DAY 17 (September 24) MARY, SEAT OF WISDOM
33 DAYS PREPARATORY PRAYER FOR THE RE-CONSECRATION OF NIGERIA TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.
DAY 17
(September 24)
MARY, SEAT OF WISDOM
V. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
V. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful.
R. And enkindle in them the fire of your love.
V. Send forth your spirit and they shall be created.
R. And you shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray: Oh God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation, through Chris our Lord. Amen.
HYMN TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.
1. O come to the throne of grace,
O come to the heart most pure!
To Mary, our hope of life,
In whom salvation is sure.
O Lady of Fatima, hail!
Immaculate Mother of grace;
O, pray for us, help us today,
Thou hope of the human race!
2. Immaculate Heart! we kneel
To consecrate all to thee:
The present, its pain and joy—–
The future, all it may be.
O Lady of Fatima, hail!
Immaculate Mother of grace;
O, pray for us, help us today,
Thou hope of the human race!
OPENING PRAYER.
All Holy Father, eternal God, in your goodness, you prepared a royal throne for your wisdom in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, bathe your Church in the radiance of your life-giving Word, that, pressing forward on its pilgrim way in the light of your truth, it may come to the joy of a perfect knowledge of your love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
ROSARY
SCRIPTURE READING: Sirach 24:1-6, 16-21
Wisdom speaks her own praises, in the midst of her people, she glories in herself. She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High, she glories in herself in the presence of the Mighty One: I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and I covered the earth like mist. I had my tent in the heights, and my throne was a pillar of cloud. Alone, I have made the circuit of the heavens and walked through the depths of the abyss. Over the waves of the sea and over the whole earth, and over every people and nation I have held sway. I have spread my branches like a terebinth, and my branches are glorious and graceful. I am like a vine putting out graceful shoots, my blossoms bear the fruit of glory and wealth. Approach me, you who desire me, and take your fill of my fruits, for memories of me are sweeter than the honeycomb. They who eat me will hunger for more, they who drink me will thirst for more. No one who obeys me will ever have to blush, no one who acts as I dictate will ever sin.
The word of the Lord.
REFLECTION
The title of “Seat of Wisdom” is one of the oldest titles given to our Mother Mary. It stems from the fact that Mary carried Jesus in her womb and gave birth to him. By the way, Jesus is that Wisdom of God who knows the mind of God because he proceeds from God. So, you would see the artistic representation of Mary, the Seat of Wisdom as a woman, who is sitting down on a throne and carrying a baby on her lap. You can see again, as we have always noted in the past, that it is the connection with Jesus that exalted Mary to this throne of Wisdom. But her own greatness came more from the fact that she treasured that Wisdom that grew in her and kept her safe from destruction. Like her, we conceive Jesus, the Wisdom incarnate in us. We give birth to him by the manner of life we live. To keep him alive and healthy, we need to avoid sin and live in righteousness. That was exactly what Mary did. So, when it becomes difficult for us to do as well, we can ask her to obtain for us, the necessary graces that we need.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER:
a. For our families.
b. For the Church.
c. For Nigeria.
PRE-CONSECRATION PRAYER OF NIGERIA TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
Lord God, we thank you for the gift of our country Nigeria. You made it a fertile ground for the work of missionaries, guided by the power of the Holy Spirit. Your Word is now firmly established in our land such that we have not only become missionaries to ourselves but also to other nations.
As your Son Jesus Christ reposed in the arms of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so have we reposed Nigeria in her arms by making her our Patron Saint. As a nation, we are going through turbulent moments, with hunger, pain, killing, kidnapping and many other atrocities being committed against each other. We believe that never was it known that anyone who fled to her protection, implored her help or sought her intercession was left unaided. And so we come before her again, sinful and sorrowful, and desiring to re-consecrate Nigeria to her Immaculate Heart. May she intercede on our behalf to stabilize our ship of state.
We present ourselves as a nation, renouncing our past faults and offences. We resolve to imitate the exemplary life of our Mother Mary. Help us to renew and rectify the vows of our Baptism; rejecting Satan and all his works and empty promises. Obtain for us the grace for a perfect consecration of our nation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We seek her continual intercession and maternal protection.
May this this re-consecration bring forth peace, unity and tranquility to the nation and foster communion and service so as to radiate the joy of the Gospel for the common good of our country.
We make our prayer through your son, our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen
Our Lady Queen of Nigeria, Pray for us.
Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for us.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
God our Father, you give joy to the world by the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the prayers of his Mother, the Virgin Mary, bring us to the happiness of eternal life. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
