A WORD FOR TODAY 1 OCTOBER 2022

*A WORD FOR TODAY*

*THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, OUR MOTHER AND QUEEN*

_"And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, out of Egypt have I called my son.”(Matthew 2:14-15)_

*She is our Queen and Patroness*

_*Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady, queen and patroness of Nigeria. It is a feast in which we honour Our Lady as the one who takes care of us as a people in Nigeria and one whose efficacious Intercession works for us at all times.*_

*Nigeria is consecrated to the heart of Mary*

_Today also we in Nigeria celebrate our Independence day. The Nigerian Church through her bishops in 1982 consecrated our nation into the Immaculate heart of Mary and chose her as our patroness. This consecration was renewed at the National Marian Congress held in Benin City in 2017._

*She took care of Jesus*

_*The choice of Mary as our queen and patroness derived from the maternal role she played in the life of Jesus from his conception and birth to the time of his suffering and death. She took care of Him and remained with Him until the end.*_

*We seriously need this peace*

_The nature of peace that the prophet Isaiah expresses in the first reading of today is something that have eluded our country Nigeria for a long time. We are independent, but it seems we are still in chains. We are super abundantly blessed, but we are suffering and living in poverty. The wealth meant for all is being enjoyed by a selfish few who are never genuinely concerned about the sufferings of the poor masses._

*Christ is our Peace*

_*Jesus is the shoot from the stump of Jesse and He is the prince of peace. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Him and He rules with justice and righteousness. If we truly draw near to Him, He will touch our hearts and help us to live a life that will bring peace and progress to our nation and our world and in the end we shall have eternal life.*_

*She protects us with her mantle*

_The Blessed Virgin Mary fled to Egypt with the child Jesus when they were threatened by Herod. She protected Jesus from the harsh weather of the journey and made sure that no harm came to Him. This is something we must treasure in our heart, because she is always ready to do the same for anyone who takes her has a mother._

*She was honoured by God*

_*She is the mother of Jesus and the queen of heaven and earth. It is an honour given to her by God and no one can take it away from her (Luke 1:47-48). If God chose to honour her by given her this maternal role to play in the life of Jesus, who are we not to let her be our mother also.*_

*She intercedes for us*

_She played this role while on earth and even now in heaven she is still showing us her heart of love and constantly interceding for us before her son our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to hold her family, learn from her virtues, love and honour God faithfully and constantly share God's love with others and in this way, we shall always receive the fruits of her maternal Intercession in our lives._

*Pray your Rosary Everyday*

_*October is the month of our lady and it is the time to honour her by praying the Rosary which she has given to us as a gift. Pray the Rosary more and do lots of charity, make her your queen and mother in truth and in spirit and her maternal protection and assistance will be 💯 guaranteed for you.*_

_Good morning dearest one. Smile😊as you do your work and do have a beautiful day and blessed new month. May this month bring you blessings through the Intercession of our Lady, queen and patroness of Nigeria. Amen. *And may the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.*_

*Meditation:* Isaiah 11:1-10/Psalm 72:1-2,7-8,12-13,17/Ephesians 2:13-22/Matthew 2:13-15,19-23

*Watch-Word:* Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word

*Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.*

*Happy new month and happy Independence day💯❤️✌🙏🏾👍🏽*

(Saturday of twenty-sixth week in the ordinary time. Solemnity of our Lady, queen and patroness of Nigeria.)

*© Rev. Fr. Augustine Eleke*