Week 2, Day 7
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, Model of Faith
Scripture Reading from Genesis 17:1-8 & 15-21– Abraham, Our Father in Faith
Abraham believed God’s promise even though he could not see how God would fulfill it. God gave him a son by his wife Sarah, and they named him Isaac, which means “he laughs.” Sometimes we laugh at God’s plans, because they seem impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Firm in Faith
Faith is never stagnant. With every choice we make, we either move closer to God or move away from His love. Mary is a model for how our faith can constantly grow and take us closer to God. There are three stages in Mary’s faith journey: Before Jesus, With Jesus, and After Jesus. Regardless of what stage she was in, throughout all of her life, Mary sought to know God’s will better and to model her life according to God’s plan for her.
What daily choices do we make that bring us closer to God? Answers will vary.
What daily choices do we make that move us farther from God? Answers will vary.
Mary was a young Jewish woman, and she considered Abraham her father in faith. Abraham’s faith inspired her to be faithful. When she became pregnant with Jesus, her faith continued to grow, as she was now the Mother of the Son of God. She still believed like Abraham, but God showed her even more about who He is and who His Son is. This is why Mary is, like us, a Christian. She was the first follower of Christ.
Abraham is our Father in Faith. What was the name of Abraham’s wife? Sarah.
What was the name of Abraham’s son? Isaac. (For bonus points, what was the name of Abraham’s other son? Ishmael: he was born to Abraham’s slave Hagar.)
Mary’s faith continued to grow as she spent most of thirty years seeing Jesus every day. At the Crucifixion, Mary was given to us by Jesus as our mother in faith, and we were told to take her into our homes (John 19:25-27).
What can we do to ensure that we continue to grow deeper in faith and closer to God each and every day? Talk with Jesus as much as possible through prayer, putting others’ needs before our own, sharing our things with our siblings and friends, attending daily Mass with our parents, visiting Jesus in Adoration with our parents, monthly Confession, reading scripture daily.
Daily Pious Practice Reminder
- Choose a verse from the Bible to read and think about each day.
Closing Prayer
Eternal and All-Powerful Father, our minds cannot fathom the depth of your promise. Grant us a childlike spirit, like Mary, so that, through her intercession, we might adhere to the full reality of your mystery by a faith burning with love. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Abraham Sarah and Isaac
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