December 4
“Mary is the attentive Virgin, who receives the word of God with faith, that faith which in her case was the gateway and path to divine motherhood, for, as St. Augustine realized, “Blessed Mary by believing conceived Him [Jesus] whom believing she brought forth.”
-Pope Paul VI, Marialis Cultus
For Reflection
Advent is a time of anticipation and preparation. How do you see both of these attitudes of heart implicit in the statement, “Mary is the attentive Virgin?" What virtue underscores Mary’s reception of the word of God – from the moment of the angelic message to her impregnation? What do you make of St. Augustine’s words as given in the quote? Journal your insights and reflections, and consider your receptivity in light of Mary’s attentiveness, her faith,
and her trust.
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The season of Advent is upon us. It is the time of year when we prepare for the coming of the Lord, both as the infant Son of God born in a lowly manger, and also as our Triumphant King in His second coming when he will reign for all eternity.
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Anonymous writes: “
I heard that wearing a cimaruta symbol wards off evil. Is it okay to wear one? If it wards off evil, isn’t that a good thing?”
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December 3
“To be a field for the word means to be earth which allows itself to be absorbed by the seed, which assimilates itself to the seed, renouncing itself so as to make the seed germinate. With her motherhood Mary transfused into it her very substance, body and soul, so that a new life might come forth…Mary makes herself completely available as the soil, she allows herself to be used and consumed so as to be transformed into him.
-Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI)
on Mary’s motherhood
For Reflection
Underline the words in Cardinal Ratzinger’s quote which characterize Mary’s evangelical surrender. Are these action words or passive words? What does this indicate about surrender and the spiritual life? To what extent am I seeking, or even willing, to be such “earth?” What presses me on? What holds me back? Mary, help of all Christians, pray for me. (See tomorrow’s GraceLine for a key to Mary’s success).
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Hopefully, your experience of praying Holy Scripture using the Lectio-Divina form of prayer was a good one. However, it can take a bit of perseverance if this is new to you. Do not be discouraged, but continue to call upon the assistance of the Holy Spirit.
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December 2
“Evangelical surrender is directed towards receiving God’s word. It is like the ploughing which enables the soil to be ‘good soil’ capable of receiving the divine seed, the seed of life.”
-Father Marie-Dominque Philippe, O.P.
For Reflection
According to Father Philippe, what is the relationship between surrender and reception of the “divine seed, the seed of life?” How does Mary demonstrate evangelical surrender to God after Angel Gabriel’s announcement? On a scale of 1-10, how do I rank my evangelical surrender with 1 being “unyielding” and 10 being “Marian?” How can I work to move myself forward this Advent season? (Tomorrow’s GraceLine may give you “Mary-like” insights).
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Sue writes:
“I have been struggling with anxiety disorder for three years after illness and a breakdown. I am getting much better, but have some hard work ahead of me. However, I rightfully lost faith in my last therapist and had to find a new one. Sadly, I do not have access to a Catholic therapist in my area. I had to start seeing a new secular therapist this past month. I have been making good strides, but he likes to use a form of hypnosis in order to open my mind and feed some positive thoughts. I told him I do not feel comfortable with hypnosis due to my faith. He has done some guided hypnosis on me and I feel so clear headed after, but after discovering he has been doing hypnosis, I have become leery of it. I do not want to be misled and have found various opinions on the subject in the Catholic circle. What should I do?"
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The ancient prayer form called Lectio-Divina is a perfect way for us to enter into an ever deepening relationship with God, and the season of Advent provides us with the perfect opportunity to use it. The following six steps lead us in this beautiful method of prayer:
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December 1
“… [Mary] was predestined first of all to be Mother of God. And the precise reason why the fullness of glory and grace was given her was to make her of it to be the mother of Christ, as St. Thomas expresses it.”
-Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
For Reflection
When in Sacred Scripture do we first learn of Mary’s predestination to be the Mother of God? (Hint: It is in the Old Testament in the first book.) What does this suggest about God’s own preparation for the coming of Jesus? What aspect of this preparation does the quote detail? Consider this in light of Angel Gabriel’s salutation to Mary, “Hail, full of grace… (Lk. 1:28). What sacrament was both my preparation for Christ as well as my initial reception of Him? As a chosen daughter of the Most High God, I, too, have been called to be a Christ-bearer. How can I cooperate with grace to prepare for Jesus and to receive Him anew this Christmas?
If you enjoy Daily Gracelines, please prayerfully consider making a donation to support and sustain our apostolate so that we may continue to provide this and all of our resources designed to nourish and grow your Catholic faith.
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