R: The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary
V: And she conceived by the Holy Spirit
As God once called Mary, so today he calls me to seek his Word in my life
Hail Mary full of Grace…
R: Behold the handmaid of the Lord
V: Be it done to me according to thy Word
Mary’s simple yes, opened her heart to God’s grace and all things become possible. Let my YES take away fear as I embrace God’s will and like Mary “ponder these things in my heart”
Hail Mary full of Grace…
R: And the Word became flesh (Bow or genuflect)
V: And dwelt among us
Mary’s faith-filled YES, conceived first in her heart, led to the birth of our Saviour; as I commit myself to my faith-filled YES today, I accept my Saviour into my heart bringing his life to my world.
Hail Mary full of Grace…
R: Pray for us most holy Mother of God
V: That we may be made worthy of the promises of God
Let us pray:
O Holy Mother of God, pray for us, and assist us as we dedicate ourselves this day. Your yes at the Annunciation brought our Saviour Jesus into the world, and you invite us to contemplate the great mystery of the Incarnation, sharing your joy in announcing that ‘the Word was made flesh and lived among us.’ May our ‘yes,’ this day, open our hearts to serve our sisters and brothers in this your Dowry, that they too may share our joy in the Good News that God walks among us. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
‘As followers of Jesus Christ, we must learn to follow and to follow we must learn to trust. A physical pilgrimage through unfamiliar territory is a great lesson in trust—one must accept whatever the road has to offer—the accommodations, fellow travellers, the weather, the inconveniences, the hardships, the annoyances. A pilgrim heart looks to the journey with willingness, openness, and a good sense of humour. If we choose to trust that God has called us on this journey and He is directing it, we can relax and be open to the lessons He is seeking to teach us. We trust that God will walk the way with us, no matter what happens. He doesn’t promise to make the way easy; He simply says, “I will be with you.”’ [Message of Pope Francis to pilgrims to Loreto]