of God, pray for us as we surrender our losses, our loves, and the painful experience of letting go. We trust in your comfort and hope for your grace in our midst.
March 20
“When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” — John 19:26-27
Women had no voice in first-century Palestine. Their well-being was dependent upon the men in their family who took care of them. St. John tells us that as Jesus hung on the cross his last thoughts were about his mother. In this poignant moment of self-emptying and self-gift, Mary bravely accepted that her Son, Jesus, was about to die. She also accepted the beloved disciple as her son. This could not have been easy. At this same moment in salvation history, God gave all of us to Mary, too. Mary became our mother, the mother of all who follow Jesus.
Mary’s example challenges us to be faithful to God even in the midst of tragedy. With Mary as our heavenly mother, we are never alone to face the perils of life.
— Lauren Nelson
PLACE YOURSELF at the foot of the cross. Consider one way you can welcome Mary into your heart today.
Prayer: Mary, come close to my heart. Be a mother to me; help me to honor you each day.
March 21
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” — Galatians 2:20
So many people have a hard time with the topic of surrender. They can’t imagine giving themselves up. Who will I be if I give myself over?
Early on in my marriage I struggled with a gripping addiction. Eventually, I had to make a choice between getting help or losing my family. One night I said to God: “Okay, I’ve been doing this my way, and it’s not working. I need your help.” The moment I surrendered, I started on the road to recovery.
I’m sure that when Mary’s pregnancy began, she had no idea what life would be like. But she knew that she was giving her life over to a loving God. I found out that God has goodness in store. The life of Christ enters us — as it did literally with Mary — and becomes our new identity.
— Christine Grano
WHAT IS GOD ASKING YOU to give over, to surrender to? Can you surrender into the loving arms of God as Mary did?
Prayer: Mary, thank you for your perfect example of surrender. Pray for me that I may do the same.
March 22
“Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” — Philippians 2:5-8
Paul instructs us to adopt the same attitude Jesus had. This attitude, which is ours in Christ, recognizes the role our ego plays. It warns us that if our egos rule, we are likely not to see God’s plan or will for us. We must empty ourselves of our selves.
Mary clearly had this attitude of self-surrender and embraced the art of self-emptying. How else could she possibly have had the courage to willingly surrender her life over to the Lord? What can we do to model this? Let us seek our Blessed Mother’s assistance in letting go of our egos and the desire to control, so that we may pattern our lives after Mary’s, and become obedient to the Father.
— John Holmes
FROM WHAT do you need detachment? In what ways might you consider self-emptying?
Prayer: Mother Mary, help me let go of attachments. With your help and God’s grace may I adopt the attitude of your Son.
March 23
“When the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it.” — Luke 2:43
Where was Jesus? Mary wondered and worried for three days as she and Joseph wandered in search of their twelve-year-old Son. The distress Mary felt shows in her words: “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously” (Lk 2:48).
Like Mary, we can be overwrought in the face of unknowing, ambiguity, and distress. For most of us, being thrust into the unknown, the space of uncertainty, is difficult and frightening. As a human being, Mary must certainly have experienced the feelings of upset, worry, and distress when Jesus was missing. That shared human experience is why Mary can hear our prayers compassionately. But Mary knew that even in the unknown God was with her. That reality gave her the courage to surrender to him.
— Dr. Barb Jarvis Pauls
WHAT ARE YOU ANXIOUS or distressed about today? What are the uncertainties you are facing in your life? Ask Mary to help you find Jesus in the midst of them.
Prayer: Holy Mary, help us surrender with faith and trust in God’s presence, even when we lose sight of him.
March 24
“I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” — Philippians 4:13
Mary became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit at a young age, and was told by the angel Gabriel that her childless cousin Elizabeth was also pregnant. Shortly after the birth of Jesus, Mary presented him at the Temple. There Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce her heart. How did young Mary make sense of these miraculous proclamations in her life?
Mary didn’t know everything the future held. It was Mary’s great faith that enabled her to surrender her life to God without seeking an explanation. She drew strength from knowing that God can accomplish all things.
Our lives are full of people and events we just don’t understand. Many of us seek solutions and explanations in order to gain a sense of control. Instead, we are called to model Mary’s life of trust, which invites us to surrender all into the hands of the Lord.
— Lauren Nelson
CALL TO MIND one situation in your life that is beyond your knowledge or understanding. Seek Mary’s help to strengthen your faith so that you have the courage to surrender this to God.
Prayer: Mary, help me to accept all the mysteries of my life and be with me as I surrender them to the Lord.
March 25
Solemnity of the Annunciation
“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, / and shall call his name Emmanuel / (which means, God with us).” — Matthew 1:23
Mary was a young virgin when the angel Gabriel came to announce that she would bear a son. Upon hearing this news, Mary’s only question was, “How can this be?” She didn’t interrogate or try to bargain with the angel about what was to take place. Mary simply surrendered her life to the power of the Holy Spirit. Knowing that he was with her, she chose to be with him.
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