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"Stand up straight and raise up your heads". With these words Jesus adds encouragement to his rather bleak picture of the end of Jerusalem and the end of the world. These words of Jesus seem to be an echo of the instructions to the Israelites as they left Egypt in the Exodus. They were to leave "with heads held high" and not in any skulking or surreptitious manner, as if there was something to be ashamed of. They were to leave in confidence and hope, because God was leading them.
It is quite possible that St Luke intends us to hear this echo, for, in several ways, his Gospel teaches us that the real Exodus was the Passover which Jesus accomplished by His passion, death and resurrection. The story of Jesus' passion is the story of our Christian Exodus. Let us respond to Jesus' encouraging words and stand up straight and raise our heads high, filled with Christian confidence and hope, for we have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to fear from the darkness of the world.
Lord Jesus, strengthen our faith and hope so that, in union with You, we can be a light for a world filled with the darkness of terror and many other signs of evil.
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DAILY OFFERING
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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.
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PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
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INTENTION
That those dedicated to medical research and all those engaged in legislative activity may always have a deep respect for human life, from its beginning to its natural conclusion.
Elaboration
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