31 Days with Mary
Inspirativa Editora
ASIN B0D9MSL557
This is one of only two volumes available from Maria Alinne Costa in English. She currently has 4 available in Portuguese. I picked up the other volume St. Michael the Archangel History, Lent and Prayers, because of Father Mike Schmitz posted a video on St Michael’s Lent. I loved that one so much I picked this up and began reading it the day I finished the St Michael volume.
The description of this volume is:
“Mary, the most sublime of all creatures, dreamed by God to be the mother of his beloved Son, lived all the virtues with excellence and her soul is a cradle of holiness. Many saints were trained at the school of Mary. Those who listen to her advice, and imitate her example, climb the steps that lead to Christian perfection with determination. The school of Mary is the school of the humble, of those who recognize the value of a mother's prayer for her children and never tire of praying for the help of the Blessed Virgin.
This book has thirty-one meditations, and at the end of each, there is a prayer. It can be started at any time, regardless of the month or day. Being with Mary over the next thirty-one days will be a unique opportunity to meditate on the life and virtues of the Mother of God and let herself be guided by her towards her Son Jesus.”
About the author we are informed:
“Maria Alinne Costa is a writer and master in Philosophy. She loves researching, meditating and writing on topics related to Theology, Philosophy, Catholic Spirituality and Simplicity. She believes that each human being carries within them a unique message to be shared with the world, and decided to spread hers through writing.”
The chapters and sections in this volume are:
Hail Holy Queen
Presentation
Day 1 - Mary's Faith
Day 2 - The Holiness of Mary
Day 3 - Mary's Humility
Day 4 - Mary's Obedience
Day 5 - Mary's Patience
Day 6 - Mary's Fidelity
Day 7 - Mary's Prayer
Day 8 - The Purity of Mary
Day 9 - Mary's Modesty
Day 10 - Mary's Fortress
Day 11- Mary's Love for God
Day 12 - Mary's Love for her Neighbor
Day 13 - Mary's Service
Day 14 - Mary's Piety
Day 15 - The Wisdom of Mary
Day 16 - Mary's Advice
Day 17 - Mary's Silence
Day 18 - The Joy of Mary
Day 19 - The Meekness of Mary
Day 20 - Mary's Prudence
Day 21 - The Sweetness of Mary
Day 22 - Mary's Mercy
Day 23 - Mary's Perseverance
Day 24 - Mary’s Peace
Day 25 - Mary's Serenity
Day 26 - Mary's Gratitude
Day 27 - Mary's Poverty
Day 28 - Mary's Justice
Day 29 - Mary's Trust
Day 30 - The Beauty of Mary
Day 31 - Mary's Hope
I only highlighted one passage while reading this little volume. It is:
“Mary's faith is alive and does not encounter obstacles in the difficulties that arise throughout her life. From the birth of the baby Jesus in a stable, without any comfort; to her flight to Egypt to protect her Son from Herod's clutches; to Simeon's revelation that a sword would pierce her soul; and even when Jesus faced persecution during His public life, abandonment by His friends and, in the end, being crucified and killed; in each of these moments, even though she didn't fully understand the plans of divine providence, the Blessed Virgin's faith was an immense beacon pushing back the darkness of unbelief.”
A sample day is:
“Day 13
MARY'S SERVICE
After the Angel Gabriel's annunciation, Mary could have continued in her little house, taking care of her things, while waiting for the child to be born. However, the Blessed Virgin, who had lovingly, voluntarily and selflessly consecrated herself totally to the Lord's service and also made herself the servant of others out of love, when she heard that her elderly cousin Elizabeth was pregnant, had no doubts, got up and hurried to the city of Judah, located in a mountainous region, very far from where she lived.
When she learned of her cousin's need, Mary didn't wait. She forgot herself and went to meet Elizabeth to serve her with her holy care for three months. The visit was an opportunity for Mary, as well as helping her cousin, to share the grace she had just received. The mere presence of Mary, carrying the blessed fruit in her womb, filled the house with the Holy Spirit. As soon as Elizabeth heard her greeting, the child in her womb, John the Baptist, shuddered with joy.
Mary is the faithful servant; she puts herself at the disposal of God and her brothers and sisters readily, that is, willingly. The Holy Mother does what the Lord asks of her, with ease and without indolence or laziness, as many of us, when we don't run away from the service that God proposes to us, usually do. No matter how difficult or painful the work the Lord offered her, Mary refused none of it; she renounced everything out of love, including herself, so that God's name would be glorified through her service.
Following the example of her Son, who, being God, did not take advantage of His divine condition, but stripped Himself of it to take on the condition of a slave, a humble and suffering servant, becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2, 6-8), Mary did not consider the privilege of being the Mother of the Savior and made herself the servant of humanity. The Blessed Virgin came to serve, imitating the footsteps of Christ who “also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10, 45): this is also our destiny while we are in this world.
If we want to achieve spiritual greatness and perfection in love, if we want to be the first in the Kingdom of Heaven, let us be the last, those who serve everyone (Mark 10, 43-44). Mary reached perfection in love because she reached perfection in service, with courage, simplicity and without murmuring, always trusting that God does not give us a cross greater than we can bear.
Prayer
Most faithful servant of the Most High God, Virgin Mary, many times I stopped serving God and my neighbor with good will and joy. With a closed and selfish heart, I thought only of myself and my needs, of being served rather than serving. O my precious Mother, seeing how zealously and carefully you welcome and serve the multitude of your children, including me, I feel ashamed of not imitating such sublime self-giving. Teach me, beloved Mother, to serve as you do, with willingness, good will and beauty, without grumbling and giving thanks to God for everything. May my service reflect in the world the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ, whose self-giving was total and unreserved. Blessed Mother, I ask you to accompany me and enlighten me on this journey of growth in love for God and for my brothers and sisters. Amen.”
This was a wonderful little read. It was very hard to stick to just one day at a time. I did miss a few days while sick, but loved working through this volume. I hope that sample day give you a feel for this book.
I loved this little book, and plan on picking up any future volumes from Costa that become available in English. And hope that the other three that are available in Portuguese are eventually released in English! A great book I can easily recommend!
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by Maria Alinne Costa:
…
In Portuguese:
25 Orações de Poder para Vencer a Ansiedade
31 Dias com Maria
Via Sacra: Meditar a Paixão de Cristo
Santo Agostinho: A Interioridade como caminho para a verdadeira Felicidade
São Miguel Arcanjo: História, Quaresma e Orações
…
No comments:
Post a Comment