Shalom

30 Mar Sat	Holy Saturday
	Gen. 1:1 - 2:2; 22:1-18 Ex. 14:15 - 15:1 Is. 54:5-14; 55:1-11 Bar. 3:9-15,32 - 4:4 Rom. 6:3-11 Ps. 118:1-2,16,17,22-23 Mt. 28:1-10

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Our Easter Vigil is celebrated with light and the word of God - a reminder that God's first words in the Bible are: "Let there be light". The word of God is God's gift to us, so that we may live by the light of revelation and faith. God did not leave us to find our way through life in total darkness. All the words of God in the Old Testament attain their climax and their perfection in Jesus of Nazareth, the Word made flesh. In the same way, all the different forms of light that God gave us before Jesus attain their climax in Jesus the light of the world. At our creation God gives us the light of conscience. God guided Israel through the light of revelation. God has spoken to us in many different ways and guided us by the light of divine truth.

When we proclaim "The light of Christ" during our vigil, we celebrate not only the light which Jesus has brought us: we celebrate the light which He is in Himself, the light of the world.

Father in heaven, may the light of Christ continually guide our lives until we come to our own resurrection and live with You forever.

DAILY OFFERING

Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH

INTENTION
For the ecclesial organisations and groups engaged in social action, that in their testimony they may proclaim strongly and consistently the Gospel of Love.
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H

INTENTION :	For the ecclesial organisations and groups engaged in social action, that in their testimony they may proclaim strongly and consistently the Gospel of Love.
It is the Church's desire that all social-charitable initiatives might always be inspired, in their implementation, by the immutable principles of the Gospel. There is danger, however, that professional organisations engaged in the social field risk losing the fundamental motivation for their existence: that is bearing witness to Christ's charity which the Church has the duty to communicate and to share with others. In order to be effective, then, continual spiritual formation is needed for voluntary co-operators who wish to devote themselves to social action. All these initiatives tend to develop the awareness that the foundation and centre of our action is Christ, in whom the God of love revealed himself and gave himself to men and women. Consequently all those who welcome Christ follow him and answer the call to be faithful witnesses to it. This awareness must totally imbue the hearts and minds of individuals so that it also inspires the Communities they set up for organised action in support of underprivileged persons and communities suffering from material and moral poverty. Being thus imbued and formed it becomes necessary that volunteers pray to draw Christ into their midst and have him accompany them.
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