Week 1, Day 4
Daily Prayer
The Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Mary, Virgin Most Pure
Scripture Reading from 1 John 2:28-29 – 1 John 3:1-3 – We are children of God and God is a loving Father.
Wrapped in the Father’s Mercy
God chose Mary to be the mother of His Son. Mary is merely a human being just like us, and God showed great love for us by choosing a human being to be the mother of His Son. Mary didn’t do anything to deserve this great gift. We haven’t done anything to deserve God’s love either, but He gave it to us anyway, asking us only to love Him in return.
Who else loves you, no matter what (unconditionally)? Answers may include parents, brothers and sisters, and extended family, parish priests, members of a religious community, the bishop.
What does it mean to love someone? How do you know someone loves you? It means to desire the very best for that person. Loving someone is helping him or her to grow closer to God and to obey His commands, because it is by following God’s commands that we will be truly happy.
God loves us with a never ending love that is not dependent on whether or not we love Him in return. Like the father in the story of the prodigal son, He is always watching and waiting for us to return to Him. When we return, He is ready to welcome us back, reconcile with us, and love us as if we had never done anything wrong in the first place.
When we remain in God’s love, we can be confident that we are pleasing God, our Father. Being faithful to God’s commands helps us to live without fear or shame. Mary had complete confidence in God and His faithfulness to her. The Immaculate Conception bestowed this original innocence upon her relationship with God. In Mary’s heart there is complete trust that God loves her and wants only what is best for her.
What can we do to be merciful to others like God the Father is merciful to us? Always be ready to forgive when people hurt us. Do not hold grudges.
Why do you think God chose Mary to be the mother of His son? Mary didn’t do anything to cause God to choose her, God’s choice was a complete gift to her. However, her parents did respond to God’s love by dedicating Mary to God’s service, and Mary only wished to serve God with her whole heart. God gives us gifts and if we are prepared, we can joyfully receive them as Mary did.
Daily Pious Practice Reminder
- Make a personal act of adoration three times each day.
Closing Prayer
Father of mercy, in your goodness you chose Mary to be the Mother of your Son and our Mother. Grant us the grace to give ourselves so completely to you by her that she may truly reign as queen of our hearts. May she truly be our Queen and Mother. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Prodigal Son