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Mary plays a unique role in our human family. It was through her body that the Incarnation became possible. She carries the extraordinary title of 'Mother of God', as well as being our Mother. The readings bring together the wonder of God coming to live among us as one of us and the wonder of the simple woman in whose body He entered our world. Through Jesus, who is our Brother, we both have God as our Father, whom we are encouraged to address in the most intimate and childlike way as 'Abba' (how close to the Chinese 'Ah Ba'; also to the Indians 'Appa'!) and we have Mary as our Mother. No wonder in the first reading we have the beautiful blessing, which God told Moses to make over His people. It is a blessing of God's showering His love on us all. And we celebrate that today in a special way when we remember how God gave us Himself in Jesus through Mary who becomes our Mother. God our Father, we thank You for the wonderful gift of Your Son in the person of Jesus. We thank You, too, for the gift of such a beautiful Mother and we ask that we may always be guided and protected by her prayers and inspired by her example. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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That Christians may favour the evangelisation of the new generations through the constant search for the unity wanted by Christ.
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The question of full Christian unity and evangelisation led to the beginnings of the ecumenical movement. The Holy Father decries the negative consequences of division among Christians and calls them to search for full Christian Unity as inspired by the Lord's Prayer. As evangelisers we must offer Christ's faithful an image of people who are mature in faith and capable of finding a meeting point beyond all tensions. The destiny of evangelisation is bound up with the witness of unity given to the Church. The urgency of preaching and displaying unity to the world arises from the fact that Christians can impair the vitality of proclaiming the Gospel and even become a scandal to the world, particularly when the churches appear to proclaim "a kingdom against itself". It is clear that the proclamation of the Gospel by divided Christians becomes counter- itness. As Christians we ought to give collaborative common witness which is founded in the common baptism in Christ and faith in the Triune God. Pray for the courage to work positively with other Christians for the purpose of promoting evangelisation. | |
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