Please pray for Rosie, Dan, Special Intention, Blue Book 13
 

The Baptism of Jesus

1. From Fr. Joe's Homilies - Reflect on the Word

Baptism of the Lord - January 11, 2009

INTRODUCTION – (Isaiah 55:1-11; 1 John 5:1-9; Mark 1:7-11) Many kings, prophets, and holy people served God in Old Testament times, but in four places in the book of the prophet Isaiah, God speaks of someone with whom he is especially pleased. This servant is not identified by name, and because the passages are in poetic form, they are usually referred to as the servant songs. They were written about 500 years before Christ. Perhaps the passages refer to someone who was alive at the time of the prophet but, amazingly, although they were written 500 years before the time of Christ, they describe Jesus so perfectly. At Jesus’ baptism, the voice of God is heard, introducing Jesus to the world, as not only his servant, but as his beloved Son.

2. Isaiah 55: 1-11

Final invitation

Oh, come to the water 
    all you who are thirsty; 
though you have no money, come! 
Buy and eat; come, buy wine and milk 
without money, free! 
Why spend money on what cannot nourish 
and your wages on what fails to satisfy? 
Listen carefully to me, 
and you will have good things to eat 
and rich food to enjoy. 
Pay attention, come to me; 
listen, and you will live. 

I shall make an everlasting covenant 
    with you 
in fulfilment of the favours 
    promised to David. 
Look, I have made him a witness 
    to peoples, 
a leader and lawgiver to peoples. 
Look, you will summon a nation 
    unknown to you, 
a nation unknown to you will hurry to you 
for the sake of Yahweh your God, 
because the Holy One of Israel 
    has glorified you. 

Seek out Yahweh 
    while he is still to be found, 
call to him while he is still near. 
Let the wicked abandon his way 
and the evil one his thoughts. 
Let him turn back to Yahweh 
    who will take pity on him, 
to our God, for he is rich in forgiveness; 
for my thoughts are not your thoughts 
and your ways are not my ways, 
declares Yahweh. 
For the heavens are as high above earth 
as my ways are above your ways, 
my thoughts above your thoughts. 
For, as the rain and the snow 
    come down from the sky 
and do not return 
    before having watered the earth, 
fertilising it and making it germinate 
to provide seed for the sower 
    and food to eat, 
so it is with the word 
    that goes from my mouth: 
it will not return to me unfulfilled 
or before having carried out 
    my good pleasure 
and having achieved 
    what it was sent to do.

 

3. Baptism of the Lord - January 11, 2009

HOMILY – Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of our Lord. Even though it is an event that took place roughly 30 years after Jesus’ birth and the coming of the Magi, it is a feast that fits with the theme of Epiphany. Epiphany means to cause something to be seen, to show, to illuminate or manifest. In last week’s feast God revealed his son to the world as represented by the magi. God again reveals his son at the baptism by John the Baptist with his declaration from heaven: “You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased.” So, if you think we are a little slow about removing our Christmas decorations, they are still appropriate to the season. On Monday, Ordinary time begins. It is then that the Christmas/Epiphany season is over. Since they are still so beautiful, we may keep a few poinsettia’s around for another week or so.

4. Baptism of the Lord - January 11, 2009 continues

John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. It’s hard for us to understand why Jesus, the sinless one, God’s Son, came to John for a baptism of repentance. Even John the Baptist had difficulty understanding why Jesus came to him for baptism. As John said “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Because it is difficult to understand, various explanations have been offered as to why Jesus was baptized. 1) Some of the early Church Fathers said Jesus went into the water of the Jordan, not in order to be made holy, but to make thewater holy so that all the waters of the world would become life giving through the sacrament of baptism. 2) It crossed my mind that another possible reason Jesus went to be baptized was to show us what his baptism would do, that his baptism would bring the Spirit down upon us and we would become God’s beloved children.

3) Inauguration is on everyone’s mind these days. Perhaps we can see Jesus’ baptism as his official inauguration as he began the work the Father had given him. He was ready to proclaim the gospel, the good news, that for those who turned their hearts to God, God’s Kingdom was there for them. The Father and the Spirit put their approval on him and would guide him in this ministry to the world.

5. Baptism of the Lord - January 11, 2009 continues

4) The last possible explanation I have is perhaps Jesus went to be baptized as an example to us that we are to be baptized in order to become God’s sons and daughters. Right before Jesus ascended into heaven he sent his apostles to continue his work (and that by the way is what the word “apostle” means: one who has been sent). He told them: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” If these were his last words, as St. Matthew tells us, baptism must be really important to our Lord.

6. Baptism of the Lord - January 11, 2009 continues

Most of us do not remember our baptism. We don’t remember most of the things that happened to us in our earliest year. Yet those are the things that gave direction to our lives: how we were to treat others, what kinds of food we were to eat, how to care for ourselves, how to act in public, how we were to be educated. In taking us for baptism our parents were setting a direction for us, setting us on the path to holiness through faith in Jesus Christ.

7. Baptism of the Lord - January 11, 2009 continues

Sometimes parents take their child for baptism because they think they should, but they fail to see the life of Christ that baptism gives has to be nourished and to have opportunity to grow. You might have heard the story about the family who took their second child to church for baptism and after the baptism the older child who was three years old sobbed all the way back home. His father asked what was wrong. He said, “the priest said he wanted us to be brought up in a Christian home and I want to stay with you guys.”

8. Baptism of the Lord - January 11, 2009 continues

Baptism gives Christ’s life, a life that needs to be nurtured and given the opportunity to grow just like the baby’s physical life does. Some more fundamental religions say let the child grow up and get baptized when they’re older so they can make their own choice as to  what religion they want to belong to. Parents don’t do that with anything else that’s important. They don’t say we won’t send you to school and when you’re old enough you can decide what you need to learn; or we’ll let you eat whatever you want until you’re old enough to decided for yourself. Baptism gives God’s life and sets the direction for that life. The child, when he or she is grown, will have to make his or her own choice as to if and how much he or she will be faithful to Christ. When they see their children begin to drift away, that’s when a lot of parents do some heavy praying. If this happens, don’t give up hope for them and don’t stop praying.

9. Baptism of the Lord - January 11, 2009 continues

I feel as if my thoughts have drifted in various directions and I know much more could be said about baptism. I just want to leave you with one thought. Even though most of us may not remember our baptism, we should thank God, for in it he gave us life and the Spirit and he gave us a loving parent or parents to guide us in the ways of God.

10. Isaiah 52: 13-53:12

Look, my servant will prosper,
will grow great, will rise to great heights.

As many people were aghast at him—
he was so inhumanly disfigured
that he no longer looked like a man—
so many nations will be astonished
and kings will stay tight–lipped
   before him,
seeing what had never been told them,
learning what they had not heard before.

Who has given credence
    to what we have heard?
And who has seen in it
   a revelation of Yahweh’s arm?
Like a sapling he grew up before him,
like a root in arid ground.
He had no form or charm to attract us,
no beauty to win our hearts;
he was despised, the lowest of men,
a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering,
one from whom, as it were,
   we averted our gaze,
despised, for whom we had no regard.
Yet ours were the sufferings
    he was bearing,
ours the sorrows he was carrying,
while we thought of him
   as someone being punished
and struck with affliction by God;
whereas he was being wounded
    for our rebellions,
crushed because of our guilt;
the punishment reconciling us fell on him,
and we have been healed by his bruises.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each taking his own way,
and Yahweh brought the acts of rebellion
of all of us to bear on him.
Ill–treated and afflicted,
he never opened his mouth,
like a lamb led to the slaughter–house,
like a sheep dumb before its shearers
he never opened his mouth.

Forcibly, after sentence, he was taken.
Which of his contemporaries
    was concerned
at his having been cut off
    from the land of the living,
at his having been struck dead
    for his people’s rebellion?
He was given a grave with the wicked,
and his tomb is with the rich,
although he had done no violence,
had spoken no deceit.

It was Yahweh’s good pleasure
    to crush him with pain;
if he gives his life as a sin offering,
he will see his offspring
    and prolong his life,
and through him
    Yahweh’s good pleasure will be done.

After the ordeal he has endured,
he will see the light and be content.
By his knowledge, the upright one,
   my servant will justify many
by taking their guilt on himself.

Hence I shall give him a portion
    with the many,
and he will share the booty
    with the mighty,
for having exposed himself to death
and for being counted
   as one of the rebellious,
whereas he was bearing the sin of many
and interceding for the rebellious.

 

 

Wedding Feast of Cana

1. John 2: 1-10

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. And they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the feast had all been used, and the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said, ‘Woman, what do you want from me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’  There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water,’ and they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, ‘Draw some out now and take it to the president of the feast.’ They did this; the president tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew—the president of the feast called the bridegroom and said, ‘Everyone serves good wine first and the worse wine when the guests are well wined; but you have kept the best wine till now.’ 

 

2. R. God calls us to a vocation –
    We see the parable of the barren fig
        tree –
    God gives us so many years to answer
        our vocation.

3. R. God calls us to persevere in prayer.

Luke 11: 8

I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it to him for friendship’s sake, persistence will make him get up and give his friend all he wants.

 

4. Matthew 22: 2-3

‘The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come.

 

5. R. God calls us to our vocation –
    We have a free will to respond by
        answering His call or
        rejecting His call –

6. Matthew 13: 44

'The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off in his joy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

 

7. Matthew 7: 24-27

    Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’

 

    Sing: I Am Your Sacred Heart

8. Matthew 5: 13

‘You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled under people’s feet. 

 
9. Matthew 5: 15

No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp–stand where it shines for everyone in the house.
 

R. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
    Jesus is the truth.
    Telling lies is not like Jesus.

10. R. God calls us in our vocation.
    We are unique.
    We see He cast the net into the sea.
    He expects us to build the Kingdom
        with those He called and He expects
        us to work with them –
        not be jealous or envious or
        in competition and full of pride –
        opposing His will.

 

Building of the Kingdom

1. Matthew 20: 1-16

                        Parable of the labourers in the vineyard

‘Now the kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, "You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage." So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing around, and he said to them, "Why have you been standing here idle all day?" "Because no one has hired us," they answered. He said to them, "You go into my vineyard too." In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, "Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first." So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner saying, "The men who came last have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat." He answered one of them and said, "My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the lastcomer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why should you be envious because I am generous?" Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’  

 

2. Matthew 13: 33

'Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that is cast in the sea and brings in a haul of all kinds of fish.
 

3. Matthew 13: 34

In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except in parables.
 

4. Matthew 13: 45-46

    'Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls;  when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.
 

5. R. God expects us to work with our
    brothers in our vocation –
    not be jealous, prideful, envious
    opposing God's will for His
    calling of others and
    blocking their vocation.

Matthew 13: 47

'Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that is cast in the sea and brings in a haul of all kinds of fish.
 

6. R. Jesus told me He would empty the
    buckets, before He fills them
    with all that is faithful to Him –
    doing His will in love.
 

Matthew 13: 48-49

When it is full, the fishermen bring it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in baskets and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the upright,

7. R. Remember the parable of the
        prodigal son –
        The Father forgives the sinner
        who repents.
    Remember Peter denied Christ,
        Peter was sorry and
        Jesus made him
        the first pope.

8. R. The men with the Talents –
 

Matthew 25: 14-30

‘It is like a man about to go abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one, each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out on his journey. The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.  Now a long time afterwards, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said, “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.” Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said, “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.” Last came forward the man who had the single talent. “Sir,” said he, “I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have got my money back with interest.  So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents.  For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has. As for this good–for–nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”

 

9. R. Remember the Parable of the 10 Virgins?
    5 were foolish and 5 were wise!
    The Bridegroom came – the
    foolish ones were not ready.

10. R. Our whole life is a journey to
    prepare ourselves for the
    heavenly banquet –
    God has called us to a vocation
    and we have a free will to
    oppose His will or
    answer His will for us.

 

The Transfiguration

1. Mark 9: 2-8

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain on their own by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became brilliantly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus, ‘Rabbi,’ he said, ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.
 

2. R. We can be given great grace to
    know God's call for us
    and reject the call, the
    way God wants us to live
    our lives.

3. R. Jesus was meek and gentle in
        Heart.
    Mary lived the Father's will
        perfectly –
    Being argumentative about
        what God calls us to do
        can tear down the Kingdom
        of God, if we answer and
        give a bad example, as a religious
        to others in the Church –
        as a mom and dad before our children
        who learn about life through our
        example.

4. R. Jesus loved the Father's will –
    Jesus died on the cross doing the
        Father's will –
    Jesus showed us about responding
        to God's will –
        He served His Father perfectly.

5. R. Jesus worked miracles during His
    public life –
    Jesus turned water into wine –
    Jesus healed the lepers –

6. R. Jesus worked miracles –
        Jesus healed the centurion's servant
        Jesus calmed the sea –
        Jesus cast out devils –
        Jesus healed physically and
            spiritually.

7. R. Jesus cast out demons,
        Jesus walked on the water,
        Jesus fed the crowd
        Jesus healed blind men –
        Jesus raised people from
            the dead.

8. John 14: 1-7

    Do not let your hearts be troubled. 
    You trust in God, trust also in me. 
    In my Father’s house 
        there are many places to live in; 
    otherwise I would have told you. 
    I am going now to prepare a place for you, 
    and after I have gone 
        and prepared you a place, 
    I shall return to take you to myself, 
    so that you may be with me 
    where I am. 
    You know the way 
        to the place where I am going. 

    Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus said: 

        I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. 
    No one can come to the Father 
        except through me. 
    If you know me, 
        you will know my Father too. 
    From this moment you know him 
        and have seen him. 

 

9. R. Jesus tells us to ask and we will
    receive –
 

Novena to the Infant of Prague
(to be prayed hourly if possible)

 
          O Jesus, who said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you," through the intercession of Mary, Your most holy Mother, I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted. 

          O Jesus, who said, "All that you ask of the Father in My Name He will grant you," through the intercession of Mary, Your most holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask Your Father in Your Name that my prayer be granted. 

          O Jesus, who said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not pass," through the intercession of Mary, Your most holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted.

 

10. John 16: 23

When that day comes,
you will not ask me any questions.
In all truth I tell you,
anything you ask from the Father
he will grant in my name.
 

 

Institution of the Eucharist

1. Matthew 26: 26-29

The institution of the Eucharist

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples. ‘Take it and eat,’ he said, ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he handed it to them saying, ‘Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. From now on, I tell you, I shall never again drink wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father.’

 

2. Luke 22: 20

He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you.

 

3. Hebrews 9: 11-14

But now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, not made by human hands, that is, not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement, may restore their bodily purity. How much more will the blood of Christ, who offered himself, blameless as he was, to God through the eternal Spirit, purify our conscience from dead actions so that we can worship the living God.

 

4. Hebrews 9: 15-22

This makes him the mediator of a new covenant, so that, now that a death has occurred to redeem the sins committed under an earlier covenant, those who have been called to an eternal inheritance may receive the promise. Now wherever a will is in question, the death of the testator must be established; a testament comes into effect only after a death, since it has no force while the testator is still alive. That is why even the earlier covenant was inaugurated with blood, and why, after Moses had promulgated all the commandments of the Law to the people, he took the calves’ blood, the goats’ blood and some water, and with these he sprinkled the book itself and all the people, using scarlet wool and hyssop; saying as he did so: This is the blood of the covenant that God has made with you. And he sprinkled both the tent and all the liturgical vessels with blood in the same way. In fact, according to the Law, practically every purification takes place by means of blood; and if there is no shedding of blood, there is no remission.

 

5. Hebrews 9: 23-28

Only the copies of heavenly things are purified in this way; the heavenly things themselves have to be purified by a higher sort of sacrifice than this. It is not as though Christ had entered a man–made sanctuary which was merely a model of the real one; he entered heaven itself, so that he now appears in the presence of God on our behalf. And he does not have to offer himself again and again, as the high priest goes into the sanctuary year after year with the blood that is not his own, or else he would have had to suffer over and over again since the world began. As it is, he has made his appearance once and for all, at the end of the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself. Since human beings die only once, after which comes judgement, so Christ too, having offered himself only once to bear the sin of many, will manifest himself a second time, sin being no more, to those who are waiting for him, to bring them salvation.

 

6. John 20: 19-21

In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, 'Peace be with you,' and, after saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord, and he said to them again, 'Peace be with you.

'As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.'

 

7. From the Priestly Newsletter 1999 - Issue 1

The Eucharist

• "At the Last Supper, on the night He was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of His Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of His death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us (Vatican II, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, No. 47) ¹⁴

14. The Documents of Vatican II, "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, " American Press edition, No. 47.

 

8. From the Priestly Newsletter 1999 - Issue 1

• The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ's faithful, when present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent spectators. On the contrary, through a proper appreciation of the rites and prayers they should participate knowingly, devoutly, and actively. They should be instructed by God's word and be refreshed at the table of the Lord's body; they should give thanks to God; by offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest, but also with him, they should learn to offer themselves too. Through Christ the Mediator, they should be drawn day by day into ever closer union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all." (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, No. 48) ¹⁵

15. Ibid., No. 48.

 

9. From the Priestly Newsletter 1999 - Issue 1

• "Through the Eucharistic Sacrifice Christ the Lord desired to set before us in a very special way this remarkable union whereby we are united one with another and with our divine Head, a union that no word of praise can ever sufficiently express. For in this sacrifice the sacred ministers act not only as the representative of our Saviour, but as the representative of the whole Mystical Body and of each one of the faithful. Again, in this act of sacrifice, the faithful of Christ, united by the common bond of devotion and prayer, offer to the eternal Father through the hands of the priest, whose prayer alone has made it present on the altar, the Immaculate Lamb, the most acceptable victim of praise and propitiation for the Church's universal need. Moreover, just as the divine Redeemer, while dying on the Cross, offered Himself to the eternal Father as Head of the whole human race, so now, 'in this clean oblation' He not only offers Himself as Head of the Church to His heavenly Father but in Himself His mystical members as well. He embraces them all, yes, even the weaker and more ailing members, with the deepest love of His Heart. (Pope Pius XII, Mystici Corporis AAS, XXXV, 232-233) ¹⁶

16. Pope Pius XII, Encyclical Letter, Mystici Corporis, AAS, XXXV, pp 232-233.

 

10. A Prayer before the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

    Let me be a holy sacrifice and unite with God in the sacrament of His greatest love.

    I want to be one in Him in this act of love, where He gives Himself to me and I give myself as a sacrifice to Him. Let me be a holy sacrifice as I become one with Him in this my act of greatest love to Him.

    Let me unite with Him more, that I may more deeply love Him. May I help make reparation to His adorable Heart and the heart of His Mother, Mary. With greatest love, I offer myself to You and pray that You will accept my sacrifice of greatest love. I give myself to You and unite in Your gift of Yourself to me. Come and possess my soul.

    Cleanse me, strengthen me, heal me. Dear Holy Spirit act in the heart of Mary to make me more and more like Jesus.

    Father, I offer this my sacrifice, myself united to Jesus in the Holy Spirit to You. Help me to love God more deeply in this act of my greatest love.

    Give me the grace to grow in my knowledge, love and service of You and for this to be my greatest participation in the Mass. Give me the greatest graces to love You so deeply in this Mass, You who are so worthy of my love.

-Mass Book, December 27, 1995