Ask her to give you her Son, Who in the Blessed Sacrament is truly the Food of your soul. She will give Him to you readily.
—St. Cajetan
PRAYER. O Mary, you are ever ready to give us the Food of our souls. Help me prepare through prayer and good works for the visit of the great King, Who is Christ your Son.
AUG. 8
PETER answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
—Jn 6:68-69
REFLECTION. O Mary, to whom else shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!
These are the prayers by which you intervene on our behalf before God. Indeed, you never cease to work wonders for us.
—St. Germanus
PRAYER. O Mary, like the words of Jesus, your prayerful words on our behalf bring salvation. Never cease to pray for me “till in heaven eternally your love and bliss I share.”
AUG. 9
THE Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of the Gentiles; all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
—Isa 52:10
REFLECTION. Through this Virgin, the whole earth is filled with the glory of God.
Through this Virgin, all have known the great God. All have seen the salvation of God.
—St. Ildephonsus
PRAYER. O Mary, through you, salvation came to the world. May those peoples who are still without the knowledge of your Divine Son come to know, love, and serve Him.
AUG. 10
BLESSED is the soul that fears the Lord…. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who love him; he is their mighty shield and strong support.
—Sir 34:15-16
REFLECTION. O Mary, Mother of Love, love your Jesus and mine for me.
And make me share the love that you bear for Him!
—St. John Eudes
PRAYER. O Mary, your love for your Divine Son was greater than the combined love of all other humans. Increase my love for Jesus and let it be expressed in actions.
AUG. 11
THE Lord is far from the wicked, but he will hear the prayers of the just.
—Prov 15:29
REFLECTION. Mary’s prayers and requests are so powerful with God that they pass for commands with His Majesty.
He never resists the prayer of His dear Mother because it is always humble and in accord with His will.
—St. Louis Grignion de Montfort
PRAYER. O Mary, your prayers for us are always conformed to the will of God. Help me to conform my will and my prayers to the will of your Divine Son, Jesus.
AUG. 12
I GO to prepare a place for you…. And I will come back and take you to be with me, so that where I am, there you will be.
—Jn 14:2-3
REFLECTION. O Mary, you who are the Mother of Life had to remain always with Life.
For you, death could never be anything more than sleep and the Assumption anything more than an act of waking up.
—St. Germanus
PRAYER. O Mary, your glory of the Assumption is a pledge of our glory. Help me to live in such a way that when Jesus returns for me He will find me worthy to join you in heaven.
AUG. 13
LET the faithful rejoice in glory; let them sing for joy in their beds. Let the praises of God be in their mouths.
—Ps 149:5-6
REFLECTION. O Mary, may all nations glorify your Immaculate Heart!
May the whole earth invoke and bless your Immaculate Heart!
—St. John Vianney
PRAYER. O Mary, our human speech is too feeble to honor you as we ought. Grant that I may never cease praising you and invoking your Immaculate Heart.
AUG. 14
SO the people stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will hear. But do not let God speak to us, or we shall die.”
—Ex 20:18-19
REFLECTION. If you want to grow in perfection, you cannot advance by yourselves—you need a guide.
Hence, when you go to God, go through Mary and with Mary!
—St. Maximilian Kolbe
PRAYER. O Mary, you are our Mediatrix with the God of all. Help me to grow in grace and holiness, so that I may one day reach your Divine Son in the bliss of heaven.
AUG. 15
THOSE who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. They go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown. They come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves.
—Ps 126:5-6
REFLECTION. Mary sowed much in tears while on earth, and now she is reaping much in heavenly joy.
The same will be true for us. The more spiritual victories we obtain while on earth, the more we will receive in heaven.
—St. Bernard
PRAYER. O Mary, grant me the grace to obtain daily spiritual victories over myself, the world, and the devil. Let me imitate your faithfulness and so share your glory.
AUG. 16
FROM ivory palaces the music of stringed instruments brings you joy…; the queen stands at your right hand in gold of Ophir.
—Ps 45:9-10
REFLECTION. The heavenly host came forth rejoicing in festal array, to meet the Mother of God.
Surrounded with effulgent light, Mary was led amid praises and canticles to the throne prepared for her from the world’s beginning.
—St. Jerome
PRAYER. O Mary, at the Assumption you were solemnly taken into the glory of heaven. Fix my eyes on that glory, so that I may put up with the adversities of this world.
AUG. 17
FORGIVE the sins of this people according to your great mercy, as you have been merciful to them … until now.
—Num 14:19
REFLECTION. When we pray to the Mother of God, we are heard more quickly than when we call directly on Jesus—for He is not only our Lord but also our Judge.
However, Mary has no other office except to show compassion.
—St. Anselm
PRAYER. O Mary, help me to imitate you and your Divine Son by showing kindness to others when they hurt me.
AUG. 18
IT is l who girded you … , so that from the rising of the sun to the west where it sets, men may know that there is none besides me.
—Isa 45:5-6
REFLECTION. O Blessed Virgin, nothing resists your power. God the Father looks upon your glory as if it were His own.
And God the Son takes delight in glorifying you and grants your every petition as if He were paying a debt.
—St. Gregory of Nicomedia
PRAYER. O Mary you have the ear of God. Beg Him to have mercy on us and to send peace to a tormented world.
AUG. 19
YOU come forth to deliver your people…. You make a way in the sea with your horses amid the churning of many waters.
—Hab 3:13-15
REFLECTION. The Heart of Mary is a sun that spreads its rays and its warmth throughout the world.
It is constantly working in every possible way for the salvation of souls.
—St. John Eudes
PRAYER. O Immaculate Heart of Mary, be my salvation! I put all my trust in you for time and for eternity.
AUG. 20
ALL should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
—Jn 5:23
REFLECTION. Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on His Mother. The more Mary is honored, the greater is the glory of her Son.
—St. Bernard
PRAYER. O Mary, the more we honor you, the more we honor Jesus. And the more we honor Jesus, the more we honor the Father. Let me heap praises on you all the day long.
AUG. 21
WHEN Jesus had brought about man’s purgation from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
—Heb 1:3
REFLECTION. Mary sits at the right hand of Jesus like a Queen.
She is the most safe
refuge for and the most fruitful helper of all who are in danger, so there is no reason to fear.
—St. Pius X
PRAYER. O Mary, you are the Mediatrix of All Grace. Keep me under your guidance, your care, your benevolence, and your protection, so that I will have no reason to despair.
AUG. 22
YOUR renown spread forth among the nations for your beauty, which was perfect since I placed my splendor upon you.
—Ezek 16:14
REFLECTION. Mary consented to be the Mother of the Eternal Word.
At that very moment, she merited to be made the Queen of the world and all creatures.
—St. Alphonsus Liguori
PRAYER. O Mary, you are our Queen. Reign over all hearts by the queenly power of your love, so that the Kingdom of your Divine Son may come upon earth.
AUG. 23
THE lowly may be pardoned through mercy, but the mighty will be tested with rigor.
—Wis 6:6
REFLECTION. When the Blessed Virgin conceived the Eternal Word in her womb and gave Him birth, she obtained half the Kingdom of God.
She became Queen of Mercy, and her Son remained King of Justice!
—St. Thomas Aquinas
PRAYER. O Mary, you are the Queen and Exemplar of Mercy. In imitation of you, let me be humble and merciful toward others, so that I too may receive mercy and pardon.
AUG. 24
THIS saying is true and worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the worst.
—1 Tim 1:15
REFLECTION. As the Queen of Mercy, Mary throws open the abyss of God’s mercies to anyone she pleases, when she pleases, and as she pleases.
Hence, there are no sinners who will be lost when she intercedes for them!
—St. Bernard
PRAYER. O Mary, you dispense the merits of Christ’s Redemption to all sinners. Pour down on me the Divine Mercy, so that I may repent for my past sins and strive to avoid sin in the future.
AUG. 25
LET your heart receive my words. Keep my commands, and you shall live! Get wisdom, get prudence.
—Prov 4:4-5
REFLECTION. Praise be to Mary!
Let all hearts give themselves to Mary so that she may fill them with her Heart and the Heart of Jesus!
—St. John Eudes
PRAYER. O Mary, you are the Queen of Hearts! Mold my heart after your own, so that it may possess the sentiments of true Christian living and reflect the Heart of your Divine Son.
AUG. 26
BEHOLD, as the eyes of servants are on their master’s hands,… so are our eyes raised to the Lord, our God, till he have mercy on us.
—Ps 123:2
REFLECTION. I want to be a devoted servant of the Heavenly Father.
Therefore, I faithfully desire to be the servant of the Mother.
—St. Ildephonsus
PRAYER. O Mary, let me be completely devoted to you. Only in this way can I be a true servant of the Heavenly Father and of your Divine Son Jesus.
AUG. 27
MY heart overflows with a noble theme; as I recite my poem to the king, my tongue is the pen of a swift scribe.
—Ps 45:2
REFLECTION. The glorious Virgin was raised to the dignity of Mother of the King of kings.
Accordingly, the Church honors her with the radiant title of Queen and asks us to do the same.
—St. Alphonsus Liguori
PRAYER. O Mary, you are the Queen of the Universe. Grant that I may praise you as you deserve and reap the spiritual benefits of lifelong dedication to your service.
AUG. 28
HE is not far from each of us. For “In him we live and move and have our being,” as some of your own poets have said.
—Act 17:27-28
REFLECTION. I hold that Mary is now with Christ and in Christ.
She is in Christ, because “in Him we live and move and have our being.” She is with Christ, because she has been assumed into glory.
—St. Augustine
PRAYER. O Mary, you live in glory with your Divine Son. Let me remain united with you and live and move in God while on earth, so that I may be with Him in the glory of heaven.
AUG. 29
STRENUOUS labor is the lot of all human beings … from the day when they emerge from their mother’s womb until the day when they return to the mother of us all.
—Sir 40:1
REFLECTION. Mary is a Queen because she is a Mother, the Immaculate Mother of God, a completely Divine Mother.
She is thus the Queen of heaven and earth, of Angels and human beings.
—St. Maximilian Kolbe
PRAYER. O Mary, you are the Mother of all the living and Queen of all. Watch over me by your motherly care. And intercede with the King of kings on my behalf.
AUG. 30
GOD made two great lights: a greater one to rule the day, and a lesser one to rule the night.
—Gen 1:16
REFLECTION. The moon, standing between the sun and the earth, transmits to the earth whatever light it receives from the sun.
In like manner, Mary stands between God and human beings and pours His grace upon us.
—St. Bonaventure
PRAYER. O Mary, you flood us with Christ’s supernatural brightness. Grant me the graces to flee the proximate occasions of sin and remain true to my Christian vocation.
AUG. 31
EYE has not seen nor has ear heard, neither has it entered the human heart … what God has prepared for those who love him.
—1 Cor 2:9
REFLECTION. Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and the human heart has not felt what God has prepared for those who love Him.
Who, then, can dare speak about what God has prepared for His Mother!
—St. Bernard
PRAYER. O Mary, you are now enjoying the ineffable reward prepared for you. Let me dwell often on the joys that await me if I remain faithful to God’s will for me.
September
SEPT. 1
MY just one is near, my savior has gone forth … ; the coastlands look for me and wait patiently for my arm.
—Isa 51:5
REFLECTION. Because Jesus redeemed us, He is our Lord and our King.
In the same way, the Blessed Virgin is our Lady and our Queen on account of the unique manner in which she assisted in the Redemption, offering her Son to the Father for the salvation of the world.
—Pope Pius XII
PRAYER. O Mary, most noble Queen of the world, plead for peace and salvation in our behalf, for you have brought forth Christ the Lord, the Savior of us all.
SEPT. 2
JUST as the living Father has sent me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
—Jn 6:57
REFLECTION. Every grace granted to human beings has three degrees in order.
From God it is communicated to Christ; from Christ it passes to the Blessed Virgin; and from the Blessed Virgin it comes to us.
—St. Bernardine of Siena
PRAYER. O Mary, you are the Channel of Divine Grace for us. Grant that I may be receptive to every grace earmarked for me and may cooperate with it to the full.
SEPT. 3
EPHRAIM is my favored son; he is a tender child…. I still remember him. My heart stirs for him, and I will surely show him compassion.
—Jer 31:20
REFLECTION. Mary far surpasses all other mothers in glory and holiness as well as in kindness and sweetness.
Come before her with a contrite and humbled heart. You will find her more prompt and more tender in loving you than all other mothers.
—St. Gregory
PRAYER. “O Mother of the Word Incarnate, to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. Despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me.”
SEPT. 4
THE kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a person finds it he hides it again; then,
filled with joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
—Mt 13:44
REFLECTION. Every good, every help, and every grace that human beings have received and will receive from God until the end of time came and will come to them by the intercession and through the hands of Mary.
When we find Mary, we find all!
—Blessed Raymond Jordano
PRAYER. O Mary, you are the “treasure hidden in a field.” Let me be willing to give up all things so that I may never be separated from you and your Divine Son.
SEPT. 5
WAIT yet a little and I will show you. I still have some things to say in God’s behalf.
—Job 36:2
REFLECTION. Mary is the echo of God. If we say “Mary,” she will answer “God.”
That is why union with her is always followed by union with God.
—St. Louis Grignion de Montfort
PRAYER. O Mary, you are the Echo of God. Let me imitate you in echoing the teaching of Jesus to others both in my words and in my deeds.
SEPT. 6
THE Lord does not delay in his promises, but is patient for your sake, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to turn to repentance.
—2 Pet 3:9
REFLECTION. Mary does not know how to refuse compassion. She has never learned how to let the comfortless go away uncomforted.
And so, she will persuade her Son to pardon me.
—St. Bonaventure
PRAYER. O Mary, you are the Mother of Compassion. Help me to show compassion to others, so that I may benefit from your compassion and that of your Divine Son.
SEPT. 7
WHEN the Lord has brought you into the … land that flows with milk and honey, you shall celebrate this sacred rite in this month.
—Ex 13:5
REFLECTION. Mary is a land that, though it has never been sown, brings forth fruit that gives food to all creatures.
She is a land on which rest the blessings of the Lord.
—St. Theodore the Studite
PRAYER. O Mary, you are the “land that flows with milk and honey.” Fill me with the blessings that flow from such a Divine land, so that I too may bring forth fruits worthy of salvation.
Mary Day by Day Page 9