Mary, the Mother of God

A blessed New Year to my readers. I hope your New Year's Eve was enjoyable and safe.

Mary is the mother of the Son of God so it seems appropriate to conclude the Octave of Christmas by honoring her. This solemnity, which IS a holy day of obligation!!!, celebrates both Mary as Mother of God and the call for peace on earth. Mary gave birth to the Prince of Peace and in 1967, Pope Paul VI recognized this by inaugurating this day as a world day of prayer for peace. After all, we have celebrated the birth of the Prince of Peace for the past eight days, it is proper to reserve this day for "intense prayer for peace, education towards peace and those values inextricably linked with it.

Today, gather the family to pray the rosary. Pray that, through Our Lady, Queen of Peace, we may have peace in our hearts, our homes and our community, nation and world. We pray for others in need so that they may have the peace of Christ in them. Pray the Glorious Mysteries with the following intentions:

The Resurrection - Let us pray in thanksgiving and in praise, giving glory to the risen Lord. Let us offer to the Triumphant Prince of Peace, all those in despair, those who have lost hope lost faith; that in the Resurrection of Jesus will be their own future. He is the way and the truth and the life

The Ascension - Let us pray for direction; direction in our lives and for all those who have lost the way; that they may turn back to God. Let us pray that we might give direction to the children in the world, in meeting Jesus. Let us pray that Jesus may become their first priority.

The Descent of the Holy Spirit - Let us offer these prayers for our own penticost. For an increase in the Holy Spirit's gifts to us. We pray for a deeper faith, and trust in God; for a complete submission to the will of God. Let us pray especially for gifts to the young, for strength that they may be able to stand up to the deception Satan brings to their daily activities.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Here let us ask Mary to especially pray with us for the souls in purgatory; that she might join with us in intercession for those who can no longer help themselves. Those who now entirely depend on us for their final purification. Let us pray especially for the souls forgotten, who have no one to remember them.

The Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven - Let us offer this mystery then for Mary's intentions. Her intercession, her constant appearances, her role as Mediatrix of graces. Let us pray that her efforts on our behalf, her efforts to lead all her children back to her Son, will not be impeded. We pray also, to God, The Father, in thanksgiving for Mary's presence, for her role, for her help.

This concludes the Octave of Christmas. I hope these posts have helped you to have a prayerful Christmas season and gives you a good spiritual start to the new year. Until next time...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 08:27 | link | comments |
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