Shalom

17 Mar Sun	5th Sunday of Lent (A)
	Ez. 37:12-14 Ps. 130:1-2,3-4ab,4c-6,7-8 Rom. 8:8-11 Jn. 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 20-27,36-45

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The Lord tells His people that He will put His Holy Spirit in them and they will live. We have received the Holy Spirit in our baptism and confirmation. It is this indwelling spirit which makes us so precious in God's sight. Christ invites His apostles to "make your home in me as I make mine in you" (Jn. 15:4), and again He further describes the way in which we can make our 'home' in Him. He says, "If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our home with him" (Jn. 14:23). Christ is at home with His Father "I am not alone, because the Father is with me" (Jn. 16:32).

Making a 'home' is an expression for the union of minds and hearts with love; it is an expression for a life lived together, sharing oneself and what one has with the persons one loves; it is a sharing of interests, views on life, and concern for one another. It is an expression for the oneness of mind and heart in all the choices and decisions one makes in life. It means that between the persons who make a 'home', there is an intimate loving relationship. And Christ invites us to enter into such a relationship with Him so that we have a common mind and a common purpose with Christ.

Lord, help us to make our home with You and build good relationships with others.

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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