Legion of
Mary
Melbourne Senatus
Prayer with Action
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Legion of
Mary
Melbourne Senatus Prayer with Action |
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Annual Mass 2006
Celebrated By Archbishop Denis Hart at St Mary's, West Melbourne, on Saturday, 11th November, 2006 at 2.30pm
Introduction
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I welcome all of the Legion members to this very special celebration of the work of the Legion in Melbourne, remembering the many years of service given by the Legion throughout the world.
We are united with Mary and the apostles in prayer, knowing that this will bring down limitless blessings from God on us in the Church.
Prayer, as it raises us to God, unites us with Mary and is the foundation of all the work that we do.
Homily
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Mary’s prayer was characterised by faith and by generous offering of her whole being to God. She is the Mother of all the living and prays to Jesus for the needs of all people.
We know the prayer of Mary at Cana and Galilee and her Magnificat, which is the song both of the Mother of God and of the Church; the joyous thanksgiving that comes from the hearts of the poor because their hope is met by the fulfilment of God’s promises. Fundamental to the signal service, which the Legion renders the Church is the twofold gift of prayer and of apostolic work, which is founded upon the prayer at the regular Legion meetings. In parish life legionaries should be noted for prayer within the parish community, whether of the Mass, the Rosary or other prayers, because it is in this aspect that they most imitate Mary.
Christian prayer is a personal and living relationship of the children of God with their Father, who is infinitely good, with his Son, Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit who dwells in their hearts. Through creation God has called every one of us from nothing and helps us to recognise God as our Creator, to desire him and follow him.
Just as in his human heart Jesus learned to pray from his Mother and from Jewish tradition, he also had a secret source of prayer, that of his unity as the eternal Son of God with his Almighty Father. The Gospel often shows Jesus at prayer; in solitude at night, before decisive moments, and indeed in his whole life, because it is one of communion with God, his Father.
It was Jesus who teaches us how to pray, not only with the Our Father, but also to pray with purity of heart that seeks the kingdom and forgives one’s enemies, bold and filial faith that goes beyond what we feel and understand and watchfulness which protects us from temptation. We know that the early Christian community devoted itself to the teaching of the apostles, to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Above all we ought remember that prayer is a conversation with God, originating with the presence of God in our hearts and lives. As legionaries, prayer has to be something real; a communion between persons, one in which Mary takes us by the hand, whether in the Rosary leading us through the mysteries of Jesus or through her Magnificat, leading us to praise him because “the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name”, or in prayer of petition or reparation, so that our heart and our life is generally focused on the Lord and on his goodness to us.
May Mary, the teacher of prayer, lead us to learn from her Son and walk with her Son now and always, in unity of prayer and life. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
+ Denis J. Hart, Archbishop of Melbourne.
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