RELIGION AND ART

PRAYER BEFORE HOLY MAS S     Act of Love before Mass   FRIDAY THE   19TH WEEK 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.  Mass Readings     Lectures du jour   Reflection   First Reading  Joshua 24: 1-13 I gave you a land where you never toiled, vineyards and groves you never planted Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem; then he called the elders, leaders,

Father in heaven, Your Son Jesus Christ showed his love for you by serving his brothers and sisters in  need.  I now ask you to give me your help I serve you and your people Open my mouth to praise you in  word and song. Open my ears to hear your word. Open my hand to do your work well.  Take from me  all evil and distracting thoughts. Help me to know what I should do and do it well. Help me to serve reverently at your Holy Altar and  give you praise and glory now and for ever.  Amen.   Readings Lectures Reflection Saint John of the Cross The Oracles of Balaam Raising his eyes Balaam saw Israel, encamped by tribes; the spirit of God came on him and he declaimed his poem. He said: ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes, the oracle of one who hears the word of God. He sees what Shaddai makes him see, receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened. How fair are your tents, O Jacob! How fair your dwellings, Israel! Like valleys that stretch afa