GOD OUR FATHER ADOPT US AS YOUR HERITAGE

PRAYER BEFORE HOLY MASS  Act of Love before Mass

O my God, I love Thee with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with no other desire than to be inseparably united to Thee. It is through Thy Divine Son that this union is about to be realized within me. In Holy Communion I long to identify myself with Him, that it will no longer be myself, but Him, who lives in me; and when I have received Jesus within myself, then I shall love and be loved by Thee in that same measure, in which I am united to Him. Hasten then, to give me Thy Divine Son, at the hands of Thy priest, that through Jesus, I may unite myself forever to Thee, O God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. 

Mass Readings  Lectures du jour Reflection 

First Reading Exodus Exodus 33:7-11,34:5-9,28 

They are a headstrong people but forgive us our faults

Moses used to take the Tent and pitch it outside the camp, at some distance from the camp. He called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who had to consult the Lord would go out to the Tent of Meeting, outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, all the people would rise. Every man would stand at the door of his tent and watch Moses until he reached the Tent; the pillar of cloud would come down and station itself at the entrance to the Tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. When they saw the pillar of cloud stationed at the entrance to the Tent, all the people would rise and bow low, each at the door of his tent. The Lord would speak with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would turn back to the camp, but the young man who was his servant, Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the Tent.  

And the Lord descended in the form of a cloud, and Moses stood with him there. 

He called on the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness; for thousands he maintains his kindness, forgives faults, transgression, sin; yet he lets nothing go unchecked, punishing the father’s fault in the sons and in the grandsons to the third and fourth generation.’ And Moses bowed down to the ground at once and worshipped. ‘If I have indeed won your favour, Lord,’ he said ‘let my Lord come with us, I beg. True, they are a headstrong people, but forgive us our faults and our sins, and adopt us as your heritage.’

Moses stayed there with the Lord for forty days and forty nights, eating and drinking nothing. He inscribed on the tablets the words of the Covenant – the Ten Words.

Responsorial Psalm

The Lord is compassion and love

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;

whoever finds this seed will remain for ever.

Alleluia!

Gospel  Matt. 13:46-43

As the darnel is gathered up and burnt, so will it be at the end of time

Leaving the crowds, Jesus went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain the parable about the darnel in the field to us.’ He said in reply, ‘The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

Merciful Father, God our Father to you be all glory and honor. Blessed be your holy name. True God our Father you are the Lord, you are God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness.  Father from generation unto generation you maintain your kindness, your forgiveness of our faults, our transgressions, our sins. Our God and Father nothing go unchecked in your sight. We must pay for the consequences of our actions. Punishing the father’s fault in the children and  grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.’ 

Loving Father do not call to mind the sins of our ancestors. Do not visit our ancestors iniquities upon us. Look upon the death of your Son Jesus Christ who paid our debt by shedding his precious blood. Father have mercy upon us. We  bow down to you in worship, adoration and thanksgiving. May your favor be upon us for you are full of compassion and love. Father forgive us our faults and our sins, and adopt us as your heritage.

Holy Spirit come dwell in our hearts that we may heed  to the warning of our Lord and Saviour,  Jesus Christ. May we be counted among the virtuous, may we shine like the sun in the kingdom of our God, our Father  when our journey on earth is done through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you, Virgin Mary Mother of Christ, Mother of  Church of Christ pray for us.