* February 4 – Our Lady of the Fire (Italy, 1428) - Saint Joan of France, foundress of the Order of the Annunciades (d. 1505)  * Mary teaches us the wonder of small daily joys  --- An initiative of the Mary of Nazareth Association February 4 – Our Lady of the Fire (Italy, 1428) - Saint Joan of France, foundress of the Order of the Annunciades (d. 1505)  Mary teaches us the wonder of small daily joys  Image from http://www.josemariaescriva.info/ Saint Josemaria Escriva commented on the passage about the woman in the crowd who praised the mother of Jesus, and the Jesus’ enlightening response: "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!" (Lk 11: 27-28) He wrote that this last statement "was the praise of his Mother and her fiat, manifested not by blind actions, but by daily, silent and hidden sacrifice." He added: "Here, we can understand the logic of God a little better. It is not the accomplishment of great actions that make up the supernatural value of our life, but the faithful acceptance of God's will and generosity in the sacrifice of each day…" In a society like our own, dominated by consumerism and the search for pleasure, people lose the ability to appreciate small joys. Fewer and fewer people experience what Saint Augustine described: "When there is love, either the sacrifice does not cost us anything, or we like the sacrifice that it costs us." Mary teaches us the pleasure of small everyday joys—those that are within the reach of all but that our hectic life make invisible... These are treasures that the frenetic pace of modern life wants to rob us of, and that we must recover. fr.aleteia.org www.mariedenazareth.com Let’s pray together  Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen.