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reading of the prophecy of Zechariah
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Rejoice be glad oh city of Zion behold I
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come to dwell among you says the Lord
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many nations will draw near to the Lord
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on that day and will be his people I
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will dwell among you and you will know
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that the Lord of hosts has sent me to
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you the Lord will enter into possession
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of JW Judah as his portion of the holy
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land and will choose Jerusalem again let
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every Mortal be silent before the Lord
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he has just Arisen from his holy
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habitation 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 while Jesus was
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speaking to the crowds his mother and
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brothers stood outside trying to talk to
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him someone said to Jesus look your
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mother and your brothers are outside and
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they want to talk to you Jesus asked the
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one who had spoken who is my mother and
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who are my brothers and stretching out
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his hand to the disciples Jesus said
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behold my mother and my brothers for
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everyone who does the will of my father
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who is in heaven is my brother brother
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and my sister and my mother 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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imagine a family together in a moment of
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tension someone is talking loudly trying
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to get everyone's attention but no one
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seems to be listening the doors open
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someone enters but the noise continues
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suddenly absolute silence takes over the
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environment it is at this moment of
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suspension that something important is
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about to be revealed this image helps us
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enter the heart of our readings today
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which invite us to reflect on the true
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meaning of family belonging and
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closeness to God in Matthew's gospel
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Jesus is in the middle of a crowd
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preaching teaching performing Miracles
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suddenly his mother and brothers arrive
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wanting to talk to him it would be a
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moment of family intimacy of personal
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connection but Jesus answer is
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disconcerting who is my mother who are
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my brothers and stretching out his hand
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to his disciples he says behold my
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mother and my brothers for everyone who
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does the will of my father who is in
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heaven is my brother my sister and my
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mother what a revolutionary statement
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Jesus is is completely redefining the
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concept of family it is not Blood Ties
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That Define us but our relationship with
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God true family is not determined by
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genealogy but by obedience and love for
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God think for a moment about what that
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means how often do we get caught up in
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traditional family structures social
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expectations forgetting that our true
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identity comes from our relationship
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with God how many times do we allow
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family conflicts old hurts unfulfilled
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expectations to prevent us from fully
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living our Christian vocation Jesus is
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not diminishing the importance of
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biological family he is expanding our
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concept of family into something much
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bigger deeper and more meaningful he is
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inviting us to see each human being as
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part of a larger family the family of
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God and this is where our first reading
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from the prophet Zechariah wonderfully
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intertwines with the gospel Rejoice for
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Joy Daughter of Zion says the Lord for I
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have come to dwell among you imagine
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this scene God declaring that he will
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dwell among his people no longer distant
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no longer separated by Temple veils or
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intermediaries he comes to live to live
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to establish his home right in the
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center of the community Zechariah uses
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the language of a party a celebration
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many nations will join the Lord in in
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that day he prophesies it is an
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expansive Universal Vision it is not
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just a select group but a global
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Gathering a family that transcends
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borders cultures languages this prophecy
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Finds Its full fulfillment in Jesus
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Christ he is the one who truly dwells
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Among Us he is the one who unites All
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Nations who creates a family that goes
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far beyond Blood Ties but what does it
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to be part of this family how do we live
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this vocation on a daily basis first we
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need to understand that being part of
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God's family is not an automatic right
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Jesus is clear whoever does the will of
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my father this is not an honorific title
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but an active stance a daily Choice
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doing the fathers will means being in
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constant tune with him it means
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listening Discerning and acting
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it means being available like Mary to
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say yes to God's plans even when they
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seem impossible or contrary to our
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expectations it means seeing beyond the
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divisions that separate us divisions of
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race social class nationality political
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ideology it means recognizing Christ in
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the stranger in the different in the
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marginalized it means Transforming Our
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traditional family relationships in
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light of the gopel goel it means
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forgiving when it's difficult loving
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when we don't feel like it reaching out
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when it would be easier to walk away it
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means creating communities that truly
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reflect the kingdom of God communities
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where spiritual ties are so strong so
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significant that they transcend any
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merely biological or social Bond think
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about the early church where Christians
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shared everything cared for each other
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where widows and orphans were welcomed
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where slaves and Masters sat at the same
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table as brothers this is the family of
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God In Action today we are invited to be
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part of this family not through one's
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own Merit not through an accident of
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birth but through a conscious choice to
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follow Jesus to do the father's will it
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is a challenging calling it goes against
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our natural tendency to close ourselves
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off in small groups to only protect our
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immediate interests but it is also a
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because when we open ourselves to this
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larger family we discover a deeper
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identity a broader purpose my brothers
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and sisters look around you today every
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person here is your family every person
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out there has the potential to be your
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family God wants to dwell Among Us he
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wants to unite us he wants to transform
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us may we like Jesus look Beyond Blood
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Ties and see the greater family that God
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God is building may we be instruments of
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reconciliation of love may God's grace
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enable us to do his will to truly be his
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sons and daughters and may we hear at
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the end of our journey those glorious
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words Behold my mother my brothers my
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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
