Week 2, Day 2 (Day 9 of 33)
Daily Prayer
The Angelus
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
  Hail Mary, full of grace,
  The Lord is with thee;
  Blessed art thou among women,
  And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
  Holy Mary, Mother of God,
  Pray for us sinners,
  Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
  Hail Mary, etc.
V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
  Hail Mary, etc.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace
Scripture reading from the Gospel of John 1:1-14 – The Word became Flesh
Jesus is the Word of God, come down from heaven to teach us about God, to show us how much God loves us. John the Baptist was the last prophet of Israel, who told everyone about Jesus and prepared the way for his coming into the world.
Growing in Faith
What is love? Love is being vulnerable to someone else. When we love, we seek the best for everyone else and think of them before ourselves. Love must also be shared. When we love, we must go out and share that love with the world. God is Love, and it was not enough for God to keep this love to Himself: He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world, as a baby, to show the world love. Love is a gift.
When you love someone do you wish to be with him or her, and to do things with him or her?
Probably yes, we always desire to be with those we love, to show them we love them, and to enjoy their company.
Love can be seen perfectly in the Holy Trinity–Father, Son and Holy Spirit. St. John Paul II wrote extensively about how we can learn more about ourselves by contemplating the mystery of the Trinity. The Trinity shows love perfectly in the love between the Father and Son. The Father gives His love to the Son, and the Son gives His love to the Father, completely. The Love between the Father and the Son is so deep and so perfect because it is bound and sealed by the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity is a mystery we will never fully understand. St. Patrick used a three-leaf clover to show how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God but three Persons. This analogy is not perfect, but it helps us to understand better. Don’t worry if you don’t understand completely, just ask God to help you understand better.
Do you love your parents? Your brothers and sisters, your grandparents? How do you show that love?
It is hard to be generous with your time and your things. What can you do to better love your friends and family?
Try putting others’ needs ahead of your own. For example, when
sitting down to dinner, instead of taking the first serving for yourself, offer
it to someone else. It may not be easy the first time, but with practice
it will become natural.
The Trinity is a mystery, but one that we can better understand when we look at the love between a man and woman who are married. They love each other so much that this love often results in a another person, a baby. Babies are cute, and also a beautiful, visible sign of the love between a man and woman.
Daily Pious Practice Reminder
- Choose a verse from the Bible to read and think about each day.
Closing Prayer
Eternal and All-Powerful Father, from all-eternity, you only speak one word: your beloved Son. In him we are given the full mystery of your love. Grant that we, like the Virgin Mary, may make room for this word in our lives, and offer ourselves to you in pure love and adoration. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint Patrick