SPIRITUAL EXCERCISES & RSV BIBLE EXTRACTS - WEEK 150
STARTS THURSDAY 9th DECEMBER 2010
THE GLORY OF ‘MARIAN HOLINESS OF LIFE’
II. ‘MARIAN HOLINESS OF LIFE’: OUR WAY TO HEAVEN
Weekly message No. 146 (11th December 1986).
Third step: Sharing the joy of Our Lady through prayer.
“Dear children! I am calling you to pray especially at this time in order to experience the joy of meeting with the new-born Jesus. Dear children, I desire that you experience these days just as I experience them. With joy I wish to guide you and show you the joy into which I desire to bring each one of you. Therefore, dear children, pray and surrender completely to me.
Thank you for having responded to my call.”
PRACTICAL:
During this week reflect on the first two chapters of St Luke’s Gospel.
Thursday: Effective prayer.
Matthew 7:7-11.
7“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
Thursday: Cf. Luke 18:1-8.
1And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; 3 and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Vindicate me against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.’” 6And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Luke 1:46-48.
46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, 48for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.”
Friday: Cf. 1 Samuel 2:1-2.
1Hannah also prayed and said; My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2There is none holy like the LORD, there is none besides thee; there is no rock like our God.
Saturday: The joy of the shepherds is to be shared by the whole people.
Luke 2:10.
10And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people.”
Luke 2:20.
20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Sunday: The joy of the wise men from the east.
Matthew 2:10-11.
10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Monday: Jesus wants to share his joy with the disciples.
John 15:11.
11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Monday: Cf. John 16:20-22.
20Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. 22So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
Tuesday: The Lord guides us on of joyful life.
Psalm 16(15):9-11.
9Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure. 10For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit. 11Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fullness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Wednesday: Jesus wants to share his joy to the full with all his followers.
John 17:13.
13But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.