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THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

PRAYER BEFORE HOLY MASS  Act of Love before Mass 18TH THURSDAY IN ORD. TIME

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. 

First Reading Numbers 20:1-13
Moses makes water flow from the rock at Meribah
The sons of Israel, the whole community, arrived in the first month at the desert of Zin. The people settled at Kadesh. It was there that Miriam died and was buried. 

There was no water for the community, and they were all united against Moses and Aaron. The people challenged Moses: ‘We would rather have died,’ they said ‘as our brothers died before the Lord! Why did you bring the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, only to let us die here, ourselves and our cattle? Why did you lead us out of Egypt, only to bring us to this wretched place? It is a place unfit for sowing, it has no figs, no vines, no pomegranates, and there is not even water to drink!’ 

Leaving the assembly, Moses and Aaron went to the door of the Tent of Meeting. They threw themselves face downward on the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Take the branch and call the community together, you and your brother Aaron. Then, in full view of them, order this rock to give water. You will make water flow for them out of the
rock, and provide drink for the community and their cattle.’ 

Moses took up the branch from before the Lord, as he had directed him. Then Moses and Aaron called the assembly together in front of the rock and addressed them, ‘Listen now, you rebels. Shall we make water gush from this rock for you?’ And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the branch; water gushed in abundance, and the community drank and their cattle too. 

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe that I could proclaim my holiness in the eyes of the sons of Israel, you shall not lead this assembly into the land I am giving them.’ 

These are the waters of Meribah, where the sons of Israel challenged the Lord and he proclaimed his holiness.

Responsorial Psalm
O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
You are Peter,
and on this rock I will build my Church.
And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.
Alleluia! Matt. 16:18

Gospel  Matt. 16:13-23
You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’ Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. 

From that time Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord;’ he said ‘this must not happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’

Heavenly Father give me courage. Fear weakens our courage, it makes one rebellous in trying to avoid, to prevent the peraceived danger, insecurity, the unknown, and uncertainties which creates anxieties. Fear brings out the negative utterances in our hearts that are detrimental to our spiritual and physical well being. Give us courage, give us faith in place of fear. Father through faith in relying upon your divine providence we are protected from all negativity because all good things comes from you. Thank you my Father and my God for your loving kindness, mercy and goodness.

Lord Jesus Christ most times you told your disciples, your apostles not to be afraid but to have courage that you are nearby. Lord you are telling me same each day to trust in you, I should not fear but be courageous.  

May I strive to be like Peter fearful but courageous. He is ready to correct his mistakes. He tries to please you Lord. You knew his heart, you saw his efforts.  I thank you Lord for loving me. Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you. Blessed Virgin Mary pray for me. Saint Joseph pray for me. My patron Saints pray for me. My guadian angel protect me.
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