Christmas Novena, Day 2 – Put yourself in my care, so that only I act…
(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2016 J.M.J. December 16, 2017 Christmas Novena Day Two Dear Family of Mary! We continue our Christmas Novena with the Parish today with Day Two! We are preparing our hearts for Christmas by growing in our surrender to Jesus. This is our gift to the Holy Infant in the manger. We want to give Him our hearts completely. Our Lady has been teaching us this surrender through her messages in Medjugorje. She wants us to understand that it is only by giving our entire lives to Jesus that He can take control and guide us into His protection and make us part of His plan. Our Lives will make sense, and we will lose our fear and anxiety. Jesus will be Lord of our lives. Here is a beautiful message to ponder: “Dear children! Today I am calling you to renew your hearts. Open yourselves to God and surrender to him all your difficulties and crosses so God may turn everything into joy. Little children, you cannot open yourselves to God if you do not pray. Therefore, from today, decide to consecrate a time in the day only for an encounter with God in silence. In that way you will be able, with God, to witness my presence here. Little children, I do not wish to force you. Rather freely give God your time, like children of God. Thank you for having responded to my call.” July 25, 1989 Let us pray the Novena of Surrender to God’s will! Day Two (Jesus speaks to Don Dolindo) Surrender to me does not mean to fret, to be upset, or to lose hope, nor does it mean offering to me a worried prayer asking me to follow you and change your worry into prayer. It is against this surrender, deeply against it, to worry, to be nervous and to desire to think about the consequences of anything. It is like the confusion that children feel when they ask their mother to see to their needs, and then try to take care of those needs for themselves so that their childlike efforts get in their mother’s way. Surrender means to placidly close the eyes of the soul, to turn away from thoughts of tribulation and to put yourself in my care, so that only I act. Saying “You take care of it.” O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything! (10 times) Let us pray 7 Our Fathers, 7 Hail Marys and 7 Glory bes. Lord Jesus, through the Intercession of your Mother, Mary, give us the grace to close the eyes of our souls, and enter into a conversation with You, our Lord and God. May we give time to prayer, where we will be able to surrender ourselves to You. May we learn to entrust our entire selves to You, that we may give you glory and honor all our days, and especially at this celebration of your Incarnation and Nativity. We are all yours through the guidance and intercession of our Mother, Mary! Amen. You may want to also pray this Surrender Prayer! SURRENDER PRAYER God, my Father, I thank you for all that you are, and all that you do for me through your son Jesus Christ. I praise you for my life, for your mercy and for your Eucharist. In Jesus’ name, Father, I place myself entirely in your Heart. I surrender to you my whole self, my heart, my mind, my memory, my imagination, my will, my emotions, my passions, my body, my sexuality, my desire for human approval, my weaknesses, my desires, my sins. I surrender every person in my life to you. I surrender every situation in my life to you. I surrender every relationship I am in to you. I surrender every concern I have to you. I surrender every fear I have to you. I surrender every doubt I have to you. I surrender all confusion I have to you. I surrender all sadness I am experiencing in my heart to you. I surrender all my wounds to you. I surrender all anxiety and worry I have to you. I surrender all that deceives me in my heart to you. I trust you to care for me and others in a perfectly loving way. As I have emptied myself, and surrendered everything to you, I ask you now, Father, to fill me with your Holy Spirit and all the gifts and fruits of your Spirit. Holy Spirit you are the source of love, hope, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, tenderness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. Purify my desires. Help me to open my heart to you. Help me to become perfectly receptive as a pure child. Help me to believe in your love for me. Help me to hope in your love. Help me to receive from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus all grace and virtues necessary for me to become the person you created me to be. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ, Your son, God Almighty Father. O Most Holy Immaculate Virgin Mary. I entrust this prayer to your Heart, and ask you to press it to your wounded heart and intercede for me to your Son Jesus. Please help me to be as you are, a perfect disciple, an obedient servant, a true child of God. Amen. In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2017 PS. Join us for this live event from December 15 to 23, 2017 at www.marytv.tv It will be shown on our Channel Window on the home page. Also, we will live stream this Novena on our Facebook page, “Medjugorje Mary TV”. https://www.facebook.com/marytv.tv/ If you are on Facebook with us, please “like” and “share” the event so we can spread the word about Medjugorje and Our Lady’s presence!