Every Day with
Mary
Reflections by the Affiliates of Mayslake Ministries
Edited by Dr. Mary Amore
Our
Sunday
Visitor
www.osv.com Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. Huntington, Indiana 46750
Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible—Second Catholic Edition (Ignatius Edition), copyright © 1965, 1966, 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Every reasonable effort has been made to determine copyright holders of excerpted materials and to secure permissions as needed. If any copyrighted materials have been inadvertently used in this work without proper credit being given in one form or another, please notify Our Sunday Visitor in writing so that future printings of this work may be corrected accordingly.
Copyright © 2017 by Mayslake Ministries. Published 2017.
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All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts for critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without permission from the publisher. For more information, visit: www.osv.com/permissions.
Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division
Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
200 Noll Plaza
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1-800-348-2440
ISBN: 978-1-68192-145-7 (Inventory No. T1867)
eISBN: 978-1-68192-147-1
LCCN: 2017943412
Cover design: Lindsey Riesen
Cover art: Shutterstock
Interior design: Dianne Nelson
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Dedication
To Lauren Nelson, thank you for your inspiring idea to write this book. You were the seed of hope and vision for this project, and I am forever grateful. May our Blessed Mother continue to lead and guide you in life as you serve the Lord in your vocation as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and disciple.
To the gifted affiliates at Mayslake Ministries, thank you for your gracious acceptance of my invitation to share your bountiful wisdom and spiritual gifts through the pages of this book so that people may come to know and love our Blessed Mother.
To my family: my husband, Joe; my son, Joey; and my daughter, Lauren. Thank you for your willingness to help me see this project to completion. Your love and support will be forever appreciated. May this book be a reminder of our commitment to always be there for one another!
Lastly, to our Mother Mary, thank you for your fiat, for your incredible gift of courage and faith that brought Jesus into our world and into our lives. We are forever grateful.
Contents
Introduction
Mary’s life as a young Jewish girl, wife, mother, and disciple has much to teach us about living in today’s fast-paced world as a follower of Christ. From the cradle to the cross, Mary never lost faith in the Lord; her entire life bore witness to her unfailing love of God. We are called, and empowered, to do the same.
Every Day with Mary is a daily devotional written to help you begin — or deepen — your relationship with our Blessed Mother, Mary. These short reflections are intended to enable you to connect Mary’s life experiences with those of your own life. Each of the twelve months of the year carries the theme of a particular fruit of the Spirit. By encountering the fruits of the Holy Spirit in Mary’s life, we can begin to see how that same Holy Spirit can bear the fruit of faithful Christian discipleship in us.
No one voice or perspective can speak to all people, but we are all enriched by experiences and perspectives that are not our own. That is why this book draws from the spiritual wisdom and insight shared by a diverse group of thirty Catholic men and women. These authors, who comprise the affiliate staff of Mayslake Ministries, include lay and clergy, single and married; their ages range from twenty-seven to seventy-six. Each person, in his or her own way, has sought to make the presence of Mary in our lives of faith accessible, understandable, and inspirational.
Day by day, I pray that the pages of this book will draw you into the heart of Mary and inspire you to follow her example of living the fruits of the Spirit. Whether you are a business professional running to catch a flight, a stay-at-home mom or dad struggling to raise your family, a college student studying for a test, or a person enjoying retirement, these timely and relevant reflections will inspire you on your spiritual journey and invite you to live Every Day with Mary.
— Dr. Mary Amore, executive director, Mayslake Ministries
~ Peace ~
January 1
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
“Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.” — Luke 2:19
The events surrounding the birth of Jesus were extraordinary and Scripture tells us that “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Is it any wonder? After all, who can understand the mind of God? As the mother of Jesus, Mary chose to prayerfully reflect rather than react. This brought her great peace even in the midst of difficulties.
Our world is in turmoil often because so many people act without thinking. Sometimes