1. Mary is a young girl from Nazareth, a small town in Galilee. She is engaged to Joseph.
2. The Angel Gabriel is sent to her by God. This is the Annunciation. He enters her home and says to her: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you."
3. "God has chosen you to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit." Mary answers: "I am the handmaid of the Lord." She trusts in God's word.
4. Mary hurries to visit her cousin Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah and expecting John the Baptist. This is the Visitation. As Elizabeth welcomes Mary, she feels the baby leap with joy in her womb. She cries out: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you carry."
5. Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem. On the night of Jesus's birth, Mary gives birth to Jesus, wraps him in swaddling clothes, and lays him in a manger because there is no room for them. Shepherds, warned by an Angel, come to see their Savior.
6. Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple. Simeon takes him in his arms and recognizes Jesus as the Savior. "My eyes have seen your light and your salvation." He blesses them and tells Mary that she must suffer greatly.
7. Guided by a star, Magi from the East bring gifts and kneel before Jesus. Joseph is warned in a dream that King Herod wants to kill the child. They must flee to Egypt.
8. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus return to Nazareth, where they live a simple family life in peace and faithfulness to God's word. "The child grew in wisdom and the grace of God was upon him." "And Mary treasured all these things in her heart."
9. Years later, Mary, Jesus, and his disciples are invited to a wedding at Cana. Mary notices that the wine has run out and tells her son. Jesus asks his servants to fill the jars with water and turns the water into fine wine.
10. Jesus gives his life for us on the Cross. Mary stands beside him, along with a few women and John. Jesus says to Mary: "Behold your son," and to John: "Behold your mother." In this way, Mary becomes the mother of all of us, and we are all her children.
11. After Jesus ascends to the Father, the Apostles pray with Mary and some women. On Pentecost, they are all filled with the Holy Spirit. This marks the beginning of the early Christian communities in sharing and prayer.
12. On August 15, we celebrate the Assumption of Mary, her return to the Lord. We pray to her: "Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you. You are blessed among all women, and Jesus, the fruit of your womb, is blessed.
13. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen."
14. Mary, our mother, watches over each one of us and loves us as she loves Jesus. She protects with special care the smallest and weakest among her children. She guides us toward the Lord.
Text and Illustrations by Maïte Roche