Resuming Ordinary Time by devoting ourselves to prayer with Mary

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday, Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, 09 June 2025
Acts 1:12-14     <*{{{{>< <*{{{{><  +  ><}}}}*> ><}}}}*>     John 19:25-27

Praise and glory to you,
Lord Jesus in inspiring the Church
in its most recent celebration of
the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of the Church every Monday
after Pentecost when we resume
Ordinary Time; it is so right and fitting
that after your return to heaven,
you send us to the world to continue
your work of salvation by being rooted
in you in prayer,
not just by ourselves
but with Mary your Mother,
your first disciple,
the first doer of your word,
the first to receive you, 
Jesus the Christ.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet…Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers (Acts 1:12, 13-14).

Since the very start of the Church,
you have always been with her,
truly her Mother being the
Body of Christ your Son;
all your life,
you have devoted yourself
into prayer as a communion
in Jesus Christ which is essentially
what discipleship is - prayer!

As we resume the Ordinary Time,
teach us Mother Mary to remain in
union with Jesus in prayer:

let us be one with Jesus your Son
to make our joy complete 
not only in listening and receiving
his word but most especially
in doing his words;

let us be one with Jesus your Son
for us to persevere in our sorrows
by finding him always in every suffering
by embracing his Cross;

let us be one with Jesus your Son
so that glory and victory may not
inflate our ego, 
realizing everything
is for God's greater glory;

let us be one with Jesus your Son
for us to remain in his light of the
Holy Spirit in this time 
we are engulfed in darkness of sin 
and materialism,
pride and power,
vanity and self-centeredness.

O most Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of Christ
and our Mother too,
be our companion in this
long journey in Ordinary Time,
knowing Jesus,
loving Jesus,
following Jesus,
always leading and pointing
others to Jesus
to be like Jesus.
Amen.