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reading of the book of the prophet
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Isaiah console my people console them
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says your God speak to the heart of
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Jerusalem and say with a loud voice that
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her servitude is over and the experation
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of her sins has been accomplished she
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received from the hands of the Lord
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double for all her sins a voice shouts
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prepare the way of the Lord in the
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make the road of our god plain in the
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wilderness let all the valleys be
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leveled all the mountains and Hills let
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low let the Crooked be made straight and
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the hardships then the glory of the Lord
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will be revealed and all men will see
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together what the mouth of the Lord has
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spoken a voice said scream and I replied
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what should I shout the human creature
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is hay all his glory is like a flower of
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the field the hay dries up the flower
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Withers when the Lord blows on them yes
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the people are hay the hay dries up the
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flower Withers but the word of our God
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remains forever go up to a high mountain
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you who bring good news to Zion lift up
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your voice with strength you who bring
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good news to Jerusalem lift up your
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voice do not be afraid say to the cities
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of Judah behold your God behold the Lord
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God comes with power his arm rules all
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behold with him is his Conquest behold
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before him the victory like a shepherd
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He pastures the flock he gathers with
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the strength of his arms the Lambs and
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carries them on his lap he himself holds
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sheep 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 Jesus said to his
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disciples what do you think if a man has
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100 sheep and one of them is lost does
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he not leave the 99 on the mountains to
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look for the one that was lost truly I
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say to you if if he finds her he will be
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happier with her than with the 99 who
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were not lost in the same way the Father
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in Heaven does not want any of these
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little ones to be lost word of salvation
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Lord my brothers and sisters let us
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imagine a scene together a Shepherd
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stands on a Green Hill surrounded by a
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hundred sheep most of them are safe
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grazing peacefully but one of them
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distracted and curious wandered away
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from the herd the shepherd upon on
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noticing her absence does not hesitate
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he leaves the 99 to look for the one who
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was lost he descends valleys crosses
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dangerous trails and finally finds the
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sheep with a smile of relief he puts it
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on his shoulders and returns celebrating
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the reunion this image of the caring
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Shepherd is one of the most beautiful
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and comforting in scripture and today it
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leads us to a deep reflection on God's
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love his mercy and the mission he
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entrusts to us us the first reading
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taken from the book of Isaiah begins
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with words that sound like music to our
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ears Comfort Comfort my people says your
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God God speaks to the hearts of his
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people ensuring that the time of
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suffering has come to an end the prophet
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announces that the Lord comes to save
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but before that a path needs to be
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prepared make straight the way of the
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Lord in the wilderness this invitation
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to consolation and preparation reminds
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us that God never abandons his people
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even in moments of greatest desolation
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and pain he is present promising to
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renew strength and bring Redemption let
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us think about the situations in our
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lives in which we feel lost like the
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Sheep In The Gospel Perhaps it is a
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moment of Crisis a loss or the feeling
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of being far from God Isaiah assures us
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the Lord is coming he is like a Shepherd
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who takes care of his sheep care
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carrying the weakest in his arms in
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Matthew's gospel Jesus deepens this
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image with a parable of the lost sheep
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he shows us that the heart of God is not
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like the human heart limited and often
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indifferent God has a personal and
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unconditional love for each of us if a
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single sheep is lost he is not resigned
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to the loss instead he sets out in
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search of her facing the challenges
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along the way until he finds her
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here we need to understand something
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fundamental we are the lost sheep at
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some point in our lives each of us
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wanders away whether through weakness
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distraction or sin but God In His
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Infinite Mercy does not give up he seeks
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us not with words of condemnation but
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with open arms ready to welcome us to
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illustrate this consider a mother or
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father who loses a child in a busy Place
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such as a park or a shopping mall
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anxiety and despair take over but they
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don't rest until they find the child
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when they finally find her it doesn't
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matter how tired or dangerous they are
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the joy of the reunion overcomes
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everything such as the heart of God he
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does not see us as a number in the crowd
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but as beloved unique and irreplaceable
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children when we move away he feels our
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absence and when when we return there is
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a party in heaven but let us return to
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Isaiah's call prepare the way of the
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Lord in the wilderness the desert is a
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powerful metaphor for the state of our
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soul sometimes we find ourselves in a
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spiritual desert where Faith feels
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fragile hearts are dry and hope is hard
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to find Isaiah encourages us not to fear
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this desert but to see it as a place to
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encounter God it is there that we can
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straighten the crooked Paths of Our
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Lives remove the obstacles that keep us
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from his grace and prepare ourselves to
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meet him there is also a missionary
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Dimension to these readings just as God
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seeks us when we are lost we are called
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to imitate This Love In Our Lives who
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are the lost sheep around us it could be
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a friend who is strayed from the faith a
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relative who is facing difficulties or
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even a stranger who needs a word of
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comfort we are called to be instruments
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of God's love to seek the lost and to
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bring the message of Hope and salvation
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let us reflect on the joy of the
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shepherd when he found the lost sheep
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This Joy reminds us that returning to
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God is not a reason for shame or
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condemnation but for celebration when we
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repent God does not rebuke us but
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celebrates our return He Embraces us and
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reintegrates us into the fold showing
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that in his heart there is no room for
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resentment only for Mercy how can we
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apply these truths in our daily lives
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first let us recognize that we are all
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at some point the lost sheep let us not
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be afraid to return to God trusting in
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his infinite Mercy second let us be
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Shepherds for others seeking out those
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who are far away and offering them love
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and welcome finally let us prepare our
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hearts as Isaiah asks us by removing
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everything that impedes the presence of
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my brothers and sisters today's message
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is clear we are deeply loved by God who
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never abandons us even when we turn away
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he is the shepherd who searches for the
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lost sheep the comforter who speaks to
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our hearts in the desert the father who
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celebrates our return may we trust in
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this love allowing him to transform our
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lives and send us on a mission to bring
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this same message of Hope to the world
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may God's peace and mercy always be with
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you and may we be light to those who
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still walk in darkness reminding them
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that In God We are never alone
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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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throughout the world seeking the ruin of
