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Monday, November 9, 2009

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Dedication of Lateran
Basilica in Rome


Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17
Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
John 2:13-22

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"viva il papa"

"Zeal for Your house consumes Me." —John 2:17

Today we celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral Church of the pope. Why do we celebrate our unity with the pope and his church? It is because our unity with the pope gives us strength and power. Those united to the pope have an anointing from God that cannot be obtained any other way. Furthermore, our unity with the pope protects us from deception and confusion.

This will become even more significant as we near the mass apostasy at the end of the world (2 Thes 2:3). In His love, the Lord has not only given us brothers and sisters, but also a spiritual father, the pope, who helps us grow together and stay together as God's family. The pope is a special gift from the Lord to us, His Church. We rejoice in this gift. We thank the Lord for the opportunity to submit ourselves to Him by obeying the leaders He sends into our lives, especially the pope. We thank the Lord for our pope today, Benedict XVI. He has spent and risked his life for the Lord and for us. We will pray for him daily and obey him.

Prayer:  Father, thank You for each part of the body of Christ, especially for Pope Benedict XVI.

Promise:  "The temple of God is holy, and you are that temple." —1 Corinthians 3:17

Praise:  Dr. Bill, principal of a Catholic high school, requires all his teachers to sign a pledge of fidelity to the pope and the magisterium before he will allow them to teach at his school.

Reference:  (For a related teaching, order our tape The Pope's Vision of God's Plan on audio AV 50-3 or video V-50.)

Rescript:  †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, June 3, 2009

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