A Spiritual Mother's Chaplet for Priests

This idea came to me on Thursday July 9th after praying the Rosary. I prayed about it straight away and became certain that the chaplet should be scripturally based. I spent the next day going through the four Gospels and listing all the texts which seemed to me to have something to teach us about spiritual motherhood. It was obvious from the beginning that Our Blessed Mother has the most to teach us. There is of course a lot of other material, e.g. that involving St. Elizabeth, the prophet Anna, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Martha and other women who appear in the Gospels, but I decided to concentrate on the Marian texts first.

Here is what I had sketched out by last Friday.

The chaplet is structured in the same way as the Most Holy Rosary, fifteen 'lessons' being meditated with a Pater Noster, 10 Aves and 1 Gloria for each one.



THE CHAPLET

Learning at the School of our Immaculate Mother

1. The Blessed Virgin accepts her role and destinyLuke 1:38 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word.'
(Full reading Luke 1: 38-56)

2. The Blessed Virgin sets out to share her joy with her cousin Elizabeth and to support her.Luke 1:56 'And Mary remained with her about three months.'

3. The Blessed virgin Mother proects her Infant son.
Luke 2: 7b 'She wrapped him in swaddling bands.'
(Full reading Luke 2: 1-20)

4. The Blessed Virgin Mother treasures and ponders what the shepherds had told her.
Luke 2:19 'But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.'

5. the Blessed Virgin Mother preents Jesus in the Temple and offers sacrifice according to the law'.Luke 2:24 'They offered..."a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons." '
(Full reading Luke 2: 21-24)



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1, The Blessed Virgin Mother silently accepts the protection of St. Joseph.
Matthew 2:15b 'Out of Egypt I have called my son." '
(Full reading Matthew 2 13-15; 19-23)

2. The Blessed Virgin receives the prophecy of Simeon.
Luke 2: 35b ' ....and a sword will pierce your own soul also.'
(Full reading Luke 2: 25-35)

3. The Blessed Virgin Mother and St. Joseph, after great anxiety, find Jesus in the Temple.
Luke 2: 49b 'Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?'
(Full reading Luke 2: 41-52)

4. The Blessed Virgin Mother treasures these things in her heart.
Luke 2:51 'He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient unto them.'

5. The Blessed Virgin Mother is concerned for her friends and gives them instructions
John 2: 3b ' " They have no wind." ' John 2: 5b ' "Do whatever he tells you." '



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1. The Blessed Virgin Mother stands outside and sends to Him and calls Him.
Mattthew 12: 46 '....his mother....standing outside, wanting to speak to him.'
(Full reading Matthew 12: 46-50)

2. The Blessed Virgin Mother is silent as Jesus identifies those who are his 'mother and 'sisters'.
Matthew 12: 50 ' "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." '

3. The Blessed Virgin Mother stands beneath the Cross.
John 19: 25 'Meanwhile standing near the cross of Jesus....his mother.'

4. The Blessed Virgin Mother receives St. John as her son and is received by him as his mother.
John 19: 26b '' "Woman, here is your son." ' ; John 19: 27 'Then he said to the disciple "Here is your mother." '

5. The Blessed Virgin Mother prays with the disciples before Pentecost.
Acts I: 14 'All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer....including Mary the mother of Jesus.' ; Acts 2:1 ' When the day of Pentecost had come they were altogether in one place.'

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Since last Friday I've been meditating and praying round these texts as well as doing related reading. I'm working on written meditations for each 'lesson' and will post them here, as and when ready. In the meantime, and in any case, every spiritual mother has the option of making her own, and indeed, I trust will do so..