HE MUST INCREASE, I MUST DECREASE

Prayer before Mass: Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Lord, in Your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with the purity and faith, the repentance and love, and the determined purpose that will help  to bring me to salvation. 

May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, and its reality and power. Kind God, may I receive the Body of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, and so be received into His mystical body and numbered among His members. 

Loving Father, as on my earthly pilgrimage I now receive Your beloved Son under the veil of a  sacrament, may I one day see Him face to face in glory, who lives and reigns with You forever. Amen. By Knights of the Holy Eucharist.  Readings 

Lectures 

Reflection

FIRST READING

 If we ask for anything, he will hear us

We are quite confident that if we ask the Son of God for anything, and it is in accordance with his will, he will hear us; and, knowing that whatever we may ask, he hears us, we know that we have already been granted what we asked of him. If anybody sees his brother commit a sin that is not a deadly sin, he has only to pray, and God will give life to the sinner – not those who commit a deadly sin; for there is a sin that is death, and I will not say that you must pray about that. Every kind of wrong-doing is sin, but not all sin is deadly. We know that anyone who has been begotten by God does not sin, because the begotten Son of God protects him, and the Evil One does not touch him. We know that we belong to God, but the whole world lies in the power of the Evil One. We know, too, that the Son of God has come, and has given us the power to know the true God. We are in the true God, as we are in his on, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, this is eternal life. Children, be on your guard against false gods.

 
GOSPEL
‘He must grow greater and I must grow smaller: my joy is complete’

Jesus went with his disciples into the Judaean countryside and stayed with them there and baptised. At the same time John was baptising at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there to be baptised. This was before John had been put in prison. Now some of John’s disciples had opened a discussion with a Jew about purification, so they went to John and said, ‘Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the  Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptising now; and everyone is going to him.’ John replied: ‘A man can lay claim only to what is given him from heaven. ‘You yourselves can bear me out: I said: I myself am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent in front of him. ‘The bride is only for the bridegroom; and yet the bridegroom’s friend, who stands there and listens, is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This same joy I feel, and now it is complete. He must grow greater, I must grow smaller.’

Heavenly Father, I ask for the spirit of humility.  Help me see the good qualities in my fellow creatures. Help me appreciate your gifts to every creatures and give glory to your name. Father remove every spirit of pride and jealousy from my heart. Lord Jesus Christ meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours. Thank you heavenly Father, thank you Jesus.

 

IF YOU ARE WILLING LORD

Prayer before Mass: Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Lord, in Your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with the purity and faith, the repentance and love, and the determined purpose that will help  to bring me to salvation. May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, and its reality and power.

Kind God, may I receive the Body of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, and so be received into His mystical body and numbered among His members.

Loving Father, as on my earthly pilgrimage I now receive Your beloved Son under the veil of a sacrament, may I one day see Him face to face in glory, who lives and reigns with You forever. Amen. By Knights of the Holy Eucharist.  

Readings 

Lectures 

Reflection

FIRST READING

Who can overcome the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

 He it is who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with water alone but with water and blood, and it is the Spirit that bears witness, for the Spirit is Truth. So there are three witnesses, the Spirit, water and blood; and the three of them coincide. If we accept the testimony of human witnesses, God’s testimony is greater, for this is God’s testimony which he gave about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him, and whoever does not believe is making God a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life, and whoever has not the Son of God has not life.  I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

 GOSPEL

Now it happened that Jesus was in one of the towns when suddenly a man appeared, covered with a skin-disease. Seeing Jesus he fell on his face and implored him saying, ‘Sir, if you are willing you can cleanse me.’ He stretched out his hand, and touched him saying, ‘I am willing. Be cleansed.’ At once the skin-disease left him. He ordered him to tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering for your cleansing just as Moses prescribed, as evidence to them.  But the news of him kept spreading, and large crowds would gather to hear him and to have their illnesses cured, but he would go off to some deserted place and pray.

If you are willing Lord Jesus Christ, you can cleanse me. Cleans and purify me Lord.  Thank you my Lord and Master, for I know you will take pity upon me. Jesus I Trust in You.

GOD LOVED US FIRST

Prayer before Mass: Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Lord, in Your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with the purity and faith, the repentance and love, and the determined purpose that will help to bring me to salvation. May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, and its reality and power.
Kind God, may I receive the Body of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, and so be received into His mystical body and numbered among His members.
Loving Father, as on my earthly pilgrimage I now receive Your beloved Son under the veil of a sacrament, may I one day see Him face to face in glory, who lives and reigns with You forever. Amen. By Knights of the Holy Eucharist.  

Readings 

Lectures 

Reflection

FIRST READING

Beloved, we love God because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.

 

THE GOSPEL

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, 

because he has anointed me

to bring glad tidings to the poor. 
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.  

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.

Heavenly Father, it is comforting to know that you loved us first. You sent your Son Jesus Christ to redeem us from captivity, to bring glad tidings to us, to free us from shackles that blind us from loving our fellow being, and proclaim your wonders for each moment you are ever with us. Father each year is acceptable for you are faithful loving FATHER.  Thank Father for loving me, thank you Jesus Christ my Lord. 

DO NOT FEAR, TAKE COURAGE

 

Prayer before Mass: Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Lord, in Your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with the purity and faith, the repentance and love, and the determined purpose that will help to bring me to salvation. May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, and its reality and power.

Kind God, may I receive the Body of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, and so be received into His mystical body and numbered among His members.

Loving Father, as on my earthly pilgrimage I now receive Your beloved Son under the veil of a sacrament, may I one day see Him face to face in glory, who lives and reigns with You forever. Amen. By Knights of the Holy Eucharist.  

Readings 
Lectures 

Reflection

FIRST READING

Beloved, if God so loved us,
No one has ever seen God.

Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,

and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify

that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.

Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,

God remains in him and he in God.

We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love,

but perfect love drives out fear

because fear has to do with punishment,

and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love

In this is love brought to perfection among us,

we also must love one another.

 GOSPEL

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd.

And when he had taken leave of them,

he went off to the mountain to pray.
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them.

About the fourth watch of the night,

he came toward them walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified.
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.
They were completely astounded.

They had not understood the incident of the loaves.

On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

Lord Jesus Christ my Master, whenever I am faced with challenges that overwhelms me, help me remember your word of assurance "Take courage, Do not fear, It is I".  Thank you Lord for you are ever with me. Most times I forget, and my courage fails. Jesus I Trust in You

THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Prayer before Mass: Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Lord, in Your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with the purity and faith, the repentance and love, and the determined purpose that will help to bring me to salvation. May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, and its reality and power.

Kind God, may I receive the Body of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, and so be received into His mystical body and numbered among His members.

Loving Father, as on my earthly pilgrimage I now receive Your beloved Son under the veil of a sacrament, may I one day see Him face to face in glory, who lives and reigns with You forever. Amen. By Knights of the Holy Eucharist.  

Readings 
Lectures 
Reflection  

You have been anointed by the Holy One

Children, these are the last days;

you were told that an Antichrist must come,

and now several antichrists have already appeared;

we know from this that these are the last days.

Those rivals of Christ came out of our own number, 

but they had never really belonged;

if they had belonged, they would have stayed with us;

but they left us, to prove that not one of them

ever belonged to us.

But you have been anointed by the Holy One,

and have all received the knowledge.

It is not because you do not know the truth that 

I am writing to you but rather because you know

it already and know that no lie can come from the truth.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad

O sing a new song to the Lord,

        sing to the Lord all the earth.

        O sing to the Lord, bless his name.

            Proclaim his help day by day,

         

            Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,

        let the sea and all within it thunder praise,

            let the land and all it bears rejoice,

        all the trees of the wood shout for joy

        he comes to rule the earth.

The Word was made flesh, and lived among us

In the beginning was the Word:

and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through him.

All that came to be had life in him

and that life was the light of men,
a light that shines in the dark,
a light that darkness could not overpower...... John 1:1-18

 

ANNA SPEAKS OF THE CHILD JESUS

Prayer before Mass: Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Lord, in Your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with the purity and faith, the repentance and love, and the determined purpose that will help to bring me to salvation. May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, and its reality and power.
 
Kind God, may I receive the Body of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, and so be received into His mystical body and numbered among His members.

Loving Father, as on my earthly pilgrimage I now receive Your beloved Son under the veil of a sacrament, may I one day see Him face to face in glory, who lives and reigns with You forever. Amen. By Knights of the Holy Eucharist.  

Readings 
Lectures 
Reflection  

Observance of the will of God

I am writing to you, my own children, whose sins have already been forgiven through his name; I am 

writing to you, fathers, who have come to 

know the one who has existed since the beginning;

I am writing to you, young men, who have 

already overcome the Evil One; I have written to

you, children, because you already know the Father; 

I have written to you, fathers, because you have 

come to know the one who has existed 

since the beginning; I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and God’s word 

has made its home in you, and you have overcome the Evil One.
You must not love this passing world or anything that is in the world.
The love of the Father cannot be in any man who loves the world,
because nothing the world has to offer – the sensual body, the lustful eye,
pride in possessions – could ever come from the Father but only from the world;
and the world, with all it craves for, is coming to an end; but anyone who does the will of God
remains for ever.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad

Give the Lord, you families of peoples,

give the Lord glory and power;

give the Lord the glory of his name.

 

Bring an offering and enter his courts,

worship the Lord in his temple.

O earth, tremble before him.

Proclaim to the nations: 'God is King.'

The world he made firm in its place;
he will judge the peoples in fairness. 

Anna speaks of the Child to all 

There was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own  town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with

wisdom; and God's favour was with him.

A SWORD WILL PIERCE YOUR SOUL

Prayer before Mass: Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Lord, in Your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness. May I receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings and Lord of lords, with humble reverence, with the purity and faith, the repentance and love, and the determined purpose that will help to bring me to salvation. May I receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood, and its reality and power.
 
Kind God, may I receive the Body of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary, and so be received into His mystical body and numbered among His members.

Loving Father, as on my earthly pilgrimage I now receive Your beloved Son under the veil of a sacrament, may I one day see Him face to face in glory, who lives and reigns with You forever. Amen. By Knights of the Holy Eucharist.  

Readings 

Lectures 

Reflection  

Anyone who loves his brother is living in the light

Anyone who loves his brother is living in the light We can 

be sure that we know God only by keeping  

his commandments.  Anyone who says, ‘I know him’, and

does not keep his commandments,  is a  liar, refusing 

to admit the truth. But when anyone does obey what he has

said, God’s love comes to perfection in him. We can be

sure that we are in God only when the one who claims to

be living in him is living the same kind of life as Christ lived. 

M y dear people, this is not a new commandment that 

I am writing to tell you, but an old commandment 

that you were given  from the beginning, the original  

commandment which was the message brought to you. Yet 

in another way, what I am writing to  you, and what is being 

carried out in your lives as it was in his, 

is a new commandment; because the night is over and the real light is already shining. 1 John  2:3-11

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad

You have prepared a light to enlighten the pagans

 When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of           Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord – observing what stands written in the       of  the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice,  in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young  pigeons. Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the  Holy Spirit  that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:

‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised;

 because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have

 prepared for all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the 

pagans and the glory of your people Israel.’ 

As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him,
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for
 the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own 
soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’