Rosary Time

Rosary Time

“They will have the two-edged sword of the word of God in their mouths and the blood-stained standard of the Cross on their shoulders. They will carry the crucifix in their right hand and the rosary in their left, and the holy names of Jesus and Mary on their heart. The simplicity and self-sacrifice of Jesus will be reflected in their whole behaviour.”

--Saint Louis Marie de Montfort,
 speaking of the great Saints of the end times

  With October being the month of the Holy Rosary I felt that we need to talk about it before the month ends. First do you know why October is the month for the Rosary? I must admit I was never sure why but just went along with it. For me I just thought May would be the month of the Rosary because it made sense since we Crown Mary in May. So, I looked it up and the reason is because October 7th is the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary. That makes perfect sense don’t you think? The feast was introduced by Pope Pius V in 1571 to commemorate the miraculous victory of the Christian forces in the Battle of Lepanto. That battle was won on October 7th 1571. 

     I must now admit that I was not one that prayed the Rosary that often in my life until recently. Growing up I did have Rosaries, I mean I was Catholic after all. Doesn’t every good Catholic Home have them? I remember getting them with my Communion book when I made Communion but I do not know if I ever prayed with them as a child. I would think so, but I do remember holding them when I prayed and I also remember being a kid and liking the rosaries the priests and nuns had. Thought they were cool because they were big and black. There was always something special I knew that went along with them but never really prayed the Rosary. 

      To a point I thought the Rosary was something that women only prayed with. Not that men couldn’t but it always seemed I only saw women praying the Rosary. There is an article that you can read by clicking here about why men should pray the Rosary.  Yet, I have always loved the look of the rosaries. They were special. They were important to our Catholic faith. I just really did not get why. Not with my heart anyway. I knew Theologically why but my heart never grasped that concept. As I grew more in my faith I would go in spurts  where I would pray the rosary and then stop for a long time and pick it up again. It just was not something that took root in my prayer life. I felt bad that it didn’t because I love Mary. Mary was always important in my faith but was not in my prayer life. Again I can not say why because I just do not know. 

       The picture I used for the blog is one I took today. They are all my own personal rosaries. Yes, for someone who did not pray the rosary much, sure has enough of them. I even think I may have one or two more packed away in a box somewhere. And for some reason I never got the message of here are all these rosaries you need to be praying and using them. Even when I was away from the church and distanced myself from God, one set of rosaries was always hanging from my bed post. I do not know why they were always there but even when I packed so much of my religious stuff away, they remained hanging on my bed post. Guess I still needed Mary my Spiritual Mother near me. As I just typed that last sentence, I realized that has to be it. My own mother passed away and that is when I packed all that away but yet I couldn’t pack my spiritual mother, Mary, away. She had to watch over me as I slept. Hmmm, wow. That really hit me.  My birthday is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and my mothers is the Immaculate Conception. Mary has always been there for both my mother and myself. 

      In the past year or so I have prayed the rosary more and more. I can not pin point the moment when things started to change but the Rosary has worked a way into my prayer life. I seem to pray it almost everyday now and never leave the house without the rosary in my pocket. I feel like something is missing when the rosary is not in my pocket. A part of me is not there and I feel incomplete. I have to say that I wear jeans most of the time and you know that little pocket within the right pocket? Well, thats my rosary pocket. I know I know you may laugh at me for that but it is true. 

     The Rosary brings me peace. It helps me slow down and pray. It helps me focus on Jesus and my faith. It enhances my prayer life. It helps turn my attention away from the world and aligns it to God. My mother always guided me in my life and I find that Mary through the Rosary has guided me to her Son, through the prayers and meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary. Each bead that passes through my fingers as I pray brings me closer to the man God wants me to be. 

    Many Saints, Popes, Priests and Religious have stated that the rosary is the prayer that brought them closer to Jesus and the Will of God in their lives. Saint Padre Pio stated that “ The Rosary is the weapon for these times”. Also Dominican friars wear the Rosary on the left side, the side which bore the sword for the knights of old. As a form of a spiritual sword for their prayer life. That idea of spiritual sword is a great image for me. I like the strength and power that image gives me. 

     The Rosary is unfolding in my life and the more and more I pray it,  the more it unfolds the mysteries of my own life and the direction that I need to be heading in. I may not know when the Rosary became important in my prayer life but Mary has always been there. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and Pray the Rosary and let it unfold your prayer life. 

Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 474

Reading 1

EPH 2:12-22

Brothers and sisters:

You were at that time without Christ,

alienated from the community of Israel

and strangers to the covenants of promise,

without hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off

have become near by the Blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, he made both one

and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his Flesh,

abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,

that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,

thus establishing peace,

and might reconcile both with God,

in one Body, through the cross,

putting that enmity to death by it.

He came and preached peace to you who were far off

and peace to those who were near,

for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners,

but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones

and members of the household of God, 

built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,

with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.

Through him the whole structure is held together

and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;

in him you also are being built together

into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 85:9AB-10, 11-12, 13-14

R. (see 9) The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

I will hear what God proclaims;

the LORD–for he proclaims peace.

Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,

glory dwelling in our land.

R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Kindness and truth shall meet;

justice and peace shall kiss.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

and justice shall look down from heaven.

R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;

our land shall yield its increase.

Justice shall walk before him,

and salvation, along the way of his steps.

R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Gospel

LK 12:35-38

Jesus said to his disciples: 

“Gird your loins and light your lamps

and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,

ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.

Blessed are those servants

whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.

Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,

have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.

And should he come in the second or third watch

and find them prepared in this way,

blessed are those servants.”