FORMATION
FORMATION 1998
THEME NO.8
"Mary, a woman docile to
the voice of the Spirit"
1. Formation Prayer
(To be recited by all present).
In the name of the Father …
Heavenly Father, as we commence this
session of the Formation Programme, help us to believe you are near to us and that you
care for each of us every day of our lives. Send the Holy Spirit to be our helper and our
guide, enlightening our minds, giving us the grace to serve you with generous hearts and
inspiring us to stand firm as Christians in your love. We ask this through Christ our
Lord. Amen.
2. Scripture Reading – Luke
1:26-38
(Read by the discussion leader or
member nominated by him.)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was
sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name
was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and
said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed
by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary, God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in you womb and
bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of
the Most High, and the Lord will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will
reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary
said to the angel, "how can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to
her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.
And now your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the
sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with
God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me
according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
3. The Message
(Read by the discussion leader or the
member nominated by him.)
"In the broad perspective of
commitments, Mary Most Holy, the highly favored daughter of the Father, will appear before
the eyes of believers as the perfect model of love towards God and neighbour. … Mary
responded to God’s call with complete openness"(TMA 54). The Holy Spirit who
descends on Mary and surrounds her is "he who gives life." It is he who from the
beginning of time has progressively made known in history the Word of God. And, now, in
the fullness of time, the Son of God, through the Spirit’s power, is made man in the
womb of the Virgin. The Fathers of the Church affirm: "When Mary gave her answer to
God, she received the Spirit, who molded in her the flesh equal to God." In bringing
Jesus into the world, Mary, filled by the Spirit, is a model of the Church whose mission
is also to bring Jesus to the world through the spirit-filled lives and faith of all its
members.
4. The Exercise
(Five minutes of reflection by all
members.)
Why is devotion to Mary an essential part
of Christian worship?
How can I encourage openness to God’s
will in an environment where the temptation is to do only what we want?
How can Mary be an example of faith and
obedience to God’s will for all Christians today?
5. The Sharing
(Members share aspects of their
personal faith and its place in their lives that have come to them through the Exercise.)
6. The Word
(The basis of meditation and reflection
for the ensuing month given by the discussion leader.)
"… let it be with me according to
your word." (Luke 1:38)
7. Closing Prayer
(Recited by all members.)
God our Father, your Word became man and
was born of the virgin Mary. May we become more like Jesus Christ, whom we acknowledge as
our redeemer, God and man. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen.
