In today's first reading, Romans 10: 9-18, St. Paul says to us: "No one who believes in him (Jesus) will be put to shame" and that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." I call upon your name, O Lord. Save me! Save me from the snares that Satan sets for me: snares that lead to imprudence, deceitfulness, revengefulness, disgracefulness, disrespectfulness, impatience, stinginess, pride, hatred, sloth, lust, covetousness, and unforgiveness! Save me by giving me the gifts of prudence, honesty, forgiveness, mercy, respectfulness, patience, generosity, humility, detachment and love!
How often, Lord, do I not encounter my humanity with its proneness to evil. Have pity on me, Lord. Help me, as Simon helped you to carry your cross to Calvary. May I carry the cross, be nailed to the cross, suffer death on the cross and rise to new life, as You did on Calvary. Only by experiencing the effects of sin and dying to sin do I rise to holiness. Through physical death I enter eternal life; through spiritual death to sin I enter a state of holiness here on earth!
And so we pray in today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 19: "The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart," clothing the heart in holiness; "the command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye" to what is prudent, honest, generous, forgiving, respectful, loving and merciful!
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