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Friday, October 16, 2015

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St. Hedwig
St. Margaret Mary Alocoque


Romans 4:1-8
Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 11
Luke 12:1-7

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faith forming the future

"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as justice." —Romans 4:3

In the year 2000, the Church celebrated the Year of the Great Jubilee. "The primary objective" of the Great Jubilee was to be "the strengthening of faith" (Towards the Third Millennium, 42). The year 2012-2013 was declared the Year of Faith. If we had let the Lord Jesus prepare us in both the Great Jubilee year and the Year of Faith, we should be seeing an ever-increasing faith in the Lord.

By faith, we will be able to restore justice to our society and live in the great freedom of the Great Jubilee (see Lv 25:8ff). By faith, we will see debts forgiven, especially the debt of sin. By faith, we will set free the hundreds of millions of people enslaved by addictions, compulsions, anxieties, fears, and self-hatred. By faith, our culture of death will be replaced with a civilization of love and life. Our culture will be permeated with the Gospel of Jesus (Catechism, 899).

"Who, then, is conqueror of the world? The one who has faith that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 Jn 5:5, our transl). "The power that has conquered the world is this faith of ours" (1 Jn 5:4). Believe and receive the heritage of faith.

Prayer:  Jesus, "I have faith. Help my lack of faith" (Mk 9:24, our transl).

Promise:  "Fear nothing." —Lk 12:7

Praise:  Although described by fellow nuns as simple and slow, it was to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque that God chose to reveal His Sacred Heart.

Reference:  (For a related teaching, order our tape Pride and Faith on audio AV 64-1 or video V-64. Also CD 64-1 or DVD 64 are available for downloading or ordering at www.presentationministries.com.)

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 20, 2015

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