For over a year now I have been writing little posts on this blog for the cause of Sister Marie. Soon after beginning it became apparent to me that as I wrote for the Foundress of Mary’s House the inescapable theme she had me focusing on was hope. A quick review of my posts will attest to this prevalent theme. This theme of hope about which I feel called to write and for which Sister Marie intercedes on our behalf was confirmed for me on my trip to Ephesus in October. While at Mary’s House on Saturday, October 11, each and every part of the Mass was focused on hope. Not only that, but regardless of the fact that it was not First Saturday, according to my little Magnificat Prayer book this particular (second) Saturday in October was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary; not the previous one which was the Feast of Saint Francis. And to my great surprise, October 11th's prayers in the Magnificat were created especially for Magnificat Pilgrimage of Hope! The Morning Prayers, Mass, and Evening Prayers were the prayers and meditations chosen by God for the day I spent at Mary’s House. It was all I could do to stop the tears of thanksgiving and love that flowed from my eyes that very special day. Poor Erin had to endure my constant pointing to my prayer book with eyes filled with incredulity. Notice especially the reference to the children of Abraham during the First Reading and Responsorial Psalm and the Evening Prayers. The Muslims consider themselves children of Abraham. We must pray in complete trust and hope that they will respond to the gift of faith and come to believe that Jesus Christ is Son of God.
There are no coincidences. It is a small miracle that I even made it to Mary’s House at all, and then to have God directly confirm my work for Sister Marie and peace between His children in these concrete and overwhelming words of hope was beyond edifying. Below I’ll post all the references to hope and the children of Abraham of that day’s Prayers and Mass. The Mass was offered as per the recommendation; the Mass of Mary Mother of Divine Hope! They are perfect meditations for Advent! Please join me this Advent in a renewed hope for peace through the powerful intercession of Sister Marie who brings our prayers to the Queen of Peace, “Our life, our sweetness, and our hope.” Read below and see if you too feel the hope God gives us and has confirmed for this mission of Sister Marie and Mary's House in Ephesus. God encourages us! Let us rejoice in His providential words and continue to pray with fervor. Mary’s House is a concrete beacon of unfailing hope and Sister Marie was chosen by God to give Mary’s House to the world; Sister Marie has opened the door of hope for a world in darkness and fear.
This is a bit long but even skimming through the prayers and Mass for October 11 will edify you and give you hope like never before.
October 11, 2008
Magnificat Prayers and Readings
Prayer for the Morning
Prayer for the Morning
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
With Mary, the Mother of Hope
Praise the name of the Lord!
Hymn
Mary, clad in the sun fire.
Haloed by the stars,
With the moon as step stone,
Light no shadow mars:
Burn on our Horizon
As we labor on
Toward the hint of daybreak,
Christ as rising dawn.
Mary, hope of glory,
Face of what will be
When time’s hold is broken
And its slaves set free:
Light the path before us
Lest we lose the way
From this shadowed valley.
Mary, hope of mercy,
When that light of day
Strikes our sin-stained faces
And our smirched array,
Wash us in the waters
From the throne of grace
Till you see there shining
Christ in every face.
Psalm 113 commentary
Hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure, and firm (Heb 6:18-19)
In the encyclical Spe Salve, Pope Benedict XVI writes that people who have lived good lives are lights of hope. Through their fidelity, even in darkness and difficulty, they have reached the goal for which we, in our turn, dare to strive in hope. He asks who more than Mary could be this beacon of hope for us, as she shines down from the embrace of God’s glory to guide us through the valley of death’s shadow to the risen Christ?
Word of God: Hebrews 6:11-12
We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises.
If we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. (Rom 8: 25)
Canticle of Zechariah – meditation scripture
Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. (Rom 12: 12)
Intercessions
Mary is the Mother of Hope. May her loving intercession lead us to her Divine Son. United with her, we pray:
R: Jesus, hope of all the earth, hear us.
When frustrations and discouragement assail us,
-grant us gently hearts. R.
When we are afraid,
-grant us courage. R.
When we are in need of help,
-give us Mary’s helping hand. R.
Father of hope and glory, while your Son hung upon the cross in darkness, you entrusted your people to Mary, his mother, to be the mother of our hope in him. At his resurrection, you flooded the whole earth with the light of joy. Grant that through the intercession and example of Mary, the mother of all hope, we may journey faithfully in the darkness of faith to the light of your everlasting day. We ask this…
MASS
(Today the prayers of the Mass of Mary Mother of Divine Hope, given below, could be used)
Entrance Antiphon:
Hail, Virgin Mary, hope of God’s people: you come to the aid of all who have no hope, you look with love on all who seek your help.
Opening Prayer
Lord God,
You have given the Blessed Virgin Mary to your Church
As a beacon of unfailing hope.
In your goodness
Grant that hose who are burdened by life’s cares
May find in her consolation and strength
And those who despair of salvation
May find their hearts warmed and uplifted
As they turn to her in their need.
We ask this…
First Reading
Galations 3: 22-29
Brothers and Sisters: Scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through
Faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.
Before faith came, we were held in custody under the law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed. Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian. For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.
The word of the Lord.
Psalm 105
R: The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
Proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! /R/
Look to the Lord in his strength;
Seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
His portents, and the judgments he has uttered. /R/
You descendents of Abraham, his servants,
Sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the Lord, is our God;
Throughout the earth his judgments prevail. /R/
Gospel – Luke 11: 27-28
Preface of Mary Mother of Divine Hope
Father, all powerful and ever-living God,
We do well always and everywhere to give you thanks
With all our hearts
For your gift to our human family
Of Jesus Christ, the author of our salvation,
And of Mary, his mother, the model of divine hope.
Your lowly handmaid in hope
Placed all her trust in you:
She awaited in hope
And conceived in faith the Son of Man,
With untiring love
She gave herself to his service
And became the mother of all the living.
Mary, the fairest fruit of Christ’s redeeming love,
As a sister to all the children of Adam
As they journey toward the fullness of freedom
And raise their eyes to her,
The sign of sure hope and comfort,
Until the day of the Lord dawns in glory.
In our joy we sing
With all the choirs of angles: Holy…
Communion Antiphon
Let us live holy and devout lives in this world as we look forward in blessed hope to the joyful coming of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Prayer after Communion
Lord God,
We have received this sacrament of faith and salvation;
As we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of our hope,
We pray that we may come to share with her
In your own divine love.
We ask…
Prayer for the Evening
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven. (Mt 8:11)
Intercessions
Mary is our Mother of Hope. May we imitate her trust in God as we pray:
/R/ Lord, lead us to hope in you.
We seek the reconciliation of all peoples,
-grant peace to the world. /R/
We seek to be one flock under one shepherd,
-may we submit to God’s guidance. /R/
We seek the salvation of all,
-let us help and love all our brothers and sisters. /R/
May the God in whose ways our fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been our shepherd from our birth to this day, The Angel who has delivered us from harm, bless us and keep us in peace. Amen.
…if you have read along this far I know you are as amazed as I was at the prophetic nature of the day’s Mass and Prayers for the mission of Sister Marie…but there is one more thing to know!!! The Saints honored that day were Saints Tarachus, Probus, and Andronicus. The section on them is opened by “Mary, our hope, pray for us.” And these Saints were martyrs. Androcinus was from Ephesus!!! He is known for this statement after being urged to escape torture by sacrificing to pagan gods: “It is better for me to have my body tormented that to lose my soul.”
As I recount this to you I am once again blown away by the awesome providence of God. C'mon, really...after reading this, have we any reason not to hope? None. God is so good to us…….
...comical p.s. ...as I posted this to the blog I re-checked it to be sure it posted properly and the song that came on was The Magnificat!!!
smiling...
+JMJ+
