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16th. November, 2008 |
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| Theme:
How Does God
Bless Us? |
| Thought:
‘I was hungry and you blessed me with
something to eat’ |
Reflection
Feeling a little hurt recently I
asked a priest of our diocese why things
happen that I had not planned. He observed
that Mary had not planned to have her infant
child born in a stable and the Lord does not
bless us in ways that we may expect. He drew
my attention to the following: |
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Does God
bless us by giving us everything
we think we should have,
even if it's bad for us?
Does God bless us by always
letting us have our way –
whether it's the best way for
us, or not?
Does God bless us by letting us
get away with self-destructive
behaviour?
Does God bless us by letting us
mistreat other people with
impunity?
Does God bless us by giving us
more responsibility, more money,
or more fame, than we can
handle?
Does God bless us by allowing us
to never face the consequences
of our actions?
Does God bless us by never
allowing us to struggle or
overcome difficulty? |
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If God blessed us in
any of those ways, He would not be a good
Father.
God blesses us by changing us into what we
should be. He makes us to BE a blessing.
That puts us into God's category, where we
can enjoy fellowship with Him -- which is
the greatest blessing.
In the book of Genesis it reads: "I will
make you into a great nation and I will
bless you; I will make your name great, and
you will be a blessing." |
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Readings:
Genesis 12: 2; Thessalonians 5: 1-6; Matthew 25: 14-30 |
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| Prayers: |
Sunday:
Throughout this week Lord guide us to be
a blessing for all in everything we do and
Say. Amen
Monday:
Lord, inspire me always to be a blessing
of genuine care and concern for others, and
may people be as generous to me as I am to
them. Amen.
Tuesday:
Lord, give me patience and tolerance
with everyone. Lord, show me how to be kind
and generous to everyone.
Lord, help me to live positively and
cheerfully for everyone. Amen. |
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Wednesday:
Lord Jesus, be a light in our lives. Be the
light of forgiveness and healing in each one of
us. Help us to recognize the light of God, given
to us through your life, death and resurrection,
in each person we meet. Amen.
Thursday:
Each one of us carries with us the scars of
past hurts. Words that have been spoken to us
that caused us pain. Because of these scars we
can become intolerant to others and in turn hurt
them. Let us offer our scars to Almighty God
asking that they may become reminders to us of
the forgiveness that we are offered daily
through Jesus Christ. That the suffering and
forgiveness of Jesus will become an example for
each one of us to follow in our lives. We ask
this in Jesus Name. Amen. |
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Friday:
We pray for all people who are victims of
bullying or intimidation or violence. Be
with them Lord. Bless them comfort and
strength. We make this prayer in faith.
Amen.
Saturday:
Father, we bless you for the gift of our
families and friends. We thank you for their
love, their goodness and their kindness.
Amen
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