This novena is all about God’s call to holiness, and how our life is a response to His call. The early Carmelites who gathered on Mount Carmel chose Mary to be their mother and their model. She is the one who taught them, and is teaching us, how to “Let it be done to us according to God’s word.” She taught them and us how to treasure God’s word in our hearts. She taught them and us to “Do whatever He tells you.”

Silent time is such a rich experience of being loved by Jesus in the midst of our weaknesses. If we stay with silence, knowing that Jesus is presiding, we are filled with peace because He is bringing healing in the depths of our soul.

As you allow Mary to intercede for you, may she hear you say: “Jesus, forgive this person without any preconditions or strings attached. Not only forgive them but also bless them so that they may feel good about themselves and their relationship with others and with their God.” Every time you think of them, renew this powerful prayer. Mary will help you bring it to completion so that even negative feelings and memories will disappear.

Mary is modeling for us how to embrace God’s will in our lives, even if we do not understand it. We are called to trust God in all circumstances and God will fulfill our heart’s desires as we embrace His will in our lives, which includes embracing His cross as it comes to us. That is what Mary did in such an admirable way on Calvary.

Every Christian person has the right to command the evil one to leave his or her individual life. This power is part of the baptismal vows of renouncing Satan. If you don’t know who you are, you are afraid of Satan. If you realize that you are, through Baptism, a beloved son or daughter of the Father, a sister or brother of Jesus, and a temple of the Holy Spirit, Satan is afraid of you!

God created us to be dependent upon others and upon Him. He doesn’t hate us when we sin. He sees our weaknesses as our potential excuse to welcome Him in to help us to develop a deeper relationship with Him.

Tonight, I will explore with you how imitating Mary in praising God can help us keep things in perspective. This is a magnificent gift God has given us, the gift to praise Him for the coming of Jesus in our lives, and in the lives of our families. Nothing can compare with this great gift. Even if everything else is going wrong, entering into this marvelous gift of praising God for sending us a Messiah puts all things in perspective.

When you arise each morning simply say to God: “From now till noon I will embrace whatever happens to me as a manifestation of Your will.” Then renew this at noontime. In the evening as you review the day you might well say with relief: “This morning I prepared myself for crucifixion and it did not happen!” This simple attitude transformed my life.

God created us with abundant weakness so that we would hunger for His word! Today’s readings demonstrate that God created man dependent upon Him and others so that man might cry out in desperation, hungering for the word of God! That is the profoundest hunger we experience within.