Week 2, Day 4
Daily Prayer
The Angelus
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with thee;
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, etc.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Mary, Beloved of God
Scripture Reading from Song of Songs 2:3-10 – Longing for God
This scripture passage is very beautiful and tells the story of a very intense love between two people. This love story is how God loves us and wishes for us to love Him in return. Some of the imagery may be too abstract for younger members of the family to understand, so feel free to shorten the passage or use words that may be more accessible for your family.
Offering our Hearts to the Father
At the Annunciation, when Mary gave her “Yes” to God, it was the perfect yes, or fiat, to God. It serves as the perfect example of how we should respond to God’s invitation to follow Him completely, to offer our lives completely in service to God.
What is a fiat? Fiat literally means, “Let it be done.” This was Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation.
Mary’s fiat is more than just a one time answer to the angel’s message: it was how she lived her whole life. She continued to say to God, “Let it be done according to Your will,” her whole life. Mary’s fiat was the first of many fiats by holy men and women who followed in her footsteps, guided by her example of doing whatever God asked of her.
Saying yes to God can be easy, but not always. When have you said yes to God? What can you do to be ready to say yes to God when He asks you to do something that is not what you want to do?
Mary was able to give her fiat because she loved God with all her heart. In response to Mary’s fiat, God’s love consumed her completely and made her a new creation. Mary’s adoration of God enabled her to lead her husband, Joseph, to love God more than he did before. Mary can do the same for us. Her motherly love of us, and her complete dedication to God, helps us to also choose to give our fiat to God. Led and encouraged by Mary, we can dedicate, or consecrate, our lives completely to God and allow Him to make us saints.
Are we inspired to do great things by the example of our parents and grandparents? Of course we are. When we see those who are older than us, who have lived virtuous lives, continue to choose God even through trials and difficulties, we are inspired to be better than we were yesterday. Mary is the perfect example of living a life dedicated to God, giving her fiat daily and following God completely.
Daily Pious Practice Reminder
- Choose a verse from the Bible to read and think about each day.
Closing Prayer
Eternal and All-Powerful Father, your divine gift of grace called Mary to give her love without conditions: a limitless fiat of love. You gave the Virgin Mary to us to be our Mother and example. Grant that her fiat may be at the source of our own fiat, and that your grace may work its full power in us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Annunciation
Comments?