Week 4, Day 4
Daily Prayer
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 valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
Thine eyes of mercy towards us.
And after this, our exile,
Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement O loving O sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us oh holy mother of God.
(This line is read by one person when the Hail Holy Queen is being recited in a group setting.)
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(This line is the response given by the group.)
Mary, Mother and Queen
Scripture Reading from Song of Songs 3:6 through 4:1
- Solomon’s wedding procession
What is a litter or a palanquin? It is a carriage without wheels that slaves would carry while the king was riding in it.
Listening in Silence
Our world is full of noise. Silence is now considered something to be avoided at all costs. We have iPods, iPhones, headphones, radios, TVs, computers, etc. All of these items are meant to entertain us at all times so we don’t have to endure any silence. Besides the issue of the content of the noise we fill our minds with, we also need to consider this: We need silence so we can hear the voice of God speaking to us.
What distracts you from hearing God?
Not many of Mary’s words were recorded in Sacred Scripture. When she speaks, her words are very powerful and have profound meaning (the Wedding Feast at Cana, the Magnificat, the Annunciation). After Jesus and Joseph, Mary’s son and husband, St. John knew her best. Although Mary didn’t say much, St. John wrote quite a bit, and Mary’s silent example surely inspired him.
When we have a secret, we are silent; we keep that secret and do not utter it to anyone. Mary knows the secret of Jesus, and she tells us the secret: Live with a burning thirst to love. Jesus on the Cross told us that he thirsts. Mary heard this plea, as did St. John, and they both carried that thirst to love throughout their lives.
Do you thirst for souls? Is this thirst the first thing in our mind? God’s thirst for souls is a divine thirst that all Christians should have.
How does it feel when someone tells you a secret? If you are like most people, it makes you feel special that someone loves and trusts you enough to share something very special with you.
Daily Pious Practice Reminder
- This week strive to let the Light of Christ shine in our world by evangelizing others.
Closing Prayer
Holy God, our Father, all of our hope is in you. In the heart of the Virgin Mary, we discover a love that leads to silence. As we contemplate the mystery of your love, may Mary lead us deeper and deeper into silence. May we become true witnesses to our brethren of the secret of your love that we bear in our hearts. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Listening in Silence
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