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All the virtues assist the soul to attain to a burning love of God,
but, above all, pure prayer. By means of it the soul escapes
completely from the midst of creatures, carried to God, as it were,
on wings."
- St. Maximus the Confessor [7th C.), Centuries on Charity, I, 11 -
(Pure prayer is prayer focused only on God, with naked intent and full surrender. Ask the Spirit to help you pray in this manner
today.)
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Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-6; Lk 1:26-38
R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. USCCB Lectionary
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How does Mary respond to the word of God delivered by the angel Gabriel? She knows she is hearing something beyond human capability. It will surely take a miracle which surpasses all that God has done previously. Her question, "how shall this be, since I have no husband" is not prompted by doubt or skepticism, but by wonderment! She is a true hearer of the Word and she immediately responds with faith and trust. Mary's prompt response of "yes" to the divine message is a model of faith for all believers. Mary believed God's promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was willing and eager to do God's will, even if it seemed difficult or costly. Mary is the "mother of God" because God becomes incarnate when he takes on flesh in her womb. When we pray the Nicene Creed we state our confession of faith in this great mystery: "For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man". God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same willingness, obedience, and heartfelt trust as Mary did. When God commands he also gives the help, strength, and means to respond. We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do you believe in God's promises and do you yield to his grace?
Heavenly Father, you offer us abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you my unqualified 'yes' to your will and plan for my life. DailyScripture.net
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Stages of Growth in Christian Prayer, by Philip St. Romain Stages of Contemplative Prayer (part two) Prayer of union. The union between the soul and God includes the mental and sensual faculties, which rest
quietly during this prayer. In this beautiful state, one experiences the certitude of God's presence and is delivered from weariness and tedium. God refreshes the soul so completely that one scarcely experiences the need for sleep and would prefer to spend time resting in union with God. There is no loss of conscious awareness in this prayer.
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