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reading of the letter to the Hebrews
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Brothers the word of God is living
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effective and sharper than any two-edged
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sword it penetrates until it divide Soul
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and Spirit joints and Marrow she judges
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the thoughts and intentions of the heart
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and there is no creature that can hide
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from it everything is naked and
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uncovered in her eyes and it it is to
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her that we must be accountable we have
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an eminent high priest who has entered
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Heaven Jesus the son of God therefore
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let us remain firm in the faith we
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profess indeed we have a high priest
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capable of sympathizing with our
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weaknesses for he himself was tested in
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every way like us with the exception of
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sin let us then with all confidence
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approach the throne of grace to obtain
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mercy and obtain the grace of help at
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the right time word of the Lord thank
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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 at that time Jesus went out again
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to the seashore the whole crowd went to
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meet him and Jesus taught them as Jesus
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passed by he saw Levi the son of alfus
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sitting at the tax collector's office
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and he said to him follow me Levi got up
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and followed him and it came to pass as
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they sat at table in the house of Levi
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that many tax collectors and sinners
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were also at table with Jesus and his
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disciples in fact there were many who
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followed him some doctors of the law who
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were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating
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with Sinners and tax collectors then
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they asked the disciples why does he eat
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with tax collectors and sinners having
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Jesus answered them it is not healthy
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people who need a doctor but sick people
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I did not come to call the righteous but
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Sinners word of Salvation Glory To You
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Lord dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
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May the peace of Our Lord be with you
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all today the readings invite us to
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reflect on profound and transformative
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the strength of the word of God and the
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incredible mercy of Jesus who comes to
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meet Sinners they are like two rivers
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that converge forming a single current
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of Hope and spiritual renewal let's
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think about the start of a longdistance
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race the athlete positions himself the
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starting gun rings and he starts running
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at every step he feels The Challenge and
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the need to persevere Until the End
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reading the letter to the Hebrews
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presents us with the word of God as a
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dynamic living force that penetrates our
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souls and challenges us just as running
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demands effort from an athlete the word
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is described as a two-edge sword capable
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of separating Soul and Spirit joints and
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Marrow and of judging the thoughts and
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intents of the heart this powerful image
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shows us that the word of God is not
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something passive or merely decorative
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in our lives she is incisive capable of
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revealing what we hide even from
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ourselves it is like a light that
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illuminates the dark corners of our
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being where we often Harbor our doubts
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fears and sins now think about a farmer
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who when preparing his land needs to
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remove Stones hidden beneath the soil
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the word of God works in a similar way
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it unearths those stones in our lives
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Pride resentment selfishness so that we
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can cultivate them with love humility
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and generosity but we need not be afraid
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of this exposure because the same text
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reminds us that we have a high priest
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who is able to sympathize with our
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weaknesses Jesus understands our
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struggles because he himself faced
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Temptations yet without sinning he is
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the Doctor Who not only diagnoses our
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spiritual wounds but also heals us with
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his grace and this is where Mark's
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gospel connects beautifully Jesus finds
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Levi a tax collector sitting at the tax
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office let's imagine the scene Levi a
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man despised by Society used to being
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ignored or condemned by people's eyes
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suddenly hears a call that changes
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everything follow me this invitation
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coming from Jesus is like rain falling
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on dry land it invigorates gives purpose
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and transforms Levi gets up immediately
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and follows Jesus this answer teaches us
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something profound about God's calling
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when we hear his voice we are invited to
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leave behind what holds us back be it
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sin insecurities or even our comfort
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zone and rise up to a new life soon
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after we see Jesus sitting at the table
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with Sinners and tax collectors this
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image is a powerful reminder that Jesus
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does not turn away from those who need
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him most he did not come for the
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righteous but for Sinners he is the
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doctor who visits the sick who
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approaches us in our weakness and offers
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us the healing of his love imagine a
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lighthouse in the middle of a storm he
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doesn't choose to Del light only the
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prettiest or best equipped ships he
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shines his light on everyone especially
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guiding those who are in the greatest
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danger this is Jesus the lighthouse that
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lights our path even when we are lost or
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facing internal storms but brothers and
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sisters this table where Jesus sits is
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not just a place of welcome it is also a
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place of transformation Jesus not only
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accepts Levi and sinners as they are but
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calls them to a new life it it does not
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legitimize sin but it does offer the
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opportunity for Redemption and change
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now let's stop for a moment and put
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ourselves in Levi shoes what are the
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collections we are sitting in what in
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our lives prevents us from hearing the
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call of Jesus maybe it's a resentment
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that we can't shake an addiction that
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imprisons us or even a lack of trust in
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ourselves God's word encourages us to
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look at these areas honestly she reminds
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us that we don't need to hide our
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weaknesses because Jesus knows them and
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still calls us he invites us to rise up
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leave our Collections and follow his
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light and how do we do this in practice
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first immersing yourself in the word of
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God which is living and effective each
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time we read the scriptures it is as if
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God is speaking directly to our hearts
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guiding and shaping us second
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approaching the sacraments especially
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the Eucharist and confession where we
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find the transforming Grace of Christ
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and finally living as Witnesses of his
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love in the world being light to those
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who are in darkness Jesus shows us that
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no one is beyond the reach of his Mercy
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he sits at the table with the
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marginalized the despised and the
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Sinners this means that he also sits
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with us in our weaknesses to offer us
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the opportunity to begin again dear
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brothers and sisters as we conclude our
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reflection I want to to leave you with a
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final image think of a snow covered
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field in winter at first glance
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everything seems dead and lifeless but
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beneath the surface the seeds are just
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waiting for the warmth of spring to
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sprout this is what the word of God is
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like in our lives even when it seems
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like we are spiritually stagnant God's
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grace is working within us ready to
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Blossom when we let it today Jesus calls
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us as he called Levi he invites us to
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follow him to leave behind what holds us
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back and to sit at his table where we
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will find not only acceptance but also
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transformation may we respond to this
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call with joy and courage confident that
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God's love is greater than any weakness
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or sin May the word of God Be Alive in
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our hearts Illuminating our path and
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molding us into the image of Christ and
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may we always remember that Jesus our
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high priest walks with us understanding
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our weaknesses and leading us to eternal
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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 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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through throughout the world seeking the
