01/9 Tuesday XXIIth OT
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Encourage one another! I Thessalonians 5,11
The apostle knows the situation his Christians are in. They live in a world full of risks for their
faith. And if those risks are not avoided they can deprive us of any joy or peace. We must help
each other with words full of the Holy Spirit, the Consoler!

2/9 Wednesday XXIIth OT
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The crowds went in search of him. Luke 4,42
They had seen your love for the sick and so they went in search of you. They wanted love from you, that love that heals and gives fullness of life. But you also search for something: in obedience to the Father, you search for someone who will love you, who is willing to walk with you and abandon their dreams!

3/9 Thursday XXIIth
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They left everything and followed him! Luke 5,11
Jesus, you have found followers! This is one of the best news possible. When a young man or woman decides to follow you, we can begin to hope again, to dream, to feel safe. Today I pray for those young people who are not sure, who want to follow you, but have not yet transformed that desire into will!

4/9 Friday XXIIth OT
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Christ is the image of the invisible God. Colossians 1,15
God had forbidden his people to make images of him. Man cannot "imagine" the face of God and if he tries to, he errs both in the image and in the thoughts that derive from it. God himself gives us his image: here it is! The face of Jesus, his expression full of love and his hand ready to raise up wounded humanity from evil and sin.

5/9 Saturday XXIIth OT
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Jesus was going through the cornfields. Luke 6,1
Jesus was walking with the disciples whom he loved. He considers their hunger as holy as the Sabbath which they were spending with him, ready to serve him, God's holy one. It is not difficult for him to defend them from the Scribe's criticism. Those who love you, Jesus, have already observed the Sabbath, the day set aside for you!

6/10 Sunday XXIIIth OT
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He even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak. Mark 7,37
Jesus, with your fingers you healed the man's life. The deaf man heard your words. They are the first to penetrate his ears and his heart. And his first sentence is addressed to you! Indeed: a man is truly a man when he is able to hear your voice and to turn to you with love!

7/9 Monday XXIIIth OT
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Stretch out your arm. Luke 6,10
With a withered arm, it was impossible to work, to caress or to eat. It was impossible to stretch out to anyone, either to help or to be helped. Jesus loved that man on the Sabbath day, the day on which God takes pleasure from his creation. Now God can take pleasure in the work of his Son who pours out love on this man!

8/9 Tuesday XXIIIth The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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You shall give him the name Jesus! Matthew 1,21
How much love there was when Mary pronounced this name! She had been born for this, to say: "Jesus"!
She had been born to be the first to say his name and thus announce the salvation of the world that people wait for day after day. I too, with the help of Mary, repeat the name of Jesus every day! Jesus! my Jesus!

9/9 Wednesday XXIIIth OT
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Blessed are you who weep now! Luke 6,21
Listening to your words, I have learnt to be grateful, Jesus, even in moments of sadness and suffering. I am close to you in bearing my crosses, they make me more sensitive to those of others, they teach me to give myself unreservedly to the Father's wisdom. I offer you my tears and say: thank you, you know the reason for everything!

10/9 Thursday XXIIIth OT
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You must forgive as the Lord forgave you! Colossians 3,13
This morning someone asked me to forgive them. I immediately answered: "You are forgiven in the name of Jesus". When I ask Jesus, he always pardons through his priest: why shouldn't I do the same? It is so beautiful to be able to do what Jesus does: to forgive and thus give joy and peace!

11/9 Friday XXIIIth OT
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No pupil ranks above his teacher! Luke 6,40
Lord Jesus, I can teach you nothing: you are the teacher, you know the way that leads to the Father, you know my limits and my potential. Let me learn from you, you are the only sure guide, you are the only one who knows the way!

12/9 Saturday XXIIIth OT
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The words that the mouth utters come from the overflowing of the heart! Luke 6,45
Must I be careful of what I say or of what is in my heart? It is our hearts that finds words to express your love, oh Father, and our hearts that give words the peace and compassion that reflect your heart! May your Son Jesus and his love for his mother, Mary, be in my heart!

13/9 Sunday XXIVth OT
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And you, who do you say I am? Mark 8,29
Jesus was not sure that his disciples really knew him. They knew who he was and were able to say so, but they were not yet able to share his obedience to the Father. And so it is for me too. I have to answer this question every day and every day I have to reflect and accept the cross.

14/9 Monday XXIVth OT The Exultation of the Cross
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God so loved the world that he gave his only Son! John 3,16
Yesterday a girl asked me why we Christians have the cross as our symbol. She found it strange that we have a sign of suffering as our symbol. I answered that the moment that Jesus died on the cross was the hour of his greatest love. This is why we look to the cross: we receive from it the strength to love even when it is difficult to love!

15/9 Tuesday XXIVth OT
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Mother, there is your son! John 19,26
At the moment of her greatest suffering Mary received a new mission, one that continues to occupy her. The disciple whom Jesus loved became her son. Today we can say that Mary's love for Jesus makes her consider me too, as her son. Thank you, Mary, for obeying Jesus and for living with his disciple, with every disciple of your Son!

16/9 Wednesday XXIVth OT
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I write this to let you know what is proper conduct! I Timothy 3,14
"To let you know what is proper conduct in God's household, that is, the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth." We cannot live just as we want. St Paul is aware that how Christians behave is important: they reflect well or badly on Jesus, they can build or demolish his Church. I will ask for advice and help, I will not follow my impulses!

17/9 Thursday XXIVth OT
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Be to believers an example in speech! I Timothy 4,12
And he continues: be an example in behaviour, in love, fidelity and purity! The apostle's disciple should think towards building the kingdom of God, and therefore, be aware of what he does and says all his life long. Every time I am obedient to Jesus it is a gift to others, a help, an encouragement!

18/9 Friday XXIVth OT
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The love of money is the root of all evil. I Timothy 6,10
Already as children we learnt the value of money. Often we learnt it's value from an "egoistic" point of view, to spend it for our own pleasure. There are those who put it freely at the service of love so that their lives become a gift in promoting communion and this frees money from the shackles of sin!

9/9 Saturday XXIVth OT
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A sower went out to sew his seed. Luke 8,5
Your parables, Jesus, give us a greater understanding of you. You are the sower, who could be disappointed with his efforts, but who delights in that which bears fruit for the salvation of many. Come and stay in me today. You will bear fruit and I can be useful!

20/9 Sunday XXVth
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If anyone wants to be first he must make himself last of all! Mark 9,35
These are the words that put an end to the discussion among the disciples where, just like us, they are desirous of grandeur. We wish to be considered important by others, Jesus want us to be considered important by God, the Father of everyone!

21/9 Monday XXVth OT
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He said: follow me! Matthew 9,9
They are the most beautiful words Matthew could have heard and for which he continues to thank Jesus for all eternity! What is there more beautiful than to follow Jesus? With him we walk in safety and do not waste time, certain of being useful for the entire world! With him life has meaning and is valuable, even the past, even a past full of sin!

22/9 Tuesday XXVth OT
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His mother and brothers arrived… Luke 8,19
It is a source of great joy to see your family come to you, Jesus! We envy them for they are close to you. But you do not waste time with our envy: those who listen to you and obey you are more important than your relatives.

23/9 Wednesday XXVth OT
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Jesus called the twelve together! Luke I,1
Jesus called the twelve together more than once to teach them so that they could be close to him and to help them resist the influence of the world. You called them to send them out to teach about you to those who wished to be saved. I will try to stay close to you, Jesus!

24/9 Thursday XXVth OT
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Consider your way of life! Haggai 1,5
God wishes the people to reflect: why were their efforts not bearing fruit? "You have sown much but reaped little… he who earns wages puts them into a purse with a hole in it": man's work is worth nothing if he disobeys God, if he does not celebrate his holy days, if he forgets to praise him.

25/9 Friday XXVth OT
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Who do the people say I am? Luke 9,18
Jesus asks this of his disciples probably to show them that it is not important what the people say. People's opinions are often uncertain, far from the truth and can be deceptive. It is for the disciples to teach the people about Jesus' true identity. It is, therefore, important to live in intimate communion with him!

26/9 Saturday XXVth OT
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The Son of man is to be given up into the power of men! Luke 9,44
These are words that must have remained fixed in the minds of the disciples. Jesus considers them important. He was "to be given up" to men who were able only to kill him. Men never give life: that comes only from the father. Jesus does not see "being given up" as a disgrace, but rather as an occasion to offer himself in an act of love to manifest his true divinity.

27/9 Sunday XXVIth OT
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He who is not against us, is on our side! Mark 9,40
Today, what Jesus teaches in passing through Samaria, helps us treat everyone well. For many people, who are not yet ready to follow Jesus, are being guided by the Spirit of God and although unaware of it, they collaborate with his Kingdom! Disciples must be very aware of themselves in order not to obstruct any small steps of faith!

28/9 Monday XXVIth OT
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For the least among you is the greatest! Luke 9,48
The way God thinks and sees is very different from ours! How useless and even harmful is our vanity! To please God and be important for him, we must be very small for men. These words of Jesus help us relax!

29/9 Tuesday XXBIth OT The Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
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How is it you know me? John 1,48
Nathaniel is amazed at being recognised by Jesus. So Jesus presents himself to him and to us as a ladder that the angels can use to ascend and descend from heaven. Even the great archangels serve us so that we might meet the Lord, know him and love him!

30/9 Wednesday XXVIth OT
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I will follow you wherever you will go! Luke 9,57
Jesus, I too, want to follow you. Tell me where and I will come with you. When the road is difficult, you will carry me in your arms. I have already suffered a lot from walking on the roads I chose. Now I only want to be with you.

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