Week 1, Day 5
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, Model of Holiness
Scripture Reading from the book of Wisdom 7:22-27 – Wisdom is the model of holiness
Who in scripture prayed for wisdom and it was granted to him? King Solomon, who is considered the author of the book of Wisdom.
Mary, Masterpiece of Creation
The Immaculate Conception is not just for us to admire (like a beautiful painting), but for us to study and imitate. There are many beautiful things we see on a daily basis, like the latest expensive electronic gadgets, expensive sports cars, beautiful artwork, and all we can do is admire them. For most of us, there is no way we can ever hope to obtain these things for ourselves.
What is beautiful to you? Is it someone you know? a car, something in nature, something at Mass?
The Immaculate Conception (Mary) is different. Mary is God’s masterpiece that He gives to us, not just for us to look at, but for us to imitate. Mary was given this gift of being immaculate (perfectly sinless) at one point in time, the very moment of her creation. We, born into sin, enter into perfection gradually, but the end God desires for each of us is the same, eternal perfection with Him in Heaven.
God could have made us all perfect instantly, but He chose to lead us through a process of becoming perfect following Mary, our Mother. Mary is our model, the goal we wish to achieve. With God’s help we can truly make Mary our model.
What can we do to have a soul that is clean like Mary? What is the quickest way for us to become holy like her?
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- Dedicate your life to serving God completely
- Pray, fast, and give your money away to the poor (Tobit 12:8-9, 1 Corinthians 7:3-5, Luke 2:37, Luke 12:33).
Daily Pious Practice Reminder
- Make a personal act of adoration three times each day.
Closing Prayer
Father of mercy, in the darkness of faith, we cannot grasp the full depth of the gift you give us in the mystery of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Enlighten our minds by your Holy Spirit so that by your love we can touch the greatness of this gift more and more, and adore you forever. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Mary, Gods Masterpiece
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