Our Lady’s Beatitudes Novena
Daily Meditations
DAY 1
Blessed are you, Full of Grace
“It is on account of Our Divine Lord that Mary receives special attention, and not on account of herself. Left to herself, her motherhood would dissolve into humanity. But when seen in the light of His Divinity, she becomes unique. Our Lord is God Who became Man. Never before or since did Eternity become time in a woman, nor did Omnipotence take on the bonds of flesh in a maid. It is her Son who makes her Motherhood different.”
Mary, Fulton Sheen always loved your singular privilege of being conceived without sin. He said that when we look at you, we know we can be better. Through your special intercession, may we always do what is right and just.
Prayer for Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be
DAY 2
Blessed are you, for you shall conceive and bear the Son of the Most High God
“Coldness toward Mary is a consequence of indifference to Christ. Any objection to calling her the ‘Mother of God’ is fundamentally an objection to the Deity of Christ…. Once Christ is diminished, humanized, naturalized, there is no longer any use for the term ‘Mother of God.’”
May our own proclamation “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof” be a constant reminder of our nothingness before God. Mary, after Fulton Sheen’s example, help us to receive gratefully all God’s graces and favors he so lavishly showers upon us—unworthy as we are.
Prayer for Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be
DAY 3
Blessed are you who have believed
“Those who lack the faith are to be recommended particularly to Mary, as a means to finding Christ, the Son of God. Mary, the Madonna of the World, exists where Christ is not yet, and where the Mystical Body is not yet visible. For the Eastern people who suffer from fear of the evil spirits, and for the Western man who lives in dread, the answer must ever be…. Look to the woman who will lead you to God.”
Mary, Fulton Sheen learned from you the art of being content in his faith and not inquire into the reasons of the Lord. Help us also to strive for such faith, because apart from your Son we can do nothing.
Prayer for Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be
DAY 4
Blessed are you, Handmaid of the Lord, for doing His Will
“The mark of man is initiative; but the mark of woman is cooperation. Man talks about freedom; woman about sympathy, love, sacrifice. Man cooperates with nature; woman cooperates with God. Man was called to till the earth, to ‘rule over the earth’; woman to be the bearer of a life that comes from God.... Here is cooperation at its best.”
Mary, just like Fulton Sheen in his lifetime imitated your unconditional acceptance of the Divine Plan, teach us to let God fashion our lives, too, and so bear for Him fruit that will last.
Prayer for Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be
DAY 5
Blessed are you, Mary, for the Holy Spirit will come upon you
“The Holy Trinity never possesses a creature without the consent of his will. When, therefore, Mary had heard how this was to take place, she uttered words which are the greatest pledge of liberty and the greatest charter of freedom the world has ever heard: ‘Be it done unto me according to thy word.’"
O Holy Spirit, on whose reviving breath Fulton Sheen constantly relied, enkindle in us a spark of a new life, so that we can, like Mary, bring Christ to those we meet.
Prayer for Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be
DAY 6
Blessed is the Fruit of your womb
“Where did Our Lord get His beautiful face, His strong Body, His clean Blood, His sensitive mouth, His delicate fingers? He got them from His mother's side. Where did He get His Divinity, His Divine Mind that knows all things even our most secret thoughts, and His Divine Power over life and death? He got these from His Heavenly Father's side.… The greatest compliment that can be paid to a true Christian is: ‘You took after your Father's side in grace, but in your humanity, you took after your Mother's side.’”
Mary, the only time your Son asked the Apostles for anything was to watch with Him in His agony. By the example of Fulton Sheen’s daily Holy Hour, let us join you in adoring your Son’s Holy Face and thus grow in His likeness.
Prayer for Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be
DAY 7
Blessed are you among women
“As she was the representative of sinful humanity who gave consent to the Redemption, so she is still the representative of those who are not yet in the state of friendship with God. It is necessary to be in the state of sanctifying grace to be saved, but it is not necessary to be in the state of grace to call on Mary…. It is easy for the brothers of Christ to call on the Father, but it is not easy for strangers and enemies. This role Mary plays. She is not only the Mother of those who are in the state of grace, but the Queen of those who are not.”
Mary, your dear son Fulton Sheen was a great apostle of your role as the Mother of Sinners. Chosen companion in your Son’s suffering, obtain for us the grace to pass safely through our earthly rebellion to the heavenly home.
Prayer for Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be
DAY 8
Blessed are you, for all generations shall call you so
“God looked over the world for an empty heart – but not a lonely heart.... The emptiest heart He could find was the heart of a Lady. Since there was no self there, He filled it with His very Self. ‘Behold, from this day forward, all generations will count me blessed.’ These are miraculous words. How can we explain them, except by the Divinity of her Son?… Her Son will later give the law explaining her immortal remembrance: ‘He who humbleth himself, shall be exalted.’”
Mary, Favored daughter of the Most High, He granted you the deepest desire of your heart, that is, doing His Will. Like Fulton Sheen who wished that his life would become Christ’s, may we, too, desire to be filled with God alone.
Prayer for Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be
DAY 9
Blessed are you who bore Christ
“The Apostles had the advantage of only three years' teaching to prepare themselves for the establishment of His kingdom, but the Blessed Mother had the advantage of thirty years. When one tries to imagine how much insight and inspiration would come from catching only a momentary glimpse of Wisdom Incarnate, one is appalled to think how much inspiration and wisdom Mary must have received from the years of communing with her Divine Son.”
Holy Mary, Mother of God, you knew the joys of the many years at the side of your Divine Son, but also the lessons of pain He taught you along. After the example of Fulton Sheen, we pray for the willingness to exchange human affection for the priceless wisdom that comes with our submission to God’s will.
Prayer for Canonization, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be
Excerpts for daily reflections were taken from Fulton Sheen’s book The World’s First Love.