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reading from the Acts of the Apostles in
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those days it seemed good to the
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apostles and elders with a whole
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community in Jerusalem to choose some
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from the community and send them to
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Antioch with Paul and Barnabas they
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chose Judas called Barcabas and Silas
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who were highly respected by the
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brothers through them they sent the
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following letter we the apostles and
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elders your brothers greet the pagan
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brothers in Antioch and the regions of
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Syria and Salicitia we have heard that
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some of our people have stirred up
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trouble in your hearts by their words
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they were not sent by us so we decided
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by common consent to choose some
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representatives and send them to you
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along with our dear brothers Barnabas
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and Paul men who risked their lives for
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the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
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therefore we are sending Judas and Silas
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who will personally deliver the same
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message to you for the Holy Spirit and
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we have decided not to burden you with
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anything other than these essentials
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abstain from food sacrificed to idols
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from blood from the meat of strangled
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animals and from sexual immorality you
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will do well to avoid these things
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greetings after saying goodbye Judas and
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Silas went to Antioch called the
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assembly together and delivered the
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letter reading it brought joy because of
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the encouragement it brought the word of
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the Lord thanks be to
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God proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St john glory to you
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O Lord at that time Jesus said to his
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disciples "This is my commandment love
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one another just as I have loved you
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greater love has no one than this that
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someone lay down his life for his
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friends you are my friends if you do
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what I command you no longer do I call
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you servants for a servant does not know
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what his master is doing i have called
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you friends because I have made known to
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you everything I have heard from my
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father you did not choose me but I chose
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you and appointed you that you should go
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and bear fruit and that your fruit
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should remain whatever you ask the
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father in my name he will give you this
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is what I command you love one another
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word of the Savior glory to you Lord
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dear brothers and sisters in Christ
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imagine for a moment that you are part
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of a group of explorers on an expedition
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for months you have been walking
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together through unknown territories
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facing unexpected challenges discovering
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landscapes you never imagined existed
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suddenly you come to a crossroads where
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the group must make a crucial decision
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about which direction to follow some
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want to return to the familiar path
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others insist on exploring new horizons
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the tension is palpable how can this
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impass be resolved without breaking the
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unity of the group this image takes us
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straight to the heart of our readings
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today in the Acts of the Apostles we
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witness a decisive historical moment in
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the life of the early church the Council
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of Jerusalem this was not just an
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administrative meeting but a turning
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point that would determine the future of
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the Christian faith the conflict was
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real and urgent gentiles those who were
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not Jews were converting to Christianity
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in increasing numbers but a fundamental
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question divided the community should
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these new converts follow all Jewish
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laws including circumcision in order to
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become true Christians it was a question
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that went to the very heart of Christian
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identity and the inclusive nature of the
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gospel imagine the tension of that
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moment on one side there were those who
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argued "It's always been this way our
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ancestors have followed these traditions
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for centuries how can we just abandon
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them?" On the other side there were
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voices like Paul and Barnabas testifying
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to the miracles God was performing among
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the Gentiles even though they did not
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follow all Jewish laws it is fascinating
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to observe how the apostles and elders
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approached this dilemma they did not
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make a decision impulsively or based
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solely on emotion instead they met
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discussed prayed and sought to discern
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God's will together this is a powerful
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lesson for us today about how to
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navigate conflict and make important
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decisions in our own communities the
4:48
letter they sent to the gentile
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communities is a model of pastoral
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wisdom it acknowledges the difficulties
4:55
shows compassion but also sets clear
4:58
guidelines it seemed good to the Holy
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Spirit and to us to lay upon you no
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greater burden than these necessary
5:04
things they write "What a beautiful
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balance between spiritual authority and
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human sensitivity the restrictions they
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set abstaining from meat sacrificed to
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idols from blood from the meat of
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strangled animals and from impurity were
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not capricious they were carefully
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chosen to allow Jews and Gentiles to
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live together harmoniously respecting
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the sensitivities of both groups while
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keeping the essence of the gospel
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intact." But notice something profound
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here this decision was motivated not by
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political expediency or pragmatism but
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by love the same love that Jesus
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describes in our gospel today when Jesus
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says "This is my commandment that you
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love one another as I have loved you."
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He is not offering an optional
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suggestion it is a command a divine
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command but it is a command given in the
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context of the deepest love and
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friendship jesus completely redefineses
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our understanding of relationship with
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God no longer do I call you servants he
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says because a servant does not know
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what his master is doing but I have
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called you friends for I have made known
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to you everything I have heard from my
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father what a radical transformation we
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have gone from servants to friends from
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subordinates to confidants this is not a
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casual friendship but a friendship based
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on mutual trust intimate knowledge and
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sacrificial love jesus shares with us
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the secrets of the father's heart he
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includes us in his eternal plans and
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purposes but this friendship comes with
6:41
responsibilities you are my friends if
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you do whatever I command you it may
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seem contradictory how can we be friends
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if we still have to obey orders but you
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see Jesus orders are commands of love he
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asks us to love one another in the same
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radical and sacrificial way that he
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loved us and how did Jesus love us he
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gave his life for us he not only died
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for us but he lived for us dedicating
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every moment of his earthly existence to
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our eternal well-being this is the
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standard of love he sets for us greater
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love has no one than this that he laid
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down his life for his friends these
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words echoed down the centuries
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challenging us to rethink our
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understanding of love and friendship
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christian love is not a passing
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sentiment or a superficial emotion it is
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a deliberate decision to seek the good
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of another even when it costs us
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something going back to the council of
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Jerusalem we see this love in action
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church leaders could have insisted on
7:45
their own traditions and comforts they
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could have created unnecessary barriers
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instead they chose the path of
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sacrificial love putting the well-being
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of the larger community above their own
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preferences this is a powerful lesson
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for us today how often are our
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communities our families our
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relationships divided by issues that
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ultimately matter less than mutual love
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how often do we allow traditions
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personal preferences or pride to become
8:15
more important than unity in the spirit
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jesus reminds us that we did not choose
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him but he chose us and he chose us for
8:23
a specific purpose that you should go
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and bear fruit and that your fruit
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should remain we are chosen not for our
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own benefit but to be instruments of
8:33
blessing to others this fruit we are to
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bear is not just numerical growth or
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outward success it is the fruit of love
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unity peace and justice it is the fruit
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of lives transformed by the power of the
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gospel it is the fruit of communities
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where people of different backgrounds
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cultures and experiences can find a
8:55
common home in the love of Christ and
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here is a wonderful promise whatever you
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ask the father in my name he may give it
9:02
to you this is not a promise that God
9:05
will give us everything we want but that
9:07
when our prayers are aligned with
9:08
Christ's purposes especially the purpose
9:11
of bearing lasting fruit through love we
9:13
can have confidence that God will answer
9:16
my dear brothers and sisters today we
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are invited to live this transformative
9:21
reality we are called to be friends of
9:23
Jesus not just servants we are invited
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to participate in his eternal purposes
9:29
to be his co-workers in the work of
9:31
transforming the world through love this
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means that at our own crossroads whether
9:36
they are family conflicts community
9:39
tensions or difficult decisions in our
9:41
personal lives we can follow the example
9:43
of the apostles we can gather together
9:46
pray seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit
9:49
and make decisions based not on our own
9:51
interests but on the sacrificial love
9:53
that Christ taught us it also means that
9:56
we can live with the confidence that we
9:57
have been chosen by Christ for an
9:59
eternal purpose we are not cosmic
10:02
accidents or victims of circumstance we
10:05
are chosen friends of Jesus called to
10:07
bear fruit that will last for eternity
10:10
imagine what it would be like if each of
10:12
us lived this reality to the fullest if
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every interaction were guided by the
10:17
command to love as Christ has loved us
10:20
if every decision were made with the
10:21
wisdom that comes from our intimate
10:23
friendship with Jesus if every conflict
10:26
were resolved through collective
10:27
discernment seeking God's will together
10:30
how our families would be transformed
10:33
how our workplaces would become oases of
10:36
love and justice how our community would
10:39
become a beacon of hope in a world that
10:40
is often divided and hurting may we like
10:44
those early Christians have the wisdom
10:46
to discern what is essential and what is
10:48
secondary may we place love above our
10:51
personal preferences may we live as true
10:54
friends of Jesus bearing fruit that
10:57
lasts and may we at the end of our lives
11:00
hear the words of our master and friend
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well done faithful friend you have been
11:05
faithful over a few things i will set
11:08
you over many things come and share in
11:11
the joy of your Lord may the grace of
11:14
our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God
11:16
the Father and the fellowship of the
11:18
Holy Spirit be with you all today
11:20
tomorrow and forever
11:31
amen st michael the Archangel defend us
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in battle be our protection against the
11:37
wickedness and snares of the devil may
11:40
God rebuke him we humbly pray and do
11:43
thou O prince of the heavenly host by
11:46
the power of God cast into hell Satan
11:50
and all the evil spirits who prowl
11:52
throughout the world seeking the ruin of