1.2 Prayer

STAGE 1: Facing Reality

AWE AND WONDER

BEHOLDING HARMONY

PRAYER

Rosary

“Mary is the vast and divine world of God where unutterable marvels and beauties are to be found. She is the magnificence of the Almighty where he hid his only Son, as in his own bosom, and with him everything that is most excellent and precious” (TD 6).

With St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, let us contemplate Mary as the “magnificence of the Almighty”.

God is honoured in Mary: “There is not and there never will be, either in creation or in God’s mind, a creature in whom God is so honoured as in the most Blessed Virgin Mary, not excepting even the saints, the cherubim or the highest seraphim in heaven” (SM 19).

Mary is God’s garden: “Mary is God’s garden of Paradise, his own unspeakable world into which his Son entered to do wonderful things, to tend it and to take his delight in it” (SM 19).

Mary is God’s world: “God created a world for the wayfarer, that is the one we are living in. He created a second world – Paradise – for the Blessed. He created a third world for himself, which he named Mary” (SM 19).

Mary is the fountain of grace: “Happy the person to whom the Holy Spirit opens this enclosed garden for him or her to enter and to whom the Holy Spirit gives access to this sealed fountain where the person can draw water and drink deep draughts of the living waters of grace” (SM 20).

Mary is the echo of God: “Mary was created only for God, and it is unthinkable that she should reserve even one soul for herself. […] Mary is the wonderful echo of God. The more persons join themselves to her, the more effectively she unites them to God. When we say ‘Mary’, she re-echoes ‘God’” (SM 21).

Concluding Prayer

Ave Maris Stella (Just click or tap) or

“Canticle of the Creatures”, by St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226).

Praised be you, my Lord, with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day and through whom you give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour; and bears a likeness of you, Most High.

Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through whom you give sustenance to your creatures.

Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water, who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you light the night, and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

[1-2] CALL RESPONSE COMMITMENT PRAYER