Shalom

28 Jan Mon	3rd Week in Ordinary Time St Thomas Aquinas, priest & doctor
	2 Sam. 5:1-7, 10 Ps. 88:20, 21-22.25-26 Mk. 3:22-30

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Jesus points out the contradictory nonsense of the Pharisees when they accuse Him of casting out devils by the power of the devil. Why would Satan cooperate in the expelling of those doing his work? It is like a household deeply divided; it will fall. But how can Jesus say that all sins and even blasphemies can be forgiven except against the Holy Spirit? Why that one exception? The Holy Spirit is the source from which we are put in contact with the truth. Deliberately to shut our eyes to what is obviously the work of God, for example, liberating people from the powers that destroy them, is to shut our eyes to the truth and its source, the Spirit. When we take such an attitude - and we can do it sometimes - how can God reach us? How can He extend His forgiveness to us? How can we ever be reconciled and be one with Him when our minds are closed against Him? And it is important to know that He comes to us in the guise of many kinds of people, both good and not so good. Let me not close my heart to Him this day. He can come in very surprising ways.

Dear Lord, may our hearts always be open to Your truth and love.

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
That Christians may intensify their efforts to announce together Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of the world.
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 :	That Christians may intensify their efforts to announce together Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of the world.
In the Apostolic Letter At the Beginning of the New Millennium Pope John Paul II looks towards the future and exhorts the members of the Church not to be afraid to leave the coastal waters "where there is nothing to fish" and move into deep waters. If we are prepared to do this, our catch will be abundant. The Pope particularly exhorts Christ's disciples to intensify their efforts to bring greater unity in the Christian Community. The invocation "Launch out into the deep" is a binding imperative, the strength that sustains us, and a salutary rebuke for our slowness and closed-heartedness. It is on Jesus' prayer and not on our own strength that we base the hope that even within history we shall be able to reach full and visible communion with all Christians. Our trust that we may succeed in attaining the full and visible communion of all Christians, "rests on Jesus' prayer, not on our own capacity". The Lord calls us to unity and will not fail to pour forth His grace on us. But in this context also, as in all our relations with God's salvific grace, we too must do our share. God does not save us against our will; God does not save us if we do not collaborate towards our salvation.
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