WEDNESDAY PRAYER 5th May, 2021
The Magnificat
My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
He looks on his servant in her lowliness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy his name !
His mercy is from age to age, on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things, sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, his servant, remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his sons for ever.
LITANY OF PRAISE:
Holy is your name, O Lord!
SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 12:46-50
Jesus was speaking to the crowds when suddenly his mother and his brothers were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this, Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said: ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’ The Gospel of the Lord.
REFLECTION: (Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa OFM.Cap.)
The title, “Mother of God” tells us about Mary. She is the only one in the world who could say to Jesus what his heavenly Father said to him: “You are my son; I have begotten you!” St.Ignatius of Antioch, in all simplicity and almost unaware of the tremendous dignity he was giving a human creature, said that Jesus is “of God and of Mary.” The title, “Mother of God” is sufficient in itself to establish the greatness of Mary and to justify the honour attributed to her. Catholics are sometimes reproached for exaggerating the honour and importance they attach to Mary, and, we must admit, the reproach has often been justified, at least for the way she has been honoured. But we never think of what God did. By making her the Mother of God, he so honoured her that no one could possibly honour her more even if he possessed, as Luther said, as many tongues as there are blades of grass: “In the title Mother of God, all honour is included; no one could say anything greater of her, or to her, even if he had as many tongues as there are blades of grass or stars in the sky or grains of sand in the sea. We must let our hearts reflect on what it means to be the Mother of God.”
The title “Mother of God” places Mary in a unique relationship with each person of the Trinity. St.Francis of Assisi expressed this in a prayer: Holy Virgin Mary, among all the women of the world there is none like you. You are the daughter and handmaid of the most high King and Father of heaven; you are the mother of our most holy Lord, Jesus Christ; you are the spouse of the Holy Spirit. Pray for us to your most holy and beloved Son, our Lord and Master.
Let us now see how to apply the title “Mother of God” to each one of us. Let us see how we can really become mothers of Christ. Jesus himself told us how to become his mother. It happens in two ways: by hearing the Word and by practicing it. We conceive Christ when we love him in all sincerity of heart and uprightness of conscience and we give him birth when we do works that show him to the world. This echoes the words of Jesus: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.”
Let these words of St.Augustine spur us on to imitate the Mother of God: “His Mother carried him in her womb; may we carry him in our hearts; the Virgin became pregnant with the Incarnation of Christ, may our hearts become pregnant with faith in Christ; she brought forth the Saviour, may our souls being forth salvation and praise. May our souls be not sterile, but fertile for God.”
INTERCESSIONS: Lord, in your mercy . . . Hear our prayer
CLOSING PRAYER:
The first decade of the Joyful Mysteries – the Annunciation.