2.2 Prayer

STAGE 2: Awareness of Self

MY RELATIONSHIPS

GENERATING LIFE

PRAYER

Rosary

In communion with St. Louis-Marie de Montfort, let us meditate on the mystery of Mary in her relationship with God and the Christians.

The Incarnation: “God the Father gave his only Son to the world only through Mary. She alone has found grace before God by the power of her prayers and the perfection of her virtues […]. The Son of God became man for our salvation but only in Mary and through Mary. God the Holy Spirit formed Jesus Christ in Mary but only after having asked her consent” (TD 16).

The Visitation: “If we examine closely the remainder of the life of Jesus Christ, we see that he chose to begin his miracles through Mary. It was by her word that he sanctified St. John the Baptist in the womb of his mother, St. Elizabeth; no sooner had Mary spoken than John was sanctified” (TD 19).

The Birth at Bethlehem: “It was with her, in her and for her that God the Holy Spirit produced his masterpiece, God-made-man, and that he produces every day until the end of the world the members of the body of this adorable Head. For this reason the more he finds Mary in a soul the more powerful and effective he becomes in producing Jesus Christ in that soul and that soul in Jesus Christ” (TD 20).

The Presentation: “God-made-man glorified his independence and his majesty in depending upon this lovable virgin in his conception, his birth, his presentation in the temple, and in the thirty years of his hidden life. Even at his death she had to be present so that he might be united with her in one sacrifice” (TD 18).

The Finding of Jesus: “Jesus gave more glory to God his Father by submitting to his Mother for thirty years than he would have given him had he converted the whole world by working the greatest miracles. How highly then do we glorify God when to please him we submit ourselves to Mary, taking Jesus as our sole model!” (TD 18).

Concluding Prayer:

Litany of Our Lady (Just click or tap) or

An Inspirational Verse: “Risks”, often attributed to the poet and thinker, Leo Buscaglia (1924-1998), the real author of this poem is Janet Rand.

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk being called sentimental.

To reach out to another is to risk involvement.

To expose feelings is to risk showing your true self.

To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd

Is to risk being called naïve.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is to risk despair.

To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken,

Because the greatest risk in life is to risk nothing.

Persons who risk nothing,

Do nothing, have nothing, are nothing,

And become nothing.

They may avoid suffering and sorrow,

But they simply cannot learn,

Feel, change, grow or love.

Chained by their certitude,

They are slaves;

They’ve forfeited their freedom.

Only the person who risks is truly free.

[2-2] CALL RESPONSE COMMITMENT PRAYER