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The life of the Spirit -Extracted from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans, Chapter 8:
14 All who are guided by the Spirit of God are sons of God;
15 for what you received was not the spirit of slavery to bring you back into fear; you received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out, 'Abba, Father!'
16 The Spirit himself joins with our spirit to bear witness that we are children of God.
17 And if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, provided that we share his suffering, so as to share his glory.
26 And as well as this, the Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness, for, when we do not know how to pray properly, then the Spirit personally makes our petitions for us in groans that cannot be put into words;
27 and he who can see into all hearts knows what the Spirit means because the prayers that the Spirit makes for God's holy people are always in accordance with the mind of God.
28 We are well aware that God works with those who love him, those who have been called in accordance with his purpose, and turns everything to their good.
29 He decided beforehand who were the ones destined to be moulded to the pattern of his Son, so that he should be the eldest of many brothers;
30 it was those so destined that he called; those that he called, he justified, and those that he has justified he has brought into glory.
31 After saying this, what can we add? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 Since he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for the sake of all of us, then can we not expect that with him he will freely give us all his gifts?
33 Who can bring any accusation against those that God has chosen? When God grants saving justice.
Good people will prosper like palm trees, and they will grow strong like the cedar of Lebanon. (Psalm 92 : 12)
Yes, I know what plans I have in mind for you, Yahweh declares, plans for peace, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29 : 11)
I am sending an angel to lead you - Extracted from Exodus 23:20-23
20 'Look, I am sending an angel to precede you, to guard you as you go and bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Revere him and obey what he says. Do not defy him: he will not forgive any wrong-doing on your part, for my name is in him. 22 If, however, you obey what he says and do whatever I order, I shall be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. 23 My angel will precede you and lead you…
When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: ‘I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the light of life.’ (John 8 :12)
Ask and it will be given to you - Extracted from the Gospel according to Luke 11:9-13
9 'So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened.
11 What father among you, if his son asked for a fish, would hand him a snake?
12 Or if he asked for an egg, hand him a scorpion?
13 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!'
I will never forget you - Extracted from Isaiah 49:8-15
Thus says the LORD: In a time of favour I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to restore the land and allot the desolate heritages, saying to the prisoners:
Come out! To those in darkness: Show yourselves! Along the ways they shall find pasture, on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst, nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them; for he who pities them leads them and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains, and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar, others from the north and the west, and some from the land of Syene.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, break forth into song, you mountains. For the LORD comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted.
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget, I will never forget you.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46 : 10)
My Grace is enough for you: My Power is at its best in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12 : 9)
Peace I leave you, my own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27)
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19 : 26)
…for nothing is impossible to God. (Luke 1 : 35)
I will instruct you, and teach you the way to go; I will watch over you and be your adviser. (Psalm 32:8)
I shall raise you from your graves -Extracted from Ezekiel Chapter 37:
12 So, prophesy. Say to them, "The Lord Yahweh says this: I am now going to open your graves; I shall raise you from your graves, my people, and lead you back to the soil of Israel.
13 And you will know that I am Yahweh, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people,
14 and put my spirit in you, and you revive, and I resettle you on your own soil. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken and done this - declares the Lord Yahweh." '
Jesus said: ‘I am the resurrection. If anyone believes in Me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die….’ (John 11: 25 - 26)
The Spirit will give life to you - Extracted from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans Chapter 8:
8 and those who live by their natural inclinations can never be pleasing to God.
9 You, however, live not by your natural inclinations, but by the Spirit, since the Spirit of God has made a home in you. Indeed, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
10 But when Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is alive because you have been justified;
11 and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead has made his home in you, then he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you. |
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Extracted from Luke Chapter 1:
(The Visitation- When Mary knew that her cousin Elizabeth had conceived in her old age, she went quickly to her house to assist her...)
39 Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could into the hill country to a town in Judah.
40 She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth.
41 Now it happened that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43 Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?
44 Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy.
45 Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.'
(The Magnificat)
46 And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord,
47 my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
48 He looks on his servant in her lowliness; henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
49 The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy his name!
50 His mercy is from age to age, on those who fear him.
51 He puts forth his arm in strength and scatters the proud hearted.
52 He casts the mighty from their thrones and raises the lowly.
53 He fills the starving with good things, sends the rich away empty.
54 He protects Israel, his servant, remembering his mercy,
55 the mercy promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his sons for ever.
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