I WILL SING FOR EVER OF YOUR LOVE

FRIDAY FORTH WEEK IN ADVENT YEAR C

PRAYER BEFORE HOLY MASS  Act of Love before Mass 

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. Readings Lecture Reflection

First Reading 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16

Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me

Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’

But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:

 ‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’

 

Responsorial Psalm

I will sing forever of your love, O Lord

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

Morning star, radiance of eternal light,

sun of justice, come and enlighten those 

who live in darkness

and in the shadow of death.

Alleluia!

 Gospel Luke 1:67-79

'You, little child, shall be the prophet of the Most High'

John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue and he has raised up for us a power for salvation in the House of his servant David, even as he proclaimed, by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times, that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us.

Thus he shows mercy to our ancestors, thus he remembers his holy covenant the oath he swore to our father Abraham that he would grant us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies, to serve him in holiness and virtue in his presence, all our days.

And you, little child, you shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins; this by the tender mercy of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us, to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace.’

God our Father I will sing for ever of your love. Thank you for your mercy, thank you for your faithfulness and love. Thank you for your compassion. We acknowledge you God of our salvation. May your Holy Spirit be our guide to lead us closer to you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Father lead us to your light. Guide our feet into the way of peace. May your mercy abide with us through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you. Virgin Mary pray for me. Saint Joseph pray for me.  God's Holy angels pray for me. My Angel Guardian pray for me. Protect me, guide and guard me.  Pray the Holy Rosary.

HIS NAME IS JOHN

THURDAY FORTH WEEK IN ADVENT YEAR C

PRAYER BEFORE HOLY MASS  Act of Love before Mass 

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. Readings Lecture Reflection

First Reading Malachi 3:1-4,23-24

Before my day comes, I will send you Elijah my prophet

The Lord God says this: Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple; and the angel of the covenant whom you are longing for, yes, he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts. 

Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and then they will make the offering to the Lord as it should be made. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be welcomed by the Lord as in former days, as in the years of old.

 

Know that I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before my day comes, that great and terrible day. He shall turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the hearts of children towards their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a curse.

 

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

King of the peoples

and cornerstone of the Church,

come and save man, 

whom you made from the dust of the earth.

Alleluia!

 

Gospel Luke 1:57-66

'His name is John'

The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.

Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name’, and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. 

All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

Father in heaven our source of joy. You work in a mysterous way. No one can understand your ways. You see our joy, our pains. You visit us at your own time, for you Father you are timeless. Fill us with your joy and miracles that we may rejoice all the days of our lives. Thank you Father for your Son Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you. Come Lord Jesus, Maranatha. Virgin Mary pray for me. Saint Joseph pray for me. God's Guardian Angel pray for me. My Guardian Angel pray for me. Pray your Holy Rosary, may our Blessed Mother Virgin Mary pray for us.

 

THE ALMIGHTY HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR ME

WEDNESDAY FORTH WEEK IN ADVENT YEAR C

PRAYER BEFORE HOLY MASS  Act of Love before Mass 

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. Readings Lectures Reflection

First Reading  Samuel 1:24-28

This is the child I prayed for: he is made over to the Lord

When Hannah had weaned the infant Samuel, 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.’   There she left him, for the Lord.

 

Responsorial Psalm

My heart exult in the Lord my Saviour

 

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

King of the peoples

and cornerstone of the Church,

come and save man,

whom you made from the dust of the earth.

Alleluia!

 

Gospel Luke 1:41-46

 

The Almighty has done great things for me

Mary said:

‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me.

Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.

He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy – according to the promise he made to our ancestors – of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’ Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

My heart exults in the Lord.   I find my strength in my God; my mouth laughs at my enemies as I rejoice in your saving help. The bows of the mighty are broken,   but the weak are clothed with strength. Those with plenty must labour for bread,   but the hungry need work no more. The childless wife has children now   but the fruitful wife bears no more. It is the Lord who gives life and death, he brings men to the grave and back; it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.  He brings men low and raises them on high. He lifts up the lowly from the dust,  from the dung heap he raises the poor to set him in the company of princes   to give him a glorious throne. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, on them he has set the world. 1 Sam. 2:1,4-8

Lord Jesus I trust in you. Pray the Holy Rosary. Saint Joseph pray for us. 

THE VISIT FROM THE MOTHER OF OUR LORD

TUESDAY FORTH WEEK IN ADVENT YEAR C

PRAYER BEFORE HOLY MASS  Act of Love before Mass 

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.  Readings Lectures Reflection 

Songs of Songs 2:8-14

See how my Beloved comes, leaping on the mountains

I hear my Beloved. See how he comes leaping on the mountains, bounding over the hills. My Beloved is like a gazelle, like a young stag. See where he stands behind our wall. He looks in at the window, he peers through the lattice.

 

My Beloved lifts up his voice, he says to me, ‘Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. For see, winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The season of glad songs has come, the cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land.

 

The fig tree is forming its first figs and the blossoming vines give out their fragrance. Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock, in the coverts of the cliff, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is beautiful.’

 

Responsorial Psalm

Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; O sing him a song that is new

 

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

Emmanuel,

our king and lawgiver,

come and save us,

Lord our God.

Alleluia!

 

Gospel  Luke 1:39-45

Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with you. Blessed are you amongst women.  "Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?...". Lord Jesus Christ King of glory I honor you. Come Lord and dwell with us. 

Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you. Pray your Holy Rosary. May our Blessed mother Virgin Mary pray for us. Saint Joseph pray for us. God's Holy Angels pray for us. My Angel Guardian pray for me.