Rosary Run -The Hail Mary
BrendanMcGroarty
Posts: 945 Member
The central prayer of the Rosary appeals to Mary not as God, but as one who prays for us just as we pray for one another. Christ died on the Cross and rose again to reveal to us the relationship that He has with the Father is extended even to us, even as we crucify him by our sins. That relationship was known to Mary in a particular way. When the angel Gabriel appeared to her, it is hard to imagine she could fully comprehend what was being asked of her. Yet her response was of obedience. Despite our sinfulness, such obedience remains open to us. With the grace of God, we are still capable of allowing God's will to work in our lives even if we cannot clearly see the path to which we are called.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Taken from Luke 1:28, these are the words with which Gabriel addresses Mary. Gabriel announces to Mary her position, not offering her a choice. With the announcement, Mary learns that she has already been chosen, and that through the Holy Spirit, she will become pregnant and God will dwell within her. Most scholars think Mary was likely very young at this time, probably only 14, as would have been the normal practice at that time in Israel. How could so much be asked of someone so young? Mary is not asked to do anything or even assent. Everything will be done by God. Gabriel tells her that he will take the phone of David and will lead the people to salvation. He tells her only not to fear, because God will do this, and because she has found favor with God.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
These are the words of her relative Elizabeth, already pregnant with John the Baptist, when Mary comes to visit her to tell her the good news (Luke 1:42). Elizabeth acknowledges Mary's place as someone chosen by God to bear Jesus and raise him. Here we find what it means to truly hear the word of God; we are bound to spread that joy to anyone who is willing to hear. Like Mary, we are bound in joy to do something of which we seem incapable: to bear the joy of the gospel, the Word of God himself, to others. We are unworthy of this task, as Mary acknowledges her own unworthiness, but we are asked to trust not in ourselves, but in our mission.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
In our own voice, we now address Mary, acknowledging God's love for her in choosing her. By acknowledging her role as the Mother of God, we are acknowledging the humanity of Jesus. He also was frail, born an infant, in need of the love and support of Mary and Joseph. He knows our frailty. We are called not only to accept the love of God, but in accepting the love of God, that love pours forth through us to those in need. Mary, filled with the love of God, returns that same love to God himself, now born as an infant.
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
We appeal to Mary to pray for us as we pray for one another. We read in the bible, as at the wedding at Cana (John 2: 1-12), that Mary appealed to Jesus for the needs of others. Jesus always responded, no matter how trivial the request may have seemed. But his response also always points to something greater than the concerns of the immediate moment. Jesus ultimately wants to call us back from our sinfulness to himself. This process demands of us all that we have, both in the present moment and even up until our death. We are asked to imitate the perfect obedience of Mary and of Christ himself in turning our lives over in love to the Father. To receive the love of God means to give the love of God to others, just as Mary does in praying for us and we are called to do in loving, supporting, and praying for one another.
Running with the Hail Mary
Catholics believe that by grace Mary was conceived without sin and became the Mother of God. The absurdity of this belief can be matched only by believing the God of the Universe, who created with such astonishing beauty and cruelty, might become his own creation and reveal himself as the God of love. Mary is ordinary, except in her innocence. Even that innocence is more often viewed as a liability, as when people affect wisdom from having lived dissolute lives. Mary is young and weak, and would certainly not be up to the task asked of her. Yet Mary's innocence and humility is also her salvation. She simply does as God instructs her. The bible hints that Mary was not naive. When Gabriel reveals her mission and when she found Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:29, 51), Mary thought about what lay before her, but showed no hesitation. Mary's virtue of course lies in her humility and obedience, but perhaps that translates to the lack of hesitation once she sees the path she ought to take. Mary demonstrates thoughtfulness and fearlessness at the same time.
What motivates us to run? Perhaps most would say something like "to get in shape," or "to fit old clothes." While these are good motivations, can we really believe that we are obeying the will of God? If it is something we are doing just for our own benefit, is it worth it? If running is going to be anything more than just a way to pass time or to garner acclaim (a motivation of which this writer is innocent), we must be able to recognize that running for us, first of all, is intrinsically good. Whether we have other motivations, we must have a sense that it is better for us to run than to not run. If it is for our health, than this health must be recognized as a gift from God. If it is for the love of competition, than we must see how competition is a service to our fellow runners. Whatever the motivation, the ability and motivation to run is not something to take for granted. We must see it as a gift, for which, first of all, we express thanks. This fundamental expression of gratitude to God grounds us in humility, We recognize this is not something we do of our own will, but because God is calling us in a special way to care for the gift of life and our bodies.
I have been fortunate to run a few marathons, but every morning when I run, as I put on my shoes, I think a mile sounds like a really difficult distance. Halfway through that mile, that thought is confirmed. Humility is not thinking I cannot run a mile, however. Humility is simply accepting that running is a good thing to do, and I should do it, and that therefore I can do it. This humility is a very humble humility; it cannot compare to the humility of Mary or the saints, much less Christ himself. Having humility in this instance does not make us humble people, but perhaps it teaches us how humility works. Humility is not self-degradation. Humility is having eyes unencumbered by the voice that seeks our own comfort and immediate self-interest. Humility enables us to accept the strength to do good things that comes not from ourselves but from grace. By running, we might learn physical grace; that is, efficient motion toward a focused goal. With grace, we might learn that spiritual grace operates the same way. Sometimes we just have to get out of God's way and allow him to use us for his purposes.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Taken from Luke 1:28, these are the words with which Gabriel addresses Mary. Gabriel announces to Mary her position, not offering her a choice. With the announcement, Mary learns that she has already been chosen, and that through the Holy Spirit, she will become pregnant and God will dwell within her. Most scholars think Mary was likely very young at this time, probably only 14, as would have been the normal practice at that time in Israel. How could so much be asked of someone so young? Mary is not asked to do anything or even assent. Everything will be done by God. Gabriel tells her that he will take the phone of David and will lead the people to salvation. He tells her only not to fear, because God will do this, and because she has found favor with God.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
These are the words of her relative Elizabeth, already pregnant with John the Baptist, when Mary comes to visit her to tell her the good news (Luke 1:42). Elizabeth acknowledges Mary's place as someone chosen by God to bear Jesus and raise him. Here we find what it means to truly hear the word of God; we are bound to spread that joy to anyone who is willing to hear. Like Mary, we are bound in joy to do something of which we seem incapable: to bear the joy of the gospel, the Word of God himself, to others. We are unworthy of this task, as Mary acknowledges her own unworthiness, but we are asked to trust not in ourselves, but in our mission.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
In our own voice, we now address Mary, acknowledging God's love for her in choosing her. By acknowledging her role as the Mother of God, we are acknowledging the humanity of Jesus. He also was frail, born an infant, in need of the love and support of Mary and Joseph. He knows our frailty. We are called not only to accept the love of God, but in accepting the love of God, that love pours forth through us to those in need. Mary, filled with the love of God, returns that same love to God himself, now born as an infant.
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
We appeal to Mary to pray for us as we pray for one another. We read in the bible, as at the wedding at Cana (John 2: 1-12), that Mary appealed to Jesus for the needs of others. Jesus always responded, no matter how trivial the request may have seemed. But his response also always points to something greater than the concerns of the immediate moment. Jesus ultimately wants to call us back from our sinfulness to himself. This process demands of us all that we have, both in the present moment and even up until our death. We are asked to imitate the perfect obedience of Mary and of Christ himself in turning our lives over in love to the Father. To receive the love of God means to give the love of God to others, just as Mary does in praying for us and we are called to do in loving, supporting, and praying for one another.
Running with the Hail Mary
Catholics believe that by grace Mary was conceived without sin and became the Mother of God. The absurdity of this belief can be matched only by believing the God of the Universe, who created with such astonishing beauty and cruelty, might become his own creation and reveal himself as the God of love. Mary is ordinary, except in her innocence. Even that innocence is more often viewed as a liability, as when people affect wisdom from having lived dissolute lives. Mary is young and weak, and would certainly not be up to the task asked of her. Yet Mary's innocence and humility is also her salvation. She simply does as God instructs her. The bible hints that Mary was not naive. When Gabriel reveals her mission and when she found Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:29, 51), Mary thought about what lay before her, but showed no hesitation. Mary's virtue of course lies in her humility and obedience, but perhaps that translates to the lack of hesitation once she sees the path she ought to take. Mary demonstrates thoughtfulness and fearlessness at the same time.
What motivates us to run? Perhaps most would say something like "to get in shape," or "to fit old clothes." While these are good motivations, can we really believe that we are obeying the will of God? If it is something we are doing just for our own benefit, is it worth it? If running is going to be anything more than just a way to pass time or to garner acclaim (a motivation of which this writer is innocent), we must be able to recognize that running for us, first of all, is intrinsically good. Whether we have other motivations, we must have a sense that it is better for us to run than to not run. If it is for our health, than this health must be recognized as a gift from God. If it is for the love of competition, than we must see how competition is a service to our fellow runners. Whatever the motivation, the ability and motivation to run is not something to take for granted. We must see it as a gift, for which, first of all, we express thanks. This fundamental expression of gratitude to God grounds us in humility, We recognize this is not something we do of our own will, but because God is calling us in a special way to care for the gift of life and our bodies.
I have been fortunate to run a few marathons, but every morning when I run, as I put on my shoes, I think a mile sounds like a really difficult distance. Halfway through that mile, that thought is confirmed. Humility is not thinking I cannot run a mile, however. Humility is simply accepting that running is a good thing to do, and I should do it, and that therefore I can do it. This humility is a very humble humility; it cannot compare to the humility of Mary or the saints, much less Christ himself. Having humility in this instance does not make us humble people, but perhaps it teaches us how humility works. Humility is not self-degradation. Humility is having eyes unencumbered by the voice that seeks our own comfort and immediate self-interest. Humility enables us to accept the strength to do good things that comes not from ourselves but from grace. By running, we might learn physical grace; that is, efficient motion toward a focused goal. With grace, we might learn that spiritual grace operates the same way. Sometimes we just have to get out of God's way and allow him to use us for his purposes.
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