33 Days to Morning Glory

Day 21 of 33 Days to Morning Glory Be the One (with Mary) In today's meditation, we consider the very essence and summary of Mother Teresa's Covenant Consecration from yesterday. In 5 words it is: Be the One with Mary. We are to be the one to satiate the thirst of Jesus. (I am also reading Fr. Gaitley's book Consoling the Heart of Jesusand in that book he gives a full explanation of being a "consoler" and satiating the thirst of our Lord for souls.) Mother Teresa recognizes that Mary is the one who is the spouse of the Holy Spirit, or THE Consoler, and therefore, completely filled with the Holy Spirit, her spouse, Mary most perfectly is able to satiate the thirst of Jesus and console him. I would also like to highlight the 3 trademark virtues of Mother Teresa: 1. total surrender to God 2. loving trust 3. perfect cheerfulness As we move toward consecration, may we all pray the closing prayer (from page 83) "Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary... Help me to "be the one" to console Jesus with Mary."

Julie Mussleman & Marybeth Finster join Mary Graham for 33 Days to Morning Glory Day TWENTY-TWO (03/12/15) Mary's Gift of Mercy Today we begin the fourth week of our preparation for Consecration to Jesus through Mary. In the fourth week we will focus on Blessed Pope John Paul the Great, one of my personal heroes. Today we read about the apparitions of Mary in Fatima, Portugal in 1917 and how Our Lady requested that Russia be consecrated to her Immaculate Heart. Pope John Paul II was the Pope to suffer an assassination attempt on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima May 13, 1981. He believed that it was Mary's intercession that saved his life and in return 3 years later, he consecrated the world to her Immaculate Heart. But that wasn't enough. Pope John Paul then gave the world the Feast of Divine Mercy.

Day 23 of 33 Days to Morning Glory Maternal Mediation According to the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium Maternal Mediation simply means that Mary is our spiritual mother who assists us from heaven with her prayers and motherly care to help bring us to God. (pg 90) As my own mother died in 2006, I love, love, love that Mary is my spiritual mother. As a mother of six children myself, I love that Mary is my model and exemplar. As much as I love my kids, and try to do everything I can to help them, Mary does all that and more for me, and she does it completely perfectly because she is without sin. In that way, like Blessed Pope John Paul the Great, we can say to Mary Totus Tuus, meaning "I am totally yours." ~Julie Musselman

Day 24 of 33 Days to Morning Glory Mary's Retreat (Day One) Mary's vocation to be our spiritual mother was not revealed to her all at once. Just like us, she was a pilgrim of faith. She pondered in her heart all the different things that happened day by day. She had to give her "yes" not just once at the annunciation, but over and over again. So too do we. If anyone feels this book is just giving too much emphasis to Mary, consider what Fr. Gaitley writes on pg 93 quoting Pope John Paul, "for it must be recognized that before anyone else it was God himself, the Eternal Father, who entrusted himself to the Virgin at Nazareth." Read and re-read this day's meditation. It goes over the scriptural events of Mary's life. We do well to get to know Mary more and more each day. ~Julie Musselman

Day 25 of 33 Days to Morning Glory Mary's Retreat (Day Two) In today's reading, we continue along in the events of the life of the Blessed Mother. One of the few but powerful words said by Mary, recorded in scripture, are "Do Whatever He Tells You." To me this sums up Marian devotion, she always points us to her son. The words of Pope John Paul II show how much Mary is concerned about our concerns, "her solicitude for human beings." Summarizing Pope John Paul II, Fr. Gaitley points out (pg 97) three things: 1. Mary is not the Handmaid of the Lord by necessity, but by God's choice 2. Mary needs servants who obey her words, "do whatever He tells you." 3. Mary's role is wholly oriented toward Christ In what area of my life is Mary pointing me to Jesus in today?