"The angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God'" (Luke 1:30).

Reflection for the Day

Holy Virgin’s Submission to the Divine Will

The Holy Virgin had promised her virginity to God. The angel of God approached the Holy Virgin and informed her of her divine mission. When Mary heard the greeting, "Hail, full of grace, blessed are you amongst women, the Lord is with you," she was troubled.

Mary asked the angel how this could happen to her, a virgin. The angel answered, "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."

Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." We can understand from these words how much Mary subjected herself to God's will. Even though she knew that she would have to suffer many things with the Savior of the world, she was willing to say, "Let it be with me according to your word."

She was ready to experience the exile in Egypt, the humble life in Nazareth, and the hardships of poverty. She must have repeated the words, "Let it be with me according to your word" throughout the public life of the Messiah, his suffering, and Calvary.

Once, while Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his divine mother and sisters came and stood outside and wanted to speak to him. "Behold, your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." A man came and said to Jesus. Jesus’ response was, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:48-50)

Here, the Messiah makes it clear that the true reason for the glory of the Blessed Virgin is her submission to the will of God. He also proclaims the fact that each of us creates a new relationship with Jesus when we do the will of God. As he says in the Sermon on the Mount, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

Submission to the will of God is the foundation of the Christian life. This was very evident in the lives of the Messiah and the Blessed Virgin Mary. At every moment of our daily lives, the angel of God approaches us and informs us of God's will. If we understand and act according to God's commandments, the commands of the Holy Church, the instructions of our superiors, and the responsibilities of life, we can better serve God and our brothers.

Incident for the day

A scholar named John Hoxenham wrote about the healings that occur through the holy water of the stream of Lourdes as follows. "I eblong to the Protestant Free Church. Although I have many friends who are Roman Catholics, many of them live with a sense of self-condemnation that they are faithful to their religion. I have no objection to the Catholic Church. I do not really know about these miracles at Lourdes."

"But having seen them with my own eyes and having been convinced by my heart, I am forced to accept the truth. The cures at Lourdes have been witnessed by great surgeons and physicians. To me, Lourdes is a wonderful manifestation of God."

(John Oxenham, The Wonder of Lourdes)

Prayer

Oh Mother of God, you were completely obedient to the will of God. That was the only rule of your life at every moment. From the moment you consented to become human, to the moment you stood at the cross of Calvary, and even after that, you always fulfilled the will of God. We understood that you were a gift to your glory. Mother of God, grant us, your beloved children, the blessing to live completely obedient to the will of God. In the hardships of life, when the waves of temptations rise and rise, when we experience illness and suffering, may the torch of the will of God guide us.
Amen.

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 all above 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, you dedicated yourself to the will of God, help us to live according to the will of God.