Day Twenty-Six Consecration to Mary for the 21st Century/A Lenten Journey

Day Twenty-Six Consecration to Mary for the 21st Century/A Lenten Journey     

                                                                     Day Twenty-Six

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Prayers for this week, Days 23-28 in Lent:

Begin each day with "My Mother, my hope."

First Meditation

Yesterday, you learned about the miraculous medal.  You may purchase one for yourself, as a graduation present for making this consecration.  The brown scapular is worn under your clothing.  But this medal is to be worn on the outside of your clothing.  It is a visible sign of your consecration to Mary.

    Additionally, or instead of the miraculous medal, you may want to purchase a crucifix to wear.  This is a reminder that you belong to Jesus.  is a reminder that you were saved by Jesus' suffering and death.  Catholics wear the crucifix.  Protestants wear an empty cross without the corpus (Jesus' body).  This is not set in stone.  You may wear what you

want.  Both types of crosses tell the world you are Christian.  

    Remember to have a priest bless all scapulars, medals, crucifixes, crosses, and rosaries.  We want to make these objects sacramentals to have a sacred connotation.

     Thus this meditation is to ponder what you want to purhase and what you can afford.  But you do want the brown scapular to wear, next to your skin to remind yourself of your consecration to Mary AND something to wear on the outside of your clothing, to show the world you believe in Mary's Son, Jesus.

Second Meditation

Pray for every person involved in a tragic situation.  You will be praying through the news on TV, on the radio, and as you read the newspaper.  This is what Christians should be doing, anyway.

Third Meditation

With Mary, let us pray this short litany.

  Add this response to each petition.        Hear us Lord.                             

Keep my family safe in Your Love

Preserve us in peace

Assist Your Church

Aid our bishop

Defend our Holy Father, the Pope

Guide my pastor

Help all parish priests

Grant Your people widom of You and Your ways

Keep families strong in your love

Shield the persecuted

Give hope to the institutionalized

Hear the prayers of prisoners

Assist my country  

Add your own

End the day with the prayer, "We fly to thy patronage, O Holy Mother of God; despice not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Amen"

End your day with an examination of conscience--even in bed.

What good did I do today?

Where did I fail?

How can I do better?