"And Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let thy word be done unto me." And the angel departed from her (Luke 1:38).
Reflection for the Day
Mary is our model in listening to the Word of God
The angel Gabriel, the bearer of divine mission, approached Mary and conveyed the Word of God. We must think about how willing Mary was to receive the Word of God. “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” Hearing the words of the Angel, the holy virgin asked, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?". It was a reasonable question indicating the fact that Mary had promised God that she would remain a virgin. The angel of God cleared up Mary’s doubts. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.”
When the angel of God suggested a solution to Mary's problem, the Blessed Virgin immediately replied: "Let it be with me according to your word." Do we have such a willingness to accept the Word of God? Christ once told the parable of the sower: "As the sower went out to sow, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rocky ground, and because it had no depth of soil, it withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns choked it. But some fell on good ground, and it yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."
The seeds mentioned in this parable are examples of four types of people who accept the Word of God. The first group, when they hear the word of God, immediately reject it; the second group, although they receive the word of God, reject it when there is distress or persecution because of the word. The third group, like the seed that fell among thorns, receives the word but forgets it when temptations arise. The fourth group, receives the word of God and acts accordingly.
Once, a woman who heard the word from the divine lips of Jesus exclaimed with excitement, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” Immediately the Lord said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” (Luke: 11: 27-28). This helps us to understand what the true glory of the Blessed Virgin Mary consists of.
Therefore, let us strive to listen to the Word of God in our daily lives and act accordingly. Let us listen to the Word of God through reading the Holy Scriptures daily. We should also pay close attention to the sermons based on the Word of God at the Sunday Mass. The Word of God is a double-edged sword. Listening to it and putting it into practice will be life saving. But it can also lead to destruction of those who ignore it.
Incident to reflect for the Day
When Saint Albertus (Albert) was a seminarian, he had great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. After sometime he experienced difficulty in his studies. He was a member of the Dominican Order and faced with difficulty in studies, he decided to abandon the monastic life. The Virgin Mary appeared to him one day and said : My son, remain in this monastic life. I will grant you all the blessings to lead a monastic life from my divine Son.
Saint Albertus consequently decided to continue leading a monastic life and later became a great devotee of Mother Mary. He was very anxious to learn and became a profound scholar. He was also destined to become the teacher of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the most knowledgeable man the world has ever seen. Saint Albertus is known as the doctor of Marian Theology.
Prayer
Oh Mary! How faithful you have been in hearing and putting into practice the Word of God. Through your words, "Let it be done to me according to your word," you created a renewed world. Lord, grant us the grace to hear the Word of God and live our lives in accordance with Your Word. We have often listened to the Word of God without interest and not put it into practice of whihc we now truly repent. We promise to lead our future lives according to the saving words of your divine Son. Please help us to overcome our weakness in adhering to your Word.
The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate,despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Oh Holy Mary, conceived without original sin! O refuge of sinners! Here we come to your refuge. Have mercy on us and pray for us to your Son.
Our Father..Hail Mary..Glory be
Repeat Three times
Litany of Mother Mary
Hail Holy Queen
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our Life, our Sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us, the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
Let us pray. O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Petitions to the Holy Mother of God
• Refuge of sinners! Pray for the Holy Church.
Hail Mary..
• Refuge of sinners! Pray for the conversion of the Gentiles and others.
Hail Mary..
• Refuge of sinners! Pray for the political authorities to uphold truth and justice.
Hail Mary..
• Refuge of sinners! Pray for the authorities of the Holy Church, such as the Pope and others.
Hail Mary..
• Refuge of sinners! Pray for the souls in purgatory, who are your beloved children.
Hail Mary..
Aspiration Prayer for the Day
Mother of God, teach us to live according to the Word of God.