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SOMETHING TO THINK AND PRAY ABOUT THIS WEEK
What Marvels the Almighty Has Done For Us
Although Mary spoke only a handful of times in the New Testament, her personality and character have spoken to countless believers ever since. And not only to Catholics. Mary draws millions of people to shrines across the world. In addition to well-known shrines such as Guadalupe, Lourdes and Fatima, there are many other Marian shrines around the world which attract believers of other faiths.
Mary’s life was about a yes in reply to a love beyond all her dreams of love. Mary made a decision in response to a gift. She received the gift of an encounter with God who drew so near to her that the human flesh of his only-begotten Son was knitted together in her womb. At the heart of Mary’s life was this love story with God, a love story that ideally can be at the heart of our lives as well.
Like any good mother, Mary gets us in touch with the affective dimension of our lives and frees us up to be receptive to God. The first step to God is not a matter of theory. Neither is it an exercise in willpower alone. More often it’s about opening up the basic flow of our lives so that we are ready to move towards trust, goodness and love. We easily get stuck in tired ways of doing things. But encountering the depth of Mary is a humbling invitation to live out of the depths of ourselves. She helps us to go deeper than our surface selves, and to anchor ourselves in a rootedness that goes back through the generations to Abraham and Sarah, and even predates them. She helps us see what marvels the Almighty has done for us. She enables us to rejoice in God our Saviour.
Thomas G. Casey SJ, Mary in Different Traditions
We remember at this time...
On World Humanitarian Day, we remember with gratitude those who have given their lives in the service of others. We pray for the protection, safety and respect of all those who are involved in delivering humanitarian aid around the world today. May communities and governments protect these people as they go about their day-to-day business.
These remarkable people give so much of themselves to help others survive and rebuild amid crises. May we honour their courage, compassion and dedication, and remember all those who continue to serve vulnerable communities around the world
Sacred Space – Daily Prayer since 1999
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