Celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Trust

Transcription

1 Celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Trust

2 Our Lady of Trust Our Lady of Trust Our Lady of Trust

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4 OUR LADY OF TRUST BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 History Chapter 2 Reason for Celebration Chapter 3 Spreading the Devotion Chapter 4 A Way of Life Chapter 5 Ways to Commemorate/Examples of Celebrations Chapter 6 Writings & Prayers of Bishop Giaquinta Chapter 7 Eight Examples of Rosaries Chapter 8 Six Examples of Litanies

5 OUR LADY OF TRUST EXPANDED TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 History of Our Lady of Trust and Date of Celebration... pp 1-2 Chapter 2 Why We Celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Trust...p 3 Meditation by Bishop Giaquinta...p 3 Image of Our Lady of Trust...p 4 Prayer to Our Lady of Trust...p 4 Chapter 3 Ways to Spread the Devotion... pp 5-8 Chapter 4 Making Prayer to Our Lady of Trust a Way of Life... p 9 Chapter 5 Ways to Commemorate the Feast... p 10 Examples of Celebrations Nine Day Novena...pp Prayer Service... p 14 Candle Celebration...p 15 Holy Hour...pp Four Weeks of Meditation... p19 Chapter 6 Some Writings and Prayers of Bishop Giaquinta on Our Blessed Mother...pp Chapter 7 Eight Examples of Rosaries Honoring Our Lady...p Rosary of Trust by Sts. Bernard and Ambrose... p Our Lady, a Model of Trust by Bishop Guglielmo Giaquinta...pp Mary, Disciple of the Lord...pp Risk Rosary...pp Aspects of Mary s Life that Aided Her in Becoming Our Model of Trust...pp Mary and the Eucharist Reflections of Teresa Monaghen...pp Mary and Her Son, Jesus...pp A Rosary for Life...pp 31-33

6 Chapter 8 Six Examples of Litanies Honoring Our Lady...p A Litany of Trust... p Mary Our Model... p Litany of Our Lady of Loreto...pp A Litany of Our Holy Mother...pp A Litany to the Mother of Divine Grace... pp A Litany of Mary, Mother of the Church...pp 39-40

7 Chapter 1 History of Our Lady of Trust Date of Celebration

8 HISTORY OF OUR LADY OF TRUST The picture of Our Lady of Confidence was painted by the great Italian painter Carlo Maratta ( ) who was knighted by Pope Clement XI in 1704 and made court painter by Louis XIV the same year. Maratta gave the picture to a noblewoman, Clair Isabella Fornari (June December 9, 1744), the Abbess of the Convent of Poor Claire of St. Francis in the city of Todi. The Abbess today the Venerable Sister Clair Isabel Fornari embraced a life of severe penance and was favored with many mystical graces. She had a great devotion to sacred images, especially those of Mary. She treasured the picture Maratta gave her and would meditate on it during her prayer time. Our Lady promised Sister Clair that she would give special graces to all those throughout the ages who would venerate the image of our Lady of Trust. My Heavenly Mother assured me, said the Abbess, that she would give a special tenderness and devotion toward her to everyone who contemplated this image (the original and copies). Sister Clair advised her spiritual director, Father Gazali, to take the picture with him whenever he traveled. Father Gazali always found a great sense of peace and consolation from it. He kept the picture until his death (July 29, 1762). After this his possessions, including the image, were given to the Sisters of the Monastery of St. Francis of Todi where they are today. In the Major Seminary in Rome there is an identical picture of our Lady of Confidence. How can this be? Sister Clair had another spiritual advisor, Father Crivelli, who was the spiritual director of the German College in Rome. While visiting Foligno, Father Crivelli became seriously sick, but was suddenly healed as soon as Sister sent him the original painting. He was so moved by this healing that he wanted a copy of the image which he took to Rome and then to the local seminary. From this simple beginning the devotion spread so that by the 1830 s Our Lady of Trust had become the patroness of the Major Seminary in Rome. Our Lady of Trust protected the seminarians in times of crisis. In 1837, the scourge of Asiatic flu claimed many lives. The seminarians and their families were put under the protection of Mary; not one of them contracted the disease! In thanksgiving, two crowns were fashioned in gold and placed on the images of Mary and the Child Jesus. During World War I, more than 100 seminarians were forced into the Italian military. The seminarians placed themselves under the special care of Mary of Trust. They all returned home safely. To repay the goodness of their Queen, the seminarians put diadems on the crowns of Mother and Child! 1

9 The devotion to Our Lady of Trust has spread worldwide. The Feast of Our Lady of Trust is celebrated on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Bishop Giaquinta, who studied in the Major Seminary in Rome, had a great devotion for Our Lady of Trust. He chose her as patroness of both the Apostolic Oblates and the Pro Sanctity Movement. Bishop Giaquinta had a painter repaint the image with the finger of Jesus pointing to Mary s heart. The Pro Sanctity Family - Priests, Sodales, Apostolic Oblates, Cooperatives, Social Animators, and members of the Movement - love our Lady of Trust very much and foster devotion toward her. In 1973, when Pro Sanctity reached Omaha, Msgr. Peter Dunne was introduced to Our Lady of Trust. In 1974, when the first Bethany was opened, an image of Mary of Trust was placed in the Chapel. The sculptor, Mike Montag, has sculptured the first statue of our Lady of Trust. The future Chapel in Elkhorn will be dedicated to Our Lady of Trust, as Msgr. Peter Dunne has suggested! AD JESUM PER MARIAM! TO JESUS THROUGH MARY! 2

10 Our Lady of Trust Memories by Franca Salvo, A.O. On June 15, 1955, I entered the Chapel of the Apostolic Oblates in Rome at Via delle Egadi, and I saw the image of Our Lady of Trust for the first time! It was a big picture hanging in the middle of the main wall of the Chapel. I looked and looked at the picture and noticed some details that touched me deeply. What I perceived strengthened me in my resolution to give my life to the Lord through the hands of Mary. I treasured those moments... They have accompanied me on my journey, and are with me still. Bishop Giaquinta, the founder of the Apostolic Oblates and the whole Pro Sanctity Family, had a great devotion to Mary, Mother of Trust. Listening to him talk on Mary was like... listening to a beautiful melody. The only thing you would want was to love Mary like he did! How many times I heard him speaking of Mary of Trust, how many! He always used to end his meditations and presentations with Mary! He wrote books on Mary. His prayers and poems on Mary are beautiful! (see PRAYERS, page 46 on. The Prayer to Our Lady of Trust; O Mary, Trust, and the Hymn To Mary of Trust translated few days ago, and edited by Rita Hejkal). Let us look together at the picture: Mary is holding the Baby Jesus; her left arm surrounds her Son and her fingers rest gently on Jesus shoulder. Her right hand holds a white cloth which she presses to Jesus side. Was Mary anticipating the lanced side of Jesus from which the whole sacramental life of the Church would spring forth? Jesus has His right arm around Mary s neck; His left arm is turned toward Mary with His finger pointing out to the heart of His mother. Is Jesus inviting us to go to Mary to learn how to love and serve God? Jesus and Mary are not looking at each other; their glance is upon the person who looks at the picture. Their glance conveys peace, inspires confidence and hope, fills the heart with tenderness... And this is the promise that Mary made to Sr. Clair Isabelle Fornari, By means of her Son, every person who with trust looks at this image will be granted within themselves a particular tenderness and devotion to her. Some more reflections: Mary is wrapped up in her Son: Jesus is her all. Jesus rests in Mary s arms. He invites us to go to Mary; to draw trust from her heart; to learn from Mary to walk in faith, hope and love; to hope against hope; to keep on loving even at the foot of the Cross.

11 The embrace of Mary and Jesus expresses an invitation: to appreciate and strive to develop that tender bond of love uniting the Mother to the Son... a love that is poured out upon us, as their look directed toward those who look at the image seems to suggest. Mary pressing a cloth to the Child Jesus side: is she inviting us to reflect on the price her Son paid to bring about the new creation? Is Mary reassuring us that Jesus loves us infinitely, has given us His very life through the Sacraments of Mother Church, and that we, thus, have nothing to fear? She looks at us and looks... She wishes to free us from our fears, to transform us, and to unite us to her Son... We have many fears. The word fear and fear not is found 327 in the Bible! The word trust 205, and confidence 36! In the particular time we are in, especially after September 11, devotion to our Lady of Trust is the answer. We groan under personal pains, sufferings, anxiety, uncertainties and confusion: Mary will give us the peace, certainty and trust we need. Let us go to her, to her school and learn. At the Annunciation (Lk 1:26-38) Mary listens, questions, understands, gives her availability. Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word (Lk 1:38). At the Visitation (Lk 1:39-56), Mary is greeted by Elizabeth with words put in her heart by the Holy Spirit, Blest are you among women... Blest is she who trusted that the Lord s words to her would be fulfilled. (Lk 1:42/45) And Mary sings the beautiful Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55). She sings of the greatness of God and of her nothingness. God Who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is His name (Lk 1:49).. All ages to come will call me blessed (Lk 1:48). How true! At the birth of Jesus (Lk 2:1-20), Mary sees the Angels singing, sees the Shepherds... treasures all these things and reflects on them in her heart (Lk 2:19). At Cana (Jn 2:1-11) Mary is fully present - as always! - sees needs, goes to her Son presenting the needs of her children. They have no more wine, and instructs those waiting on table, do whatever He tells you (Jn 2:5). We know what happened! Jesus performed the first of His signs (Jn 2:11). At the foot of the Cross, Mary stands and listens to the words of her Son, Woman, behold your son! Behold your mother! (Jn 19:26-27). At the Cenacle, where the Apostles gather in prayer, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is with them (Acts 1:14) Ad Iesum per Mariam To Jesus through Mary!

12 WHY WE CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF TRUST Our Lady of Trust has long been the Patroness of the Apostolic Oblates and of the Pro Sanctity Movement. The gift of her protection and guidance was brought to us by the deep devotion of our founder, Bishop William Giaquinta, who came to know Our Lady of Trust while in the Major Seminary of St. John Lateran in Rome. In writings dated February 20, 1977, bishop Giaquinta provides material for meditation expressed through his own thoughts on Our Lady of Trust. It seems to me that the trust of Our Lady has its roots in a poverty open to acceptance. The Madonna knows she is a poor creature, but exactly for this reason she can count on the omnipotence of God: God, the all-powerful, has chosen her precisely because she was poor, and Our Lady has at the same time the awareness both of her poverty and of her richness that comes from trusting in the omnipotence of God. The second element is openness to acceptance because the Madonna has the certainty that nothing happens by chance. Our Lady does not conceive of life s events as happening by chance or that she has met up with blind fate. Chance does not exist rather, there is the grand reality of the love of God, to this God who makes himself sweetly or strongly part of her life, and SHE LETS HIM TAKE OVER. Here we have the source of trust in Our Lady: her poverty, the richness of God, the certainty that what befalls her is an expression of love, an expression of the will of God. When all problems increase, when injustice seems obvious, how is it possible to think that also in these cases there is the will of God and His love that weaves through our life? To believe is the source of trust. These thoughts on Our Lady are not just words, because they are expressed concretely in her existence, an existence that one sees turned inside out by the word and will of God. 3

13 PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF TRUST Drawn by the need of your help in the many trials that engulf us in this life, we come to your feet, O Virgin of Trust, to pour out to the heart of a mother our wishes and failings. Although it is our duty to strive for perfection, it is also true that our mortal body makes the path difficult, and the enemies of our soul cease not from their attacks, while everywhere we are enticed to leave the difficult and straight way known by only a few travelers. And all the while, our suffering along the way, our own interior weakness and temptations press heavily to torment us and produce in our souls a feeling of faintness and sadness, which means only one thing: distrust, in ourselves, in our ideal, in the means to attain it. But your motherly look which follows us, and your Immaculate Heart, which your Son points out to us, open our souls to a new feeling the assurance of your help. And we want it, O Mary. We ask it of you, we beg for it, O loving Mother. When sin entices us, stay with us and be our strength. When mediocrity absorbs us, do not leave us. When the ascent to the perfection of the Father leaves us weary, whisper a word of help, O Mary trust! If we will listen to this word of yours, the way will be easier, the goal closer, and our confidence more certain that we shall reach sanctity. So repeat this word often trust. Repeat it to us and to everybody, O Mary, because all people must become saints. Amen. Bishop Guglielmo Giaquinta 4

14 Chapter 3 Ways to Spread the Devotion

15 Chapter 4 Making Prayer to Our Lady of Trust a Way of Life

16 SOME WAYS THAT PRO SANCTITY MEMBERS CAN MAKE PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF TRUST A WAY OF LIFE 1. Use a copy of the prayer to Our Lady of Trust (p 4) as a bookmark for you Bible and say the prayer each time you begin to read from the Scriptures. 2. Display a picture of Our Lady of Trust in your home as a reminder to think of her and pray to her often. 3. Occasionally recite one of the meditative rosaries (examples are given in another section of this packet) to Our Lady of Trust instead of praying the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. 4. As a part of your thanksgiving after communion (or at any time) ask for her intercession: Dear Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Trust, show me how to trust Father, Son and Holy Spirit as you did. 5. On days when you feel you cannot trust anyone or anything, take a moment to tell Our Lady of Trust about the way you feel from your heart and in your own words. 6. Make a commitment to yourself to attend the annual celebration in honor of Our Lady of Trust sponsored by your Pro Sanctity Center. Examples of celebrations are given in another section of this packet. 7. These are only a few suggestions you will probably think of many more that suit you and your prayer life. 9

17 Chapter 5 Ways to Commemorate the Feast Examples of Celebrations

18 EFFECTIVE WAYS TO COMMEMORATE THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF TRUST* 1. Nine Day Novena of Scripture and Prayers 2. Prayer Service 3. Candle Celebration 4. Holy Hour 5. Four Weeks of Meditation 6. Study/discussion of Bishop Giaquinta s writings on Our Lady of Trust 7. Talent Show 8. Retreat 9. Rosaries that can be used as part of above celebrations 10. Litanies that can be used as part of above celebrations *A special mass may be celebrated in conjunction with any of the above celebrations. 10

19 NINE-DAY NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF TRUST We ask Mary to intercede for us that we will have the TRUST to lead good lives, to become saints and help others on this path. We know we cannot do it with our own resources, but together with Mary, we turn to the Lord who will accomplish in us what we cannot do alone. We suggest the following method: 1. Read the passage given. Read it several times. 2. Take note of the words or phrases that strike you personally. 3. Pause, pray and offer your desire to grow in trust that this Word will bear fruit in you. 4. Write down your thoughts and prayers and/or share with another person the inspirations that the Lord entrusted to you. The daily readings are taken from the Catholic Catechism and Sacred Scripture. Each one highlights the theme of CONFIDENCE. The word confidence means to act with trust. May this novena strengthen our convictions to be men and women who step out in truth: God s will be done. MY MOTHER, MY CONFIDENCE! O IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, TRUE MODEL OF EVERY HOLINESS, GIVE TRUST TO BECOME SAINTS. 11

20 NINE DAY NOVENA Day One (2633) When we share in God s saving love, we understand that every need can become the object of petition. Christ, who assumed all things in order to redeem all things, is glorified by what we ask the Father in his name. (John 14:13) It is with this CONFIDENCE that St. James and St. Paul exhort us to pray at al times. (James 1:5-8) Point to Ponder: How confidently do we pray? Ask for the gift of a deep and meaningful prayer life. Day Two (2758) Our Father: at this name love is aroused in us and the CONFIDENCE of obtaining what we are about to ask. What would he not give to his children who ask, since he has already granted them the gift of being his children? (St. Augustine) Point to Ponder: Do we really believe that what we ask for, we will receive? Our Father is generous. Day Three (Hebrews 3:13-15) For we share in Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end, (Hebrews 4:15-17) Let us then with CONFIDENCE draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Point to Ponder: What Christ has, we share in. Let us turn to Jesus, for all we need can be found in him! Day Four (1 John 2:27-29) And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we have CONFIDENCE and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. Point to Ponder: Reflect on what it means to abide in God. Pray for the grace of understanding. Day Five (736) Through the Holy Spirit we are restored to paradise, led back to the Kingdom of Heaven, adopted as children, given CONFIDENCE to call God Father and to share in Christ s grace, called children of light and given a share in eternal glory. (St. Basil) Point to Ponder: Feel weak? Turn to the Holy Spirit for strength. Day Six (991) Belief in the resurrection of the dead has been an essential element of the Christian faith from its beginnings. The CONFIDENCE of Christians is the resurrection of the dead. Believing this we live. Point to Ponder: Our confidence comes from the POWER of the resurrection! Day Seven (1 Peter 1:20-22) Through him you have CONFIDENCE in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Point to Ponder: The more we are aware of what God did for us through the resurrection, the more confident in our faith we become. 12

21 Day Eight (1 John 5:13-15) And this is the CONFIDENCE we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Point to Ponder: God hears us! Day Nine (2620) The prayer of Jesus involves a loving adherence to the will of the Father even to the Cross, and an absolute CONFIDENCE in being heard. Point to Ponder: Mary lived daily with a loving adherence to the will of the Father. She was and is a woman of great confidence, one to whom we can turn for help. 13

22 PRAYER SERVICE INTRODUCTION We come together on this feast to pray for trust in the presence of the image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust. It is confidence in Mary s motherly love, and God s promise to be with us always, that give us a great sense of peace. She will always be with us. We are never alone. OPENING SONG THEME Our theme for today is two-fold: Risk that requires Trust and Trust that requires Risk. Mary is our model of trust because she knew how to Risk. We turn to her and ask her to whisper that sacred word in our hearts Trust. Repeat it often, Mary, until we all become saints! REFLECTIONS ON THE IMAGE After the leader has given some reflections on the image and given a short quiet time has been allowed the people for their own reflections, the leader asks them to take pencil and paper provided and write down a fear or wish that they desire to entrust to Our Mother of Trust and place it in the basket provided. A song may be played while people are writing. MEDITATIVE ROSARY LITANY PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF TRUST CONCLUDING SONG 14

23 CANDLE CELEBRATION OPENING SONG PROCESSION & DISTRIBUTION OF SMALL CANDLES INTRODUCTION FIRST READING (Luke 1: 26-38) Let us contemplate Mary in the scene of the Annunciation. Mary is the model of trust. She is a model for the trust she had in God: Ecce Behold; Fiat Be it done to me are signs of her abandonment to the Lord and, therefore, her trust. LARGE CANDLE LIT & THE FIRST DECADE OF THE ROSARY IS SAID SONG SECOND READING (from scripture or the writings of Bishop Giaquinta on OLT) LARGE CANDLE LIT & THE SECOND DECADE OF THE ROSARY IS SAID PROCESSION All light their small candle from Mary s large candle before they process to the place where a meal will be served. Small candles are placed on the tables, people are seated and bread is placed on the tables. BLESSING OF THE BREAD (After each statement the people respond AMEN) Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation: you bring forth bread from the earth. AMEN. God is blessed in all his gifts and holy in all his works. AMEN. All the world hopes in you, O Lord, that you will give us food in our hunger. AMEN. Blessed are you, O Mary, you gave us Jesus, the Bread of Life. AMEN. THE THIRD DECADE OF THE ROSARY IS SAID This decade is offered in thanksgiving for the gift of Jesus, bread, Eucharist, Savior who was born into this world in the womb of Mary. THE MEAL BEGINS FOURTH & FIFTH DECADES OF THE ROSARY To be said after completion of the meal. Each decade may be preceded by a prayer, such as: (1) Let us be led like little children and trust that Mary will lead us to Jesus. (2) Let us grow in wisdom and grace with the help of Mary, our mother and guide. (3) Let us find courage in the courage of Mary who stood below the cross. CLOSING SONG 15

24 HOLY HOUR OPEN THE DOOR TO TRUST INTRODUCTION: Trust or confidence is the firm belief in the honesty and integrity of another person. It gives to the mind and to the heart a sense of security and of reliability in the loyalty of others. Trust is indeed the foundation for every solid and intimate friendship and the basis to every up-building relationship. Without trust there is insecurity, uncertainty and even fear! Trust is a necessary virtue among people in everyday life, but it is even more necessary in our dealing with the unknown with the divine and mysterious plans of God. Trust is in fact, an act of faith, which enables us to do everything without fear, knowing that God will provide. WE ALL NEED TO TRUST, BUT ALSO TO BE TRUSTED! OPENING HYMN EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT SILENT ADORATION INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST READING Confidence and Faith in God: This first reading tells us of the consequences of the first act of mistrust on the part of humanity. When God forbade man the fruit of the tree of knowledge, He was asking man to put his trust in Him. But from the very beginning, man and woman preferred to put their trust in a lie! Both of them tasted the fruit of this empty confidence. To believe in God s word is to choose between two wisdoms, the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world. That is the challenge in our daily life. READING FROM THE BOOK OF GENESIS 3:1-13 SILENT REFLECTION OUR RESPONSE: Hymn of a grateful heart (Psalm 138) Together: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my hear; In the presence of the angels I will sing your praise. I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. When I called you answered me; you built up strength within me. Though I walk in distress you preserve me; against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand; your right hand saves me. The Lord will complete what he has done for me; Your kindness, O Lord, endures forever. Forsake not the work of your hands. 16

25 SONG FOLLOWED BY SILENT REFLECTION INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND READING Confidence and Humble Prayer: The people of Israel did not learn from the example of Abraham, who was confident up to the moment of sacrifice that God will provide. When they found themselves without earthly support in the desert, they yearned for slavery again and murmured against the Lord. Israel chose not to rely on its God. In this Gospel message, Jesus recalls the need to reject every Lord and master and to rely on the One whose power, wisdom and fatherly love will never fail to care for us. He asks that we be confident and trusting. We love to be in charge and that is why surrender is so difficult! How much do we really trust? READING FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 6:24-34 SILENT REFLECTION OUR RESPONSE: Lord, give us trust! Leader: When we hope for peace in ourselves, with others and in the world, and experience wars instead (Response) Leader: When we long for holiness, for prayer, and for goodness in ourselves and in others, but find struggle, sin and pride (Response) Leader: When we desire spiritual growth in our youth, for wisdom and maturity in their life and feel helpless in the face of the many pressures they undergo (Response) Leader: When we experience sadness, division, illness in families and find ourselves unable to alleviate and to heal (Response) Leader: When we feel anxious over what to eat, what to wear, or how to provide for many needs, forgetting your divine providence (Response) Together: God and Father of all gifts, we praise you, the source of all we have and are. Teach us to acknowledge always the many good things your infinite providence has given us. Help us to love you with all our heart and to trust you with all our strength, so that we may be free from anxiety and experience the peace of your care. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord. SONG FOLLOWED BY SILENT REFLECTION INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRD READING Confidence in Times of Trial: Jesus completed his sacrifice and died with a cry of trust on his lips: Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. By this act of trustful love, Jesus won victory over the forces of evil and left us an example of unconditional trust in the Father. The first disciples were able to live out Jesus example as they witnessed with great confidence. They trusted in God s help and in His faithfulness; they knew that God s grace will complete its work and that nothing will separate them from the love of Christ. In this reading, St. Paul tells us what level of confidence Christians should have. READING FROM THE LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS 8:

26 HOMILY OUR RESPONSE: Together: I trust in you, Lord; deliver me; my life is in your hands. Through your love save me. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Look at me and answer me, Lord, my God. Open my eyes that I may not sleep in death. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Guard me like the pupil of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. I lie down and sleep in peace. You alone Lord keep me safe. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. In joy I will look upon your face, Lord, when I awake. I will be satisfied with your face. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. REPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT CLOSING HYMN 18

27 FOUR WEEKS OF MEDITATION ON MARY By Pope John Paul I WEEK ONE FIAT We can say that the mystery of the Redemption took shape beneath the heart of the Virgin of Nazareth when she pronounced her fiat. From then on, under the special influence of the Holy Spirit, this heart, the heart of both a virgin and a mother, has always gone out to all those whom Christ has embraced and continues to embrace with inexhaustible love. For that reason her heart must also have the inexhaustibility of a mother. WEEK TWO MOTHERLY LOVE The special characteristic of the motherly love that Mother of God inserts in the mystery of the Redemption and the life of the Church finds in its exceptional closeness to man and all that happens to him. It is in this that the mystery of the Mother consists. The Church, which looks to her with special love and hope, wishes to make this mystery her own in an ever deeper manner. For in this, the Church also recognizes the way for her daily life, which is each person. WEEK THREE CERTAINTY WITH MARY Through her maternal presence, the Church acquires certainty that she is truly living the life of her Master and Lord and that she is living the mystery of Redemption in all its lifegiving profundity and fullness. WEEK FOUR RECOURSE TO MARY I wish the Church to devote herself to this prayer, together with Mary the Mother of Jesus as the apostles and disciples of the Lord did in the Upper Room in Jerusalem after his Ascension. Above all, I implore Mary, the heavenly Mother of the Church, to be so good as to devote herself to this prayer of humanity s New Advent, together with us who make up the Church, that is to say the mystical body of her only Son. I hope that through this prayer we shall be able to receive the Holy Spirit coming upon us and thus become Christ s witnesses to the ends of the earth, like those who went forth from the Upper Room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. 19

28 Chapter 6 Some Writings and Prayers of Bishop Giaquinta on Our Blessed Mother

29 SOME WRITINGS AND PRAYERS BY BISHOP GIAQUINTA DEDICATED TO MARY, OUR MOTHER WRITINGS I. Mary, Our Lady of Trust, the poor, abandoned woman of openness, quick to accept, teach us this secret of acceptance, and as a consequence, of trustful CONFIDENCE, of abandonment to the mystery of the love of God. II. III. IV. There is no doubt that Our Lady lived with a certain amount of understanding of the mystery of salvation, but she lived by faith. In the mystery of faith, there were many things she did not know. She knew how to accept with love the risk of faith. Our Blessed Mother thought of herself as a slave of God. We can and must do the same. Look to her for help. For our Blessed Mother, the future was an adventure of the Spirit. She knew generally what would happen, but not in detail. Yet she accepted everything. We, too, must be open to the work of the Spirit, ready to accept, if need be, the risk and the pain of our adventure in the Spirit. V. Our Blessed Mother was touched by God and conceived the Lord Jesus. We must strive to give birth to Jesus also. On our part, changing depends on our will. Otherwise Jesus can touch us many times and his touch will have no effect. Let us pray to our Blessed Mother to strengthen our wills and deepen our love so that we may change at God s touch. VI. VII. VIII. Remember our Blessed Mother when she met with Elizabeth. Mary wasn t ashamed or hesitant to admit that she was the Mother of God. We must ask her help to be proud of having been called by God [to be holy] proud enough to speak of it from the rooftops. MARY, OUR MOTHER AND OUR MODEL (Spirituality of the Pro Sanctity Movement, Chapter 6, pp 1-6) MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH AND OUR MOTHER (The Cenacle, 2 nd Edition, Chapter XV, pp 69-73) PRAYERS I. We come to you, holy Mary, mother of us who are not yet holy, so that you can give us love for your Son, the joy of the Spirit, a longing for the 20

30 perfection of the Father and the hope of reaching you someday in the land of the saints. II. Our Mother, Mary (Prayers, 1 st English Edition, p 49) III. Mary, Mother of Holiness (Prayers, 1 st English Edition, pp 50-1) IV. Here I Am, the Virgin Answers (Prayers, 1 st English Edition, pp52-3) V. Fiat (Prayers, 1 st English Edition, p 54)) VI. Our Yes With Mary (Prayers, 1 st English Edition, p 54) VII. Heart of a Mother (Prayers, 1 st English Edition, p 55) 21

31 Chapter 7 Eight Examples of Rosaries Honoring Our Lady

32 Eight Meditative Rosaries In Honor of Our Lady 22

33 1 Rosary of Trust By St. Bernard & St. Ambrose First Mystery Mary said to the angel, How can this be since I do not know man O Virgin, you have heard that you will conceive and bear a Son. You have heard that it will not be by man, but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer. We to, are waiting, O Lady, why do you delay? Why are you afraid? Believe, give praise and receive. Let humility be bold. Let modesty be confident. Second Mystery Awake, O sleeper. Arise from the dead and Christ will give you light. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word. Third Mystery Know that Elizabeth, your kinswoman, has conceived a son in her old age. She who was thought to be sterile is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible with God. When the angel revealed his message to the Virgin Mary, he gave her a sign to win her trust. He told her of the motherhood of an old and barren woman to show that God is able to do all that he wills. Fourth Mystery Thereupon, Mary set out, proceeding in haste into the hill country to a town of Judah where she entered Zechariah s house and greeted Elizabeth. When she hears the angel s message, Mary sets out for the hill country. She does not disbelieve God s word. She feels no uncertainty over the message or doubt about the sign. She goes eager in purpose, dutiful in conscience, hastening for joy. Fifth Mystery How beautiful are the feet of those who announce good news. Faith, then comes through hearing, and what is heard is the word of Christ. You are also blessed because you have heard and believed. A soul that believes both conceives and brings forth the Word of God and acknowledges his work. 2 - Our Lady, a Model of Trust By Bishop Guglielmo Giaquinta First Mystery Let us contemplate Mary at the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) Mary is a model of trust. She is a model for the trust she had in God: Ecce Behold, Fiat Be it done to me are signs of her abandonment to the Lord and therefore, her trust. Second Mystery Let us contemplate the last words of Elizabeth to Mary (Luke 1:45) Blessed is she who trusted the Lord s word to her would be fulfilled. Our Lady then, appears to us as someone on whom God has been able to depend and in whom He has placed His trust. Let us ask ourselves if God can count on us, can have trust in us. 23

34 Third Mystery Let us contemplate Mary before the Christ Child in the manger (Luke 2:19) Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart. We can think of the Holy Spirit, of the ceaseless interior motions he had within Mary she who adhered fully to the plan of the Father, could not but follow faithfully the single movements of the Spirit who therefore had trust in her, who could count on her. Fourth Mystery Let us contemplate Mary at the wedding in Cana (John 2: 1ff.) Christ goes before, I would say with a giant step, and the mother follows. Christ can count on the fidelity of Mary. He can have trust in her. Fifth Mystery Let us contemplate Mary at the foot of the Cross of Christ (John 19:25-27) Even though Our Lady had reasons not to trust, Mary accepts with faith, with serenity and with trust. She had trust in the love of God, she was open to acceptance of the mystery, open at every moment from the encounter with the angel to the encounter with the Cross. 3 Mary, Disciple of the Lord Mary is the woman who, in silence, in prayer, in contemplation, chose to be the faithful disciple of the Word of the Father. Let us accompany Mary in our prayer with the same availability and openness to the will of the Father, and through her intercession, let us ask the Father to be the Master of our hearts, conforming our life to the life of Christ. First Mystery Mary, the Daughter who understands and welcomes the Word (Luke 8:15) As for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart and bear fruit through perseverance. We praise you and bless you, O Father, for the marvels you have worked in each one of us. Through the intercession of Mary, the faithful disciple of the Word made Flesh. Help us to become true disciples of Christ, always attentive to his word and faithful to his teachings. Second Mystery Mary, the Virgin of Silence (John 12:24) Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. We praise you and we bless you, O Father for your continued presence in our life. Through the intercession of Mary who meditated in her heart on the Word of salvation, give us the gift of silence within our sensitivity and our memories, to reach an interior silence, that favorite place where your Son can be known and loved. 24

35 Third Mystery Mary, Mother of Grace and Queen of Mercy (John 2:3) When the wine ran short, the Mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine. We praise you and we bless you, O Father, for your infinite goodness. Through the intercession of Mary, whom you willed to be the Mother of the Redeemer, help us intimately adhere to Christ, the Mediator too cooperate ever more with the mystery of Redemption. Fourth Mystery Mary, Dwelling of the Heavenly Sacraments (Luke 1: 30-31) Then the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. We praise you and we bless you, O Father, because you willed that your Son become incarnate in the womb of Mary. Help us, through her intercession, to be the fertile ground that welcomes the seed of your Word, to shine with the light of your Son to illuminate your people. Fifth Mystery Mary, Mother of Joy (Zechariah 2:14) Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the Lord. We praise you and we bless you, O Father, for having given us Mary, our thoughtful sister and mother. Give us, through her intercession, the joy of recognizing you in every creature and at every moment of our life to sing together with Mary and the saints the joy of a Father who loves us infinitely. 4 Risk Rosary The theme of this rosary is Risk that requires Trust and Trust that requires Risk. Mary is our model of Trust because she knew how to Risk. We turn to her and ask her to whisper that sacred word in our hearts TRUST. Repeat it often, Mary, until we all become saints! First Mystery Many of us think that when the Blessed Virgin gave her Fiat yes, be it done to me, she already had a clear vision of what her life would be like. This is not true. Our Lady lived with a certain amount of understanding of salvation, but she also lived by faith. There are many things she did not know. She did know one thing how to accept with love the risk of faith. Second Mystery Risk in faith is a participation in the unconditional love of Jesus for the Father and all persons. This is the real motive for which we accept it, rather choose and love it. Mary said it and accepted it first: Behold, be it done to me as you say. 25

36 Third Mystery Risk in faith is proof of our love for the Lord. Mary did not know what was going to happen to her, but she said yes anyway. This was her act of love for the Lord for love she faced the risk. Fourth Mystery There was no earthly security in Mary s life to assure her that everything would turn out all right. Mary had to trust a trust that came from deep within her being, in order to respond peacefully and positively to the Lord. Fifth Mystery Mary risked being obedient to the Lord s request. She renounced her own will, judgment, vision and experience in order to immerse herself in the reality of faith and the mystery of trust. 5 Aspects of Mary s Life that Aided her in Becoming Our Model of Trust First Mystery The angel appeared to you Mary, and said, Rejoice, O highly favored daughter. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women. You were deeply troubled by these words and wondered what this greeting might mean. The angel continued, Do not fear, Mary, you have found favor with God. You shall conceive and bear a son and give him the name, Jesus. Great will be his dignity and he will be called, Son of the Most High. Mary questioned, How can this be, since I do not know man? The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Hence, the offspring to be born will be called, Son of God. Elizabeth, your relative, has conceived a son in her old age. She who was thought to be sterile is in her sixth month. Nothing is impossible with God. Your response, upon hearing this, I am the servant of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your will. With this, the angel left. In this mystery, we see a young woman with courage. With this, the grace to trust. We invoke our Blessed Mother to give us the gift of sight of faith. Second Mystery After the angel left, you proceeded in haste to the hill country to a town of Judea into the house of Zechariah where you greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard your voice the child leapt in her womb for joy. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out, Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me. Blessed is she who trusted that the words to her would be fulfilled. In this mystery, we rejoice with Mary in her meeting with Elizabeth. So often our ability to trust in God is unnoticed. Despite any fear that Mary experienced, she was able to rejoice in truth with her dear friend. We also invoke our Blessed Mother to assist us to maintain relationships with one another that inspire trust. 26

37 Third Mystery Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Jerusalem that he might be presented to the Lord. For it was written that every first-born shall be consecrated to the Lord. There lived in Jerusalem at the time a just and pious man named Simeon. It had been revealed to him that he would not experience death until he had seen the anointed of the Lord. He came to the temple inspired by the Spirit and when the parents brought in the child to perform the customary ritual of the law, he took Jesus in his arms and blessed him with these words. Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace. You have fulfilled your word. Amazed at what was being said, you were blessed by Simeon who told you, This child is destined to be the downfall and rise of many in Israel. In this mystery, we reflect that Mary experiences both joy and pain in this meeting. She had a foreshadowing of the life she would experience with her son. Her response was one of acceptance and trust. We invoke Mary, our mother, to help us accept circumstances we experience with trust as she did. Fourth Mystery Each year Mary and Joseph traveled to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When Jesus was twelve, they went up for the celebration as was their custom. When they were returning, the child remained behind, unknown to his parents. Thinking he was in the party, they continued the journey for a day, believing that Jesus was among the relatives. Not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem and began searching for him. On the third day, they came upon him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions. All who heard him were amazed at his intelligence and answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished and said to him, Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been searching for you in sorrow. Did you not know I must be in my Father s house? In this mystery, we realize that Mary did not understand what Jesus meant. Jesus returned with them and was obedient. In this mystery, we ask Mary to help us to trust God in circumstances that we don t understand. Mary, give us the grace to respond as you did and hold things in our heart as we come to realize that we don t have to understand all things to have faith. Fifth Mystery In this mystery we reflect on the experience Mary underwent as she looked into the eyes of her son as he struggled through the streets of Jerusalem on his way to be crucified. Jesus was dragging the cross with the assistance of Simon of Cyrene. A great crowd of people watched and Mary heard the women beating their breasts and lamenting over her son. She heard him say to them, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but for yourselves and for your children. In this mystery, we realize that Mary s practice of trust pays off. In her moment of deepest sorrow she continues to feel as anyone would as they watched the death of someone they loved dearly. In this dark moment, her response was one of trust. How those words of Jesus must have echoed within you. Did you recall the words of the Angel Gabriel? Did you think of the words of Simeon? We reflect with joy at our mother s response of love as she accepts this pain. We ask her to assist us with the trust needed to respond to our darkest moments. 27

38 6 Mary and the Eucharist (Reflections of Teresa Monaghen) First Mystery Mary who does the will of God: The Annunciation In this first mystery we hear Mary say, Amen. She says Amen and receives the seed of Christ in her womb. It was pure mystery for her, but deep in her heart, after pausing and pondering, giving time for the Spirit to strengthen her, she says Amen. Because of Mary s Amen, we have Jesus with us today. Do we realize that every time we say, Amen and receive the Body of Christ that we have just done what Mary did? Are we aware that through the power of the Holy Spirit that Christ grows in us and with him, we find the strength to share him with others. May our Amen ring out strong so that others will receive Jesus from us today. Second Mystery Mary who serves others: The Visitation In this second mystery, I am very aware of how humbling it is to have someone bring communion to you when for reasons of sickness or lack of opportunity you do not have the possibility of attending mass. The God of the entire universe comes into my home, to my door and into my heart. This is how Elizabeth must have felt when Mary came to her and brought her first communion. In the Gospel of Luke we hear Elizabeth cry out, And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord come to me? Dear Mary, first minister of the Eucharist, you brought Jesus to Elizabeth and to the entire world. Let me imagine that every time I receive the Lord, it is you who bring him to me. How honored and humbled I am to have the Mother of My Lord come to my home, my door, bringing Jesus to my heart. Thank you, Mary, there is no greater service than to bring Jesus, Eucharist, Holy Communion, bread for the journey, viaticum, to others. We pray not only to receive the Lord in humility, but also for the grace to be a bearer of Jesus bringing him to others. Third Mystery Mary who brings Christ to the world: The Nativity The other day, while sitting on a plane, waiting for my flight to take off, I was taken by a beautiful woman who came in with a most beautiful baby in her arms. Not only was I taken and attracted to this scene, but also it was easily discernible that anyone on board who saw her could not help but turn a head. It was hard not to stare for there was such beauty and tenderness in seeing the two together. Without realizing it, the woman brought joy to everyone who saw her and her baby. In this third mystery, we stare in amazement at the most beloved mother and child Mary and the Child Jesus. Mary brings in our midst the most beautiful child, but in this scene, we do not have to remain at a distance, glancing only and trying not to stare, we can hold this child. Mary brings this child to us and allows us to receive him yes, in communion we receive him, receive him, and if we are attentive, aware, and prepared, our hearts are filled with joy. Jesus comes to us in the arms of Mary and she allows us to hold him and be transformed by him in our hearts. Fourth Mystery Mary and Bethlehem: House of Bread Recently, while in the Holy Land, I had the opportunity to actually go to Bethlehem and enter the Basilica that covers over the site where Jesus was born. It was not at all what I expected. It was very poor and dirty and, due to the divisions among Christians 28

39 in the Holy Land, it was even difficult to find a tabernacle that held the sacred hosts. How sad I was at this state of affairs, but as I reflected it came clear to me that Jesus chose to be born in the hard rock walls of a grotto that was certainly difficult for both Mary and Jesus. He continues to be born in poverty every time the sacred mysteries are celebrated, and he comes to us in a world filled with division and lack of understanding of his true presence. Eucharist is nourishment for our souls. We receive this food from the grotto of Bethlehem, from the rock walls of poverty in which Jesus was born. Mary welcomes us as she welcomed the shepherds and the magi. She welcomes us with hospitality fit for royalty. She brings out the choicest food, and she brings us to Jesus. Let us not forget that in the poverty of a small morsel of bread, is the finest and most expensive food given to any mortal. God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son and we receive him in the arms of Mary. May our souls be ready to receive and may he find a warm and welcoming place. Fifth Mystery Mary and Nazareth: School of the Savior Today home schooling is very popular as is evidenced by the growing numbers of people choosing to keep their children at home and provide the opportunity for education in this manner. In reality, every home is a school of learning even when the children go off to school. It is in the home that we practice the lessons of life. It is in the home that fundamental beliefs are lived out. It is in the home that we learn to live what we have consumed in books or we reject those teachings because in the home we are learning to live in another manner. In the home of Nazareth, Mary and Joseph were the primary teachers. We learn from the life of Jesus what they must have taught with their lives. He embodied the teaching of his home life. In the Eucharist we learn what kind of school of life Jesus was taught in. Jesus teaches us by the way he continues to live among us. He learned to give in a hidden, but powerful way. He allows himself to be consumed for the spiritual nourishment of others. Let us return to the home of Nazareth to Mary and Joseph and let them become our primary teachers. We can learn the lessons they taught by meditating deeply on their lives. They will teach us how to become bread for others. We, too, can become bread for the life of the world if we pay attention to our lessons in the school of the Savior. 7 Mary and her Son, Jesus First Mystery Mary of Nazareth Mary of Nazareth was a young teenager. She was a good child, but that was no great surprise since her mother, Anna, and her father, Joachim, were good, holy people. Yet, on the day that has come to be known as The Annunciation, the Angel Gabriel spoke of Mary s goodness in a holy new dimension: Rejoice, O highly favored daughter! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women. Do not fear, Mary, you have found favor with God. What did all this mean? Even Mary did not know. She did not know that her redemption had been accomplished from the moment of her own conception. She certainly did not know how she could fulfill the angel s next prediction that she would conceive 29