Precious Blood of Jesus Christ

An Act of Faith in the Lord’s Presence
Lord, I believe you are here with me right now, loving me.
But it’s dark and I cannot see your radiance.
It’s quiet and I cannot hear the tender whisper of your voice.
My heart is so broken and afraid that I cannot feel
the warmth of your gentle presence.
I can only pray: Be with me, Lord.
I want to see your face.
I want to know that you are with me.
I want to be cradled in your arms.

I want to feel your strength, your peace.
Even if I can’t feel you, hold me tight.
Even if I can’t see you, stay right beside me.
Even in the darkest hour, be with me, Lord.
You are the Divine Master: help me to discover your presence in every situation.
You walked the way of suffering during your earthly life: now walk with me.
You are the Resurrection and the Life,
overcoming sin and death: fill me with your grace and love.
I cling to your promise:
“Do not be afraid, for I am with you always, until the very end of time.”
I entrust myself completely to your merciful love.

O Sacrament most Holy,
O Sacrament Divine,
All praise and all thanksgiving,
Be every moment Thine.

Jesus, the very thought of thee
With sweetness fills the breast;
But sweeter far thy face to see,
And in thy presence rest.
No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find
A sweeter sound than thy blest Name,
O Savior of mankind!
O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek

To those who fall, how kind thou art!
How good to those who seek!
All those who find thee find a bliss
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but his loved ones know.
Jesus, our only joy be thou,
As thou our prize will be;
Jesus, be thou our glory now,
And through eternity.

“Certainly amongst all devotions, after that of
receiving the sacraments, that of adoring Jesus in the
Blessed Sacrament holds the first place, is the most
pleasing to God, and the most useful to ourselves. Do
not then, O devout soul, refuse to begin this devotion;
and forsaking the conversation of men, dwell each day,
from this time forward, for at least half or quarter of
an hour, in some church, in the presence of Jesus
Christ under the sacramental species. Taste and see
how sweet is the Lord.”

• St. Alphonsus Ligouri
  “The Eucharist is the heart of the Church. Where
  Eucharistic life flourishes, there the life of the church will blossom.”
• Pope John Paul II
  “When you look at the Crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then.
  When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now,”
• Mother Teresa of Calcutta
  “The Christ of Bethlehem is the Christ of Galilee, is the Christ of the Crucifixion, is
  the Christ of the Resurrection, is the Christ of the Eucharist,”
• John Cardinal O’Connor
  “In the Eucharist, this divine Heart governs us and loves us by living and abiding
  with us, so that we may live and abide in Him, because in this Sacrament… He offers
  and gives Himself to us as victim, companion, viaticum, and the pledge of future
  glory,”
• Benedict XV
  “The Sacrament of the Body of the Lord puts the demons to flight, defends us against
  the incentives to vice and to concupiscence, cleanses the soul from sin, quiets the
  anger of God, enlightens the understanding to know God, inflames the will and the
  affections with the love of God, fills the memory with spiritual sweetness, confirms
  the entire man in good, frees us from eternal death, multiplies the merits of a good
  life, leads us to our everlasting home, and re-animates the body to eternal life,”
• St. Thomas Aquinas

Jesu dulcis memoria, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, tr. Edward Caswall, 1849.

ACT OF REPENTANCE
We recall that we can never be worthy of God and that his mercy is
an undeserved gift. “This is love: not that we have loved God, but
that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins” (1 John
4:10). You can choose to make an examination of conscience,
recalling specific sins and asking for God’s forgiveness and
healing.
O my God, I repent of all my sins from my heart, and I detest them,
not only because I deserve the just penalties,
but most of all because I have offended you,
the highest Good who are worthy to be loved above all things.
Therefore, I firmly propose, by the help of your grace,
not to sin again and to flee near occasions of sin. Amen.
(from the Rite of Penance)

PRAYER
O God, who established your only-begotten Son as the Savior of
mankind and decreed that he be called Jesus, mercifully grant that
we who venerate his Name on earth may also behold his face in
heaven. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

MEDITATION
Meditation is the heart of the Holy Hour. It is a time to call to mind
God’s revelation of himself, to listen to him speak through his
word, and to respond. There are many ways to make a meditation,
but the purpose is always time of loving attention with the Holy

The Real Presence of Jesus

St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)

The whole world should tremble and heaven rejoice,
when Christ, the Son of the living God,
is present on the altar in the hands of the priest.
What wonderful majesty! What stupendous condescension!
O sublime humility! O humble sublimity!
That the Lord of the whole universe, God and the Son of God,
should humble himself like this
and hide under the form of a little bread for our salvation.
Look at God’s condescension, my brothers,
and pour out your hearts before him, humble yourselves that you
may be exalted by him.

Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
St. Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

O Jesus, present in the Sacrament of the Altar,
teach all nations to serve you with a willing heart,
knowing that to serve God is to reign.
May your Sacrament, O Jesus,
be light to the mind,
strength to the will,
joy to the heart.
May it be the support for the weak,
the comfort for the suffering,
the wayfaring bread of salvation for the dying,
and, for all, the pledge of future glory.

Prayer in Full Faith

St. Thomas More (1478-1535)
Give me, good Lord, a full and fervent charity,
a love of you, good Lord,
incomparable above the love of myself;
and that I love nothing to your displeasure
but everything in an order to you.
Take from me, good Lord, this lukewarm fashion,
or rather this cold manner of meditation
and this dullness in praying to you.
And give me warmth, delight, and life
in thinking about you. And give me your grace to long for your hold Sacraments
and specially to rejoice in the presence of your
blessed body,
sweet Savior, in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar,
and duly to thank you for your gracious coming.

Trinity. Engaging in meditation takes about 30 minutes and is the
longest portion of the Holy Hour. It is best to choose only one text
from those suggested and use that for the whole period of
meditation.
The suggested readings are selections from the votive Mass of the
Most Holy Name of Jesus; commentary is from Volume IV of the
Lectionary for Mass with references to the Catechism of the
Catholic Church (CCC).

EXODUS 3:11-15
Moses, hearing the voice of the Lord from the burning bush,
said to him,
“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh
and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
He answered, “I will be with you;
and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you:
when you bring my people out of Egypt,
you will worship God on this very mountain.”
Moses said to God, “But when I go to the children of Israel
and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel:
I AM sent me to you.”
God spoke further to Moses,
“Thus shall you say to the children of Israel:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.
“This is my name forever; this is my title for all generations.”

Commentary on Ex 3:11-15
Moses learns of God’s will for him. This passage describes his call
from God on Mount Horeb. The image of the burning bush
attracted him and God calls the reluctant servant to return to Egypt
as his instrument. The purpose, Moses is told, is to lead the
“Children of Israel out of Egypt”. Moses’ response demonstrates
the humility generally associated with God’s chosen servants.
There is concern from Moses that he must be able to tell the
Israelites the name of God in whose name he comes. The Lord
names himself “I am who am.” Giving no name that can be used to
have dominion over him as ancient Samarian tradition suggests
(see Genesis – man names the animals as a sign that he has been given dominion over them). This is the origin of the term
“Yahweh” used to name God in some English translations.
The Lord goes further, instructing Moses to tell those in bondage
in Egypt that he is the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. This identification was cited by
early Christians as proof of the resurrection, since the patriarchs
live on in God who is the God of the living.

CCC: Ex 3:13-15 205; Ex 3:14 446, 2666, 2810

SIRACH 51:8-12
I remembered the mercies of the LORD,
his kindness through ages past;
For he saves those who take refuge in him,
and rescues them from every evil.
So I raised my voice from the very earth,
from the gates of the netherworld, my cry.
I called out: O Lord, you are my father,
you are my champion and my savior;
Do not abandon me in time of trouble,
or leave me in the time of the proud without help.
I will ever praise your name
and be constant in my prayers to you.
Thereupon my prayer was heard
and you saved me from evil of every kind
and rescued me from the time of trouble.
For this reason I thank you and I praise you,and bless the name of the LORD.

Commentary on Sirach 51:8-12
The son of Sirach continues his song of thanksgiving for
deliverance from danger; which is found at the very end of the
Book of Sirach in what is referred to as the “appendix”. In this
selection of the song, God’s mercy is remembered as the singer
reflects upon how the Lord’s salvation has been poured out. He
acknowledges the adoption of the Lord as he calls God his “father”
and pleads for his continued support and favor. In return for the
mercies already shown and those anticipated the singer worships
the name of God and praises the name of Yahweh.

ACTS 3:1-10

Peter and John were going up to the temple area
for the three o’clock hour of prayer.
And a man crippled from birth was carried
and placed at the gate of the temple
called “the Beautiful Gate” every day
to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,
he asked for alms.
But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,
and said, “Look at us.”
He paid attention to them,
expecting to receive something from them.
Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold,
but what I do have I give you:
in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.”
Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,
and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
He leaped up, stood, and walked around,
and went into the temple with them,
walking and jumping and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
they recognized him as the one
who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple,
and they were filled with amazement and astonishment at what had happened to him.

Commentary on Acts 3:1-10
This dramatic cure of the lame beggar is the first miracle worked
by the Apostles and begins a series of events that place the
disciples in the footsteps of Jesus. “‘This cure,’ says St John
Chrysostom, ‘testifies to the resurrection of Christ, of which it is an
image. […] Observe that they do not go up to the temple with the
intention of performing a miracle, so clear were they of ambition,
so closely did they imitate their Master’ (Hom, on Acts, 8).”
In this first action, the beggar is cured in the name of Jesus and
immediately he is led into the temple area. The symbolism here is
Jesus heals us and leads us to faith. The miraculous cure also
serves a secondary purpose.

In addition to demonstrating the power of God’s intense love invoked through the name of Jesus, it also
serves to draw a large crowd to hear the kerygmatic discourse of
St. Peter which follows.
CCC: Acts 3:1 584; Acts 3:9 2640

ACTS 4:8-12
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them:
“Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today
about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heavegiven to the human race by which we are to be saved.”

Commentary on Acts 4:8-12
This selection follows Peter and John as they proclaim Christ
crucified and risen. As we hear in this passage, their effective
apology has now gained them an audience with Caiaphas and the
rest of the Sanhedrin – the very same people who handed Jesus
over to be crucified and Peter, having just performed a saving act
in His name, reminds them with the famous cornerstone (in other
versions the word used is “keystone” or “head of the corner”)
speech using imagery from their own hymnal Psalm 118:22.CCC: Acts 4:10 597; Acts 4:11 756; Acts 4:12 432, 452, 1507

ACTS 5:27B-32, 40B-42
When the court officers had brought the Apostles In
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders, [did we not?],
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s Blood upon us.”
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.”
After recalling the Apostles, the Sanhedrin had them flogged,
ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus,
and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes,they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.

Commentary on Acts 5:27b-32, 40b-42

As in the previous case when they had cured the lame beggar, the
Apostles (this time all of them, not just Peter and John) are brought
before the Sanhedrin. It is interesting to see that the elders and
scribes fear to speak the name of Jesus in these proceedings
(“…stop teaching in that name”).
Peter now assumes his role as leader of the Apostles and again
boldly professes his faith that Jesus, in whose name they speak and
whose name the Sanhedrin fear to speak, is the Son of God (“We
must obey God rather than man.”).
While we do not hear the rational from Gamaliel (Paul’s mentor)
that killing the Apostles would not serve a useful purpose, we do
hear that they are scourged.
Gamaliel was indeed wise, recognizing that, even before it
formally existed, the blood of martyrs is seed for new members of
the Church. Indeed, even persecution has a positive effect on the
faith and fervor of the Apostles (“So they left the presence of the
Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer
dishonor for the sake of the name.”)
CCC: Acts 5:28 597; Acts 5:29 450, 2242, 2256; Acts5:30 597; Acts 5:41 432

ISAIAH 12:2-6

God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.is the Holy One of Israel!

The Real Presence of Jesus
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
The whole world should tremble and heaven rejoice,
when Christ, the Son of the living God,
is present on the altar in the hands of the priest.
What wonderful majesty! What stupendous condescension!
O sublime humility! O humble sublimity!
That the Lord of the whole universe, God and the Son of God,
should humble himself like this
and hide under the form of a little bread for our salvation.
Look at God’s condescension, my brothers,
and pour out your hearts before him, humble yourselves that you
may be exalted by him.
Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
St. Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)
O Jesus, present in the Sacrament of the Altar,
teach all nations to serve you with a willing heart,
knowing that to serve God is to reign.
May your Sacrament, O Jesus,
be light to the mind,
strength to the will,
joy to the heart.
May it be the support for the weak,
the comfort for the suffering,
the wayfaring bread of salvation for the dying,
and, for all, the pledge of future glory.
Prayer in Full Faith
St. Thomas More (1478-1535)
Give me, good Lord, a full and fervent charity,
a love of you, good Lord,
incomparable above the love of myself;
and that I love nothing to your displeasure
but everything in an order to you.
Take from me, good Lord, this lukewarm fashion,
or rather this cold manner of meditation
and this dullness in praying to you.
And give me warmth, delight, and life
in thinking about you.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst

Commentary on Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
This hymn of praise is a profession of faith: “My strength and my
courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.” It also does
something interesting in that it challenges those who profess their
faith in the Lord to proclaim it in the world: “…among the nations
make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name.”
This canticle emphasizes the peace and confidence found in his
servant, enjoying the salvation of God. He sings his praise to God
and exhorts all of Israel to praise him as they see his constant
presence among them in the blessings they receive.

CCC: Is 12:3 2561

PSALM 113(112):1-6
Praise, you servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
both now and forever.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the Lord to be praised.
High above all nations is the Lord;
above the heavens is his glory.
Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned on high,and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?

Commentary on Ps 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Psalm 113 is a hymn of praise. The psalmist calls the “servants of
the Lord” to sing God’s praises. The omnipotence of the Lord is
exalted as he is seated on his throne above the heavens.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-3
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Sosthenes our brother,
to the church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Commentary on 1 Cor 1:1-3
In this introduction to his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul
establishes the theme of his letter. He first reminds them that he is
called by God to do what he does, not by his own volition or for
his own purpose. He then reminds them that in their conversion they were sanctified, set apart for God.

PHILIPPIANS 2:6-11
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.

Commentary on Phil 2:6-11

This passage from Philippians is known as the Kenotic Hymn, the
song of emptying. Christ empties himself of the complete divinity
that is his essence and accepts the human condition. As true man
he suffers the ultimate humiliation of death (on the cross). The
second section of the hymn focuses on God’s resulting actions of
exaltation. The Christian sings of God’s great glory in Christ,
proclaiming him Lord and Savior. As part of St. Paul’s instructive
letters, this is clearly to be used as a liturgical prayer or song. In
the context of the Lord’s passion and resurrection, it provides a
counter point to the elevated status of Jesus revealed and the
Messiah – the Only Begotten Son of God. The attitude of Christ is
one of humility.
CCC: Phil 2:6-11 2641, 2667; Phil 2:6 449; Phil 2:7 472, 602,
705, 713, 876, 1224; Phil 2:8-9 908; Phil 2:8 411, 612, 623; Phil
2:9-11 449, 2812; Phil 2:9-10 434; Phil 2:10-11 201; Phil 2:10 633, 635

COLOSSIANS 3:12-17
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Commentary on Col 3:12-17
St. Paul exhorts the Colossians with a litany of positive attitudes
that culminate in the cardinal axiom of the faith “love one
another.” He goes on to implore them to let the peace of Christ
control their every action and to praise God constantly through
Jesus, God’s only Son.

This is the introduction to the family hierarchy of the era described
by St. Paul. This entire section of the letter is a discourse on
harmony within the family of Christ. It is important to note the
instruction given in the first part of this reading. Paul describes the
Christian rules for relationships; “Put on, as God’s chosen ones,
holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving
one another”. The consistent focus of the passage brings home the
Pauline ideals of harmony and unity within the Christian Family.
CCC: Col 3:14 815, 1827, 1844; Col 3:16-17 1156, 2633; Col

MATTHEW 1:18-25
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,and he named him Jesus.3:16 2641

Commentary on Mt 1:18-25
This passage is the beginning of St. Matthew’s story of the nativity
of Jesus. Joseph is being told by the angel that he should bring

Mary into his home as wife and the paternity of the child is the
Holy Spirit.
“The angel’s message is urgent: Joseph must maintain his marriage
in order to be the foster-father of Jesus. As a descendant of King
David, he imparts to Jesus Davidic (royal) rights of inheritance.
Matthew’s portrait of Joseph recalls the OT patriarch Joseph. (1)
Both share the same name ([Mt] 1:18; Gen 30:24); (2) both have
fathers named Jacob ([Mt] 1:16; Gen 30:19-24); (3) God spoke to
both of them through dreams ([Mt] 1:20-21; [Mt] 2:13, 19-20,
22; Gen 37:5-11); (4) both were righteous and chaste ([Mt]
1:19; Gen 39:7-18); (5) Both Saved their families by bringing them
to Egypt ([Mt] 2:13; Gen 45 16-20).”[1]
He is also told the name the child is Emmanuel (“God with us”).
The story ends with Joseph accepting the role and the command of
the angel. “The natural genealogical line is broken but the
promises to David are fulfilled; through Joseph’s adoption the child
belongs to the family of David. Matthew sees the virginal
conception as the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14.”[2]
CCC: Mt 1:16 437; Mt 1:18-25 497; Mt 1:20 333, 437, 486, 497;

Mt 1:21 430, 437, 452, 1507, 1846, 2666, 2812; Mt 1:23 497, 744

LUKE 2:16-21
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary
and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Commentary on Lk 2:16-21

The message, given to the shepherds by choirs of angels, that they
in turn brought to Mary, that she kept and reflected about in her
heart was: “For today in the city of David a savior has been born
for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a
manger.” (Luke 2 11-12)
This encounter with the shepherds further reinforces Mary’s faith,
the acceptance of her child’s role explained to her by the
Archangel Gabriel when this wonderful and tragic journey began.

CCC: Lk 2:19 2599; Lk 2:21 527

JOHN 14:6-14
Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

Commentary on Jn 14:6-14
In this passage from St. John’s Gospel, part of the “Many
Dwellings” discourse, we find a rare glimpse of the confusion the
evangelist sees in some of the disciples. Here St. Philip asks Jesus
to show them the Father. This request is a platform for Jesus to
once again remind them that he (Jesus) and the Father are one, that
they have seen him, and they have seen the Father.

He concludes this passage with a clear statement about the power
of faith in God’s only Begotten Son (Jesus), saying that whatever is
asked for in his name will be granted. Note especially that Jesus
says these prayers (requests) will be granted for the glory of the
Father.
CCC: Jn 14:6 74, 459, 1698, 2466, 2614; Jn 14:9-10 470; Jn14:9 516; Jn 14:13-14 2614; Jn 14:13 2614, 2633, 2815

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, you have said, “Ask and you shall receive; seek, and
you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you”; mercifully attend to
our supplications, and grant us the grace of your most divine love, that
we may love you with all our hearts, and in all our words and actions,
and never cease to praise you. Make us, O Lord, to have a perpetual fear
and love of your holy name, for you never fail to govern those whom you
solidly establish in your love. You, who live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.

INTERCESSION
Before the end of your Holy Hour, take time to ask God for what
you and others need. Some intentions: the Church, the intentions of
the Pope, the sick and suffering, the poor, vocations, the
Archdiocese of Boston, the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, all who
come to St. Clement Shrine, etc.

CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord, may we who honor the holy name of Jesus enjoy his
friendship in this life and be filled with eternal joy in the kingdom
where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.