THE COMMANDMENTS OF LOVE

PRAYER BEFORE HOLY MASS Act of Love beforeMass

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. Amen. 

The Readings Lectures du jour Reflection Saint Bernard

First Reading Ruth 1:1,3-6,14-16,22 

Ruth the Moabitess is brought to Bethlehem by Naomi

In the days of the Judges famine came to the land and a certain man from Bethlehem of Judah went – he, his wife and his two sons – to live in the country of Moab. Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she and her two sons were left. These married Moabite women: one was named Orpah and the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died and the woman was bereft of her two sons and her husband. So she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and went back to her people. But Ruth clung to her.

Naomi said to her, ‘Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. You must
return too; follow your sister-in-law.’

But Ruth said, ‘Do not press me to leave you and to turn back from your company, for

‘wherever you go, I will go, wherever you live, I will live.

Your people shall be my people,and your God, my God.’

 

This was how Naomi, she who returned from the country of Moab, came back with Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Responsorial Psalm

My soul give praise to the Lord

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

Teach me your paths, my God,

make me walk in your truth.

Alleluia! Ps. 24:4,5

Gospel Matthew 22:34-40

The commandments  of Love

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’

Teach me to love you God my Father.  Lord Jesus Christ give me a heart like yours. A heart that is loving. May I obey God's commandments that I must love my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and my mind. My whole being, then that I should love my neighbour as I love myself.  

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for loving me. Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you. Virgin Mary pray for me. Saint Joseph pray for me. Saint Bernard pray for me. My guardian angel protect me.