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reading of the book of The Prophet
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Jeremiah behold the days are coming says
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the Lord when I will raise up a
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descendant of David he will reign as
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king and will be wise he will enforce
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Justice and righteousness in the land in
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those days Judah will be saved and
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Israel will live in peace this is the
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name by which they will call him Lord
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our righteousness behold the days will
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come says the Lord when they will no
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longer swear as the life of the Lord who
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brought up the children of Israel out of
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Egypt but rather by life of the Lord who
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took and brought back the descendants of
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the House of Israel from the northern
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country and all other countries where he
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will drive them out and live in his land
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word of the Lord thank God
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proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St Matthew Glory To
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You Lord the origin of Jesus Christ was
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like this Mary his mother was promised
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in marriage to Joseph and before they
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lived together she became pregnant by
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the action of the Holy Spirit Joseph her
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husband was fair and not wanting to
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denounce her decided to abandon Mary in
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secret while Joseph was thinking about
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this behold behold the angel of the Lord
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appeared to him in a dream and said to
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him Joseph son of David do not be afraid
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to take Mary as your wife because she
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conceived by the Holy Spirit she will
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give give birth to a son and you will
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name him Jesus for he will save his
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people from their sins all this happened
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to fulfill what the Lord had said
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through the prophet behold the Virgin
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will conceive and give birth to a son he
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will be called Emmanuel which means God
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is with us when he woke up Joseph did as
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the angel of the Lord had commanded and
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accepted his wife word of Salvation
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Lord my dear brothers and sisters
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today's liturgy presents us with two
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deeply significant readings which invite
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us to reflect on God's promise the
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coming of the Savior and the role of
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each of us in this great mystery of
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Salvation the first reading from the
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Prophet Jeremiah and The Gospel
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according to Matthew offer us a Clear
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Vision of divine intervention in human
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history and the way in which God acts in
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a surprising mysterious way and at the
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same time full of compassion and
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faithfulness imagine for a moment the
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following scene we are in a time of
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profound Darkness uncertainty and
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desolation the people of Israel live
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under the oppression of foreign powers
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separated from from their land and far
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from the promise of a prosperous Future
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the streets are empty hearts are
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discouraged and H seem scarce it is in
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this scenario of Crisis that the Prophet
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Jeremiah Rises bringing a message of
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Hope behold the days are coming declares
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the Lord when I will raise up for David
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A righteous Branch he will reign as king
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and will be prudent practicing Law And
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Justice on Earth Here Jeremiah tells us
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of a promise that extends far beyond his
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own time he refers to a righteous Branch
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one from the line of David who will
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restore Israel's throne and bring
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Justice and peace to the people this was
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a vital promise God would not abandon
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them he would bring someone to rule with
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wisdom to make Law And Justice Prevail
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the people who were experiencing a great
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crisis of identity and Faith received a
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ray of hope that would illuminate their
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lives and transform their history now
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now let us return to the present time
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the time of the Gospel the scene from
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Matthew's gospel transports us to a
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moment that we already know is the
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Fulfillment of that promise made by
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Jeremiah the promised righteous renewal
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appears in an unexpected and surprising
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way he is born in a small town called
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ner in Humble circumstances and is
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announced to a simple Carpenter Jose
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with a profound and transformative
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message today's Gospel which which tells
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us about the conception of Jesus begins
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with the revelation of the mystery of
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Incarnation Joseph the righteous man
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faced with the news that Mary was
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pregnant felt distressed he does not
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understand what is happening but instead
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of acting hastily he seeks Divine
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guidance and in a dream the angel of the
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Lord appears to him and says Joseph son
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of David do not be afraid to take Mary
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as your wife for what was conceived in
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her comes from the holy spirit this
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divine intervention is revealing not
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only of the birth of Jesus but also of
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the way God acts in our lives the angel
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tells Joseph she will give birth to a
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son and you will call his name Jesus for
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he will save his people from their sins
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Jesus first mission is clear he comes to
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save and he will do it not according to
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human expectations but in a surprising
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way from above Jose a simple but fair
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man receives this message and makes a
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crucial decision he submits to God's
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plan without hesitation even without
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fully understanding what is at stake he
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chooses not to live according to his own
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interpretations but trusts fully in
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Divine guidance and so the righteous
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Branch promised by Jeremiah takes shape
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in Mary's womb and is welcomed by Joseph
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here my brothers and sisters
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we have a lesson in obedience and trust
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in God that we should apply in our own
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lives God manifests himself in
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mysterious ways often defying our
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expectations and understandings like
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Joseph we are called to trust in the
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divine plan even when it seems to make
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no sense we are called to be instruments
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of God's action to open our hearts and
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allow him to lead us even if the path
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seems uncertain let's reflect on what it
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means to live with Joseph's trust in a
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world that pressures us to seek Security
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in riches possessions or control we are
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called to give up the security and Trust
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in God's love Joseph teaches us to
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listen to God's voice and follow his
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guidance with courage and humility it is
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also interesting that the name the angel
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chooses for Mary's son is Jesus which
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Saves this reminds us of Christ's great
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Mission he came to save us to give us
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Abundant Life to free us from sin and
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death the birth of Jesus is the
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Fulfillment of Jeremiah's promise God
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has not failed in his promises he will
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always do what he promised the righteous
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branch is not just a political leader or
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an Earthly King he is the very Son of
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God the savior of the world now I would
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like to make an analogy to better
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understand this promise and its
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fulfillment imagine a tree that has been
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without without fruit for a long time
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its leaves wither its roots seem weak
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and the tree's future seems uncertain
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however one day a new Sprout appears A
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New Hope which brings the promise of an
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abundant Harvest this Sprout is Jesus
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the righteous chute that blossoms in
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human history bringing with it the
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promise of Salvation and restoration our
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role as Disciples of Christ is to allow
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this renewal to grow in our lives like
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Joseph we are called to give space to
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Jesus to welcome his message and to
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follow him Faithfully we are called to
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be part of God's plan to live in ways
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that reflect the love and salvation he
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offers us now as we look at our own
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lives I ask where do we need to allow
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the righteous branch of Christ to grow
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where is there desolation fear or doubt
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and where do we need to trust God more
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fully how can we be like Joseph
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listening and obeying God's voice in our
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hearts even when the circumstances
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around us challenge Us in this season of
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Advent we are invited to prepare our
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hearts for the coming of Christ just as
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Joseph prepared his life to welcome the
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Savior may we like him say yes to God's
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plan trust in his faithfulness and allow
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his grace to transform us so that we can
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be living Witnesses of his love and his
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salvation May Mary and Joseph who
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received God's promise with faith and
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courage intercede for us so that on our
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own Journey we can live according to
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Divine plans and be instruments of his
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peace and love in this world
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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 prow
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throughout the world seeking the ruin of
