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reading of the prophecy of Daniel at
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that time Michael the great Prince
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defender of the children of your people
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will arise and it will be a time of
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trouble such as has never been since the
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Nations began but at that time your
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people will be saved all those who find
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themselves written in the book many who
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sleep in the dust of the Earth will
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awaken some to eternal life others to
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Eternal reproach but those who have been
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wise will shine like the firmament men
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the paths of virtue will shine like the
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eternity word of the Lord thank
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God reading the letter to the Hebrews
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every priest presents himself daily to
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celebrate worship often offering the
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same sacrifices unable to erase sins
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Christ on the contrary after having
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offered a single sacrifice for sins sat
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down Forever at the right hand of God he
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has nothing left but to wait until his
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enemies are put under his feet in fact
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with this single offering he brought
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those he sanctifies to definitive
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Perfection now where there is
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forgiveness an offering for sin is no
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longer made 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 said to his
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disciples in those days after the Great
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Tribulation the sun will be darkened and
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the moon will no longer Shine the Stars
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will begin to fall from the sky and the
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forces of Heaven will be shaken then you
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will see the son of the man coming in
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the clouds with great power and Glory he
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will send the angels to the four corners
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of the earth and gather the elect of God
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from one end of the Earth to the other
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learn this Parable from the Fig Tree
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when its branches become green and the
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leaves begin to sprout you know that
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summer is near so also when you see
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these things happening know that the son
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of man is near truly I tell you this
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generation will not pass pass away until
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all this happens Heaven and Earth will
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pass away but my words will not pass
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away no one knows about that day and
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hour not even the angels in Heaven nor
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the son but only the father word of
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Salvation Glory To You
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Lord dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
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there are times in in our lives when we
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look around us and everything seems to
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be falling apart the Daily News brings
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us reports of Wars natural disasters
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economic crisis and human suffering in
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moments like these today's readings
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offer us a unique perspective and
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unwavering hope in the first reading the
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Prophet Daniel presents us with a
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scenario that could easily be confused
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with the headlines in our newspapers
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there will be a tribulation greater than
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there has ever been since the Nations
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existed until this day how these words
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resonate in our hearts today how many of
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us feel like we are living in
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unprecedented times but notice in the
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midst of this tribulation Daniel does
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not leave us without hope he speaks of
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Michael the great prince who stands up
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to defend the people of God in the midst
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of chaos God is Not absent he did not
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abandon his people and then comes an
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extraordinary promise
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many of them that sleep in the dust of
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the Earth shall awake some to
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everlasting life some to Everlasting
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reproach This Promise of resurrection of
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life beyond death is not just a
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consolation for the distant future it is
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an anchor for Our Hope in the present it
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reminds us that history does not end
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with chaos with destruction with death
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God has the last word and who are those
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who will shine like the stars with
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brightness they are those who teach many
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the way of righteousness what a
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magnificent promise for all those who in
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the midst of the darkness of the world
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continue to be light for the parents who
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teach their children to love God and
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others for the teachers who plant seeds
4:48
of Truth and kindness for each of us
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when we choose to do good even when it
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seems to make no difference our second
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reading from the letter to the Hebrews
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presents us with a power F contrast the
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Old Testament priests offered sacrifices
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day after day repeatedly but Christ
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offered a single sacrifice for sins with
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a single offering he brought to
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definitive Perfection those he
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sanctifies what a liberating truth we no
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longer need to live in the constant
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anxiety of trying to make ourselves
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acceptable to God through our own
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efforts Christ has already accomplished
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everything that was necessary his work
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perfect definitive he is now sitting at
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the right hand of God indicating that
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his mission has been accomplished this
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does not mean that we can be passive in
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our faith rather it means that we can
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live and serve from a position of
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already assured victory of already won
5:48
acceptance we are not fighting to earn
5:51
God's love we are responding to the love
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that has already been given to us in
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Christ and then we come to the gospel
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where Jesus Pres presents us with an
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apocalyptic Vision that could easily
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frighten us the Sun going dark the Stars
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falling the powers of Heaven being
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shaken but note even in this scenario of
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Cosmic Destruction Jesus gives us an
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image of Hope then they will see the son
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of man coming on the clouds with great
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power and Glory this is not a message of
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Destruction but of redemption it is the
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moment when all history Finds Its
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meaning when every Injustice is right
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when every tear is wiped away Jesus uses
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the image of the Fig Tree to teach us
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how to discern the signs of the times
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just as we recognize the approach of
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Summer by the fig trees buds we must be
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attentive to the signs that the kingdom
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of God is near but and this is crucial
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concerning that day and that hour no one
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knows neither the angels in Heaven nor
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the son but only the father what a
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lesson in humility if not even the sun
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knows the exact moment how can we
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presume to know the times and moments
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that God has established our task is not
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to predict the future but to live
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Faithfully in the present so what do
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these readings tell us today how should
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we live in light of these truths first
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they call us to active hope not a
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passive hope that simply hopes that
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everything will work out but a hope that
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moves us to action that makes us shine
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like stars in the midst of Darkness
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second we are called to live with
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discernment amid the signs of the times
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we must not allow ourselves to be
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paralyzed by fear nor be seduced by
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false security our security is in Christ
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who has already won the definitive
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Victory third these readings invite us
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to an eternal perspective the trials and
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tribulations of the present are real and
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sometimes devastating but they are not
7:56
the last word our hope is anchored in
7:59
something in someone who transcends all
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tribulations my dear brothers and
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sisters we live in challenging times
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Daniel's words about unprecedented
8:11
tribulation seem to ring in our ears
8:14
daily but remember just as the sun
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continues to shine above the darkest
8:19
clouds Christ's Victory remains secure
8:22
above all tribulations our task is to
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remain faithful to continue shining like
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stars pointing others to the path of
8:31
righteousness not because we have to
8:33
earn our Salvation Christ has already
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done that for us but because we are
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called to be Witnesses of Hope in a
8:39
world desperate for good news and when
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the darkness seems very thick when the
8:44
powers of this world seem unshakable
8:47
remember the son of man will come with
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great power and Glory not to destroy but
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to redeem not to condemn but to complete
8:57
the work of Salvation that he has
8:58
already begun may we live each day in
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the light of this hope with our eyes
9:04
fixed not on the signs of Destruction
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but on the signs of the Kingdom that is
9:08
coming may we be found faithful shining
9:11
like stars teaching the way of
9:13
righteousness through our words and
9:15
actions and May the peace of Christ
9:18
which surpasses all understanding guard
9:20
your hearts and Minds as we await with
9:23
active Hope and unshakable Faith the
9:25
Glorious coming of our savior amen
9:37
St Michael the Archangel defend Us in
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battle be our protection against the
9:42
wickedness and snares of the devil may
9:45
God rebuke him we humbly pray and do
9:49
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 prow
9:57
throughout the world seeking the ruin of
