Marian Devotion (Day 8)
May 09, 2024
Day 9
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (1:46-55)
Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant;
henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is shown from age to age
to those who fear him.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has routed those who are arrogant in the desires of their hearts.
He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of Israel his servant,
ever mindful of his merciful love,
according to the promises he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
From Sermon 20 by St. Aelred of Rievaulx
Let us come to his bride, let us come to his mother, let us come to the best of his handmaidens. All of these descriptions fit Blessed Mary.
But what are we to do for her? What sort of gifts shall we offer her? O that we might at least repay to her the debt we owe her! We owe her honour, we owe her devotion, we owe her love, we owe her praise. We owe her honour because she is the mother of Our Lord. He who does not honour the mother, will without doubt dishonour the son. Besides, scripture says: ‘Honour your father and your mother.’
What shall we say, brethren? Is she not our mother? Certainly, brethren, she is in truth our mother. Through her we are born, not to the world but to God.
We all, as you believe and know, were in death, in the infirmity of old age, in darkness, in misery. In death because we had lost the Lord; in infirmity of old age , because we were in corruption; in darkness because we had lost the light of wisdom, and so we had altogether perished.
But through blessed Mary we all underwent a much better birth than through Eve, inasmuch as Christ was born of Mary. Instead of the infirmity of old age, we have regained youth, instead of corruption incorruption, instead of darkness, light.
She is our mother, mother of our incorruption, of our light. The Apostle says of our Lord, ‘Whom God made our righteousness, our sanctification and our redemption.’
She therefore who is the mother of Christ is the mother of our wisdom, mother of our righteousness, mother of our sanctification, mother of our redemption. Therefore she is more our mother than the mother of our flesh. Better therefore is our birth which we derive from Mary, for from her is our holiness, our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption.
Scripture says, ‘Praise the Lord in his saints’. If the Lord is to be praised in those saints through whom he performs mighty works and miracles, how much more should he be praised in her in whom he performs mighty works and miracles, how much more should he be praised in her in whom he fashioned himself, he who is wonderful beyond all wonder.
Musical Selection (John Michael Talbot)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
And my spirit exalts in God my savior
For He has looked with mercy on my lowliness
And my name will be forever exalted
For the mighty God has done great things for me
And His mercy will reach from age to age
And holy, holy, holy is His name
He has mercy in every generation
He has revealed His power and His glory
He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance
And has lifted up the meek and the lonely
He has come to help His servant Israel
He remembered His promise to our fathers
And holy, holy, holy is His name
Holy, holy, holy is His name
Prayer
Lord our God,
in your loving plan of redemption
you chose the Blessed Virgin,
your lowly handmaid,
to be the Mother and companion of Christ your Son;
grant that by constantly looking up to her
we may give you wholehearted service
in untiring care for the salvation of the world.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Handmaid of the Lord)