Day 1
Reading: Gen. 3:8-15
In our brokenness Adam is our father and Eve our mother. The desire to be like God, to be powerful like God, blinded them on their deep communion with him as his friends. They decided to usurp that power by their rebellion. It was a choice of immediate goals instead of choosing lasting happiness. In Mary, God has chosen to undo the rebellion by announcing this good news that one day a woman herself will stand strong against the powers of the evil one. She is the humble handmaid of the Lord.
Does the word humility mean anything to me?
Prayer
O God, you have honoured the Order of Carmel with a special dedication to Mary, your Virgin Mother. Grant through the intercession of her, whose feast is approaching we may merit to attain to the joys of heaven who lives and reigns forever. Amen.
Hymn
Day 2
Reading: Gen: 12:1-3
In Abraham God decisively initiates His projects of bringing humanity back to his communion. He is a kind and patient Father. He breaks into the life of Abraham and he responds to God generously. He is the Father of believers. Of his stock Mary, Mother of all believers will someday bring forth the Saviour. St. Teresa wanted all Carmelites to be Mary’s children in faith and true friends of Jesus.
How best a friend of Jesus am I?
Prayer as above
Hymn
Day 3
Reading: 2 Samuel. 7: 8-16
God is restless. He is restless till He brings back the lost humanity. He chooses the dynasty of David pre-announcing the advent of the Saviour in the kingly lineage. The kingdom Jesus came to build is not of this world, but will be much stronger. When lifted up on the Cross he will draw all people to himself.
Mary was the first disciple of Jesus. Do we allow ourselves to be attracted by the Lord or by the world?
Prayer as above
Hymn
Day 4
Reading: 1 Kings: 19:1-3, 9-14
Prophet Elijah on Mt. Carmel has always inspired people of all religions due to his radical commitment to monotheism and for moral values based on the covenant. He lived a life of voluntary poverty, ascetic self-discipline and contemplative prayer, powerful prophetic word that shook political powers of his time. He foreshadowed to us Mary as the gift of bountiful rain of God’s grace. Being a Carmelite today means for us to be persons of radical commitment to God in prayer and prophetic courage, to stand for simplicity of life and divine kindness to others.
What about me?
Prayer as above
Hymn
Day 5
God is able to write straight on crooked lines. King Ahab, a descendent of David was afraid of neighboring kings plotting against him, forgetting that Yahweh will protect him in view of the future Savior. He was acting smart trying to bypass God’s promise and manifesting his loss of faith in God in spite of God giving him the reassurance. Prophet Isaiah makes that reassurance very clear when he makes the Emmanuel prophecy. In Mary, God fulfilled that prophecy in an eminent way. In her, truly God is made close to us, around us, with us and in us.
Am I truly with God now, capable of accepting in faith the challenges of my life and apostolate?
Prayer as above
Hymn
Day 6
Reading: Ex. 24: 1-8
Covenant is the highest form of interpersonal relationship. God manifests His immense love for Israel and waits for their consent. Israel responds positively to belong exclusively to him. In Mary, God was so much pleased that she responded to God with the fullness of the virginal love and shared the highest communion with God, to be truly the House of God, Ark of the Covenant and gate of heaven.
Can I describe my covenantal relationship with the Lord as exclusive and total?
Prayer as above
Hymn
Day 7
Reading- Wisdom: 9: 1-12
Solomon was the wisest of all human beings. He was doubly wise because he prayed for wisdom and preferred wisdom to every other thing. This wisdom guided the life of Solomon in the right path. Mary’s obedience to God can very well be characterized as complete openness to God by her pondering and contemplating all the works of God in her heart. Such docility is not possible for us unless God grants it to us in prayer.
How about my fidelity and the quality of my prayer life as a child of Mary?
Prayer as above
Hymn
Day 8
Reading: Mt. 2: 7-12
Next to the illiterate shepherds, the wise men from the East were the early guests of Jesus and Mary. These men had taken so much pain and trouble to come to the Lord. They were in constant search of God and their searching star rested finally above the stable of Bethlehem and they found the One whom they longed for at Mary’s lap.
What do I search for most in my life? How do I help other co-citizens of ours to find God in Christ Jesus as Mary did?
Prayer as above
Hymn
Day 9
In the Gospel according to John there is a hidden meaning in most of the passages. Though it appears that Jesus as a true son is fulfilling his duty by making last moment arrangements for providing and safe keeping of his mother, really it is that he gives her as the mother of all the true disciples of Jesus. They need her more than ever. It is she, as the Mother of the Church, the one who can authentically teach us the true discipleship of Jesus.
Can I call myself an authentic disciple of Jesus? What guides me really? Have I learnt anything from Mary on my spiritual journey?
Prayer as above
Hymn
HAPPY FEAST [ July - 16th ]