SOLEMNITY OF SAINT MARIA SOLEDAD TORRES ACOSTA
FOUNDRESS OF THE CONGREGATION
October 11

NOVENA IN HONOR OF SAINT MARIA SOLEDAD TORRES ACOSTA
October 2 – October 10

Introduction

The eight beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching and proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured, however dimly, for Christ’s disciples. They depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity, expressing the vocation of the faithful associated with the glory of his Passion and Resurrection and shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life which lead to the Kingdom, not embraced as an obligation but in the spirit of the Gospel. Living them out offers the world a reason for new hope and conversion, and our Lord invites us to accept his gift of blessing, making it the foundation and center of our life.

During these nine days of novena we will meditate each day upon the beatitudes: What do they mean and how did our Mother Foundress live them? Her life was a constant beatitude, and she left us an excellent example to follow and imitate.

First Day

Poverty in Mother Soledad

Commentary

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presents to his listeners a program to follow. The true disciple of Christ should strive every day to live the beatitudes which call for a certain amount of renouncement in this life with the promise of joy in the next. The first beatitude is addressed to the poor in spirit. Our Mother Foundress, who was truly poor in spirit, enjoys now her reward in heaven.

Reflection

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3)

The reality of social poverty in our present world is evident. While the rich prosper, the poor will always be in the world as our Lord predicted. On one hand, poverty can be considered a state of injustice, which should be fought against; however, on the other hand, it is a mysterious divine presence that must be respected. The New Testament does not say that riches are bad, but assures that they are morally and spiritually dangerous. We can see that Jesus chose a life of poverty and showed preference for the poor, calling them “blessed”. The biblical concept of poverty is broad, covering all people who lack something, such as: goods, health, prestige, appreciation, freedom, rights, etc. Jesus introduces repentant sinners into this category. In Scripture, the poor are the marginal and forgotten of whatever class: religious, social or economic. They are those who trust in God’s Will and confide in him. To be poor does not mean simply to be lacking something. It is essential to trust entirely in the Lord with open hands and heart in order to receive the gift of the Kingdom.

Christ lived stripped of all things and in total detachment. He was made poor to enrich us. He emptied himself and was made poor for his love of man, enabling us to become rich in his poverty (cf. 2 Cor 8:9).

Mother Soledad imitated Jesus during her entire life. Empty-handed and detached from all things, she was free to receive the gift of the Kingdom. She confided in God and felt loved and possessed by him. Her life style was poor and austere: “Her clothing, her bearing, her conversations, her foundations and communities – Mother Soledad wanted them all to be stamped with the brightness of Gospel poverty, the color of Christ’s self-emptying” (Panedas 326). She lived in childlike dependence upon God, whom she saw as a caring Father and repeated often to her daughters: “God will provide.” Prayer and work were her constant companions and she surrendered herself to God and her duties. “We have to be available to everyone since we depend upon one another” (Letter 9). She was available for all with unlimited generosity and detachment. She saw God in all people, especially the poor and sick, and would say, “The poor are my brothers”. In her poverty she expressed deep joy and gratitude founded only in God.

A few moments of silence

Examination

Do we live the spirit of poverty as our Mother Foundress lived? Is our heart empty of all desire to possess? Am I empty so that I might be filled with God’s gifts? Do we place ourselves, all that we are and all that we have at the service of the common good?

We will strive toward being more available and open to God’s Will, trusting in his divineProvidence. We will work toward self-detachment and especially from that which is superficial or leads us away from the spirit of poverty.

Petitions

Prayers for the Church and our Institute, including our apostolate with the sick and poor, etc. may be offered.

Prayer

O God, you chose your servant Maria Soledad to serve the sick and suffering. We ask you, through her intercession, to help us imitate her example and be authentic Servants of Mary, so that consumed in the flame of divine charity, we may accompany the sick and bring the message of the Good News to all who suffer. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Second Day

Meekness in Mother Soledad

Commentary

The beatitudes are the center of the Christian life and in a special way, of the consecrated life brought about by Religious Profession. Holiness and beatitude coincide with one another; the person who is holy is blessed indeed. One who is holy only needs what is essential, but because we want to be filled with many things, we do not reach sanctity.

Reflection

“Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land” (Mt 5:5)

Meekness before all else is an attitude possessed by a humble heart. It is practiced by kindness in our relations with one another. Jesus did not cry out or break the smoldering wick. To the contrary, he was compassionate with the outcast and proclaimed God’s desire for mercy rather than sacrifice. Charity, the most delicate form of love, is patient and giving, it is not selfish, it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things (cf. 1 Cor 13: 4-7). True Christian meekness, sustained by fortitude, reflects the gentleness of Jesus. It opposes all violence and anger and will not be given to those who do not courageously seek it. The meek possess this earth while destined for heaven. In this world, they stand up for what is true, noble, just, pure and kind on their journey toward the eternal city.

Jesus said: “Learn from me because I am meek and humble of heart”, “love your enemies”, “do not return evil for evil”.

Mother Soledad cherished these attitudes of Jesus within her heart, especially meekness and humility and strove to imitate them. She considered herself nothing before God, humbling herself before him. She forgot herself in order to always be attentive to God and her neighbor. Her entire life and all daily actions were filled with the virtue of humility. She patiently prayed to God and often encouraged her daughters with: “Let us be good Religious and God will open the doors to enlighten our understanding.” She endured offenses and insults patiently without giving importance to these injuries; on the contrary, she excused, pretended not to notice, always thought well of others and forgave from the heart. She would write to her daughters, “It is in Him and for Him that we must perform all our actions. We should work and suffer with great patience and love of God” (Letter 70). On another occasion, she said, “I pray that our Lord will grant you patience and holy conformity to His divine Will” (Letter 68). She, patient and humble, knew how to correct with both gentleness and firmness at the same time. She could remain steadfast in tribulations and delicate with all because her strength of character was grounded in love. God was her love and with him she could do all things.

A few moments of silence

Examination

Do we imitate Mother Soledad in her gentleness and humility? How do we get along with one another in community, with the sick and other persons? Do we know how to forgive from the heart and forever? How do we react when treated unjustly?

We will strive to build our relationships in community on the foundation of meekness. We will try to avoid aggressive behavior and anger in order to imitate our Mother Foundress. We will pray for those who have offended us.

Petitions and Prayer as on the first day

Third Day

Sorrow in Mother Soledad

Commentary

Jesus is the authentic protagonist in the eight beatitudes, not only by what he taught or announced but above all by his way of living them to the highest degree. Our Mother Foundress by imitating Jesus also assimilated them in her life. With tears in her eyes, she prayed to the Lord without neither complaining nor lamenting over the difficulties that arose in her life.

Reflection

“Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land” (Mt 5:5)

The poor are those who are nourished with the bitter food of tears. The life of every mortal soul is enveloped between two shedding of tears: at birth and at death. There are tears of joy and bitterness, of anger and weakness, of pain and desperation, of repentance and compassion. One who cries hopes for consolation and understanding. Not all tears are salvific nor can those who cry be called blessed. Only the afflicted that put their trust in God can be called blessed. Whoever lives truly committed to the Gospel message cannot remain indifferent when faced with the distress of so many who do not believe and are far from God. The blessed are those who in the midst of suffering and the cross remain serene and accept those sufferings with tears and joy in their hearts.

Jesus cried before the tomb of his friend Lazarus and shed tears of blood in theGardenofOlives. Moreover, he felt intensely the hardness of the Pharisees’ hearts and suffered for those who did not believe.

Mother Soledad cried because she was not able to give food to her daughters and to the beggars who came calling at the door for help and bread. She cried because she had no means of paying debts. Nevertheless, her tears were not limited to these difficulties, for she also wept over her sins and those of others. She felt deep sorrow at seeing her Love offended in the world and in the Church. She was torn apart when she saw that all men did not convert and return to God. She grieved for the evil committed by humanity which impeded the brilliance of God’s face from shining upon the earth. On the other hand, those who lived with her said that “she used to pray with tears, prostrate before various images and pictures (since there was no tabernacle or proper chapel in the house), for the growth of the Congregation, for help in their difficulties and consolation in their sufferings” (Panedas 129). In her life filled with problems, difficulties and crosses, she remained always calm and did not complain, nor did she become distraught because she confided fully in God and expected all from him, the great Consoler. Purified in the crucible of the Cross and of suffering, Mother Soledad imitated Jesus and was transformed into consolation toward those who suffer, especially the sick. She discovered the redemptive value of their sufferings.

A few moments of silence

Examination

Why do we cry? Are our tears due to pure sentimentalism or is there a spiritual motive? How do we conduct ourselves when faced with difficulties and sufferings? Do we know how to understand others’ sufferings, especially those of the sick? Do we console and encourage them? Do we grieve for the sins committed in the world which offend our Lord, the Supreme Love?

We will strive to console the suffering rather than look for our own consolation. We will grieve for our own sins and for those of others in fervent prayer, following the example of Mother Soledad.

Petitions and Prayer as on the first day

Fourth Day

Thirst for Holiness in Mother Soledad

Commentary

Many are the blessed who could be called “saints” without possessing a crown or pedestal on the altar. They are those who knew how to live in a simple manner and chose to love their brethren as Christ. Some are mentioned in the Bible as “those who came in the great tribulation and have washed and whitened their clothes in the blood of the lamb”. Many are “saints” who have not been officially recognized by the Church. Now within the Church, holiness is continually renewed. To be holy means to allow oneself to be led by the Spirit, whom we call Holy. Our Mother Foundress has been recognized by the Church for her heroic virtue and is a model of holiness for us.

Reflection

“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Mt 5:6)

Hunger and thirst, a consequence of poverty, provides the appropriate emptiness to be refilled abundantly by God. This beatitude covers two aspects: a hunger to be satisfied and made holy and a desire to seek out and work toward justice in the world. In the first instance, one hungers to fulfill God’s Will and walk along the path of holiness where an invitation to be just is always encountered. To hunger and thirst for justice means to be holy and perfect, not only on a personal level but to desire it for all people. Personal effort must be put forth if the transformation of the world is to come about, but not without the sacrifice entailed of being better each day. The most efficacious way to conquer this world and improve it is “to become the true creation in Christ”, always remembering the true saying: “the more united we are with Christ, the closer we become with one another.”

Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work” (Jn 4: 34); “The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him” (Jn 8:29); and “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink” (Jn 7:37).

Mother Soledad experienced bodily hunger and thirst many times during her life, but especially she hungered and thirsted for perfection, of being united with God and following the daily path of holiness. She often reminded her daughters, “May your one desire be to please Jesus alone, our divine Spouse, so that in him and for him we may perform all our actions” (Letter 70).

All her life was a tending toward sanctity and to reach this end she practiced all virtues. While leading an ascetical life she lived in constant prayer, and little by little, her heart was formed and configured unto Christ. Mortification and penance purified her heart. She quenched her hunger and thirst in the sacraments, above all in the Holy Eucharist and reconciliation. She said that a Servant of Mary would become weak if not united to Christ in prayer. This desire for personal perfection carried her without a doubt to defend those who suffer the consequences of injustices.

A few moments of silence

Examination

Do we hunger and thirst for perfection as our Mother Foundress? What are we doing to imitate her? Do we perhaps live in spiritual indifference? Are we just to others and ourselves? Do we act rightly and help others to do the same?

Let us renew our resolution to advance each day on the path of Christian charity and intensify our prayer life with the Lord and defend all which is beautiful, just and pleasing in the eyes of the Lord.

Petitions and Prayer as on the first day

Fifth Day

Mercy in Mother Soledad

Commentary

A merciful person is one who passes through this world doing good and soothing the pains of others, who is not looking to be understood but to understand and who has personally felt the immense mercy of God and communicates it to others.

Reflection

“Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy” (Mt 5:7)

The mercy of God presides throughout the history of salvation. Redemption is nothing less than a revelation of God’s great mercy toward all humanity. The majority of the psalms are a canticle of his mercy, because his mercy is everlasting, because his love has no end. There is a special relation between the mercy of God and man. God’s mercy is received, imitated and shared with others. Our Lord promises mercy to those who do not venture to judge others, so that in turn they may not be judged or condemned. The forgiveness of God is conditioned to the extent that we forgive others.

Jesus is the incarnation of the Father’s mercy and offers it to everyone without limit. In several of his parables he indicates to his listeners how God responds with compassion, inviting them to be open to his divine mercy and in turn, be merciful to others.

Open to God’s merciful action, Mother Soledad allowed herself to be filled with his mercy and was impelled to shower it abundantly upon the poor, sick and afflicted. She lavished compassion upon the suffering, forgiving and forgetting offenses. She was understanding and benevolent, seeing in them Jesus personified. She expressed tenderness, compassion and attentiveness by her words and gestures. “Let the sisters recall that the sick are images of the Lord, and let them serve them as the Lord Himself” (Panedas 261).

In serving humanity Mother Soledad served our Lord himself, whether it was the Incarnate, humiliated, dying or resurrected Christ. She attended everyone who came to her door as if they were the same Christ. Because she lived so closely united with him, she saw him in every person she met. For her, they were the heart and apple of his eye, the true face of God, and those who were in most need of his care. Her charitable mercy led her to desire martyrdom and exclaim: “How glorious for a Servant of Mary to be a martyr of the most sublime charity!” She silently and without calling attention spent her life by pouring out love and mercy to her sisters, the poor and the sick. She is our model and invites us to be messengers of the merciful and gratuitous love God has for the sick, fulfilling the gospel passage: “I was sick and you visited me.”

A few moments of silence

Examination

Do we experience the mercy of God? Are we merciful in our relations with one another? Do we imitate our Mother Foundress in this virtue? In what ways do we practice it? Are we understanding and merciful with the poor and sick?

We will strive to grow in our awareness of God’s divine mercy in our own lives and express a sign of this mercy toward a particular person.

Petitions and Prayer as on the first day

Sixth Day

Purity of Heart in Mother Soledad

Commentary

The beatitudes open the door to theKingdomofGod. Those who are poor, merciful and clean of heart will enter.

These beatitudes are as a new but different form of Paschal feast: a newness is brought about, a hope is made present, and a freedom from our enslavement is attained. Our Mother Foundress invites us to live this sixth beatitude by keeping our heart pure and undivided for God.

Reflection

“Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God” (Mt 5:8)

Since the heart symbolizes the center of the interior life, this beatitude will demand a total response of our whole being to God. Here is found the source of all psychic and spiritual energy and a person’s moral attitude. Purity of heart is equal to an upright intention and opposed to what is untrue and pharisaical. The pure of heart unite their interior dispositions with their external actions, serving God and others without looking for self-interest. In the moral life these two aspects cannot be separated while living according to the Gospel.

The pure see God because they possess a clean vision within their heart and the divine image is reflected in their transparent soul, allowing the divine imprint to remain shining through the eyes of their pure spirit. Not only do they see God but also others can see God in them. This pure soul becomes illuminated because it is possessed by God and is a divine reflection of him, which cannot be seen by natural vision. God is experienced in the reality of our life, although enveloped in the clear obscurity of faith.

Jesus is the model of righteousness of heart because he was transparent. He said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9); “No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6).

Mother Soledad, who was open to God, was a reflection of this light, which radiated from the divine face. She saw God in her own soul and discovered his footsteps in people, things and events. In her Letter 50 she told her daughters: “Let us frequently call to mind that the world has its eyes upon us, that we are Servants of the Mother of all Purity and that Jesus, our Divine Spouse, has said, ‘Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.’ Oh, what a wonderful exchange, my dear Sisters! To close our eye to the hideousness of worldly delights and open them to contemplate the brilliance and beauty of God.”

She kept her entire heart undivided for the Lord and was lit up by his beauty and the light of his immense love. She surrendered herself to him unconditionally and forever. She recognized that this treasure was carried within her, in earthen vessels, but she placed great care in not allowing it to break. For this reason she advised her daughters in Letter 50: “Let us keep watch over our senses by practicing temperance and reading good spiritual books”.

A few moments of silence

Examination

Do we keep our heart pure and undivided for God? Do we imitate our Mother Foundress in being open to God and being his reflection in the world? Do we watch over the affections of our hearts?

We will try to purify our hearts from impure or less upright intentions. We will renew our offering made in our profession, which is to have an undivided heart for God with the intention of loving him alone. With a pure heart may we truly love those who suffer and reflect God’s love to those around us.

Petitions and Prayer as on the first day

Seventh Day

Peace in Mother Soledad

Commentary

The beatitudes were sensational and when Jesus pronounced them for the first time, they must have caused quite a commotion. There were reactions of irritation in some, admiration in others. Yesterday like today, they are proclaimed throughout the world and happy are those who receive them into their hearts and put them into practice in their daily lives. To be instruments of peace means to have received and experienced the peace of the Resurrected One. Mother Soledad experienced the peace of the Lord and was an astonishing messenger of peace to all who came into her presence.

Reflection

“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will called children of God” (Mt 5:9)

Peace is not only limited to getting along and living in harmony with others. It is something more. This beatitude consists of living in the middle of adversities, failures and difficulties with a calm and serene soul. Jesus has left us his peace as a gift, but under condition that we live in faith and abandon ourselves into the Father’s hands. This beatitude does not refer to an interior disposition alone but is an activity that goes out toward the benefit of others. It is not just a simple disposition of good desires, but of action.

Peace, at the same time that it is loved, builds and defends itself. It is carried within and irradiates outward. Personal commitment is called for if peace is to triumph when faced with adversity. The demands of true love for peace lead one to give their life for the beloved. Those who strive for peace are called true children of God, are filled with joyful serenity and are builders of peace.

On the day of his resurrection, Christ said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (Jn 14:27). On another occasion he reminded us, “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” (Jn 16:33).

“Our Lord,” wrote Mother Soledad to her daughters, “is the King of Peace who will give me the strength needed to contend with the enemy and come out victorious” (Letter 76). She did not rely on her own strength, talents or qualities but trusted in “the Lord who grants us His holy peace and patience, so that with these two virtues as our stronghold, we may carry the cross of our Lord, which in His mercy has been destined for each one of us” (Letter 89).

Peace is the outcome of the love of God. In this sense, Mother Soledad was a builder of peace and union. She constantly encouraged her communities to live in peace and harmony among all.

She said in her Letter 14, “My daughters in the Lord, I cannot say enough about how each and every one of you should seek to establish a peaceful community spirit by means of fraternal charity which should reign in our communities. Each one should give in a little, every day be a bit more humble.” Upon Jesus’ resurrection, he left the gift of peace to his disciples. Our Mother also left us peace as an inheritance when she said, “My daughters, may you have peace and union.”

A few moments of silence

Examination

Do we try to be open to the peace that Christ left us? Are we instruments of peace within our community? When we suffer adversities, do we know how to accept these circumstances with a spirit of peace and calmness?

We will commit ourselves to peace and serenity allowing it to always reign in our hearts and communities. Where there is division we will strive toward peace and unity. We will lovingly share a peaceful gesture to whoever most needs it.

Petitions and Prayer as on the first day

Eighth Day

Suffering in Mother Soledad

Commentary

TheKingdomofHeavenbelongs to the poor and those who suffer, to the humble and persecuted. The philosophy of this life seldom coincides with the message of the Sermon on the Mount, because it does not accept poverty, or humiliation or persecution as blessedness.

Today many do not understand the meaning of Jesus’ words. Those who accept and live them are true disciples of Jesus.

Reflection

“Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
(Mt 5:11-12)

This beatitude differs from all the rest and has its own uniqueness. While the others involve people suffering in the present, this one in contrast, deals with future actions. To accept persecutions is the guarantee of true faith and hope in the everlasting reward. Today, to be religious has been converted into a sign of contradiction. Suffering and glory, persecution and happiness are inseparable realities ever since Christ accepted the weight of the cross and rose from the grave.

You cannot belong to Jesus’ group of disciples without carrying the cross. Jesus’ cross is the source of joy and strength. These are crosses and sufferings that renew the life of the Church. Blessed are those who suffer persecution for, with and in Christ because their reward will be great in heaven.

Jesus had said, “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” (Jn 16:33). “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:27). Paul has said, “If only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom 8:17).

Mother Soledad revealed to us that the most marvelous gift of God is to be able to arrive at a full identification with Christ made obedient unto the death of the cross. She had her gaze fixed upon the Crucified and spent many hours before his image in prayer. In dangerous situations and before threats of suppressing the Congregation, she believed and trusted in the Lord.

She experienced emptiness, loneliness and abandonment by many but never lost hope in him in whom she could do all things. “May I know how to suffer” she would say to her daughters for whom she would also pray, “May our Lord grant us the divine grace to follow Him untoCalvary, being crucified for His love” (Letter 75).

Only a soul in love with Christ can arrive at such a lofty identification with him and can desire to fill up what is still lacking in his Passion. The life of our Foundress was an example of sharing and completing in her own flesh what was lacking in the Passion of Christ. She took on the sufferings of the sick and poor, of the same Congregation, of the Church and the entire world. Full of love and intimately united with the sorrows of the Crucified Savior, she wrote these lines, “You know that I love You and that my only desire is to do and suffer whatever pleases You. Give me light and grace to be able to suffer and endure more for You” (Letter 63).

Complete union with Christ Crucified was reached when she no longer desired anything else than the cross. She would say to her daughters, “Let us love the cross of Christ and not desire anything else” (Letter 63).

Happy are those who suffer for Christ and with Christ because they will share in the glory of his Resurrection.

A few moments of silence

Examination

Do we understand the redemptive value of the cross? Do we love or reject the cross? When difficulties or misunderstandings arise, how do we react? Do we know how to make the sufferings and pain of others our own? Are we afraid of the cross, of suffering?

We will try to love and accept the cross each day as we kneel before the Crucified Lord. We will carry our suffering with elegance and serenity, being aware of its redemptive value and trying to understand and share in the pain and suffering of others in order to identify in a more perfect way with Christ.

Petitions and Prayer as on the first day

Ninth Day

The Blessed Virgin Mary in Mother Soledad

Commentary

The beatitudes present a new land and a new spirit. To live them is to go against the standards of living in this world. The basic condition to become a disciple of Jesus is to be poor, clean of heart, merciful and to endure persecution. Mary, the Servant of the Lord, was blessed and proclaimed “blessed” from generation to generation because the Lord looked upon her lowliness, her humility.

Reflection

“Happy are you, O Mary,
because what the Lord has said will be fulfilled.”

Mary is proclaimed blessed because the power of the Most High descended upon her, making it possible for the Messiah, the Holy One, par excellence, to be born from her. God blessed Mary from the first moment of her existence and she is proclaimed blessed for having believed, for having fulfilled the will of the Father. Mary has been blessed with an abundance of spiritual blessings.

Mother Soledad always professed a great and tender devotion toward our Lady. Not only did she lovingly venerate the Mother of Christ, she also imitated her. Like Mary, Mother Soledad also pronounced her “yes” to the will of God and allowed herself to be molded according to the flame of Divine Love. As Mary in the Visitation, she carried Christ within her and went from house to house, caring for the sick and announcing the Gospel with her words and deeds. She, like Mary inCana, stepped forward to meet the needs of others, first with the sick, then with her daughters. She showed herself loving and motherly, always ready to serve others. Mary, at the foot of the cross, remained in silent oblation as Co-Redemptrix. Mother Soledad also knew how to be silent and attentive at the bedside of the sick, sharing their tears and sorrows, offering their pains for the salvation of the world.

Mother Soledad often invoked the Virgin Mary for help and said, “I have never asked a grace from the Blessed Virgin that she did not help me receive.” She called our Lady “her consolation, her joy and her all” because she confided completely in her.

A gift received from our Blessed Mother to the Church was the Foundation of the Congregation on the feast of the Assumption, August 15, 1851. It was a gift from heaven to call ourselves the “Servants of Mary” so we may imitate the Virgin Mary, the Servant of the Lord.

A few moments of silence

Examination

How do we live our Marian spirituality? Do we imitate our Foundress in her devotion to our Lady? Are we really what we are called: “Servants of Mary”? What place does Mary hold in my life? Do we spread our devotion to Mary, especially with the sick? Do we help them invoke her and confide fully in her?

We will try to imitate our holy Mother in the devotion she had to our Lady. We will live what our name signifies, that of “Servants of Mary”.

At the bedside of the sick, we will imitate our Lady in her attitude at the foot of the cross.

Petitions and Prayer as on the first day