THE HOLY FAMILY

PRAYER TO OBTAIN THE GRACE OF ALL WORLD’S MASSES

Eternal Father we humbly offer thee our poor presence and that of the whole humanity from the beginning to the end of the world at all the masses that ever have or ever will be prayed. We offer thee all the pains, suffering, prayers, sacrifices, joy and relaxations of our lives in union with those of our dear Lord Jesus here on earth.

May the Most Precious Blood of Christ, all his blood and wounds and agony save us through the sorrowful and immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen St. Philomena pray for us. Readings Lectures Reflection

 First Reading  1 Samuel 1:20-22,24-28

 

This is the Child I prayed for ; he is made over to the Lord

Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son, and called him Samuel ‘since’ she said ‘I asked the Lord for him.’ 

When a year had gone by, the husband Elkanah went up again with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfil his vow. Hannah, however, did not go up, having said to her husband, ‘Not before the child is weaned. Then I will bring him and present him before the Lord and he shallstay there for ever.’ 

When she had weaned him, she took him up with her together with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with them. They slaughtered the bull and the child’s mother came to Eli. She said, ‘If you please, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.’

Responsorial Psalm

They are happy who dwell in your house, O Lord

Second Reading 1 John 3:1-2,21-24

We are called God's children, and that is what we are

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children;

and that is what we are. Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us. My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.

My dear people, if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience, we need not be afraid in God’s presence, and whatever we ask him, we shall receive, because we keep his commandments and live the kind of life that he wants. His commandments are these: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another as he told us to. Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him. We know that he lives in us by the Spirit that he has given us.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia! cf.Act.16:14

Gospel Luke 2:41-52

Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover

When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.

Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have, you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’

‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant. 

He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.   His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men.

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph pray for us.  Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you. Virgin Mary pray for us. Saint Joseph pray for us. God's Holy Angels pray for us. My Guardian Angel pray for me. Protect me, guide and guard me.

PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH 

O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God. I place in you all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord: so that having engaged here below your heavenly power I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers.

O St. Joseph, never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss his fine head for me, and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath.