Madonna del Magnificat, Botticelli, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
“My soul rejoices in my God.” – Isaiah 61:10
Spotless Mary, conceived without sin, pray for me that I might have a heart like yours, one that seeks to magnify the Lord. Pray that I may have a joyful heart that rejoices in God and praises His name above all others, especially above my own name. May I always seek to glorify Him and not myself. Pray for me that my heart may be grateful for all the gifts God has blessed me with over my life. Pray for me that I may have a merciful heart that is eager to choose to forgive and sees the best in others. Ask Jesus to heal the many wounds of my heart that keep me from loving You and others fully.
Pray for me that I might have a meek and humble heart like yours, that I may put others before myself and my own desires. Help me always remember my true identity as a beloved child of God–nothing more, nothing less. Pray for me that I might have a gentle, loving heart like yours, that I may be charitable in all my thoughts, words, and actions. Please tell Jesus that I am sorry for the times when I have been harsh, rude, or thoughtless with others, especially my loved ones and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Holy Mary, pray for me to have a pure heart like yours, a heart that turns away from all sin and worldly admiration, a heart that beats for truth and love alone. Pray for me to have a heart that loves like yours, a heart that overflows with God’s love and pours it out for others. May my heart be a reflection of your Immaculate Heart, and Christ’s Sacred Heart, willing to suffer for love, holy in faithfulness and obedience, generous and fruitful in its giving. May my heart be so conformed to your Son, Jesus, that it becomes a reflection of His love for everyone I meet.
Dearest Mother, as Christmas approaches, pray for me that I may rely totally on God as my “source of wisdom and freedom, of joy and confidence” (CCC 301). As I light the rose candle of joy this week, pray that God would fill me with true joy and to see it as a gift I receive from God to extend to others. Keep the light of joy burning within me, so that no hardship, trial, sickness, or suffering may extinguish it. May my soul truly rejoice in my God. Amen.