Day Twenty-Seven Consecration to Mary for the 21st Century/A Lenten Journey

Day Twenty-Seven Consecration to Mary for the 21st Century/A Lenten Journey     

                                                                     Day Twenty-Seven

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Prayers for this week, Days 23-28 in Lent:

Begin each day with "My Mother, my hope."

First Meditation

Meditate upon this story: A child and his mother were crossing a fast running brook with many slippery rocks.

Mother: "Please hold my hand."

Child: "No Mom, you hold my hand."

Mother: "What's the difference?"

Child: "If I hold your hand and I feel myself falling...there's a chance I may let your hand go, but if you hold my hand, I know you will never let my hand go."

     Allow Mother Mary to take your hand.

Second Meditation

Contemplate upon motherly love.  Mothers learn to love immediately through the labors of childbirth.  Motherly love is born in suffering and continues through all the emotional stressful times.  So it was with Mary.  Jesus gave Mary to us as He hung on the cross.  Is she not our Mother of Sorrows, Queen of Martyrs, and Help of All Christians?  Run to her when you need solace.

Third Meditation

Above all the saints is Mary.  Unless one has the right idea about Mary one cannot have the right idea about God and man.  When in the fifth century, false teachings about Jesus were proposed, Mary settled the question.  Bishop Nestorius taught that Christ was not truly God.  He was not born God, but grew up to be.  To stop this heresy, Mary was declared the Mother of God at the Council of Ephesus. (John 6)  Later, another heresy arose refuting what the Gospel say about Jesus at the last supper.  They doubted the Real Presence in the Eucharist.       The most beautiful hyms have risen to praise Jesus, Son of Mary, True Presence in the Eucharist.

Ave verum corpus                                       Hail to Thee, True Body Sprung

Mary points to Christ.  Those who are cradle Catholics learn early to love Mary and so to love her Son.  How can you love the Son, if you don't love the Mother?  Think about it.

End the day with the prayer, "We fly to thy patronage, O Holy Mother of God; despice not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Amen"

End your day with an examination of conscience--even in bed.

What good did I do today?

Where did I fail?

How can I do better?