Saturday, August 16, 2025 - Matthew 19:13-15 - Catholic Bible
Aug 16, 2025
Welcome to our daily encounter with the Word of God! Today, we will reflect on the readings from the Book of Joshua (Joshua 24:14-29) and the Gospel according to Saint Matthew (Matthew 19:13-15). These passages invite us to total faithfulness to the Lord and to receive the Kingdom of God with the simplicity of a child. First Reading (Joshua 24:14-29): Near the end of his life, Joshua exhorts the people of Israel to serve the Lord with sincerity and faithfulness, rejecting other gods. He firmly declares: "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." The people, moved by this decision, renew their covenant with God and commit themselves to follow Him. Joshua records this covenant as a testimony, emphasizing the importance of consciously choosing to serve the living God. This passage reminds us that faith is a daily decision. Serving the Lord requires steadfastness, the renunciation of idols, and a true commitment to live according to His will. Gospel (Matthew 19:13-15): In the Gospel, children are brought to Jesus so that He might lay His hands on them and pray. Some disciples try to prevent them, but Christ welcomes the children warmly and says: "The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." He teaches that the simplicity, purity, and trust of children are essential for entering the Kingdom. This passage challenges us to cultivate a humble and trusting heart, free from worldly ambitions and open to God’s love. Reflection and Call to Conversion Today’s readings invite us to renew our commitment to God and to live our faith with the purity of a child. Serving the Lord wholeheartedly leads us to true life. 📖 Readings of the Day: First Reading: Joshua 24:14-29
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Reading from the book of Joshua. In
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those days, Joshua said to all the
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people, "Now therefore, fear the Lord
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and serve him with a whole and upright
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heart. Put away the gods your fathers
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served in Mesopotamia and in Egypt, and
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serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord
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seems undesirable to you, choose for
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yourselves this day whom you will serve.
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the gods your fathers served in
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Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites
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in whose land you live. As for me and my
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family, we will serve the Lord." And the
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people answered, "Far be it from us to
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forsake the Lord to serve other gods.
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For it is the Lord our God who brought
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us and our fathers out of the land of
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Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He
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performed these great wonders before our
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eyes and preserved us in all the ways we
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went and among all the peoples through
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whom we passed. The Lord drove out
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before us all the nations, especially
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the Amorites, who inhabited the land we
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entered. Therefore, we also will serve
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the Lord, for he is our God. Then Joshua
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said to the people, "You cannot serve
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the Lord, for he is a holy God, a
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jealous God who will not tolerate your
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transgressions and sins. If you forsake
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the Lord and serve other gods, he will
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turn against you and deal badly with you
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and destroy you after he has dealt well
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with you. But the people answered
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Joshua, "No, it is the Lord we will
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serve." Joshua then said to the people,
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"You are witnesses against yourselves
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that you have chosen the Lord to serve
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him." And they answered, "Yes, we are
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witnesses."
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Therefore, said Joshua, put away the
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foreign gods from among you, and incline
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your hearts to the Lord, the God of
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Israel. The people said to Joshua, we
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will serve the Lord our God and obey his
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commandments.
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That day, Joshua established a covenant
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with the people and set forth precepts
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and laws for them at Shechum. Joshua
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wrote these words in the book of the law
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of God. Then he took a large stone and
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set it up there under the oak tree that
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was in the sanctuary of the Lord. Then
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Joshua said to all the people, "This
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stone that you see will be a witness
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against you, for it has heard all the
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words that the Lord spoke to you, so
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that you will not be able to deny the
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Lord your God afterward." Then Joshua
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sent the people away, each to his own
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land. After these events, Joshua, son of
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Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at
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the age of 110. The word of the Lord.
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Thanks be to God.
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Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St. Matthew. Glory
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to you, O Lord. At that time, some
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little children were brought to Jesus
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for him to place his hands on them and
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pray. But the disciples rebuked them.
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Then Jesus said, "Let the little
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children come to me and do not hinder
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them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs
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to such as these." After placing his
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hands on them, Jesus departed from
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there. The word of the Savior. Glory to
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you, Lord.
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
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imagine a small child running toward his
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parents with open arms, without
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hesitation, without doubt, without
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calculating the risks. He simply trusts
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that he will be welcomed with love. This
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simple and powerful image connects us
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directly with today's readings, which
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invite us to reflect on the nature of
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true faith and authentic commitment to
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God. In the first reading, we find
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Joshua delivering one of the most
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decisive speeches in biblical history.
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This is not just a political leader
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speaking to his people. It is a man of
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God exhorting an entire nation to make a
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decision that will define its destiny.
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Now therefore, fear the Lord and serve
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him with sincerity and faithfulness. He
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declares with an urgency that echoes
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through the millennia to us today. But
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notice the language Joshua uses. He
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doesn't simply say serve the Lord. He
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specifies with sincerity and
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faithfulness. The word sincerity here
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carries the meaning of complete
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integrity of an undivided heart.
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Faithfulness speaks of unwavering
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loyalty, a commitment that endures
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through life storms. Joshua knows his
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people well. He knows they are prone to
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infidelity, to the temptation to serve
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other gods when circumstances get
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difficult. That's why he challenges
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them. Put away the foreign gods that are
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among you and incline your hearts to the
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Lord, the God of Israel. What
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penetrating words. Put away. Do not
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hoard. Do not hide. Do not keep in
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reserve. Completely rid yourselves of
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that which competes with God for first
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place in your hearts. And then incline
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your hearts. A beautiful image of
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willing submission. Like a flower
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naturally turning toward the sun. The
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people respond enthusiastically.
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We will serve the Lord our God and obey
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his voice. Joshua with the wisdom of one
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who understands human nature establishes
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a solemn covenant erecting a great stone
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as a witness. He knows that in times of
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trial when faith is tested, we need
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tangible reminders of our commitments.
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But here is a profound truth. Making a
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covenant with God is not like signing a
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business contract. It is not a cold
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transaction based on clauses and
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conditions. It is rather a relationship
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of love, trust and total dependence.
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Exactly like the relationship between a
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child and its parents. And it is
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precisely this image that Jesus presents
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to us in the gospel. Let the little
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children come to me and do not hinder
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them for the kingdom of heaven belongs
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to such as these. Imagine the scene.
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Small children being brought to Jesus.
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probably by their mother's eager to
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receive a blessing from the great rabbi.
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The disciples with their adult and
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practical mindset try to drive them
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away. After all, Jesus has important
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things to do, important people to meet.
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Why waste time with children? But Jesus
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is indignant. The Greek word used here
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suggests a deep irritation, almost a
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righteous indignation. Why? Because the
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disciples are hindering the very people
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who best exemplify the right attitude
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before God. What is so special about
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children that Jesus holds them up as
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models for the kingdom of heaven? It's
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not their innocence, though that is
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beautiful. It's not their purity, though
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that is admirable. It is fundamentally
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their capacity for total trust and
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complete dependence. A young child
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doesn't approach their parents
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calculating risks or negotiating terms.
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They simply trust. When they are hurt,
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they run to their parents' arms without
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questioning whether they will be able to
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heal them. When they are afraid, they
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seek comfort without doubting whether
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they will comfort them. When they need
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something, they ask with absolute
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confidence that they will hear them.
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This is the faith Joshua was trying to
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instill in the people of Israel. A faith
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not based on calculations or
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convenience, but on absolute trust. A
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faith that says, "No matter what
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happens, I know God is good and that he
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cares for me." But here's the challenge
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for us adults. Over the years, we've
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learned to be suspicious. Life has
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taught us that people don't always keep
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their promises, that circumstances can
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change, that it's wise to keep options
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open. We develop defense mechanisms,
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survival strategies, contingency plans,
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and often we transfer this cautious
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mindset to our relationship with God. We
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serve the Lord, but we keep some foreign
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gods in reserve, our bank account, our
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reputation, our personal plans just in
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case. Jesus is calling us to a more
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radical faith. A faith that approaches
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God with a simple, total trust of a
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child. A faith that doesn't negotiate or
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bargain but simply surrenders. This
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doesn't mean being naive or
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irresponsible. It means recognizing that
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ultimately our true security comes not
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from our own wisdom or resources but
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from our relationship with a God who
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loves us unconditionally. Think for a
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moment what are the foreign gods in your
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life. Maybe it's an obsession with
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control. The need to have everything
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planned and organized. Maybe it's fear
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of the future, the anxiety that
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paralyzes us and prevents us from
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trusting God completely. Or maybe it's
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pride, the difficulty admitting that we
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need help, that we don't have all the
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answers. Jesus invites us to cast away
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these things, just as Joshua exhorted
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the people of Israel, not because they
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are necessarily bad in themselves, but
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because they compete with God for
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centrality in our lives. And when we do
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this, when we approach God with the
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simplicity and trust of a child, we
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discover something wonderful. He is
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always there with open arms, ready to
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bless, heal, and guide us. The blessing
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Jesus gave those children was not just a
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symbolic gesture. It was a real
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transmission of divine favor, power, and
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protection. And this same blessing is
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available to us today when we approach
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him with childlike faith. But remember,
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just as Joshua set up a stone as a
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witness to the people's covenant with
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God, we need tangible reminders of our
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decision to trust the Lord completely.
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It could be a Bible verse on our desk, a
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daily prayer time, or simply the
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conscious decision to surrender our
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worries to God every time we begin to
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feel anxious. My dear brothers and
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sisters, today we are invited to renew
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our covenant with God. Not a covenant
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based on fear or obligation, but a
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relationship based on trust and love
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like that of a child with its loving
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parents. May we have the courage to cast
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away everything that hinders our
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complete trust in God. May we approach
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him with the simplicity and openness of
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a child. And may we experience the
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fullness of the blessings he has in
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store for those who trust him with all
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their hearts. Imagine what our lives
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would be like if we truly lived with
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this childlike faith. How our
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relationships would be transformed if we
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approached conflicts with the simplicity
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of a child who knows they are loved. How
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different our professional challenges
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would be if we faced each situation with
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a confidence that God is in control. May
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the Lord bless us with this simple and
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pure faith. May he help us to be like
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little children in his loving hands,
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trusting completely in his care and
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provision. And may we at the end of our
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earthly journey be able to say as Joshua
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did, "Behold, I am going this day the
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way of all the earth. Know with all your
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hearts and with all your souls that not
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one word has failed of all the good
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promises the Lord your God has made to
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you. May the grace of our Lord Jesus
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Christ, the love of God the Father, and
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the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be
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with you all today and 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
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souls. Amen.