“Holiness is a disposition of the soul, of the heart, and, above all, of the will, toward God; the senses may play a role, but that is not necessary. Little Thérèse writes that dryness was her daily bread, but that she was nevertheless the happiest of creatures. She defined sanctity as ‘a disposition of the heart which makes us humble and small in the arms of God, conscious of our weakness, and confident to the point of audacity in the goodness of our Father.'” –Father Jean du Cœur de Jésus d’Elbée (+ 1982)
Intention: Lord, please preserve our rights to meaningful representation in government, the right for free speech, the right for freedom of religion, the right for freedom of assembly, the right to bear arms, and having a country with firm borders.
Wednesday: New Possibilities
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Scripture:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance
that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for
you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to
a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
—1 Peter 1:3–5
Reflection:
Because of Jesus’s resurrection, divine mercy comes into our
world, and our sins, inadequacies, mistakes and misgivings
do not have the power to remain within our beings, if we so
choose. Because of divine action, the unmanifest world of new
possibilities comes into the manifest world.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, because of the resurrection of Your Son,
divine grace replaces the past with the new possibility of a future
filled with love and fellowship. Strengthen our political leaders
to view one another with new eyes that see beyond political
parties, and encourage dialogue, harmony and reconciliation
with one another. Amen.
Wednesday: Holy and
Beautiful Blemishes
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord
Scripture:
May your kindness, Lord, be upon us;/ we have put our hope
in you.
—Psalm 33:22
Reflection:
When Jesus rose into heaven through His ascension, He took
with Him the wounds from His torture on the Cross as holy and
beautiful blemishes, which symbolized the fact that kindness
and charity had won out over vengeful justice.
Prayer:
Divine mercy frees society from its blind addiction to instinctive
greed and opens up the potential for positive contributions to
one another. Heart of Jesus, Abode of Justice and Love, inspire
the wealthy of the world to freely give of their surplus treasure
to people and organizations who desperately need it. Amen.
Wednesday: Holy Spirit
Transforms Us
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
[Peter said,] “God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the
holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you [both]
see and hear.”
—Acts 2:32–33
Reflection:
Divine love and benevolence flow down from the Heavenly
Father, through Jesus, and then connects us to the Divine
Person of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer:
The Holy Spirit approaches us and transforms us, and in so
doing, makes us more merciful ourselves. Dear Jesus, send Your
Spirit to all the peoples of the Earth, to make us kinder and
more merciful, one to another, and turn us from destruction
and war to make our planet a place of peace. Amen.
Wednesday: Caress Us
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
of Our Blessed Mother
Scripture:
And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with
incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with
immortality, then the word that is written shall come about:
“Death is swallowed up in victory./ Where, O death, is your
victory?/ Where, O death, is your sting?”
—1 Corinthians 15:54–55
Reflection:
The hands of the Blessed Mother nestled Jesus as a Babe and
embraced Him tenderly after He died. These same hands will
also caress us someday, in heaven. We can hope for that – and
immortal life in paradise—with those who love us dearly.
Prayer:
Our Blessed Mother is in heaven awaiting us, which is a favor
provided for us by the Heavenly Father. Dearest Jesus, Lover of
Chastity, please make our Earth more merciful by abolishing
abortion. Amen.
Wednesday: Comfort and Console
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
His mercy is from age to age/ to those who fear him./ He has
shown might with his arm,/ dispersed the arrogant of mind and
heart./ He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones/ but
lifted up the lowly.
—Luke 1:50–52
Reflection:
In her Queenly function as Co-Mediatrix of Graces, Our
Blessed Mother dispenses the divine mercy that comes from
Jesus to those of us who are wholly undeserving of it, but who
are hopefully thankful for it.
Prayer:
We lowly humans so often feel remorse and anxiety, but we
can be sure that Our Blessed Mother and Queen is always
there to comfort and console us. Dear Blessed Mother, Queen
of all Saints, please pray for all those who are struggling with
addiction of any kind, that they may be released from their
struggle. Amen.
