Week 5, Day 1 (Day 29 of 33)
Daily Prayer
Ave Maris Stella (Hail Star of the Sea)
Hail, bright star of ocean,
God’s own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Gate of heavenly rest.
Taking that sweet Ave
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva’s name.
Break the captives’ fetters,
Light on blindness pour,
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.
Show thyself a Mother;
May the Word Divine,
Born for us thy Infant,
Hear our prayers through thine.
Virgin all excelling,
Mildest of the mild,
Freed from guilt, preserve us,
Pure and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus,
Joy forevermore.
Through the highest heaven
To the Almighty Three,
Father, Son and Spirit,
One same glory be. Amen.
Jesus, Savior of Mankind
Scripture Reading from Philippians 2:4-11 & Psalm 131:1-3 – Before all ages, He created me.
Why was death on a cross considered so horrible? It was the form of death reserved for the worst criminals and those who were not Roman citizens, possibly for slaves. It was also one of the most painful ways to die.
Invited by the Father
The Father has shared a great secret with us and the world, His Son. God the Father loves us so much that He gave us His greatest gift, which is Jesus. Jesus is God’s secret of Love. We may find it hard to understand, perhaps impossible. Think of the best gift you could possible receive and then multiply it by 100, 1000, or more. The gift of God is so much more valuable than the greatest gift we can receive from another person.
What gifts have you received that you really loved? Answers will vary. Discuss how we can make sure that we value the gifts of God more than gifts that we receive from our friends and family.
Jesus now gives us his own life so we may have eternal life. Jesus gives us everything he receives from the Father. We have been given the life and love of Jesus, all we need to do is to accept it. Sacred scripture tells us that to have life to the fullest, we must become like Jesus. St. Paul also tells us that it is no longer he who lives, but Christ who lives within him (cf. Gal 2:20). The more we become like Jesus, the more human we become, the more we become who God created us to be.
The Christian band, Mercy Me, wrote a song entitled “So Long Self.” This song is a fun way to ponder what it really means to forget yourself and put on Christ.
How can you put God first and yourself second? Serve others. Always ask the Holy Spirit what you should do in important decisions of your life.
Daily Pious Practice Reminder
- Visit Christ in the Blessed Sacrament once per day.
Closing Prayer
Father, source of all goodness, draw us to yourself. You want us to live in your love and to be completely absorbed in and taken up with love for your beloved Son. We beg you: just as the Virgin Mary treasured your Son in her heart, so, too, may she help us to respond more and more lovingly to the priceless gift of your Son. Through Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Saint Damien of Molokai gave up everything and let Christ work through him to serve the sick and dying in a leper colony. He desired to die to himself and put on Christ. To serve in a leper colony was considered a death sentence, because the disease was so contagious and there was no cure. St. Damien died of leprosy.
