1st day

5th November

Come Holy Spirit, Come by the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Your beloved Spouse! (3x)

Lk 14, 25-33

25 Great crowds accompanied him on his way and he turned and spoke to them. ‘Anyone who comes to me without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own  life too, cannot be my disciple. No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple. ‘And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying, “Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish.” Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who was advancing against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple without giving up all that he owns.

RENEWING THE decision for JESUS

What do I ask for?

For a fervent heart and a firm will in radical surrender to Jesus.

• I will enter the crowd of people who are following Jesus. I notice their faces – joyful and tired, curious and focused. Each of them carries their own life story, their desires. What can I say about myself, about my spiritual state?

• I will look for Jesus in the crowd. He walks in front and suddenly turns to the crowd. I seek his gaze. I listen to his words about renunciation and the cross (26, 33).

• It is as if Jesus wants to gradually list those I love most. I recall them in my mind. I thank him for their love, for their beautiful life. Can I surrender them to Jesus? Will I allow him to use my love?

• Jesus reminds me of my cross (27) – the thing that is the greatest sacrifice in my life, the thing that costs me the most. What is it? Do I agree with my cross? Does it bring me closer to Jesus, or does it take me further away from Him?

In the school of our Lady

Mary teaches us to decide firmly for Jesus. It means to decide for love, for forgiveness, for goodness and to decide against evil and sin.

Message, Medjugorje, February 25, 1990

Dear children! I invite you to surrender to God. In this season I specially want you to renounce all the things to which you are attached but which are hurting your spiritual life. Therefore, little children, decide completely for God, and do not allow Satan to come into your life through those things that hurt both you and your spiritual life. Little children, God is offering Himself to you in fullness, and you can discover and recognize Him only in prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call. Mary, we thank you for your example of complete   surrender  to God. We ask you to help us see and renounce everything that harms us and that prevents us from following your example of loving Jesus above all else. Amen.

The prayer of consecration to Jesus through Mary

Holy Virgin Mary, today before You and in Your hands I renew and confirm the vows of Holy Baptism. I renounce satan forever, his works; and I consecrate myself  to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. I want to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life according to the will of the Heavenly Father. O Mary, in the presence of all the heavenly court and the whole Church I consecrate myself to Your Immaculate Heart. Be my Mother and Queen. In complete submission and love I give You and consecrate to You my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, the value of all my good actions, past, present and future leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me according to thy good pleasure, for the greater gloryof God in time and in eternity. Amen.