Holy Spirit, help me return to the Lord and turn away from iniquity ...

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Sirach 17: 24-29
 
Arguably, each and every man, woman and child originates in close connection with the Creator, our Lord of Life, Father God.  It makes sense, then, that as much as I am in close contact with the Lord, I am living into the reality of my being as a beloved child of God.  Conversely, as much as I turn away from God, to participate in iniquity, in sin in any of its subtle forms, I turn my back on the One who loves me well and calls me to be the ‘best version of myself’. When I feel alone and rejected, it is time to return to the Lord, and turn away from the iniquity of bitterness and revenge. When I am exhausted from ‘trying to do it all myself’, it is time to return to the Lord, and to turn away from the iniquity of prideful self-centredness and selfish ambition. When I feel useless and undervalued by family and friends, it is time to return to the Lord, and turn away from the iniquity of self-focus and truncated vision.  When I work so hard on a project, and it blows up in my face, leaving me licking my wounds and scratching my head, it is time to return to the Lord, and turn away from the iniquity of depression and anxiety.  Indeed, whenever anything happens in my life, it is always a good time to return to the Lord, and to turn away from iniquity of all kinds!  Is it time for me to return to the Lord and turn away from any kind of sin? Holy Spirit, help me! Help me return to the lord, and turn away from iniquity. 
 
How great is the mercy of the Lord, and his forgiveness for those who return to him!  (Sirach 17: 29)
 
Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the "Beloved." Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.
Fr. Henri Nouwen                                                                                              
 
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Soli ad gloriam Dei