H. Francisco Posada, L.C.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Christ, our King, Thy Kingdom come!
Preparatory prayer (to put me in the presence of God)
Lord, fill my soul with Mary's joy; I want to feel your presence in my life and your loving hand that never lets me fall into the valley of darkness. I ask for the grace to see my life with your eyes so that I may marvel at your great work in it. Give me the grace to learn to be like Mary so that one day you will say to me: «Today you will be with me in paradise».
Gospel of the day (to guide your meditation)
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke 1:46-56
At that time, Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit is filled with joy in God, my savior, because he has set his eyes on the humility of his handmaid”.
From now on all generations will call me blessed, because he who can do all things has done great things in me. Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from generation to generation to those who fear him.
He makes the power of his arm to be felt: he scatters the haughty-hearted, He dethrones the mighty and exalts the lowly. He fills the hungry with good things, and the rich he sends away empty.
Remembering his mercy, he comes to the help of Israel, his servant, as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants, forever.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Word of the Lord.
Meditate on what God tells you in the Gospel
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A humble person attracts attention because he or she does things, whether it is the greatest thing in the world or a small detail, and does not seek credit or recognition, unlike most of us who usually proclaim that we did them and almost ask to be applauded. To be humble is to recognize that I cannot do everything and that what I do is not for applause and awards, but that all my actions are for my personal enrichment and that of others. We can see this attitude in Mary and this caught the attention of God who, looking at the world, did not cast lots to see who would be her mother, but saw and loved, but clearly not just anyone. God has his tastes too, as I once heard from consecrated women that Christ reserves the best for Himself.
God chose Mary and asked her if she could «weave» his body with her own flesh as depicted in some ancient Byzantine paintings that show the virgin with a thread implying that she, as mother, weaves Jesus' humanity.
Let us ask Mary to grant us the grace to weave her image in our soul, an image of simplicity and humility founded on the Gospel, the living word of God. And who better than she to engrave the image of Jesus Christ in our lives so that all who see us can see Him.
«What does our Mother advise us? Today in the Gospel, the first thing she says is “make my soul magnify the Lord” (Lc 1, 46). We, accustomed to hearing these words, perhaps no longer pay attention to their meaning. To magnify literally means “to make great”, to magnify. Mary “magnifies the Lord”: not the problems, which she was not lacking at the time, but the Lord. How often, however, we allow ourselves to be overcome by difficulties and absorbed by fears! Our Lady did not, because she placed God as the first greatness of life. From this arises the Magnificat, This is where joy is born: not from the absence of problems, which sooner or later arrive, but joy is born from the presence of God who helps us, who is close to us. Because God is great. And, above all, God looks at the little ones. We are his weakness of love: God looks at and loves the little ones.»
(Homily of H.H. Francis, August 15, 2020).
Dialogue with Christ
This is the most important part of your prayer, prepare yourself to talk with much love with the One who loves you.
Purpose
Propose a personal one. The one that involves the most love in response to the Beloved... or, if you believe that this is what God is asking of you, live what is suggested below.
To thank all the people around me for what they do.
Farewell
We thank You, Lord, for all Your benefits, You who live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Christ, our King!
Thy Kingdom come!
Most prudent Virgin, Mary, Mother of the Church.
Pray for us.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
