To stay in silence To stay in silence

is simply is simply

to welcome the gift to welcome the gift

of God’s presence. of God’s presence.

Listen! Listen!

Let us contemplate Let us contemplate

the One the One

who speakswho speaks

the language the language

of eternity.of eternity.

I just want

to be with you,

and stay together with you.

Oh Mary, I ask you to lead me

to Jesus, your Son!

Mother of Jesus,

I did not come to pray.

I have nothing to offer

you, and nothing to ask

for.

I came, Mother,

just to contemplate you.

Essere insieme con te,

Maria,

qui, dove sei tu.

Non dire nulla, cantare,

solo perché il cuore

è troppo pieno…

You are beautiful, O Mary.

You are the Immaculate because you are the Mother

of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Because you are a woman

whose glance goes straight

to the heart and you allow

the flow of long

accumulated tears.

From the Gospel of St. LukeFrom the Gospel of St. Luke

The Angel Gabriel The Angel Gabriel

was sent by God was sent by God

to a city in Galilee to a city in Galilee

called Nazareth.called Nazareth.

To a Virgin promised To a Virgin promised

to a man called Joseph, to a man called Joseph,

of the house of David. of the house of David.

And the And the virgin’s name wasvirgin’s name was MARY.MARY.

And the Angel said: “Hail Mary, full of grace,

The Lord is with you”. She was deeply disturbed

by these words… The Angel said to her:

“Mary, do not be afraid; you have found grace

before God.

You are to conceive in your womb and bear a You are to conceive in your womb and bear a

son, son,

and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and you must name him Jesus. He will be great

and and

will be called Son of the Most High, and his reign will be called Son of the Most High, and his reign

will have no end.”will have no end.”

““The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the

power power

of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. of the Most High will cover you with its shadow.

And so the child will be holy and will be called Son And so the child will be holy and will be called Son

of God.of God.

And I tell you this too: And I tell you this too:

your cousin Elizabeth your cousin Elizabeth

also, in her old age, also, in her old age,

has conceived a son, has conceived a son,

for nothing is for nothing is

impossible to God.”impossible to God.”

Mary saidMary said: :

The intimacy of love, The intimacy of love,

which is so profound which is so profound

a communion a communion

as to be ineffable, as to be ineffable,

incapable of expression incapable of expression

by any human word.by any human word.

A wonderful moment A wonderful moment

whereby heaven whereby heaven

and earth and earth

join together, join together,

in silence, in silence,

without clamorwithout clamor .

It is Mary’s silence. It is Mary’s silence.

A silence which A silence which

as a sweet perfume as a sweet perfume

penetrates the heart of the Church, penetrates the heart of the Church,

and of every believer; and of every believer;

or as the echo of a song or as the echo of a song

coming from another shore.coming from another shore.

Holy MaryHoly Mary, woman of silence, , woman of silence, bring us anew to the springs bring us anew to the springs of peace. Free us from of peace. Free us from a profusion of words. a profusion of words. First of all from our own. First of all from our own. But also from the others’.But also from the others’.Holy Mary, woman of silence, Holy Mary, woman of silence, admit us into your school. admit us into your school. Keep us far from Keep us far from the market place of noises. the market place of noises. Restore in us the taste for Restore in us the taste for contemplation. Grant that we contemplation. Grant that we become convinced that only become convinced that only silence brings about the great silence brings about the great things of life: conversion, love, things of life: conversion, love, sacrifice.sacrifice.

Another thing Another thing I want to ask you, I want to ask you,

most sweet Mother. most sweet Mother. You who have experienced You who have experienced the silence of God, do not the silence of God, do not

leave us in the hour of trial. leave us in the hour of trial. When heaven does not When heaven does not

answer our cry, and the fear answer our cry, and the fear of being abandoned brings of being abandoned brings

ususon the brink of desperation, on the brink of desperation,

stay close to us.stay close to us.In that moment, In that moment,

please break silence please break silence to speak words to speak words

of love to us.of love to us.

Whoever possesses the word of the Lord,

can also listen to his silence.With his Word, he works in us,

and with his silence makes himself known to us.

(St. Ignatius of Antioch).

Blessed James Alberione

Because God has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid: behold, angels and men call her blessed.

Because He who is mighty has done great things in her, and chose her Immaculate, Virgin, Motherand assumed her into heaven.

The mercy of Mary extendsfrom one generation to another,to those who love her and seek her.

My soul magnifies Mary;and my spirit rejoices in My Mother, Queen and Teacher.

The power, the wisdom and the love of Marysave those who are humblein the depths of their heart.She draws to herselfall those who contemplate her, those who run to the perfume of her ointments.

She gave to the world Jesus Master,who is the blessed fruit of her womb.And he became the wisdom of Godfor us, justice, sanctificationand redemption throughout the centuries.

She fill the hungry with good,to the blind she gives light of heart.

Amen.

May the Lord grant usMay the Lord grant usthe silence and attention of lovethe silence and attention of love

which filled the heart of Mary.which filled the heart of Mary.May he grant us the ability May he grant us the ability

to receive the Word,to receive the Word,and the strength which springs and the strength which springs

from silence so as to place from silence so as to place all our being at the service all our being at the service

of the Word of life.of the Word of life.

May the Lord grant us, May the Lord grant us, in his goodness,in his goodness,

that silence which is that silence which is the echo of the Wordthe echo of the Word

which must fill every fiber which must fill every fiber of our being freeing us fromof our being freeing us from

the bonds of our egoism the bonds of our egoism..