Living with Christ Morning Prayer

Living with Christ Morning Prayer
Monday, December 9, 2013

Do not be afraid, Mary… 

Mary, full of grace, mother of God,
mother of the Church,
model of faithful discipleship,

Tell me, please:
after the angel said
“do not be afraid,”
did you stop being afraid?
Or were you trembling long after
you spoke your answer
and the angel departed from you?

Throughout all the fearful events that followed,
did Gabriel return from time to time
to say again, “do not be afraid,”
or were you on your own, clinging to God’s promise
with only Joseph to support you as best he could?

I ask, Mary, because I am often afraid,
And I see such fear in the human race.
We often try to hide it,
but it comes out in many ugly ways.

Mary, you knew fear.
Help me—and all the people of the world—
to face our fears.
Help us remember that God has promised
to be with us too,
and that, through Jesus,
we have all found favor with God.

I do not expect a visit from Gabriel,
But I would be very grateful if you
would lean close to us from time to time
and whisper softly into our hearts:
“do not be afraid.”

For a prayer for today from St. Louis de Montfort, see page 187 in the December issue of Living with Christ.