“To give worthy praise of the Lord’s mercy, we unite ourselves with Your Immaculate Mother, for then our hymn will be more pleasing to you, because She is chosen among men and angels. Through Her, as through a pure crystal, Your mercy was passed on to us. Through Her, man became pleasing to God; Through Her, streams of grace flowed down upon us.” – St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

Prayer for the Faithful at St. Francis Chapel

O Mother of Jesus, whose intercession strengthens the Church, conserve, increase and make fruitful this congregation at St. Francis Chapel. O Mary, you care for the brethren of your Son with a mother’s love; watch with maternal charity over all who rejoice today to be part of this family. Sustain our priests in their apostolate, protect travelers on their journeys, guide students who seek truth, heal the sick and afflicted, and be a bulwark for all the faithful who gather at this chapel in living out their vocations at home and in the marketplace. Blessed Mother, who have already reached the perfection of grace, mercifully pray for us that by the merits of your Son we shall increase in faith, hope and love till the consummation of heaven. Amen.

Reflection

We sometimes forget the Christianity is ultimately about joy. Jesus said that He came that we may “complete joy” (John 16:24). Our Lady is often associated with sorrow but she is truly a woman of profound joy. Joy is the emotion we feel when the thing we love is in our possession. When your loved one is away from you what you experience is desire, desire that she return to you. When she finally returns and is in your presence you feel the joy of having that which you love so much. Our Lady’s joy is compete because she has what she most loves, God. She wishes to share this joy with us and to teach us how to make God our supreme joy.

Resolution

Meditate today on the Seven Joys of Mary and how these mysteries brought God into Marry’s heart forever.

The Seven Joys of Mary:

The Annunciation – Luke 1:26-38

The Nativity of Jesus – Luke 2:1-20

The Adoration of the Magi – Matthew 2:1-22

The Resurrection – John 20

The Ascension – Acts 1:1-14

Pentecost – Acts 2

The Coronation of Our Lady – Revelation 12:1-7