www.vocation.com - Under Her Maternal Protection

Jesus said: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him, abandons the sheep and runs away as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep; this is because he is only a hired man and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for this fold, and these I have to lead as well. They too will listen to my voice, and there will be only one flock and one shepherd. The Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will, and as it is in my power to lay it down, so it is in my power to take it up again; and this is the command I have been given by my Father."

Introductory Prayer: Mother, today I want to offer you my heart, my mind, my all to you. Take me under your maternal protection, so that all my undertakings today may be blessed with your presence and be pleasing to Our Lord. Pray that I may honor your Son by imitating your virtues, the surest path of my transformation into another Christ, alter Christus.

Petition: Lord Jesus Christ, give me the graces I need to follow you by imitating you with the same love and joy as your mother did.

1. "The Good Shepherd is One Who Lays Down His Life for His Sheep" - Fidelity of Mary. Many a time, life has taught us that in difficult moments good friends are hard to come by. Although many may abandon us, no one would ever doubt the fidelity of his own mother. How much more so should we trust in Mary's fidelity! She is the first to be at our side in our joys, triumphs, shortcomings, and sorrows. Mary was always there throughout her son's entire life: from the elation of Elizabeth's greeting at the Visitation to the ignominy of the Crucifixion, when few friends were to be found, not even the twelve apostles. Precisely because she is our Mother, we too should never doubt that our concerns are her concerns; moreover, could any concern of Mary ever be unheard by her son, Jesus? Mother Mary will never leave our prayers unanswered.

2. "I Know My Own and My Own Know Me" - Love for Her Children. A young priest naively asked a mother of eight children, "Which do you love the most?" She answered, "I love them all, but I love most the one most in need. The one who just fell and bruised a knee, the one who was left out of the group, the one who is sick today...." Is this not also true of our Blessed Mother? Mother Mary has each of us constantly before her eyes; in each and every step we are under her maternal care. When the day is rough, troubles have brought us down, or our mind is dizzy with trying to make heads or tails of decisions to be made... go to Mary. She knows our hearts even better than we do, because in our hearts she sees what we don't always see: the splendor of God's plan for our life unfolding. Take the hand of Our Mother, and she will lead us through the valley of tears.

3. "They Too Will Listen to My Voice, and there Will Be Only One Flock and One Shepherd "- Final Perseverance. Today's markets are full of "self-salvation" packages, ranging from channeling your untapped subliminal energies and "wonder diets" that regain a holistic equilibrium of "Ying & Yang", to controlling the events of your life by positive thinking; you can find them all. Despite the fact that there may be grains of truth in all this, we have already a sure guarantee to the true happiness we all desire - Jesus Christ. Mary is that path to him, a sure beacon in the midst of many attractive but uncertain promises. Our Heavenly Mother has only one interest: that we find our way to her Son and gain the eternal happiness for which we were created. Let Our Mother speak to our hearts throughout this day. Let us bring her into our lives and she will bring us into the fullness of her Son's life at the end of our sojourn here on earth.

Conversation with Mary: Blessed Mother, today on Mother's day I ask you to be particularly present in my life. I pray that in good times and hard you will always be at my side. Help me never to doubt your fidelity and your personal love for me as your child. Ask of your Son the grace I need today to be another Christ to all those around me, and for the gift of persevering in love.

Questionnaire

1. What is my love for Mary like? Is it theoretical, or do I have a personal love for her as my mother who cares for me from heaven?

2. What is my devotion to Mary like? Is it mostly feelings or am I committed to imitating the virtues of Mary in my own life?

3. How much do I trust in Mary? Does it help me in my struggles to live authentically my Christian vocation to know that I have a mother watching over me in whom I can find strength, consolation and perseverance?