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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Hill Country Homilies. Weekly homilies from Holy Annunciation

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<v Speaker 1>Orthodox Church in Liberty Hill, Texas. Holy Annunciation is an

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<v Speaker 1>old calendar Orthodox church sharing the faith of the Apostles

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<v Speaker 1>and the love of Christ with all who seek His truth. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>let's listen to this week's homily.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm the name of Father and Son the Holy Spirit

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<v Speaker 2>Lord to Jesus Christ. I have a seat if you

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<v Speaker 2>all wish. Our gospel reading today is Luke's account of

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<v Speaker 2>the healing of the blind beggar on the road to Jericho.

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<v Speaker 2>As Jesus was drawing near to Jericho, a blind man

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<v Speaker 2>sat begging by the roadside, and hearing the noise of

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<v Speaker 2>a great crab passing by, he he asked what is happening,

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<v Speaker 2>and he was told that Jesus of Nazareus was passing by,

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<v Speaker 2>and he began to cry out with all his heart, Jesus,

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<v Speaker 2>son of David, have mercy on me. And though the

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<v Speaker 2>people around him tried to silence him and push him aside,

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<v Speaker 2>it just made him cry out all the more. Lord, Jesus,

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<v Speaker 2>son of David, have mercy on me. And the Lord

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<v Speaker 2>stopped and commanded that the man be brought to him

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<v Speaker 2>and He asked him, what do you want me to

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<v Speaker 2>do for you? And the blind man answered, Lord, that

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<v Speaker 2>I may receive my sight. And Jesus said to him,

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<v Speaker 2>receive your side. Your faith has saved you. And immediately

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<v Speaker 2>the man's eyes were opened, and he followed Christ and

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<v Speaker 2>glorified God. And all the people who saw this miracle

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<v Speaker 2>gave praise to God. Now I want to say a

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<v Speaker 2>few words about this reading, starting with the person of

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<v Speaker 2>the blind man, because there are actually two different interpretations

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<v Speaker 2>from the church fathers about who the blind man represents.

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<v Speaker 2>Saint Ambrose of Milan, for example, says that in the

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<v Speaker 2>blind Man, we have a type of the gentile people

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<v Speaker 2>who received by the sacrament of our Lord the brightness

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<v Speaker 2>of the light which they had lost. So to Ambrose,

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<v Speaker 2>the blind man represents the gentile race blind because of

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<v Speaker 2>the lack of their knowledge of God. Saint Augustine of Hippo, however,

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<v Speaker 2>says that the one blind man in Luke's account represents

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<v Speaker 2>the Jews alone, to whom Christ's commander the gospel be taught.

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<v Speaker 2>This is a man he encounters as he approaches Jericho.

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<v Speaker 2>Now Jericho they interpret as the end of his days.

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<v Speaker 2>And then when he's leaving Jericho in Marx. In Matthew's account,

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<v Speaker 2>he encounters two blind beacers, and what Augustine says is

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<v Speaker 2>these are different encounters. And the second time, when he

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<v Speaker 2>encounters two, that's leaving Jericho after his death and resurrection symbolically,

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<v Speaker 2>and so those two represent both the Jews and the

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<v Speaker 2>Gentiles now being the subject of the gospel. So it's

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<v Speaker 2>kind of an interesting question whether these accounts in Matthew

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<v Speaker 2>Luke are the same other different healings, But I'm not

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<v Speaker 2>sure it makes a difference in how we understand the

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<v Speaker 2>healings themselves, given that the facts of the two healings

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<v Speaker 2>are essentially the same. In both cases, you have a

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<v Speaker 2>blind man who cries out to the passing Lord Jesus,

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<v Speaker 2>son of David, have mercy. I mean, in both cases

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<v Speaker 2>the crowd rebukes him and he cries out. All the

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<v Speaker 2>more so, the first thing that we can say about

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<v Speaker 2>this blind man is as blessed the out black rights.

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<v Speaker 2>Let us marvel at his staunch confession. Although rebuked by many,

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<v Speaker 2>he did not keep silent. He cried out all the

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<v Speaker 2>more are urged on by the fervent seal within him.

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<v Speaker 2>The blind man represents or demonstrates unwavering persistence and calling

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<v Speaker 2>out to Christ, refusing to be silenced by the crowd

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<v Speaker 2>along around him. Despite being rebuked, he cries out all

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<v Speaker 2>the more. This persistence reveals of faith that empowers and

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<v Speaker 2>moves and overcomes obstacles, overcomes rebuke, overcomes embarrassment. It's a

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<v Speaker 2>faith that we're called to carry as well. In our

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<v Speaker 2>spiritual lives. We face many obstacles, doubts, distractions, the mockery

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<v Speaker 2>of others, even our own discouragement. Where our spiritual life

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<v Speaker 2>intersects the secular world, we often struggle in weighing out

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<v Speaker 2>what we show of our faith and what we hold

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<v Speaker 2>to ourselves. And the blind beggars Or becomes our example

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<v Speaker 2>of public evangelism. He didn't allow the judgment of the

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<v Speaker 2>cris diminish his zeal for God. He didn't allow them

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<v Speaker 2>to silence him. So we two must persist in prayer,

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<v Speaker 2>especially the Jesus prayer, Lord Jesus Christ, on God have

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<v Speaker 2>mercy on me, which sounds so much like the prayer

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<v Speaker 2>of the blind man. It's a proven, tested prayer, It's

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<v Speaker 2>proved by God. When difficulties arise, when our prayers seem unanswered.

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<v Speaker 2>We have to be like this blind man and call

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<v Speaker 2>out all the louder, refusing to let anything separate us

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<v Speaker 2>from Christ. Because this proclamation of faith, this act of

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<v Speaker 2>prayer from the blind man, it drew the attention of

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<v Speaker 2>the Lord, and he engaged this man face to faith.

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<v Speaker 2>He called from to be brought to him, when just

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<v Speaker 2>moments ago the crowd was trying to silence and hide

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<v Speaker 2>this man, and Christ asked this humble man, what is

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<v Speaker 2>it that you would have me do for you? And

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<v Speaker 2>a man boldly asked for the greatest gift that he

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<v Speaker 2>can to receive his sight and Christ to his himself.

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<v Speaker 2>The true light gives light to this man's life. It

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<v Speaker 2>is mere word, receive your sight. Your faith has saved you. Now.

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<v Speaker 2>Saint Simeon, the New Theologian, tells us that this persistence

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<v Speaker 2>in prayer is what led to the man's healing. If

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<v Speaker 2>someone is hesitant, doesn't wish to approach the Master, even

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<v Speaker 2>if he says, even if he comes in and says,

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<v Speaker 2>follow me, then let him follow him, as a publican

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<v Speaker 2>once did, abandoning his counting tables in his avarice. And

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<v Speaker 2>I'm sure Saint Simmes wrote that he shall make of

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<v Speaker 2>him to an evangelist, and someone's a paralytic lying on

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<v Speaker 2>their bed in sloth, carelessness or love of put pleasure.

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<v Speaker 2>And if he should see another or the Master himself

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<v Speaker 2>or one of disciples asked, do you desire to be healed?

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<v Speaker 2>Let him receive that word joyfully and reply immediately yes, Lord,

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<v Speaker 2>No one put me in the pool. And if he

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<v Speaker 2>should hear, rise and take up your bed and walk,

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<v Speaker 2>let him get up and run with the faith of

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<v Speaker 2>the one who has called him from on high. And

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<v Speaker 2>though Christ performs this miracle in front of the entire crowd,

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<v Speaker 2>he still does it with great humility and for the

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<v Speaker 2>benefit of those who are watching. He asks this man

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<v Speaker 2>what his request of is. He doesn't just restore the

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<v Speaker 2>sight of a man who may have just been asking

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<v Speaker 2>for alms. He doesn't make himself the object of attention. Instead,

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<v Speaker 2>he waits for that man's request, and then he humbly

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<v Speaker 2>grants it. And when he heals a man, he doesn't

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<v Speaker 2>proclaim I have healed you. He doesn't invoke his own name,

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<v Speaker 2>he doesn't invoke the name of the Father. Rather, he

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<v Speaker 2>credits the beggar entirely. Receive your sight. Your faith has

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<v Speaker 2>saved you. It's this humility in Christ that we model,

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<v Speaker 2>and the man's sight is restored to him. But Christ

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<v Speaker 2>asks nothing for himself. He grants that which was ass

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<v Speaker 2>And finally, let us consider the response of the beggar

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<v Speaker 2>when he receives his sithe. We're told that immediately he

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<v Speaker 2>received his sight and followed him, glorifying God, and all

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<v Speaker 2>the people when they saw it, gave praise to God.

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<v Speaker 2>As Saint Cyril of Alexandria says, he was delivered from

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<v Speaker 2>his blindness. But did he to neglect the duty of

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<v Speaker 2>loving Christ. He certainly did not, But it says he

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<v Speaker 2>followed him, offering him glory like to God. Saint Cyril

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<v Speaker 2>says that this man was set free from double blindness.

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<v Speaker 2>Not only did he escape the physical blindness of the body,

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<v Speaker 2>but also of the mind and the heart. He would

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<v Speaker 2>not have glorified God if he had not possessed that

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<v Speaker 2>spiritual vision. So he had both the physical and the

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<v Speaker 2>spiritual healing. And he becomes the means by which others

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<v Speaker 2>then give glory to Christ, glory to God. The once

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<v Speaker 2>blind man became a disciple. He was transformed from a

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<v Speaker 2>beggar to a giver, from one who received to one

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<v Speaker 2>who glorified God and thanksgiving for his blessings. And this

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<v Speaker 2>is also an example for us because when we receive

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<v Speaker 2>God's mercy, whether it's physical healing or forgiveness of sins

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<v Speaker 2>or spiritual enlightenment, we must respond with the same gratitude

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<v Speaker 2>and discipleship. This means actively following Christ on the way

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<v Speaker 2>to Jerusalem, the heavenly Kingdom. Our faith must be expressed

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<v Speaker 2>not just in words, but in our daily lives. It

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<v Speaker 2>must be open, not silenced by the crowd. We live

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<v Speaker 2>the faith when we live out our daily practices, when

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<v Speaker 2>we pray, when we attend the services, when we fast,

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<v Speaker 2>when we give alms, when we participate in the feast,

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<v Speaker 2>we are becoming witnesses called to draw others through Christ,

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<v Speaker 2>through Christ, through our transformed lives. So and sisters, as

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<v Speaker 2>we depart today, let us be emboldened in our faith

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<v Speaker 2>through the example of the blind beggar. Let us cry

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<v Speaker 2>out to our Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have

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<v Speaker 2>mercy on me. Let us eagerly bring our prayers before

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<v Speaker 2>him with humility and with faith, and let us glorify

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<v Speaker 2>Him and give thanks for the blessings which have been

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<v Speaker 2>stowed upon us that Christ to as the True Life,

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<v Speaker 2>may give sight to our innermost being, healing us by

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<v Speaker 2>our faith through the glory of God the Father. Amen.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, thanks for listening to Hill Country homilies. For

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<v Speaker 1>more information, visit Holy Nunciation Orthodox Church at www dot Denunciation,

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<v Speaker 1>tx dot com, and please join us again next week