“Behold, I am speaking to whoever says that he is unable to imitate his Lord in love of enemies. Surely blessed Stephen was a man and not God. He was what you are, but he did what he did only with the help of God.” –Saint Caesarius of Arles (+ 543)
Intention: Lord, thank You that I am well able to do what You have called me to do.
Saturday: Trust the Lord’s Call
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
I wait for you, O Lord;/ I lift up my soul/ to my God./ In you
I trust; do not let me be disgraced.
—Psalm 25:1–2
Reflection:
Mary was the only human person who cooperated with God’s
plan so fully and completely. Her cooperation was vital in
allowing God’s plan to come forth. She lifted up her soul to
God, and God responded with a calling for her. She trusted
that God’s plan was best and that there was nothing to fear in it.
Prayer:
Dear Blessed Mother, Tower of Ivory, through your intercession,
assist me in following in your footsteps, lifting my soul up to
God and trusting in His call for me, too. Amen.
Saturday: Bear Fruit
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed
you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you
ask the Father in my name he may give you.
—John 15:16
Reflection:
In the visitation, we see that Mary hurries to share her love and
charity with Elizabeth, because her holiness calls her to do so.
True love always involves an action of loving someone else, to
witness to our brothers and sisters the love and kindness that
God has shown to us.
Prayer:
Dear Holy Spirit, I may never see what the results of my loving
actions will be. Help me to bear fruit that will transform the
world somehow, even just a tiny bit. Amen.
Saturday: Everyone Helps Jesus
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,/ and from
his roots a bud shall blossom./ The spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon him:/ a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,/ A spirit
of counsel and of strength,/ a spirit of knowledge and of fear
of the Lord.
—Isaiah 11:1–2
Reflection:
When Jesus was born, God granted the human race the
wondrous honor of participating it its own redemption, through
its cooperation in God’s plan. Jesus was the promised One
foretold by Isaiah, who would make all this possible.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, every human baby born on earth has a vocation:
following in Your footsteps, to help You with Your ongoing
work of redemption of the entire world. Please lead me so that
I may do my part. Amen.
Saturday: Produce Blessed Fruit
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
The Lord has made his victory known;/ has revealed his
triumph for the nations to see,/ Has remembered faithful love/
toward the house of Israel./ All the ends of the earth have seen/
the victory of our God.
—Psalm 98:2–3
Reflection:
St. Joseph and Mother Mary exemplify submission to God’s
laws in their presentation of Jesus at the temple. As a result of
their sincere obedience, Christ was consecrated to God in Israel,
making possible His victory to all the ends of the earth.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, everyone who yields to the laws of God, and
practices their faith in the church to the best of their ability,
will produce blessed fruit on the earth. Please breathe Your
holy breath across the land to all peoples, to inspire them to do
this. Amen.
Saturday: Unique Calling
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner
worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and
gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through
love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the
bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called
to the one hope of your call.
—Ephesians 4:1–4
Reflection:
Mother Mary and St. Joseph demonstrate that children should
be loved unconditionally and guided gently, but also that parents
should give them up to God’s purposes in their unique lives.
The life of the Child Jesus shows that children have a special
call from God that parents need to honor and nurture as they
grow and as they learn.
Prayer:
Lord, whether we are parents, friends or acquaintances, we
must remember to honor each other’s unique calling on our
lives. Keep me from ever dishonoring another’s special vocation
from You. Amen.
