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Abraham Lincoln was well known...

Illustration
Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A
Matthew 5:1-12
Abraham Lincoln was well known for showing mercy and doing what he believed was the right thing. As Jesus knew his disciples would discover, Lincoln often found doing so weighed heavily. On the day the Emancipation Proclamation was laid before him he held the pen in his hand a long time before signing it. When asked by those standing nearby why he didn't get on with it, he replied, "If my hand trembles when I sign the Proclamation, all who examine the document hereafter will say, 'He hesitated.' " He waited a few moments longer, calmed himself, and then signed slowly and with a firm hand.
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