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reading of the Book of Genesis the Lord
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saw that man's wickedness had increased
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in the earth and how the plans of his
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heart always tended toward evil then the
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Lord regretted having made man on the
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earth and his heart was very grieved and
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he said I will destroy man whom I
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created from the face of the Earth and
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with him the animals the reptiles and
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even the birds of the earth heaven
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because I regret having made them but
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Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord
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Seven the Lord said to Noah enter the
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ark with your entire family for you are
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the only righteous man I have seen in
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this generation take seven pairs of all
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the clean animals male and female and
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take seven pairs of the unclean animals
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a pair male and female you shall also
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take seven pairs of the birds of the air
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male and female so that their species
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may remain alive on the face of the
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Earth 40 nights and I will destroy every
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living thing that I have made from the
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surface of the Earth Noah did everything
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the Lord commanded him and when the
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seven days had passed the Waters of the
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flood fell upon the Earth word of the
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God proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St Mark
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Glory To You Lord at that time the
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disciples had forgotten to take bread
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they only had one loaf of bread with
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them on the boat then Jesus warned them
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pay attention and Beware of the leaven
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of the Pharisees and the leav of Herod
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the disciples said among themselves it
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is because we have no bread but Jesus
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understood and asked them why do you
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argue about the lack of bread do you not
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yet understand and do not understand are
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you hardened in heart having eyes you do
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not see and having ears do you not hear
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do you not remember when I distributed
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Five Loaves to 5,000 people how many
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baskets did you collect full of
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fragments they replied 12 Jesus asked
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and when I shared seven loaves of bread
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with 4,000 people how many baskets did
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you collect full of fragments they
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replied seven Jesus said and you still
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do not understand word of Salvation
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Lord my dear Brothers and Sisters in
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Christ today we are called to reflect on
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readings that invite us to look at our
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faith with depth and courage in Genesis
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we are confronted with the gravity of
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human sin which caused God's heart to be
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deeply saddened in Mark's gospel Jesus
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warned warns us about the danger of a
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superficial Faith one that does not
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penetrate the hearts and challenges us
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to discern the true lessons of his word
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let's start with Genesis where we hear
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about a dark time in human history the
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Lord saw that the wickedness of man had
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spread throughout the Earth and that all
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the thoughts in his heart were only Evil
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all the time this is a harrowing reality
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a sad snapshot of human sin God looked
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at the Earth and saw corruption violence
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he felt the pain of Injustice and
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selfishness that dominated people's
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hearts my brothers this verse puts us in
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front of a mirror could it be that at
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some point when looking at the world
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around us we don't feel like God in that
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moment the violence selfishness greed
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and lack of compassion we see on our
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streets in the media and even in our
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closest relationships can make us
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question the state of our own Hearts
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however the story doesn't end there God
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in his infinite Mercy decides to act he
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finds in Noah a righteous man someone
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who still preserved human dignity and
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Fidelity to God Noah then becomes the
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instrument through which God will save
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the rest of creation giving him the
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mission to build the ark a sign of
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Salvation in the midst of Destruction
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the ark becomes a symbol of Christ
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himself who offers us a way of Salvation
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in the midst of the destruction of sin
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and death now I ask you to imagine for a
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moment being in Noah's shoes
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he was given a gigantic task and perhaps
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an unpopular Mission building an ark at
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a time when no one believed what he said
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no one saw the need to repent how many
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times have we too received invitations
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to be faithful to build our own Ark in
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the midst of the storms of life God
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calls us to be Witnesses of his mercy
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and his Justice even when the world
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around us seems indifferent or even
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hostile to that call Noah's story is
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therefore an invitation to remain firm
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in our faith even when it seems that
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everyone around us is heading in another
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Direction like him we must trust God's
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promise and have the courage to live by
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it even when the world doesn't
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understand now we change the scene to
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the gospel of Mark Jesus once again
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confronts his disciples with a profound
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lesson and he teaches us that true faith
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is not that which only sees the visible
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but that which perceives the invisible
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that is not limited to appearances when
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Jesus talks about the leaven of the
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Pharisees and Herod he is drawing
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attention to the danger of a superficial
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Faith which does not penetrate the heart
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and which is lost in the distractions of
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the world Jesus warning to his disciples
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is clear Beware of the leaven of the
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Pharisees and the leaven of Herod leaven
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here is a metaphor for sin and unbelief
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which can creep into our lives silently
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and imperceptibly like yeast and dough
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for the Pharisees the concern was with
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appearances and external traditions
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while Herod represented the search for
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Power and domination Jesus then
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challenges his disciples to see beyond
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superficialities not to be like those
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who seek only external signs or temporal
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victories true Faith requires a
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transformed heart a willingness to go
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beyond human expectations and understand
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that the kingdom of God is not something
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that can be seen with physical eyes but
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something that is found in the heart and
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inner life my brothers and sisters like
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the disciples we often cannot
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immediately understand what Jesus wants
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to teach us they were confused worried
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about the bread but Jesus leads them to
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reflect on something much deeper when
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Jesus rebukes them he is calling them to
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awaken to a more mature understanding of
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Faith a faith that is not limited to
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immediate and material concerns but that
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is capable of perceiving the love of God
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present in the small and large actions
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of Life how many times in our daily
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lives do we care more about the bread of
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our journey than the bread of life
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itself we are often taken by urgent
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needs by the worries of everyday life
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and we forget that Christ is with us
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that he is the true sustenance the true
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Ark in the midst of the storms of life
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today's Gospel challenges us to look
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beyond the surface and let God's word
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transform our hearts it is not enough to
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just listen but we must let the word
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infiltrate our lives and transform us
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from the inside out just as Noah was
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able to build the ark in obedience to
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God we are called to build our lives on
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the rock of faith Faith resisting The
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Temptations and influences of the world
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that seek to divert us from the path of
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Truth now dear brothers let us reflect
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on how we can live these lessons in our
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daily lives firstly we are invited to
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keep our faith firm even when the world
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around us seems lost like Noah we must
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be faithful Witnesses of God's mercy and
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Justice we must trust that just as God
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made a covenant with Noah he also makes
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a covenant with us offering us salvation
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through his son Jesus Christ secondly we
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are challenged to look at our faith in a
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deeper way we cannot allow the ferment
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of superficiality and distraction to
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keep us away from what really matters we
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must seek the kingdom of God and his
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righteousness before anything else
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knowing that all other things will be
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given to us in addition finally let us
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be like disciples who even in the midst
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of confusion and doubts seek to
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understand and follow the teachings of
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Jesus he is always guiding us leading us
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to the truth and helping us discern what
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is truly important in life let us now
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ask God for the grace of a deeper and
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truer Faith may he give us the courage
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to build our lives on his word the
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strength to stand firm in adversity and
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the wisdom to discern his presence amid
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the distractions of the world Lord we
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want to thank you for your mercy and
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love we ask that you strengthen us in
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our faith just as you did with Noah may
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we be faith faithful Witnesses of your
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truth always seeking your kingdom in our
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lives give us Lord an open and
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transformed heart capable of
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understanding and living your word amen
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may God's grace accompany us and help us
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build our lives with faith hope and love
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always trusting in his promises
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amen friend Michael the Archangel defend
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Us in battle be our protection against
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the wickedness and snares of the devil
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may 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 prow
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throughout the world seeking the ruin of
