OPENING

In the whole history of the world, nobody has ever been quite so brave as Mary, a teenager from a little unknown town in Israel.  Everything depended on what she would say when the angel Gabriel announced to her that she would become pregnant and give birth to the Son of God.  It is sometimes easy for us to forget that Mary had a choice.

After she heard what the angel had to say, she could have said, "No way!"  She could have thought about all the things she'd rather be doing.  But instead, Mary took a radical step.  She said to "let it happen" according to God's plan.  She didn't make any bargains.  She didn't say, "Okay, but if I do this thing for you then you've got to help me explain it to my mom and Joseph." 

Mary let God have her whole life, body and soul, with no ifs, ands, or buts.  Let us pray that we can become as generous as Mary was with her life.

READING

A reading from the book of Revelation:

Then a great and mysterious sight appeared in the sky.  There was a woman, whose dress was the sun and who had the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.  She was soon to give birth, and the pains and suffering of childbirth made her cry out.  Another mysterious sight appeared in the sky.  There was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and a crown on each of his heads.  With his tail he dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth.  He stood in front of the woman, in order to eat her child as soon as it was born.  Then she gave birth to a son, who will rule over all nations with an iron rod.  But the child was snatched away and taken to God and his throne.  The Word of the Lord.

INTERCESSIONS

Mary, you listened to God and trusted him to guide your life.  May we be ready to listen to God in all situations, we pray to the Lord.

MARY, INTERCEDE FOR US.

Mary, you are a courageous witness to Christ.  Give us strength to be brave witnesses also, in spite of pressure from others, we pray to the Lord.

MARY, INTERCEDE FOR US.

Mary, you are the Queen of Peace.  Guard the human dignity of all those suffering in countries torn by war, and help us in our desire to bring an end to all violence and hatred, we pray to the Lord.

MARY, INTERCEDE FOR US.

Mary, you cared for Jesus with so much love.  Move us to help the needy so that we may know the joy of generosity, we pray to the Lord.

MARY, INTERCEDE FOR US.

Mary, in your loving heart, please hold all those who are sick or who have died, we pray to the Lord.

MARY, INTERCEDE FOR US.

CLOSING PRAYER

Generous and Eternal God, as he was dying, Jesus gave his mother, Mary, to all people everywhere to be our mother.  We know that she loves us and hopes that we may find the true path to a worthy, vivid, and beautiful Life.  Her son is that holy path to joy.  With the help of Mary's prayers, may we step boldly and courageously onto this Path of Life and place ourselves in your hands.  We ask this through our only Way and Turth, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.