In this episode, we continue with Part 2 of our Advent series on Mary, our Mother. The garden of her womb represents safety, tenderness, being wanted, and love. We discuss the restoration of Eve’s failures that came about through Mary’s surrender and the restoration God wants to work in our lives through our surrender and trust. We chat about the importance of saying yes in the moment by moment of every day. We reflect on the idea of placing ourselves in the womb of Mary and allowing her to mother us as the Holy Spirit transforms us. We pray you allow the Holy Spirit to visit you this advent and create new life!

Michelle’s one thing - Holding babies and young children

Sister Miriam’s one thing - Red Lentil Curry Soup recipe

Heather’s one thing - Unveiled Marriage Retreat by the John Paul II Healing Center. You can find all the retreats hosted by the John Paul II Healing Center at: https://jpiihealingcenter.org/events/. 

Books Mentioned - Reed of God - Caryll Houselander

Discussion questions:    

1. What struck you from this week’s episode?
2. Where are the areas that you want to or need to be nurtured and mothered by Mary?
3. Mary experienced Jesus in everyday, regular life. What is God trying to grow in what may seem ordinary in your life? How is He inviting you into gratitude, wonder, and the childlike joy of the ordinary?
4. In the midst of our brokenness, God has created a way for us to receive His body into ours through the Eucharist. How do we receive Jesus at Mass as Mary received Jesus in her womb?

Journal Questions:

1. What is God preparing to birth or make new in you this Advent?
2. Use your imagination to place yourself in the womb of Mary or the home at Nazareth. Imagine Mary and Joseph awaiting your arrival with joy and love. Imagine receiving everything you need from the generosity of others, being entirely protected and entirely loved. What does this experience of prayer stir up in you?
3. Mary lived a human life fully alive. Ask the Holy Spirit what your life would look like living fully alive and ask Mary to journey with you towards a fully alive life.

Quotes to Ponder: 

“When the angel appeared to Mary, God was announcing this love for the new humanity. It was the beginning of a new earth, and Mary became ‘a flesh-gift Paradise to be gardened by the new Adam.’ As in the first garden, Eve brought destruction, so in the garden of her womb Mary would now bring Redemption.” - Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen 

“Christ must be born from every soul, formed in every life. If we had a picture of Our Lady's personality we might be dazzled into thinking that only one sort of person could form Christ in himself, and we should miss the meaning of our own being. Nothing but things essential for us are revealed to us about the Mother of God: the fact that she was wed to the Holy Spirit and bore Christ into the world. Our crowning joy is that she did this as a lay person and through the ordinary daily life that we all live; through natural love made supernatural, as the water at Cana was, at her request, turned into wine.” ― Caryll Houselander, The Reed of God: A New Edition of a Spiritual Classic

Scripture for Lectio Divina -  During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” - Luke 1:39-45

This episode is sponsored by Leanne Bowen Fine Art.

Leanne Bowen is a Catholic artist who strives to make beautiful things that radiate Christ’s love. Check out her work for images of the Sacred, Immaculate, and Most Chaste Hearts, portraits of the Saints, and images from prayer. She makes beautiful wedding and Sacrament cards, as well as Christmas Cards. She also has great stocking stuffers like vinyl stickers, magnets, and pins. If you are looking for a truly beautiful and unique gift to put beneath the tree this year, visit www.leannebowen.com. She is offering 15% off to all our listeners through January 1st with the code ABIDE15.

This episode is created under the patronage of Mary, Our Lady of Carmel. You can find a novena to Our Lady of Carmel here.