5 DECEMBER: NOVENA TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

The prayer of our Mother. “Mary kept all these things and meditated upon them in her heart…” “His mother kept carefully all these things in her heart.” Twice the evangelist speaks of this prayerful attitude of our Mother, when facing the events of Jesus’ early life. The insistence of St Luke seems to be an echo the prayerful attitude of Mary, that he could have learnt from the apostles.

Mary meditates and keeps all the details in her heart. She knows about interior recollection and values in her intimacy the plans of God. Mary is always in prayer and everything she does is in reference to her Son.

I should learn from her to pray, to deal with God. Without prayer I am lost. With prayer I can achieve everything.

How is my prayer, is there dialog with God? Do I persevere in it? Do I use it as a remedy against temptation? Without prayer I lose joy. Prayer helps me to work better.

Nobody in this world knows how to deal with Jesus as well as his Mother did. And after his Mother, it is St Joseph. He could have spent hours looking at the Child, talking to him, dealing with him with simplicity and veneration. If I go to Mary and Joseph, I will learn to deal with our Lord.

Let us ask the blessed Virgin to teach us to recognize the constant calls from God, knocking at the door of our heart. Let us ask her now: “Help us to recognize him in the midst of the cares of each day. Stir up our mind and will so that we may listen to the voice of God, to the calls of grace.”

My resolutions for today:

To increase my devotion to Our Lady and to Saint Joseph, to be a person of prayer.

Illustration: Immaculate Conception called La Niña_Murillo