Advent 2011: Mary Hidden in Advent links

The Nativity by The Master of Gerona, late 1200's

     In order to help you more easily navigate the Mary Hidden in Advent posts and correlate them with Advent 2011 dates, I have listed links to each post and the dates you could use them.  Because Advent is long this year, the last few days continue onto the Nativity itself. 

Basic Information on the Mary Hidden in Advent series


Introduction and How to Use
Summary Chart with Bible references, ornaments, Marian titles
Crafting Ideas for Ornaments 
Other Ornament Ideas 




First Week of Advent

Sunday, 11/27/11                         Day 1: Creation

Monday, 11/28/11                        Day 2: Adam and Eve 

Tuesday, 11/29/11                       Day 3: The Fall

Wednesday, 11/30/11                  Day 4: Noah 

Thursday, 12/1/11                       Day 5: Abraham

Friday, 12/2/11                            Day 6: The Sacrifice of Isaac 

Saturday, 12/3/11                        Day 7: Jacob's Ladder 

Second Week of Advent

Sunday, 12/4/11                         Day 8: Joseph's Youth 

Monday, 12/5/11                        Day 9: Joseph in Egypt 

Tuesday, 12/6/11                       Day 10: Moses in Basket 

Wednesday, 12/7/11                  Day 11: The Exodus 

Thursday, 12/8/11                      Day 12: Moses and the Law 

Friday, 12/9/11                           Day 13: Ruth 

Saturday, 12/10/11                     Day 14: Samuel 

Third Week of Advent

Sunday, 12/11/11                       Day 15: David the Shepherd 

Monday, 12/12/11                      Day 16: David before the Ark 

Tuesday, 12/13/11                     Day 17: Solomon 

Wednesday, 12/14/11                Day 18: Elijah 

Thursday, 12/15/11                    Day 19: Tobias and Raphael 
Friday, 12/16/11                         Day 20: Daniel 
Saturday, 12/17/11                     Day 21: John the Baptist 

Fourth Week of Advent

Sunday, 12/18/11                       Day 22: The Annunciation 
Monday, 12/19/11                      Day 23: The Visitation 
Tuesday, 12/20/11                      Day 24: St. Joseph
Wednesday, 12/21/11                 Day 25: Journey to Bethlehem
Thursday, 12/22/11                     Day 26: The Birth of Jesus
Friday, 12/23/11                          Day 27: The Wise Men
Saturday, 12/24/11                      Day 28: The Flight into Egypt


HAVE A BLESSED AND HOLY CHRISTMAS!!!
                      

 

                       

Mary Hidden in Advent-Introduction

     After several years of doing a Jesse Tree devotion, I wanted to add some more "meat" to our annual review of the story of salvation.  I decided that I wanted to add to my daily reading some comments that linked the stories to the role the Blessed Virgin Mary plays in our salvation.  This series of posts is the fruit of that effort.  I hope you will use and enjoy them in your own domestic church.

Sources for the stories:

 

    This series of posts uses The Jesse Tree by Geraldine McCaughrean as a spine.  This book was not very interesting to my children when they were younger (under 7), but this year they seem to be enjoying it a lot.  It is not the best choice for younger children.  For the under 7 crowd, I would recommend a children's bible, while for older (than 10), I suggest reading the stories directly from a regular Bible.  Don't feel it is necessary to purchase or use The Jesse Tree to enjoy this devotion. I did add a few stories later that are not included in The Jesse Tree, such as the story of Tobias and Raphael.

Benefits I Observed:  

     

     The first year we did this devotion, at the Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, I suddenly realized the great benefit the children were receiving as we faithfully learned a little each day about the titles of Mary.  They had already been tremendously blessed by Meredith Henning's lovely book, Mondays with Mary , and so had been exposed to many of the titles of Our Lady from the Litany of Loreto.  As we read through the stories of salvation and linked them to some of Our Lady's titles and roles, they were getting a deeper picture.  They were being exposed to the typology of the Church and to the reality of St. Augustine's idea that " the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New." (CCC #129).  I was pleasantly impressed with their understanding of Fr.'s homily, which referred to Mary as the New Eve, a perpetual virgin, and several other ideas we had discussed at home.

How to do each lesson:

     This is what we do for each day:

          1) Read story/bible story. Put up your Jesse Tree
              ornament if you wish to do that.

          2) Read the "comments" for the day.

          3) Look at the picture of Our Lady and discuss the 
              title very briefly.
          4) Hang Marian ornament.  (If I need to make an
              ornament, we do that at another time.)

          5) Say the prayer.

That's it!  Short and sweet! I would recommend doing just a regular Jesse Tree devotion for a year or two before adding in the Marian element. In this way, the children can learn and understand the stories from Scripture first, and then they can add to that understanding a further knowledge of how Mary fits into the plan of salvation.  The extra information in each post can be used as a lovely meditation for adults, or it could also be used for more in-depth study for older students.  I haven't checked out all the posts on every site I link to, so you might want to preview them for yourself before assigning them to your students.

A summary chart of each days readings, Bible reference, ornament, and Marian title is available for you to download.

For the ornaments, see the separate post on ornaments! Thanks!

 

 

Mary in Advent Summary Chart

I have posted a chart summarizing the stories, ornament ideas, Scripture references, and titles of Mary on one handy page here.  Please enjoy this resource!

Also, I have gone through the posts I wrote this year and done several editing tasks to make them easier to use next year.  Rather than list these tasks on each post, I summarize them here for you:

     1.  I moved all explanatory notes and ornament notes to the Introduction.

     2.  I re-numbered the posts to allow for a 28-day Advent season.  I have noted which posts to add for the longer season.  These are also the ones you can skip for a shorter season or if you want to just do this devotion during the calendar month of December (as short as 24 days, December 1-24).

     3.  Since the length of Advent varies, I have moved the O Antiphon posts and re-labeled them by their respective dates.  They are tagged "O Antiphons".  They are not currently posted, but will be published again next year (I already scheduled them). 

     4.  If I noticed any typos, I fixed those, too.

So, if you would like to use these posts in order for either Advent or for a unit study on Mary in salvation history, just click on the "Mary in Advent" tag on the left and they should all be in proper order, numbered from 1 to 28.  Count the number of days you plan to use this devotion during Advent, and then determine which posts you need to skip.  Posts labeled "Add this for an x-day Advent season" are the optional posts.  You decide which ones to delete.

I have loved praying my way through this Advent with you.  May God bless you and keep you in 2011!

Crafting ornaments for Mary Hidden in Advent

     Since I was asked if I had created any ornaments to go with the Mary Hidden in Advent series, I will now confess to all--I am totally craft-challenged. Why did I ever say I would post ornaments as I made them??? Did I hope no one would read that?  Did I just have a wild flight of fancy, thinking I would suddenly become crafty? No? Too bad!  But I will share with you what we are doing here, and maybe it will help those who, like myself, can just barely glue!

     Above is the set we are using (mostly) for the Bible stories.  This set is sold by Leaflet Missal for around $21.00.  You have to assemble the figures using the provided pattern, felt (provided also), and glue. If I can do it, so can you. Truly.  There are a few stories we will cover that aren't in this kit, so when we get there I will (hopefully!) post pictures of what I come up with to represent those stories.

As far as the Marian ornaments, I'm making those this year as I go along.  We will review them and hang them on our main tree when it goes up (Gaudete Sunday).  This is what I have, but if anyone else has a better thought, please contribute it on your blog! I will apologize in advance for the quality of the pictures below; my camera is out-of-order so I used my phone, which tends to be a little bit dark. 

I like to use what I have around and I have been collecting can lids (I use an Oxo can opener that creates a smooth lid edge, but is not so great if you want to drain your tuna...). I also have a miser's hoard of cardboard Amazon boxes, so I begin with:

Step One: Collect jar lids, cardboard, or whatever for a backing:

Step two: Print out the Marian pictures from the lessons and cut them to fit whatever size/shape of cardboard or jar lid you like.  (Really, you don't need a picture for this one.) I used photo paper to get a better quality image and a bit of shine. I copied some of the images onto a Word document and reduced the sizes to 2 1/2"-3" across. 

Step three:  Spray painting everything gold:

Step four:  Glue the Marian pictures to the golden lids and rectangles with Mod Podge, and you can cover them with Mod Podge, too, for a decoupage effect:

ETA:  I decided not to Mod Podge the rest of the ornaments.  If they are printed on photo paper, it isn't necessary at all.  Also, I found it best to glue the hanging ribbons between the cardboard and the picture.

Step five:  Add ribbon, beads, etc. to complete the ornament: 

ETA:  Glue ribbon between cardboard and picture.

     I think I still want to add blue beads around the edge of the New Eve ornament.  But the Mystical Rose ornament is complete:

The Mod Podge works well to glue the hanger ribbon to the cardboard, but I think a hot glue gun would have been better on the metal.(ETA:  yeah, that would definitely be easier!)  I did use Mod Podge and I'll let you know if the ribbon detaches.  Also, the edges of the cardboard ornaments would look a lot nicer with golden cording glued to them or beads, but they are not noticeable from the front.  I'm just leaving mine plain.  No one is going to inspect them, right?  Right???

ETA:  Well, I could see the edges, so I did end up putting ribbon or glitter glue on them!

So, voila! ornaments with a lovely pictures of Our Lady on them.  We are looking forward to hanging these on our tree!  Hope this inspires you!

Here are a few more pictures (not too clear, I'll try to upgrade them later) of the tree we have our Mary ornaments hanging on.  ETA: You can see that we also cut some of the pictures into shapes suggested by the pictures themselves.  I don't know if you can see it, but the Annuniciation picture we made into a little book, with "Ave Maria" printed on the back!  These were so fun for the whole family to make!

Day 28: Mary Hidden in Advent-Flight into Egypt (Add for 28 days)

Flight into Egypt, Rembrandt

Day 28:  The Flight into Egypt
Add this day for a 28-day Advent season if you did not include Jonah.

     Read The Jesse Tree, pp. 89-91.  Hang ornament (pyramid or rosemary branch).
     The Holy Family flees from Herod's wrath by traveling at night into Egypt.
 
     Scripture reference:  Matthew 2:13-23

     Comment:  Our Lady and St. Joseph are awakened at night to take a sudden, urgent journey.  They are traveling on dangerous roads and with sorrowful hearts.  Whenever we must travel from home, we can be sure that God's holy angels are always with us.   We should ask Our Lady to pray that our journey would be safe and holy.  Just like Mary and Joseph, wherever we travel, Jesus will be with us.

Related Title:  Our Lady of the Highways

Our Lady of the Highways, Feruzzi
"In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal."
- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Father and Doctor of the Church

O Lady of the Highway,

be with us on our journey, 

for all your ways are beautiful

and all your paths are peace. 

O God, who with unspeakable providence 

does rule and govern the world, 

grant unto us, your servants,

through the intercessions of our watchful mother, 

to be protected from all danger 

and brought safely to the end of our journey. 

Amen.

The history of Our Lady of the Highway shrine in Pennsylvania.

If you have enjoyed the artwork in these posts, you might like to view more.
Wonderful quotes on Mary from the saints can be read at this site.

Day 27: Mary Hidden in Advent-The Wise Men (Add for 27 days)

The Magi 

Day 25:  The Wise Men
Add this day for a 27-day Advent season.

     Read The Jesse Tree, pp. 85-88.  Hang ornament (star).
     Wise men follow a miraculous star to find the true King.

     Scripture reference:  Matthew 2:1-12

     Comment:  As the magi were guided by the star to find Christ, so God has given us, too, a miraculous guide.  If we will follow Our Lady, she will always lead us the Jesus.  Imitating her virtues will lead us to a life of holiness, imitating her silence will lead us to a life of prayer, imitating her constancy in suffering will lead us to the Cross of her Son, imitating her love of God will lead us finally home to the Father.  As a star guided the wise men, so our Lady guides us.

Related Title: Mary, Star of the Sea

Stained Glass Window of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, North Myrtle Beach, SC

“As mariners are guided into port by the shining of a star, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary"
-Saint Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church

Ave Maris Stella

Hail bright star of ocean,
God's own Mother blest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Gate of heavenly rest
Taking that sweet Ave
Which from Gabriel came,
Peace confirm within us,
Changing Eva's name.
Break the captives' fetters,
Light on blindness pour,
All our ills expelling,
Every bliss implore.
Show thyself a Mother;
May the Word Divine,
Born for us thy Infant,
Hear our prayers through thine
Virgin all excelling,
Mildest of the mild,
Freed from guilt, preserve us,
Pure and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus
Joy for evermore
Through the highest heaven
To the Almighty Three
Father, Son, and Sprit
One same glory be, Amen.

More on Our Lady, Star of the Sea at Wikipedia.

Day 26: Mary Hidden in Advent-The Birth of Christ

The Nativity, Giotto

Day 24:  The Birth of Christ

     Read The Jesse Tree 81-83.  You might want to finish up with pp.92-93, or you could read the last few stories between Christmas and Epiphany.  Hang ornament (baby Jesus).
     The Messiah is born in a stable in Bethlehem.  Shepherds come to worship Him.

     Scripture reference:  Luke 2:8-20

     Comment:  Here in a cold stable in Bethlehem, Mary gives birth to Jesus.  She becomes the Mother of Christ and the Mother of God.  She is our mother, too, because we are the adopted sons and daughter of God in Christ, and Jesus is our brother.  She will be called blessed by all generations.

NOTE:  The summary chart of all these posts will be up after Christmas, at which time I will also re-organize and re-number the posts to have include the extra lessons (to allow for a longer Advent season). If you wanted to print them out, that would be the best time to do it.  Have a blessed and joyful Feast of the Nativity!

Related Title: Mary, Mother of God

Theotokos

   Let, then, the life of Mary be as it were virginity itself, set forth in a likeness from which, as in a mirror, the appearance of chastity and the form of virtue is reflected.  From this you may take your pattern of life, showing, as an example, the clear rules of virtue:  what you have to correct, to effect, and to hold fast. The first thing which kindles ardour in  learning is the greatness of the teacher.  What is greater than the Mother of God? --St. Ambrose

 Sub Tuum

We fly to thy patronage,
O holy Mother of God;
despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

(3rd Century; Oldest Known Prayer to Mary)

Have a holy and blessed Christmas!

     

Day 25: Mary Hidden in Advent--Journey to Bethlehem

Journey to Bethlehem, Joseph Brickey

Day 23:  Journey to Bethlehem

     Read The Jesse Tree, pp. 78-80.  Hang ornament (donkey).

     Mary and Joseph are forced to travel to Bethlehem because of a Roman census. When they arrive, they are refused room in the inn and are forced to stay with the animals.

     Scripture reference:  Luke 2:1-5

     Comment:   As once Mary traveled with Joseph to Bethlehem to fulfill God's purpose to send His Son for our salvation, so still Our Lady travels to many places around the world to bring Christ to all people.  God does not desire that anyone should be lost, and Our Lady always desires what God Himself desires.  She desires God's Will to be done because it is perfect, holy, and always just.  She loves God's Will because she loves God.  And so she visits many people, throughout time and place, to bring to them the Saviour she carries in her womb.  In the Americas, she appeared to St. Juan Diego bringing to the Aztec people a message of hope and salvation.

Related Title:  Our Lady of Guadalupe

Virgin of Guadalupe

   Hear me and understand well, my son the least, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything.--Our Lady to St. Juan Diego

Excerpt from Pope John Paul II's Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, we pray to you for all the Bishops, that they may lead the faithful along paths of intense Christian life, of love and humble service of God and souls. Contemplate this immense harvest, and intercede with the Lord that He may instill a hunger for holiness in the whole people of God, and grant abundant vocations of priests and religious, strong in the faith and zealous dispensers of God’s mysteries.

Grant to our homes the grace of loving and respecting life in its beginnings, with the same love with which you conceived in your womb the life of the Son of God. Blessed Virgin Mary, protect our families, so that they may always be united, and bless the upbringing of our children.

Our hope, look upon us with compassion, teach us to go continually to Jesus and, if we fall, help us to rise again, to return to Him, by means of the confession of our faults and sins in the Sacrament of Penance, which gives peace to the soul.
We beg you to grant us a great love for all the holy Sacraments, which are, as it were, the signs that your Son left us on earth.

Thus, Most Holy Mother, with the peace of God in our conscience, with our hearts free from evil and hatred, we will be able to bring to all true joy and true peace, which come to us from your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

 

For a complete novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, go to this site.

Day 24: Mary Hidden in Advent--St. Joseph

St. Joseph the Carpenter

Day 22:  St. Joseph 

      Read The Jesse Tree,  p. 74.  Hang ornament (Joseph or a staff).

      An angel comes to Joseph in a dream, commanding him to take Mary as his wife.  He obeys.

      Scripture reference:  Matthew 1:18-25 

      Comment:  Joseph was chosen by God to be the foster father of Jesus.  He cared for Mary and Jesus.  St. Joseph was a just and godly man and is a great saint in Heaven, second only to Our Lady.
In the eyes of the world, Mary was the spouse of Joseph.  In reality, Mary's spouse was the Holy Spirit.  We, too, are the temples of the Holy Spirit and must strive, with God's help, to keep our bodies and minds pure.  Let us ask Mary, the pure Spouse of the Holy Spirit, to be our constant help and friend.

Related title:  Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit

Incarnation, Piero di Cosimo

Among creatures made in God's image, the union brought about by married love is the most intimate of all. In a much more precise, more interior, more essential manner, the Holy Spirit lives in the soul of the Immaculata, in the depths of her very being.  St. Maximilian Kolbe

Invocation to the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit,
come by means of the powerful intercession
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Your well-beloved spouse.  

Prayer to Mary,  Spouse of the Holy Spirit 

     O MARY, thou spotless Bride of the Holy Spirit, 

thou art the glory of Jerusalem, the joy of Israel, the honor of our nation! 

Thou, as the Valiant Woman, didst crush the head of the serpent 

when thou didst offer thy Divine Son to the Heavenly Father,

in the love of the Holy Spirit, for the salvation of the world. 

Through the merits of this precious Sacrifice and through the sufferings of thy Son,

obtain for us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

I thank the Holy Spirit that He has chosen thee as His Bride 

and constituted thee the dispenser of His graces. 

Look upon me with thy compassionate eyes; 

look upon my distress and needs. 

Help me, that I may never lose the grace of God 

nor defile the temple of the Holy Spirit,

but that my heart may ever remain His holy dwelling, 

and that with thee I may eternally praise

and bless the Holy Spirit in Heaven.

Amen.

  

 

More about Mary and the Holy Spirit.  
A wonderful in-depth article about Mary and the Holy Spirit, focusing on St. Maximilian Kolbe's teachings is available at Catholic Culture.
 

Day 23: Mary Hidden in Advent--The Visitation

The Visitiation, Giotto

Day 21:  The Visitation

     Read The Jesse Tree, pp.75-77.  Hang ornament (sandal).

     Mary travels to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, in the hill country of Judah.

     Scripture reference:  Luke 1:39-80

     Comment:  Our Lady is no longer so "hidden", is she?  Now, after waiting for thousands of years, we see her, walking down the dusty Judean roads, carrying the promised Messiah in her womb.  Even though she knows she has many trials ahead of her, she puts the needs of her kinswoman ahead of her own worries.  Mary is our example of charity and mercy to others in need.

 

Related Title:  Mary, Mother of Mercy

Icon of the Holy Mother of Mercy

Once, the confessor told me to pray for his intention, and I began a novena to the Mother of God. This novena consisted in the prayer "Hail, Holy Queen" recited nine times. Toward the end of the novena I saw the Mother of God with the Infant Jesus in her arms. ... I could not stop wondering at His beauty. ... I heard a few of the words that the Mother of God spoke. ... The words were: "I am not only the Queen of Heaven, but also the Mother of Mercy, and your Mother" (Diary of St. Faustina,330).

Hail, Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy

Our life, our sweetness, and our hope,

To thee do we cry, poor banished 

children of Eve, to thee do we send up

our sighs, mourning and weeping

  in this valley, of tears.

Turn, then, most gracious advocate, 

thine eyes of mercy toward us; and 

after this our exile show unto us 

the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus;

O clement, O loving, O sweet virgin Mary.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God

That we may be made worthy of the
 promises of Christ.

Lots of information about St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy devotion here.
For an MP3 download of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (traditional music), go to this site.

Day 22: Mary Hidden in Advent--The Annunciation

The Annunciation, El Greco

Day 20:  The Annunciation

     Read The Jesse Tree, pp. 72-73 (skip p. 74 for now; we'll cover it when we discuss Joseph).  Hang ornament (Mary).
     The angel Gabriel appears to Mary, bringing her the news that she will be the mother of the Messiah.

     Scripture reference:  Luke 1:26-38

     Comment:  For millenia those who love God have waited for the Messiah to come.  They have prayed, suffered, and died in this hope.  Constantly, they have looked for His appearing.  Now, the angel Gabriel is sent at last to the Virgin.  He brings a great announcement:  the Messiah will be conceived in her!  He will be the Son of the Living God!  He will reign forever on the throne of David!  Salvation is coming!  But, all along, through all of history, God has been preparing mankind for this great news.  Most importantly, He prepared Our Lady to be the holy, perfect tabernacle that would hold His holy, perfect Son, Jesus.  From the very instant of her conception, Mary was conceived without original sin--pure in body and soul.  Unlike us, Mary did not suffer from an attraction to sin, from a disordered desire to impurity (we call this disorder "concupiscence").  Throughout her life, she remained without any touch or trace of sin.  She was therefore created perfectly to carry the Most Holy God within her womb.

Related Title:  The Immaculate Conception

We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instant of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace of the Omnipotent God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, was preserved immaculate from all stain of original sin, has been revealed by God, and therefore should firmly and constantly be believed by all the faithful.

—Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, December 8, 1854

Morning Prayer for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Father,
you prepared the Virgin Mary
to be the worthy mother of your Son.
You let her share beforehand
in the salvation Christ
would bring by his death,
and kept her sinless
from the first moment of her conception.
Help us by her prayers
to live in your presence without sin.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. 

Amen

“A soul that is consecrated to the Immaculate, even if it does not turn its thought in an explicit way to the Immaculate and offers the prayer, the work, the suffering or any other thing, directly to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that soul procures for the Heart of Jesus a pleasure that is incomparably greater than it would if it were not consecrated to the Immaculate.” St. Maximilian Kolbe

Many quotes from St. Maximilian Kolbe here.

Read more on the Immaculate Conception at  Women for Faith and Family

Day 21: Mary Hidden in Advent-John the Baptist

The Angel Gabriel Appears to Zacharias, William Blake

Day 19:  John the Baptist

     Read The Jesse Tree, pp. 69-71.  Hang ornament (angel or menorah).

     The angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah and tells him he will be the father of the herald of the coming Messiah.  Zechariah doesn't believe the angel and is struck dumb.

     Scripture reference:  Luke 1:5-25

     Comment:     Finally, after a long course of time, the promise God made to Eve to send a Redeemer is being accomplished.  John the Baptist is going to be born before Jesus; he is going to be the herald of the King, who will announce the King's coming to His people.  All of the prophets and patriarchs looked forward to this day; every young Jewish maiden prayed to be the mother of the Messiah.  Mary is the true Daughter of Zion, the one in whom all of the promises and prophecies will be finally fulfilled.

Related Title: Mary, Daughter of Zion

"Glorification of the Virgin, north transept, Chartres cathedral, France. The bottom lancets show Saint Anne holding the child Mary, flanked left to right by Melchizedek, David, Solomon and Aaron, who are standing on four bad kings: Nebuchadnezzar, Saul, Jeroboam and Pharaoh respectively. In the rose, the Virgin Mary and child Jesus are surrounded by some of Jesus's royal ancestors, as listed in Matthew 1:1-16 (from top clockwise by David, Solomon, Abijah, Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Ahaz, Manasseh, Hezekiah, Jotham,
Jehoram, Asa, Rehoboam). In the outer circle are the minor prophets (from the top clockwise: Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Malachi, Haggai, Habbakuk, Micah, Obadiah, Joel)."

Akathist to the Theotokos, Daughter of Zion

 The Lord of Hosts came to dwell in your midst, O holy Virgin, just as He promised through the holy prophet Zechariah. Seeing this, you sang for joy and were glad, knowing many nations would join themselves to the Lord and become His People, and from all of us you hear this song:
Rejoice, for the Lord chose you for His own dwelling!
Rejoice, for the Almighty set up His royal dwelling in your flesh!
Rejoice, for he who touches you touches the apple of God’s eye!
Rejoice, for you abide under the Almighty’s protection!
Rejoice, O royal pavilion of the King!
Rejoice, O mystical courts of the Lord!
Rejoice, for through you Judah enters his inheritance!
Rejoice, for through you Israel receives the blessing of God!
Rejoice, for all flesh is silent before your fame!
Rejoice, for the Lord is roused up and has come to dwell in you!
Rejoice, for God is a wall of fire around you!
Rejoice, for He is the glory in your midst!
Rejoice O Theotokos, Virgin Daughter of Zion!

Read about Benedict XVI and Mary at this site.
Also, Pope Benedict wrote a book entitled Daughter Zion before his pontificate (under the name Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger)  which "explores the Biblical witness to the Church's Marian dogmas."

      

Day 20: Mary Hidden in Advent- Daniel in the Lion's Den

Daniel in the Lion's Den, Macha Chmakoff

Day 18:  Daniel in the Lion's Den

      

     Read the story today from the Bible or a Bible story book.  Hang ornament (lion).

     Daniel is saved by God from the fearsome lions and bears witness to the True God in a pagan land.

     Scripture references:  Daniel 6

     Comments:  Daniel served the king of Babylon.  He used his wisdom and his gifts as a prophet in service to his adopted country.  But more importantly, he remained constant in prayer and did not abandon his faith or God, even when his life was in danger.  Because he remained faithful, God preserved his life when the king threw him into a den of hungry lions.  The holy angels came to shut the lions' mouths.  Our Lady is the Queen of the Angels.  When we ask for her intercession, she sends the holy angels to us to guide us, instruct us, and guard us.  Let us always remember that the angels see all we do and let us always thank them for their daily care of us.

Related Title: Our Lady, Queen of Angels

Song of the Angels, William-Adolphe Bouguereau

According to Revelation, the angels who participate in the life of the Trinity in the light of glory are also called to play their part in the history of the salvation of man, in the moments established by divine Providence.  "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to possess salvation?,'' asks the author of the Letter to the Hebrews (1:14).

This is believed and taught by the Church, on the basis of Sacred Scripture, from which we learn that the task of the good angels is the protection of people and solicitude for their salvation.--Catechesis on the Holy Angels, John Paul II

Prayer to Our Lady, Queen of the Angels

August Queen of Heaven!
Sovereign Mistress of the angels!
Thou who from the beginning
hast received from God
the power and mission to crush the head of Satan,
we humbly beseech thee
to send thy holy Legions,
that, under thy command
and by thy power,
they may pursue the evil spirits,
encounter them on every side,
resist their bold attacks
and drive them hence into the abyss of eternal woe.

Amen

The Church's teachings on angels are given in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

If you would like to read extensively on the teachings of the magisterium, the Fathers, St. Thomas, and Scripture on angels, visit Raphael, a site dedicated to the teaching of the Catholic Church on the angels.

Day 19: Mary Hidden in Advent-Tobias and St. Raphael

Raphael Healing Tobias, Domenico, The Hermitage Museum

Day 17:  Tobias and St. Raphael

     Read the story from the Bible (see below) or a Bible story book.  Hang ornament (fish).

     This story recounts the journey of Tobias and the angel Raphael (in disguise) which results in the marriage of Tobias to Sarah and the healing of his father Tobit's eyesight.  The miraculous events that occur in this tale are shown to be God's answers to the  desperate prayers of Sarah and Tobit.

     Scripture references:  Tobit 3; 4:1-10,19-21; 5:1-6; 6:1-17; 7:7-13; 8:1-3; 11:1-15

I listed all of these verses because they can be read together to recount a very abbreviated version of the story.

     Comments:  During the time of the Babylonian Captivity, the righteous man Tobit remains faithful to God.  But times are so hard that Tobit prays that God will let him die.  At the same time, a young widow named Sarah is being persecuted by an evil demon.  This demon has killed all of the seven different husbands she has married, one after another.  Sarah, too, longs for death.  God answers both their prayers by sending his angel Raphael to guide Tobit's son Tobias to Sarah and to instruct  both on how to defeat the demon and how to heal his father's eyesight.  Our Lady, too, comes to those who in their deepest griefs, illnesses, and depressions turn to God.  By her prayers, she who is the Queen of the Angels obtains the help of the holy angels and the grace and mercy of God to bring healing to those who suffer emotional and physical pain.  We see this ministry of Our Lady especially in her appearances to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France.  Here a multitude of pilgrims have been healed in both mind and body over the years.

Related Titles:  Mary, Health of the Sick; Our Lady of Lourdes

Salus Infirmorum, Jan Dismas Zelenka

When shall it be that we shall taste the sweetness of the Divine Will in all that happens to us, considering in everything only His good pleasure, by whom it is certain that adversity is sent with as much love as prosperity, and as much for our good? When shall we cast ourselves undeservedly into the arms of our most loving Father in Heaven, leaving to Him the care of ourselves and of our affairs, and reserving only the desire of pleasing Him, and of serving Him well in all that we can? -- St. Jane Frances de Chantal

Prayer to Our Lady, Health of the Sick

 

Our Lady, Health of the Sick,
I look to you for the comfort of a mother's love,
I pray to you on behalf of those who are suffering
and for my own healing needs.

Our Lady, Health of the Sick,
embrace all who are emotionally and physically ill
that they may return to good health
under your tender care.
And please intercede for my very special needs
(mention your needs here).

Mary,
your love strengthens me
and brings me peace.

And an extra prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes:

Novena Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes

Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest your shining with life, sweetness and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child, St. Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception." A thousand times we congratulate you upon your Immaculate Conception. And now, O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know our wants, our troubles, our sufferings deign to cast upon us a look of mercy. 

By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors, and already many have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and physical. We come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain for us, O loving Mother, the granting of our request.
  (state your request)
 Through gratitude for your favors, we will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that we may one day share your glory.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your divine son while upon earth. You have the same influence now in Heaven. Pray for us; obtain for us from your Divine Son our special requests if it be the Divine Will. 

Amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Saint Bernadette, pray for us.

For the complete novena prayer, go to EWTN. 
To learn more about Our Lady of Lourdes, visit Women for Faith and Family.