ANNA SPEAKS OF THE CHILD JESUS

Prayer before Mass: Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Lord, in Your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with the purity and faith, the repentance and love, and the determined purpose that will help to bring me to salvation. May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, and its reality and power.
 
Kind God, may I receive the Body of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, and so be received into His mystical body and numbered among His members.

Loving Father, as on my earthly pilgrimage I now receive Your beloved Son under the veil of a sacrament, may I one day see Him face to face in glory, who lives and reigns with You forever. Amen. By Knights of the Holy Eucharist.  

Readings 
Lectures 
Reflection  

Observance of the will of God

I am writing to you, my own children, whose sins have already been forgiven through his name; I am 

writing to you, fathers, who have come to 

know the one who has existed since the beginning;

I am writing to you, young men, who have 

already overcome the Evil One; I have written to

you, children, because you already know the Father; 

I have written to you, fathers, because you have 

come to know the one who has existed 

since the beginning; I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and God’s word 

has made its home in you, and you have overcome the Evil One.
You must not love this passing world or anything that is in the world.
The love of the Father cannot be in any man who loves the world,
because nothing the world has to offer – the sensual body, the lustful eye,
pride in possessions – could ever come from the Father but only from the world;
and the world, with all it craves for, is coming to an end; but anyone who does the will of God
remains for ever.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad

Give the Lord, you families of peoples,

give the Lord glory and power;

give the Lord the glory of his name.

 

Bring an offering and enter his courts,

worship the Lord in his temple.

O earth, tremble before him.

Proclaim to the nations: 'God is King.'

The world he made firm in its place;
he will judge the peoples in fairness. 

Anna speaks of the Child to all 

There was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own  town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with

wisdom; and God's favour was with him.