Mary the Mother of God - The Most Blessed Among Women

Today, we embark on a nine-day spiritual journey in preparation for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on December 8^th. We honor our Blessed Mother in this way for she is God’s most highly favored daughter. Conceived in her mother St. Ann’s womb free from the stain of original sin, Mary the Mother of God is the most blessed among women for in her spotless and sacred vessel she carried the savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. Mary, who is the perfect mother of all living things, the perfect virgin, the queen of the universe, passes unnoticed among us in her perfect humility. We are richly blessed to have Mary as our Heavenly mother. Her pure heart loves all of her children with an infinite love. Our Lady is the mediatrix of all graces for all graces from Christ pass through her hands. She longs to know the petitions in our hearts and will always intercede on our behalf to her son Jesus. Mary is a direct route to Christ. St. Josemaria the Founder of Opus Dei said, “To Jesus we always go, and to him we always return, through Mary” (Point #495, The Way.) On this first day of the Novena to the Immaculate Conception, let us go to Our Lady with all the joys, tribulations and requests we carry in our hearts. A beautiful prayer of petition to Our Lady is the Memorare.

 

THE MEMORARE

Remember O, most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions, 

but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

 

Recommended Reading:

Mother of God and Our Mother – Friends of God, St. Josemaria Escriva

The Blessed Virgin – Cause of our Joy, Christ is Passing By, St. Josemaria Escriva

To Jesus Through Mary, Christ is Passing By, St. Josemaria Escriva

 

From the Heart – Giving Unconditionally and Receiving with Gratitude

As sons and daughters of God we are called to give ourselves generously to the others as Christ gives Himself to us each and every day. Unconditional love is that spirit in which we give from our hearts without seeking recompense. Our giving should not be self-serving for our desire is always to bring joy to the other. Our gift to others is an extension of our love for Christ. Thus the familiar saying “you owe me one” has no place in the heart of one who tries to imitate the love of Christ. His love for us is unconditional, and we would do well to imitate Him. The Prayer of St. Francis is an example of the true spirit of giving.

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Gifts, whether they be monetary, or acts of kindness, are all manifestations of the love we have in our hearts. We have all been taught that it is better to give than to receive. However as we are called to give generously, we are also called to receive graciously with appreciation. Do we receive with the same spirit in which we give – from the heart? We have all been the recipient of an unexpected gift or an extraordinarily generous favor.  While we are touched and grateful, we none-the-less experience disappointment or sorrow if we are unable to reciprocate. While it is true that we are called to give to one another, we are not called to engage in a disingenuous buying competition to “pay back” or “settle the score”.  This practice, albeit well meaning, can quite easily become self-gratification if our need to appease our own conscience overshadows the other person’s gift to us. In such situations giving becomes all about us rather than all about the other. The greatest gift we can give is a heartfelt “thank you” to express our gratitude. In the gospel account of the curing of the ten lepers, Jesus took issue with the fact that only one person returned to give thanks, for all He asked of them was to give thanks and bring His message to the others. Christ asks us to express our gratitude and appreciation for any gift bestowed upon us by another. Thus our acceptance of a gift or charitable deed with gratitude IS our gift to the giver.

Recommended Reading: Friends of God, by St. Josemaria Escriva

Chapter: Detachment, Section: God Loves a Cheerful Giver

Chapter: The Strength of Love

Fighting the Good Fight: The Spirit of Detachment and the Virtue of Perseverance

Why are we so reluctant to accept help? We are all imperfect beings and make mistakes, we all fail, and we all need each other to recover from our falls.  God asks us to support and guide each on our journey. If we insist on going it alone, we will continue to spin our wheels, and instead of moving forward, we sink deeper into the mud. St. Josemaria, the Founder of Opus Dei said, “ You insist on trying to walk on your own, doing your own will, guided solely by your own judgment. And you can see for yourself that the fruit is fruitlessness. My child, if you don’t give up your own judgment, if you are proud, if you devote yourself to “your” apostolate, you will work all night – your whole life will be one long night – and at the end of it, all the dawn will find you with your nets empty.” – (Point 574, The Forge.) Battles are never fought alone. We need armies for there is strength in numbers. God is within all of us and He gives us all angels to assist us. Imagine the impact we could make if we all worked together instead of flying solo.

 

When our search for answers and desire for truth, lead us to a dead end, our only recourse is to turn to God for He possesses the master plan for our lives. Rejections and setbacks may give us cause to give up and abandon our plans and ambitions. Given the current state of our economy, jobs are becoming increasingly more difficult to find and we would rather avoid the whole painstaking search altogether, but we know we must persevere in the battle. If we submit to defeat and give up the good fight, our souls spiral downward to discouragement and we eventually lose our peace.  Perhaps the better choice is to proceed with our plans, but rather than clench tightly to our own methods, we ought to become detached from our own way and attached to God’s.  Thus we will move forward along the road while remaining in constant contact with our co-pilot for further directions. If God, our co-pilot tells us to go right when we would have turned left, we are more assured of reaching our destination if we follow His advice. Sometimes though, when God does not give us the next directive, we may think that He has gone missing, but rest assured He is at our side assuming the role of the silent partner. We may not feel His presence but we know He is there. He may allow us to take the wrong course, but only to help us see with far greater clarity the right course. His temporary absence leads us to seek Him and rely on Him more fully.

 

Prayer to Understand the Will of God

Dear Heavenly Father, through the intercession of N. please remove the obstacle of pride that clouds our vision. Open our hearts and minds so that we will come to know your will for us. Destroy any feelings, thoughts or actions that are not from you, and help us to accept your truth with humility, joy, and peace.     Marylee Marsh – 2009; inspired by the life of St. Josemaria Escriva, the Founder of Opus Dei

Graces in Abundance

God showers all of us with many graces each day. Let us be certain that our rain barrels are properly disposed to catch these blessings lest they wash away; then store them in the reservoir of our hearts to continuously draw from as needed for our daily struggle.