O Mary, full of grace, Patroness of this nation and Mother of the Church, in this time of illness and worldwide need we seek your intercession for the human family before your Son’s throne of grace and mercy. We ask for strength in adversity, health in weakness, and comfort in sorrow. Help us, O Blessed Mother, to be filled with confidence and trust in the tender compassion of our God. Let us not be afraid, like our own Saint Marianne Cope, who entrusted her life and ministry among the outcasts of society into the care of our Divine Physician. Continue to watch over all who are sick as well as those who care for them and give wisdom to all who are seeking a cure. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

This is an ancient form of prayer that prays with Scipture so as to hear God speak to you. It has four steps - Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, & Comtemplatio. This can be difficult at first and it take practice to do this well (That's why St. Ignatius calls it the "Spiritual Excercises"), but the fruit can be transformative.

1. Lectio (Reading) - Read a passage from the Bible. Get a sense of what it is saying. Read the passage a second time. Listen for any words or phrases that strike you, and listen to your heart.

2. Meditatio (Meditation/Reflection) - Meditate on the passage. Read the passage again slowly. Engage all your senses and recreate this passage in your imagination. Listening to your heart, focus on a word, phrase, or image that stands out to you. This is an act of listen, not trying to “figure out” what you're suppose to receive from it. Great spiritual writers have described this step like “chewing” slowly and methodically on God’s Word.

3. Oratio (Prayer/Responding) - Turn the meditation into a conversation with the Lord. Pray to him, ask him questions, & enter into a dialogue with him about what God has spoken to you.

4. Contemplatio (Comtemplation/Resting in God) - This is the highest form of prayer in which you simply rest in God’s presence. It is often described as a “gaze of love” with God. All of your labor is to bring you to this point, but God on occasion will move a soul into Contemplation. At any time of prayer, if invited into contemplation, abandon all other steps of prayer and skip to and remain in this last step.

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:

And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary…

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary…

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary...

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.