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And Mary Said, Verse 46 – Mary’s Magnificat, Word by Word with Sonja Corbitt

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Mary’s name is from the root for myrrh, meaning bitter. The tree sap that produces myrrh gathers in “tears,” when the bark is deeply scored, which are cherished and collected for their extreme value. Myrrh is the balsam of suffering, purification, and death, as it was used as an opiate to deaden pain, an antiseptic, and in the embalming and preparation of bodies for burial.

See how your Mother loves you? She helps ease your suffering, and purify and prepare your soul for eternal life.

For other episodes in this series, visit the Discerning Hearts Sonja Corbitt page

Scripture References for The Show

Luke 1:46-55, the words of the Magnificat

And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
⁵⁰And his mercy is on those who fear him
from generation to generation.
⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm,
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
⁵²he has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree;
⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”

1 Samuel 2:1-10, The Magnificat is based on the Song of Hannah.

Scriptural uses of myrrh

Song of Solomon 1:13, A bundle of myrrh [is] my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night between my breasts.
Esther 2:12, Myrrh used in perfumes, cosmetics, and “purification.”
Exodus 30:22-38, myrrh used in the tabernacle anointing oil and incense
Matthew 2:11, Magi bring frankincense and myrrh to Baby Jesus.
Mark 15:23, Myrrh mixed with wine is offered to Jesus on the cross.
John 19:39, Myrrh included in burial spices.

Hebrews 5:8, Jesus learned obedience through what He suffered.

For more resources and Sonja’s scripture meditation exercise for this episode visit the “Bible Study Evangelista“ website

Sonja’s books can found here

Sonja Corbitt is the Bible Study Evangelista. She’s a Catholic Scripture teacher with a story teller’s gift – a Southern Belle with a warrior’s heart and a poet’s pen.

We’re all sweating and dirty with the effort to love and lift all He’s given to us – those people, duties, callings, and longings that break our hearts and make them sing, sometimes at the same time. But most times, we need to be loved and lifted ourselves.

So her Bible study media are created with you in mind, bites of spinach that taste like cake, to help you make space in your busy heart and schedule for God to love and lift you all the way up into His great lap, where all you’ve been given is loved and lifted too.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 8 – Mp3 audio and text

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DAY EIGHT

Holy Mary, Our Lady of Consolation,
I come before you today as your pilgrim.
My entire life is a journey,
a pilgrimage.
Constantly do I seek the way of your Son,
as I move toward our heavenly home.

I am inspired by you, Mary.
I call myself your pilgrim
as you are my special Patroness,
my gentle and loving Mother,
leading me each and every day
closer to your Blessed Son,
my Lord and Savior.

Oh Mary, please pray for me
as I continue my earthly pilgrimage.
Ask our Blessed Lord to strengthen me each day
that I may resist
the many temptations of this life.
Pray for me, Mary,
that I may always remember
that I was not created for this earthly home,
but rather for our heavenly home with my Father.

At this time, dear Mother,
please join me in prayer
for the particular intentions of this novena.

(pause)

Look kindly on these needs
and ask our Blessed Lord to help me.

Always be with me, Mary,
as I continue on this pilgrimage home.
When that day comes
when I shall end this pilgrimage,
I pray that you will stand with me
as I see, face to face,
the Father of all goodness,
my God and my all.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 7 – Mp3 audio and text

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DAY SEVEN

Most blessed Mary,
kind and loving Mother,
receive me, your child,
into your tender care.

In your life, Mary,
you always offered kindness
to those around you.
Pray with me now to our loving Lord,
that in my life
I may reflect you through kindness.

There are so many times
in this life of ours, Mary,
that kindness gives way to harshness.
In the rush to “get things done,”
I become quick and short
with those around me.
In my own little world,
I often think only of my own plans,
my own accomplishments,
and I forget that
I am only one of God’s children,
only one of your children.

Dear blessed Mother,
teach me your ways.
Help me to take more time
with those who seek my time.
I want to be like you, Mary,
in every way.
In the rush of each day,
remind me to be kind.

Pray with me now, Mary,
as I place before our Lord
the main intentions of this novena.

(pause)

Please ask our loving Savior
to help me in these particular needs of mine.
Turn your eyes,
so filled with kindness, on me,
gracious Mother,
and help me as I trust so much in you.

I desire always the kingdom of your Son.
Help me to finish this day in His love
and under your kind and gentle care,
Mother of God.

Amen.

BKL#5 – Building a Kingdom of Love w/ Msgr. John Esseff – The Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love – An example of how we can minister the Divine Love

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Msgr. Esseff discusses his retreat with The Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love community which meets the needs of the children brought to the St. Charles Children’s Home located in New Hampshire. He speaks of their work and the need to step out in courage to share the Divine Love which is needed to heal the deepest wounds of the heart. He talks about Mother Paul Marie, foundress of this new community, as well as Servant of God Fr. Flannagan, and St. Mother Teresa. Msgr. Esseff talks about the importance of the both the male and female healthy role models in the lives children.

The mission of The Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love:
We founded the Daughters of Mary Mother of Healing Love to bring the healing love of Jesus to those who are suffering, and in a special way to families. Our primary apostolate at the present time is the St.Charles Children’s Home, where we care for children from troubled families.

For more on the work of the Sisters click here

Msgr. John A. Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Scranton. He was ordained on May 30th, 1953, by the late Bishop William J. Hafey, D.D. at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, PA. Msgr. Esseff served a retreat director and confessor to St. Teresa of Calcutta. He continues to offer direction and retreats for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity around the world. Msgr. Esseff encountered St. Padre Pio, who would become a spiritual father to him. He has lived in areas around the world, serving in the Pontifical Missions, a Catholic organization established by St. Pope John Paul II to bring the Good News to the world especially to the poor. Msgr. Esseff assisted the founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation and continues to serve as a spiritual director for the Institute. He continues to serve as a retreat leader and director to bishops, priests and sisters and seminarians and other religious leaders around the world.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 6 – Mp3 audio and text

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DAY SIX

Holy Mother Mary,
again I come before you as your child.
I pray with all my heart and mind
for all of God’s pilgrim people.

Pray for me, dear Mother,
for a greater understanding
of the wonderful gift of Christ
in the Eucharist.
Help me to see in this most Blessed Sacrament,
Christ Himself,
the great and unending gift of the Father.
Help me, Mary,
to feel the nearness of my Lord.
Through the celebration of the Eucharist,
He truly touches me;
He feeds me by His divine sacrifice,
His death and resurrection.

So abundant is God’s love
through this Sacrament.
May I ever see this love,
this grace,
and live as a child of God,
a child of light.

At Mass, dear Mother,
our entire salvation unfolds before my eyes.
Jesus, our Savior, comes to us,
as the wonderful sacrifice
to the Father is renewed.
What a loving Father we have,
and how endless is His love
and mercy for all of us!

Mary, Mother of God,
keep me mindful of this great gift
of the Eucharist.

Please pray with me now,
dear Mother,
for these special needs of mine.

(pause).

Ask our blessed Lord
to keep me ever united to Him,
and always close in prayer to you.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 5 – Mp3 audio and text

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DAY FIVE

Dear Lady of Consolation,
Queen of Peace,
be with me now as I pray.
Join your prayers to mine
as I bring my needs before
our most loving Father
and His Divine Son.

Throughout your life, dear Mother,
you offered all around you
a most perfect example
of gentleness and peace.
It is for that inner peace,
that lovely calm in my own life,
that I pray.

Help me to quiet myself
in the midst of the activity around me.
Guide me in the way of peace
that I may seek the time to be still
and hear the gentle voice of our Father.

Mary, please pray for me
that I may quiet myself
in order to learn more of Jesus, our Lord.
Through Him we have the way to the Father.
Help me to take more time each day for prayer,
for deepening my relationship with Christ.
Guide me in the way
of opening myself to His peace.

Pray with me now,
kind and gentle Mother,
for my special intentions.

(pause)

May your gentleness ever be my example
and may the peace of Christ
fill my heart always.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 4 – Mp3 audio and text

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DAY FOUR

Mary, Mother of Consolation,
again I come before you in prayer.
Help me to pray to our most loving Father.
Ever guide me to seek in my life
His divine will.
Help me to hold before my eyes
the saving life of your Son.

You are the chosen, Mary,
for your magnificent answer
to the desire of the Father,
the prompting of the Holy Spirit
and the request of the angel.
Your openness to the Father
has given joy to the world.
The Son of God your Son
and our Lord and Savior,
became man through your answer.

Oh Mary, grant that I might offer myself
to the Father as you did.
Help me on the true path of holiness;
this is the Father’s desire for me.
Assist me through your prayers
that I too might agree
to the prompting of the Holy Spirit within me.
Help me to offer others around me
the example your Son expects me to be.

In a special way,
I ask you to pray with me for these,
the main intentions of this novena.

(pause)

Holy Mary, I offer my prayers
for all of God’s people,
for the needs of all mankind.
We are all pilgrims ever on our way
toward our heavenly home.
Watch over us and guide us;
lead us to your Son, Jesus,
our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Our Lady of Consolation Novena Day 3 – Mp3 audio and text

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DAY THREE

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
bless me today.
Bless me and join me in prayer.

I am so lacking in patience, dear Mary.
I grow so weary and unhappy at times.
There are days when I even find it difficult
to raise my heart and mind in prayer.

Teach me, most holy Mother,
to turn to you as an example.
Your life is a most perfect example of patience,
acceptance and love.

How truly you can be called
“Mother of Consolation.”
You knew the ultimate grief
of witnessing the earthly death
of your loving Son.
You saw, as so few mothers do,
your own flesh and blood,
hurt, bleeding, and despised,
as He climbed Calvary.
This most precious offering of Himself
to all mankind,
you saw mocked and ridiculed.
Through all of this
you continued to offer for all time
the perfect example of a most patient
and compassionate mother.

Holy Mother, I ask you to help me
become more accepting and patient.
May I ever follow your example
and strive to make these virtues
of patience and acceptance
more real in my own life.

Pray for me, please, dear Mother.
Ask our blessed Lord to make me more like you.
Ask Him also for my very special intentions.

(pause)

Keep me in your love, Blessed Mary,
and guide me always closer
to your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

BA-V10 Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary Pt 1 – Begin Again with Fr. Timothy Gallagher

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary Pt 1 – Begin Again /w Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Ep. 10 from Discerning Hearts on Vimeo.

In this episode, Fr. Timothy Gallagher discusses the deep devotion Ven. Bruno Lanteri had for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a deep relationship of love between Ven. Lanteri and Our Lady. Fr. Gallagher offers what a Marian devotion can bring to the spiritual life. He goes on to say that there is something safe about turning to the Blessed Mother in our struggles which is deeply rooted in our Catholic tradition.

For the other episodes in this series check out Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s “Discerning Hearts” page

You can obtain just the audio podcast if you would prefer

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For a copy of the Spiritual Counsels of Ven. Lanteri visit here:

An Introduction – Mary’s Magnificat, Word by Word with Sonja Corbitt

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What happens when a prayerful young peasant receives a whisper so powerful that she dares not tell it? She hugs the secret close. And it is incarnated.

Going over and over the reality in her mind, she touches it timidly and unwraps it with equally unspeakable thrill each time. Looking at its significance from every possible angle, replaying the words repeatedly, jumping up and down and twirling around in her soul until she’s dizzy with the implications, she “ponders it in her heart.”

And when someone else, a cousin, reveals that she too knows and understands and believes what unspeakable thing has happened, the riot of praise and poetry and stupendous irony fizz out of her, spreading out in a pool of song that runs up the sides of the hills of history like a wave.

This is Mary’s Magnificat. This is Mary’s Song. Hers is the song of the Church.

For other episodes in this series, visit the Discerning Hearts Sonja Corbitt page

Scripture References for The Show

Luke 1:46-55, the words of the Magnificat

And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
⁵⁰And his mercy is on those who fear him
from generation to generation.
⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm,
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
⁵²he has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree;
⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”

1 Samuel 2:1-10, The Magnificat is based on the Song of Hannah.

Fixed Hour Prayer in OT

Psalm 55:17, David prays evening, morning, and noon.
Daniel 6:10, Daniel prays toward Jerusalem three times a day.
Jeremiah 39:8, There were public prayer places in the first temple that the Chaldeans destroyed when they razed it.
I Kings 8:48 and Daniel 6:10, Jews prayed three times daily toward Jerusalem when in exile.

Fixed Hour Prayer in NT

Acts 2:15, Apostles pray at third hour, 9 am.
Matthew 15:36; Acts 27:35, Jesus’ “lunch prayers” at midday
Luke 1:10, Zechariah serves at the incense altar at “the hour of incense,” (incense, itself, symbolic of prayer) while the people pray outside.
Luke 18:10, Jews go to the temple to pray at appointed times when in Jerusalem.
Acts 3:1; 10:30, Apostles go to the temple to pray at the ninth hour or 3 pm.

Galatians 4:4, The woman, Mary, is the “fullness of time” and the axis of salvation history.

For more resources and Sonja’s scripture meditation exercise for this episode visit the “Bible Study Evangelista“ website

Sonja’s books can found here

Sonja Corbitt is the Bible Study Evangelista. She’s a Catholic Scripture teacher with a story teller’s gift – a Southern Belle with a warrior’s heart and a poet’s pen.