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~ Love ~

February 1

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” — John 3:16-17

Are you in a loving relationship with the Lord? How would you describe this divine relationship with God to another person?

Mary experienced the fullness of God’s love as the mother of our Savior. In the face of uncertainty, Mary gave her life over to God because she loved him. In the face of hatred, Mary witnessed Jesus offer mercy and compassion. At the hands of those who betrayed him, Mary saw Jesus offer pardon and forgiveness to his persecutors. Mary tasted the promise of God’s unending love through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

As our spiritual mother, Mary invites us to enter into a loving relationship with Jesus so that we might experience the fullness of God’s love and bring it to others.

— Dr. Mary Amore

JESUS CALLS US to love one another, not to condemn or judge. Seek Mary’s help in bringing God’s love to all people.

Prayer: Mary, help me to offer the fullness of God’s love to everyone I meet today.

February 2

The Presentation of the Lord

“Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel / and for a sign that is spoken against / (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), / that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” — Luke 2:34-35

Mary’s heart was pierced, not only as she endured the suffering of her Son, but also as she has witnessed our own natural tendencies toward sin.

Five years ago, I finished reading a popular romance novel and was looking for a new book to read. The Holy Spirit led me to a Catholic radio program at a time when Catholic radio was never on in my car. Tuning in, I was intrigued by a conversation about a book about Marian consecration. I decided to read it. Mary’s love came through the Scripture passages and Rosaries that lead to my own consecration. Her love led me back to her Son in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (after a long absence), which freed me from the sin that had trapped me.

If we open our hearts, Mary’s love will lead us right to her Son.

— Katie Choudhary

HAVE I ACCEPTED Mary’s love? Have I allowed her to lead me to Christ Jesus?

Prayer: Mary, Queen Mother, help me to open my heart to your love, so that I may know the love and mercy of Jesus.

February 3

“I love you, O LORD, my strength. / The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, / my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, / my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” — Psalms 18:1-2

The beautiful words in Psalms 18 could have been penned by the hand of our Blessed Mother herself, for they are reflective of Mary’s relationship with God. For Mary, the Lord was a rock, the foundation on which she built her life. God was Mary’s strength, every day and especially in times of adversity. He was also her refuge. Mary trusted that the Lord was her shield and would keep her safe from all harm.

Because Mary knew God’s love for her, she returned God’s love completely. As our spiritual mother, Mary invites us to love the Lord God with our entire being as she did. She is here to help us build our lives on the love of her Son, Jesus. When we do so, we, too, will experience the unconditional love of God that Mary knew every day of her life. Let us turn to Mary seeking a deeper, loving relationship with God.

— Lauren Nelson

WHAT PRAISES OF LOVE can you give to God today? How has the Lord been your foundation or your refuge?

Prayer: Mary, teach me to praise God in all I do and to love God with all that I am.

February 4

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:39

When our friends suffered a house fire a few days before Christmas, their newly married daughter and son-in-law took them in. Across the street from the house that had the fire was a vacant house for sale. When they heard about what had happened, the owners of the vacant house took down the “For Sale” sign and told our friends, “It’s yours, live here.” What a beautiful example of the way we are all called to love our neighbors as ourselves.

I imagine that Mary was the perfect neighbor. Her heart brimming with love, Mary surely baked bread and shared it, or took an extra jar to the well to draw water for a neighbor. Mary understood that it was impossible to love God without loving the people God created. Let us seek our Blessed Mother’s help to see and respond to the presence of God in all people.

— Mary Beth Desmond

HOW DO YOU SHOW love to your neighbors? Have you received love and kindness from others who have seen you as their neighbor?

Prayer: Mary, your love for others inspires me to take care of my friends and family. Help me to see God’s presence in all people and to count them as my neighbors.

February 5

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” — Matthew 5:5

Mary was “blessed.” The angel Gabriel was the first to announce this gift of God’s grace in the young Mary’s life. Elizabeth, too, recognized that Mary was blessed. Mary was the Mother of God, but she did not consider anything beneath her. Love, and a willingness to serve, inspired Mary to go and visit her cousin Elizabeth. And this act of love opened Mary to a new world, one with the wisdom and insight an older family member like Elizabeth could give her.

— Larry Dreffein

HOW CAN THE LOVE that Mary demonstrated for Elizabeth manifest itself in your life? Is there someone you love who could use a helping hand? Sometimes just growing old creates new needs and dependence on others’ loving kindness.

Prayer: Mary, your loving ways prepared you to be the mother of our Savior. Your love lived out each day with your Son gives us insight into his life as well as our own. May I embrace lowliness in the love I show others. May the loving example you gave inspire me to be a willing servant in my world.

February 6

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.” —John 15:9

Have you ever wondered how glue works? Have you ever noticed that if you pull a peanut-butter sandwich apart that the peanut butter is stuck on both pieces of the sandwich bread? Scientists still don’t fully understand all the details of how gluey substances make one thing stick to another. If you want a short answer, the word is “forces.”

Stickiness is a wonderful metaphor to use in the spiritual life when thinking of Mary and Jesus and our relationship with them. In a way, Mary can be the binding agent who brings us to Jesus. Her love for humanity draws us into a loving union with Jesus, one in which we learn to rely on — and “stick” to — him. Mary is like glue in our spiritual lives. Without Mary, we would not have the gift of Jesus. As the mother of our Savior, Mary’s role in salvation history is to lead us all to her Son, that we may remain in his love all the days of our lives.

— Joseph Abel, PhD

I INVITE YOU to sit in prayerful silence and reflect on the ways that Mary’s life can lead you to Jesus.

Prayer: Mary, draw us closer to your Son, Jesus, that we may live and move and have our being in his love.

February 7

“A woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’” — Luke 11:27-28

Many people think of being “blessed” as a divine favor that is merited or earned. Jesus, however, proclaimed that blessedness belongs to all who hear the word of God and act upon it. That is because they encounter God’s word as an invitation to love. Mary is the example par excellence of one who was blessed in this way.

Luke presents Mary as one who pondered the wonder and joy of being loved by God and allowed that love to take root within her and bear fruit in the manner in which she lived her life. Her pondering was an encounter with love.

Mary’s pondering is an invitation for us to move beyond simply hearing God’s word to an encounter with love that takes root in our lives.

— Father Tom Borkowski

DO I PONDER God’s word? Do I see obedience to his word as a response to his love? Do I consider myself blessed?

Prayer: Mary, woman of joy, be my guide to ponder God’s word so that it becomes an encounter with love that bears joyful and abundant fruit.

February 8

“Love one another; even as I have loved you.” — John 13:34

When I picture Mary, I see the eyes of motherly love, a beautiful gaze. I imagine Mary’s look of love when she saw her newborn Son for the first time. I imagine, too, the many times Mary looked through the eyes of love to Joseph, Jesus, and her cousin Elizabeth. I can also see her eyes pouring out tears of love for her Son as he hung on the cross.

My eyes always fill with tears whenever I see someone serving in the military return home from deployment and reconnect with their families. Can you think of a time when you saw someone’s eyes light up or sparkle when they spoke about someone they love? I believe that expression of love is God’s divine light shining through. But loving one another as Christ has loved us also means loving oneself. That is not being selfish but rather learning to fully appreciate the divine presence within.

— Mary Beth Desmond

RECALL A TIME when you truly felt loved through the eyes of another person. Look in the mirror and tell yourself you are a beloved son or daughter of God. Imagine the eyes of Jesus looking at you with love.

Prayer: Mary, help us to love one another as God has loved us. Help us to see one another through the eyes of love.

February 9

“As he landed he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” — Mark 6:34

Mary was the first disciple of Jesus. Can you imagine all that she must have learned from him as she spent day after day teaching and caring for him in their home in Nazareth? Even more so, on the cross Jesus entrusted Mary with the great duty to be a mother for each one of us.

A few weeks ago, I was overwhelmed with the responsibilities of adulthood. My calendar was filled to the brim with tasks, meetings, and activities. I called a friend for help, and she listened and offered practical and loving advice that gently led me back to the living waters of Jesus. She was Mary for me.

— Katie Choudhary

HOW CAN MARY help you bring the loving heart of Jesus into your world?

Prayer: Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, thank you for having pity on me. Bring me to the feet of Jesus so I may experience his divine love.

February 10

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend.” — Ephesians 3:17-18

Our Blessed Mother is the vessel of pure love by which God came to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Through her selfless act of love and her willingness to do the will of God, we are graced to have Christ dwell among us. Mary was an utterly selfless human being and her love for the Lord had no conditions.

All too often we put conditions on our love for God. In our prayers we might say, “Lord, if you do this for me, I will go to church.” Or, “God, if you heal me, I will read the Bible more.” The list of our conditions for God is endless. It is because we are not rooted or grounded in love.

Mary’s life shows us a better way, a more perfect pathway to holiness — namely, unconditional love for God.

— Lauren Nelson

WHAT CONDITIONS do you put on your love for God? How can you work on making your love for him unconditional?

Prayer: Mary, your love for God knows no bounds. Teach me to give God all my love without boundaries or conditions.

February 11

Our Lady of Lourdes

“O daughter, you are blessed by the Most High God above all women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth.” —Judith 13:18

On February 11, 1858, Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a young peasant girl in southern France. For six months, Mary came to Bernadette with one special message: “God is love. He loves us just as we are.” The message that the Blessed Mother delivered at Lourdes is one of hope for all who seek a loving relationship with God.

In the time leading up to the Annunciation, young Mary of Nazareth prayed daily to the God of Israel. She loved God with her whole heart and soul. When the time of fulfillment came, God bestowed upon Mary the highest honor of our human race: he made her the mother of God.

Mary is here to help us come into a loving relationship with God. Her mission, like that at Lourdes, is to let her children know that God loves us in spite of our imperfections.

— Dr. Mary Amore

WHAT IS KEEPING you from cultivating a loving relationship with the Lord?

Prayer: Mary, in giving Bernadette a message of love, you gave the human race the gift of hope. Help me to spend my life loving God above all else.

February 12

“Who can find a good wife? / She is far more precious than jewels. / The heart of her husband trusts in her, / and he will have no lack of gain. / She does him good, and not harm / all the days of her life.” — Proverbs 31:10-12

Mary was a worthy wife to Joseph, a treasured pearl beyond compare, and Joseph entrusted his heart to her. Mary’s life of grace brought him only goodness, and the love between Mary, Joseph, and Jesus remains a role model of family life for us today.

When I was young, my mom dreamed of buying a strand of pearls, so she put one on layaway and paid for it little by little over time. When the purchase was complete, my mom treasured her pearls and wore them only on special occasions. After she died, the pearls came to me. Now, when I wear them on special occasions, I always think of her. The pearls remind me of her love. Their value lies in the strands of unfailing love and goodness my mom provided me. Someday I hope to give the pearls to my only daughter.

— Mary Beth Desmond

DO YOU HAVE a gift that you treasure? Reflect on the loving relationship that accompanies that treasured item.

Prayer: Mary, pray for families, that together we may learn to value one another as a priceless pearl, and to entrust our hearts to one another.

February 13

“O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, / for his mercy endures for ever.” — Psalms 136:1

A favorite painting of mine depicts our Blessed Mother sitting cross-legged in the foreground while removing freshly baked bread from bowls. Behind her are two women. One is forming the dough into loaves. The other is placing the bread into a stone oven.

A Jewish friend had gazed at the painting in a store, then bought it. I tried to explain the scene, but she stopped me. “I know who this is,” she exclaimed. “It’s Mary. She’s one of us. She’s doing what we do, celebrating the story with bread. I’m hanging this in my kitchen. Now let’s eat!” The painting is now proudly displayed in a kosher kitchen in Brooklyn, New York.

It’s amazing that two thousand years later Mary is recognized in her tradition as well as ours. The grace and love that Mary received from God as the handmaid of the Lord is still in our world. Mary remains the one hailed, “full of grace.” She is God’s declaration that grace never leaves us and that God’s love endures forever.

— Joseph Abel, PhD

HOW CAN YOU HONOR the ever-present love of God given to us through Mary?

Prayer: Hail Mary, help us see that we, like you, are filled with grace. God’s love for us endures forever. In fact, the whole world is full of grace.

February 14

“With all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” — Ephesians 4:2-3

When we reflect on the life of Mary and Joseph, we often think of them as the earthly parents of Jesus, but forget that they were also a loving married couple. Joseph loved Mary. Scripture tells us that when he found out Mary was expecting a child, Joseph planned to divorce her quietly. Joseph wanted to spare Mary both embarrassment and the full force of Jewish law.

The bond of love that Mary and Joseph shared helped them get through difficulties they faced. Shortly after Jesus was born, they had to flee to a foreign land in fear for their baby boy’s life; and years later they suffered great anxiety when they lost Jesus for three days only to find him in the Temple. Mary loved Joseph, and she made a loving home for him and Jesus.

Through it all, the Holy Family exemplified the virtues of humility, gentleness, and patience.

— Lauren Nelson

PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER the ways that Mary and Joseph’s love for God and one another can inspire you to live in love.

Prayer: Mary, help me to live my life with others in the perfect love that you and Joseph shared.

February 15

“If you really fulfil the royal law, according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well.” — James 2:8

When I think of a perfect neighbor, Mary comes to mind. In the village of Nazareth, surely Mary was one who reached out to friends and neighbors before they even asked for help. I am sure Mary performed many acts of kindness for her neighbors: making a meal for someone in need, watching a neighbor’s child, or praying with a sick friend. Mary ministered lovingly to all those in her life. She loved her neighbors as herself.

I have a friend who is a nurse practitioner, and I see so much of Mary in her. My friend lovingly cares for her patients at work, but also cares for two elderly parents and provides medical advice for her friends and family via text messages and phone calls. She is our first point of contact when we need help figuring out our next course of action. Mary and my friend each offer a beautiful example of love of God and love of neighbor.

— Katie Choudhary

DO I LOVE my neighbor as myself? Think of one act of love you can do today for your neighbor.

Prayer: Immaculate Heart of Mary, help me to love like you do, so that my actions may demonstrate my love of God and neighbor.

February 16

“And over all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” — Colossians 3:14

Our society obsesses about clothes. Every year new styles come out and we are encouraged to go out and buy them. Whether we are stepping out on the red carpet, attending a friend’s wedding, or simply going to work, wearing the right outfit is a priority for many people. Some have lost sight of the fact that clothes do not make the person.

Mary’s clothes, as depicted in works of art, were simple and plain. Mary’s life was not about her “look,” but rather about who she was. As a beloved daughter of God and the mother of Jesus, Mary was clothed in love, which binds everything together. Mary was dressed in love when she visited her cousin Elizabeth, journeyed to Bethlehem for the birth of her child, and stood at the foot of the cross.

Our Blessed Mother invites us to wrap ourselves in love, the true garment for those who follow Jesus. Love never goes out of style.

— Mary Beth Desmond

WHAT ARE WAYS you can clothe yourself in love? Consider giving away items of clothing you no longer wear to those in need.

Prayer: Mary, help us accessorize ourselves with grace, purity, and love, that we may build a more loving, kind, and harmonious world.

February 17

“Hatred stirs up strife, / but love covers all offenses.” — Proverbs 10:12

Love conquers all. We have heard these three little words since we were young. Even in the fairy tales we read to our children this line is used to assure us that in the end all will be well, because love will win out.

As a child, Jesus heard this same message in the stories that Mary told him about his ancestors: Noah, Abraham and Isaac, Moses, and David. Throughout all of their struggles, love conquered.

Today, much of our world is embroiled in disputes. Children are bullied in school, threats of terrorism loom over us, and political battles are a daily occurrence. Our gentle mother Mary, who gave birth to the Son of God, is here to remind us that love still conquers all. God is love, and there is nothing in this world that love cannot, or will not, overcome.

— Lauren Nelson

HOW CAN YOU SHOW the love of God today to your friends, family, and those that God sends your way?

Prayer: Mary, show us how love can cover all of our offenses. Teach us how to turn away from conflict and to focus on the love that Jesus brings to us.

February 18

“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” — Mark 9:35

As the mother of the house, I imagine Mary served wonderful meals to Joseph and Jesus. Mary loved her family, and cooking for them was certainly an expression of that love.

I have great memories of my mom making perfect pancakes on Sunday mornings. Mom would serve up three nice stacks of hot, buttered, silver-dollar-sized pancakes at the table so we could enjoy them right away. My dad, brother, and I would gobble them up, and she would then take the plate back to the stove to refill it, repeating this ritual until we were all full. One by one we would leave the breakfast table.

One day, as I was rinsing my plate in the sink, I heard my mom say, “Now that everyone is full, I am left alone with the leftovers.” I sat back down and talked with her while she enjoyed her lukewarm pancakes. Mom was always serving us and was the last to eat. Lasting love is sacrificial love.

— Katie Choudhary

WHAT IS THE NAME of someone in your life who has put himself or herself last so you could benefit?

Prayer: Mary, please lift up (insert name) to your Son’s care today. I am thankful for the example of love you and this person have given me.

February 19

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” — 1 John 4:18

When the angel Gabriel first spoke to Mary, she was deeply disturbed. She questioned his words, yet complied with the angel’s request out of her love for the Lord. We are often deeply disturbed or have serious questions when we face something overwhelming or incomprehensible. Underneath those feelings and thoughts lies fear: fear that evil may befall us or a loved one, or fear we that won’t be able to handle the suffering, or that we can’t possibly do what’s required.

If we proceed with love, however, we gain the strength we need. We can say, with Mary, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” We are able to model our lives after Mary who was able to meet her questions and her challenges with trust in God’s love for her. The perfect love of God drives out all fear.

— Jane Zimmerman

IT TAKES COMMITMENT to learn to know oneself, to be mindful of one’s thoughts, feelings, and impulses. How can the love of God help you overcome fear today?

Prayer: Dear Mary, help me to know when I am anxious and fearful, to be aware of my thoughts and urges, and to turn to God’s love with hope.

February 20

“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.” — Romans 8:28

Mary was called — personally handpicked by God — to fulfill his purpose for her. Mary said yes to an unknown future, a life that was filled with trials and difficulties. Mary’s yes to God came from her deep love for him. She partnered with the Lord in helping all things work.

Our calls from God are also very personal. We have all been created for a purpose. Our lives are spent making choices, decisions that ultimately affect relationship with God. Whether we are making a decision on where to live or where to work, our loving relationship with the Lord invites us to take into consideration God’s will for us. Mary’s life invites us to partner with God as we make decisions. God loves us and desires only our good.

When we choose God’s purpose for us, just as Mary did, we can know that things will work for our benefit.

— Mary Beth Desmond

HAVE YOU EVER MADE a decision you were uncertain about? How could God’s purpose for you become part of how you consider the choices you make?

Prayer: Mary, help us to hear and answer the Lord’s personal call to us to fulfill his purpose.

February 21

“I am the mother of beautiful love.” — Sirach 24:18*

Mary is our mother, not according to the flesh, but through love.

It is absolutely impossible to analyze the love Mary has for us or to know the true depth of it. Because Jesus gave his mother to us from the cross, all of Mary’s love is for us. We are her adopted children, and Mary, the mother of God, is a refuge and an advocate we can turn to in our daily lives. We know that because Jesus loved her completely our love for Mary can never be too much.

Mary has set a high standard for how we, as her children, should live our lives and love one another. Mary asks us to live each day in love for Jesus. She offers to form and mother that love in our hearts.

— Deborah O’Donnell

TAKE TIME TO THINK today about how you can put others first and show love to everyone around you. Ask Mary to be “the mother of beautiful love” in your life.

Prayer: Mary, guide me on this journey to love and help me to be a humble servant of the Lord in all that I do.

* Some ancient texts omit this verse.

February 22

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven…. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” — Luke 6:37-38

When Mary found Jesus in the Temple after he had been lost for three days, she did not yell at him, tell him how bad his behavior was, or lecture her twelve-year-old Son for disobeying his parents. Instead, Mary treated Jesus with love and respect.

As our heavenly mother, Mary invites us to take the same approach. If we want family members who have walked away from the Faith, given up on God, or chosen lifestyles that are in conflict with the values of our faith to come back to the Lord, then we must offer them love and mercy, not judgment or condemnation. Mary is our advocate, and she can help us bring our family members back to the Lord with love, kindness, and compassion. Then these are the measures which will in return be measured out to us.

— Dr. Mary Amore

CALL TO MIND one family member in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. How will you reach out to that person today without judgment?

Prayer: Mary, help me to live in this world with the compassionate and loving heart of Jesus.

February 23

“His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” — John 2:5

You can picture the scene, can’t you? The son says, “It’s not time yet.” The mother knows otherwise, ignores the protests, and starts everything rolling. Did you ever stop to think of the great love and courage it took for Mary to nudge Jesus into his public ministry? All the things she carried in her heart included the knowledge that difficulties lay ahead for her Son. But she also knew that this was what must be done.

As our spiritual mother, Mary is here to nudge us along the way, too. Sometimes we avoid things that are presented to us; we may be fearful, indecisive, or unprepared. In those moments, we can turn to Mary for guidance and inspiration. She seeks only for us to do the will of the Father.

The next time you say to yourself “I don’t want to” or “it’s not time yet,” think about Mary’s great love. Feel the nudge offered to take that next step and know that our Blessed Mother will be there to support you.

— Suzette Horyza

RECALL A TIME when you felt the nudge of God’s love.

Prayer: Mary, help me to be in tune with my heart, that I may listen to God’s voice speaking to me.

February 24

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” — 1 Corinthians 13:7

As a nurse, I have been blessed to see love come to life. When patients are surprised by a sudden illness or an unexpected admission to the hospital, they often feel disconnected from what is meaningful in their life. They long for the simple pleasures they love, whether the presence of family, prayer time, a pet, music, a morning walk, Mass, a cup of coffee, or just being able to go to work. They long for love in their lives.

I am inspired by Mary and her life experiences. As the mother of Jesus, Mary endured many moments of disconnection from things that were meaningful to her life. She was a refugee in a foreign land, the mother of a lost child, and a witness to the crucifixion of her beloved Son. Yet Mary’s love for God never wavered. Loving God can help us reconnect to all that is meaningful for us, for love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

— Mary Beth Desmond

CONSIDER THE WAYS that you can offer love and support to someone who is struggling.

Prayer: Mary, help me to bring the love of Jesus to my family, friends, and those that Jesus sends my way.

February 25

“Above all hold unfailing your love for one another.” — 1 Peter 4:8

The writer of this epistle is telling Christians to have deep, earnest love for one another so that they can remain strong in their faith in spite of persecution. It is also important for us to foster a loving faith and family unity despite our differences and diversities.

When we look at Mary, sometimes it’s difficult to imagine her as a housewife, mother, and active disciple who had many of the same difficulties we have with our families and friends: irritations of marriage, frustrations of motherhood, disagreements with others.

Mary was devout and faithful in her relationship with God. His intense love was a soothing balm for all the human difficulties Mary may have encountered. Instead of family challenges causing division, Mary’s intense love for God brought a cohesive bonding to her family, and ultimately enabled Mary to hold the disciples together after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Mary invites us to draw close to God so we can allow the love of Christ to flow through us.

— Christine Grano

TODAY, SPEND SOME QUALITY TIME in prayer so that you may grow in intimacy with God.

Prayer: Mary, pray for us to stay close to the Lord and let his divine presence flow through us so we may be agents of love in the world.

February 26

“For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” — 1 John 3:11

Love is important because it is eternal. God, who is love, will always be with us. The love we show toward God and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ will remain with us forever. The way in which we love one another at this moment will continue to manifest in heaven.

The best and most devout example of love is Mary, second only to God’s love for us. Mary is an advocate helping us to love God. As our spiritual mother, Mary shows us how to give ourselves to her Son.

Our personal shortcomings erode the union of the body of Christ in our own personal relationship with God and with others. Mary challenges us to accept and give love as the highest and greatest of all God’s gifts, and to allow this gift to inspire our thoughts, words, and actions. If we do everything in “love,” we are in union with the body of Christ.

— Nanci Lukasik-Smith

WHAT ACTIONS CAN YOU DO today with love and charity for all?

Prayer: Holy Mother, encourage me to show love and respect to my dear ones. Gently redirect me when needed and soften my heart when others are acting unloving toward me. Hold me closely as I work through the day, and let others see love in all of my actions.

February 27

“Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, / ‘This people honors me with their lips, / but their heart is far from me.” — Mark 7:6

Jesus called out the Pharisees and scribes for not practicing what they preached. Unlike these hypocrites, Mary remained true to the words she proclaimed to the angel Gabriel: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Mary freely consecrated her life to the will of the Lord. She honored God by giving her heart to him, and she lived this reality every day by lovingly caring for Jesus and following him.

Mary’s life inspires us to be better Christians. We’ve learned the great commandment to love God and our neighbor. But are we kind to other people, or quick to criticize those whose opinions differ from ours? Do we honor the Lord with our hearts, or do we just give him lip service?

Let us seek Mary’s help in living out our faith so that our actions will align with what we say we believe.

— Katie Choudhary

PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER the ways you can cultivate authentic love of God and love of neighbor into your daily living.

Prayer: Mother most pure, help me to act with purpose for Jesus. May my acts lead me closer to him.

February 28

“So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Corinthians 13:13

My uncle was part of the Greatest Generation, those who lived through the Great Depression and World War II. No matter how difficult his life was, he and his family always demonstrated a strong faith, hope in the future, and unconditional love. When my uncle’s health declined, I witnessed his children care for him on a daily basis with the same faith, hope, and love they had experienced.

My extended family’s legacy of faith, hope, and love was rooted in strong devotion to the Blessed Mother. Mary was their role model, and her life of faith in God gave my family hope that anything was possible, as long as the love of Christ was at the heart of their actions. Mary’s love — pure, radiating beauty, grace, gentleness, and kindness — is always present and available to us. I hope that Mary’s love will help me to pass on my family’s legacy to my children.

— Mary Beth Desmond

WHO HAS MODELED faith, hope, and love to you? What spiritual practices help you grow in the three things that last?

Prayer: Hail Mary, full of grace, please fill the hearts of the faithful with the desire to share Christ’s message of faith, hope, and love.