We exist in the infinite embrace of God’s mercy. In mercy, we all were created. In mercy, we all live. In mercy, we all have the hope of eternal life.
The lavish mercy of God pours over us in every sunrise and sunset, in every noon and midnight. With every breath, we draw on mercy. With every thought, we capture its spirit and turn it to our hope. The gift of such divine power in us calls us to lavish mercy with our own lives, to be agents of mercy in all things.
This journal is offered as an act of thanksgiving and celebration for that lavish mercy. It is a gathering of reflections and prayers which sift through our ordinary experience to seek the breath-giving grace of God awaiting us there.
My name is Renee Yann. I am a Sister of Mercy. I love to chase God through the bright blessing of words. I love to discover words in the dark blessing of silence. It is a joy to share with you the humble fruit of those mutual blessings.
Our entire theological tradition is expressed in terms of Mercy, which I define as the willingness to enter into the chaos of others. James F. Keenan, S.J.
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, we pray with Psalm 105, a recounting of the marvelous works God has done from the Abrahamic covenant to the Exodus. Indeed, our psalm celebrates God”s faithfulness to Abraham and to all generations, even us!
God remembers forever the sacred covenant which God made binding for a thousand generations –
Psalm 105:8
In our reading from Romans, Paul preaches about that Covenantal Promise. The text is a little deep, and I had to dig a bit to get my inspiration. But there are gems in these dense words!
It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
This is a spiritually freeing passage. It assures us that God is with us through our faith, not through the perfection with which we keep laws and rules.
Our Gospel reinforces the message:
Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven
… the proverbial “bad apple”!
The passage is a little scary when first read, because we all hope we haven’t done anything to offend the Holy Spirit. But I think what Jesus is telling his listeners is this:
If a person criticizes or rejects my life and teaching, forgiveness is still possible when they come to their senses and repent. It’s like cutting the bad spot out of an otherwise good apple.
But if a person chooses to live a life which blasphemes (mocks, dismisses) the Spirit of life, love, mercy and peace, that person can never be forgiven — because they can never repent. They will be rotten to the core.
So the advice of Paul and Jesus boils down to this. Befriend the Holy Spirit by your life of faithful choices. Listen to the Spirit’s inspiration. Help others to do the same. And do not worry when you make a few mistakes. God stands by the promise to be with us always.
Poetry: The Promise Written by Rumi Translated and read by Fatemeh Keshavarz
(Remember when reading that, for the Sufi mystic poets, everything was about God. Modern users often apply these poetic sentiments to human relationships, but they were not composed in that light.)
When pain arrives side by side with your love I promise not to flee When you ask me for my life I promise not to fight
I am holding a cup in my hand By God if you do not come Till the end of time I promise not to pour out the wine Nor to drink a sip
Your bright face is my day Your dark curls bring the night If you do not let me near you I promise not to go to sleep…nor rise
Your magnificence has made me a wonder Your charm has taught me the way of love I am the progeny of Abraham I’ll find my way through fire
Please, let me drink water from the jug This love is not a short-lived fancy It is the daily prayer, the year-after-year fast I live it, like an act of worship, till the end of my life
But then, a tree Blessed not with fruits of your bounty Will be dry wood for fire Even if it drinks the ocean
On the wings of the Friend, fly o my heart! Fly and look upward For high on the peak of presence Earthlings like you will not be let in
Others praise God at the time of affliction You stay awake day and night Steady, watchful like the wheel of the firmament
Time to stop speaking of the Friend Jealousy won’t let me scatter the perfume to the wind
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, on this feast of the great St. Teresa of Ávila, we pray with Psalm 32:
You are my shelter; you guard me from distress; with joyful shouts of deliverance you surround me.
Psalm 32:7
We have all experienced these types of moments when we feel “delivered”.
We might have been praying for someone’s health, or our own.
We might have been caught in a difficult decision.
We might have been waiting for an acceptance letter or call.
We might have been hoping our apology would be accepted, or that one would be given.
We might have been aching for an inspiration, a thread of hope, or a new understanding.
And then —- Light!
We know what it feels like when the Light comes. But often, it is not the light we had expected. True “deliverance” comes not from shedding a worrisome circumstance. Instead, it comes from being incorporated into an unshakable faith and trust, as St. Teresa of Ávila describes it:
May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.
Poem: Nada Te Turbe – Teresa of Ávila
Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing: God alone is changeless. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.
Nada te turbe, Nada te espante. Todo se pasa. Dios no se muda. La paciencia Todo lo alcanza. Quien a Dios tiene, Nada le falta. Solo Dios basta.
Music: Two beautiful selections today
Voice in My Heart – Iris Koh
2. A reflection in Spanish from the Discalced Carmelite Sisters
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, we pray with Psalm 130 which promises that, even when we are in the depths, God offers us “the fullness of redemption”.
Let Israel hope in the LORD, For with the LORD is mercy, and plenteous redemption.
Psalm 130:7
For Paul in our first reading today, who is preaching a universal salvation in Jesus Christ, those “depths” are sin:
For there is no distinction; (between Jew and Gentile) all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.
Romans 3:2-24
Paul then declares a core teaching of the New Covenant
They are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus…
Romans 3:24
Paul is preaching to a community in which a few “boasters” have surfaced – people who felt they could reinterpret and codify the Gospel their own way – like the Pharisees and lawyers do with the Mosaic Law in our reading from Luke today .
Paul is correcting that falsehood. He uses a lot of words to explicate the Gospel’s core tenet of universal redemption by grace. But for me, they are “theology words” not “prayer words”.
What I choose to pray with is this awesome truth:
God loves me so much as to redeem me from the depths of spiritual alienation through the Gift of Jesus Christ.
The people in today’s Gospel refused to recognize and accept that all-defining gift. If they had, everything about their lives would have been transformed. And worse yet, by their exalted positions as scholars and leaders, they used their power to block others from learning about and receiving this Transcendent Grace.
In every generation, there are “religionists” who decide what elements of doctrine satisfy their own needs and desires. They preach that fragmented and divisive catechism to advance their self-serving agendas. They design laws which inhibit rather than assist people in opening their spirits to God’s merciful fullness.
Our readings today call us rise from the depths of any such inhibitions:
to cherish the gift of our redemption in Christ
to meditate on and educate ourselves in a true understanding of that gift
to test ourselves for an honest and inclusive faith rooted in the righteousness of God
Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.
Romans 3:21
Poetry: CONSUMED IN GRACE – Catherine of Siena From ‘Love Poems From God‘ by Daniel Ladinsky.
I first saw God when I was a child, six years of age. the cheeks of the sun were pale before Him, and the earth acted as a shy girl, like me. Divine light entered my heart from His love that did never fully wane, though indeed, dear, I can understand how a person’s faith can at time flicker, for what is the mind to do with something that becomes the mind’s ruin: a God that consumes us in His grace. I have seen what you want; it is there, a Beloved of infinite tenderness.
Music: Amazing Grace – written by John Newton, sung by Il Divo
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, pray with Psalm 62 which offers us sound advice about what is important in life:
Only in You, God, is my soul at rest; from You comes my salvation. You only are my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
Psalm 62: 6-7
Hopefully, we take the advice because … Oh boy, Paul and Jesus stick it to hypocrites in today’s readings. And I’m like, “Yeah! Go get those fakesters, those lying hypocrites” – and I have a whole slew of people in mind!
Then, WHOA! I see Paul’s no-nonsense warning:
For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things.
Romans 2:1
This is a definite “clean up your act” reading. And don’t deflect your own sinfulness on to the people around you!
Jesus takes the same advice to the Pharisees by throwing a couple of serious “woes” at them:
Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others.
Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.
Yipes!
I mean “Yipes”! I don’t want to be like an unseen grave, do you?!
Neither did one of the scholars who responded to Jesus, “Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too!”
But Jesus is undeterred:
Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.
Lke 11:46
Today’s readings offer us a clear message to take a good look at ourselves. Are we guilty of the very uglinesses that we condemn in others?
Poetry: In his poem “To A Louse”, Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote the famous line:
O would some Power the gift to give us To see ourselves as others see us!
For fun, here is the Standard English Translation
Ha! Where are you going, you crawling wonder? Your impudence protects you sorely, I can not say but you swagger rarely Over gauze and lace, Though faith! I fear you dine but sparingly On such a place
You ugly, creeping, blasted wonder, Detested, shunned by saint and sinner, How dare you set your foot upon her – Such fine a lady! Go somewhere else and seek your dinner On some poor body Off! in some beggar’s temples squat:
There you may creep, and sprawl, and scramble, With other kindred, jumping cattle, In shoals and nations; Where horn nor bone never dare unsettle Your thick plantations
Now hold you there! you are out of sight, Below the falderals, snug and tight; No, faith you yet! you will not be right, Until you have got on it — The very topmost, towering height Of misses bonnet. My sooth! right bold you set your nose out, As plump and gray as any gooseberry:
O for some rank, mercurial resin, Or deadly, red powder, I would give you such a hearty dose of it, Would dress your breech! I would not have been surprised to spy You on an old wife’s flannel cap:
Or maybe some small ragged boy, On his undervest; But Miss’s fine balloon bonnet! fye! How dare you do it. O Jenny do not toss your head, And set your beauties all abroad! You little know what cursed speed The blastie’s making!
Those winks and finger-ends, I dread, Are notice takiing! O would some Power the gift to give us To see ourselves as others see us! It would from many a blunder free us, And foolish notion: What airs in dress and gait would leave us, And even devotion.
Music: Britt Nicole – Through Your Eyes (a chance to think about how our loving God sees us, and everyone else/)
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, we pray with Psalm 19:
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork. Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge. Not a word nor a discourse whose voice is not heard; Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message.
Psalm 19:2-5
The psalm captures the point of Paul’s declaration that the natural revelation of God’s power is accessible to all of us in the magnificence of Creation.
For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. Ever since the creation of the world, God’s invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what God has made.
Romans 2:19-20
This natural gift inspires us to know and believe in God. In fact, Paul says we “have no excuse” for a lack of faith, calling those who fail to believe “fools”.
It’s a word Jesus uses in our Gospel to describe Pharisaical religion – a religion of appearances rather than loving practice.
The Lord said, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
Luke 11:39-40
In our first reading, Paul expresses his complete trust in and devotion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By this, Paul means more than the written words of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He means the entire gift of the Incarnation, Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection, continuing among us in the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Today’s readings leave me with two intentions:
to be more deeply aware of and grateful for God speaking to me in my natural surroundings
to examine my heart for the sincerity of my faith proven in practice
Poetry: God’s Word Is in All Creation – Hildegard of Bingen
No creature has meaning without the Word of God. God’s Word is in all creation, visible and invisible. The Word is living, being, spirit, all verdant all creativity. This Word flashes out in every creature. This is how the spirit is in the flesh – the Word is indivisible from God.
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, we pray with Psalm 98
God has made salvation known: in the sight of the nations revealing justice. God has remembered mercy and faithfulness toward God’s People.
Psalm 98: 2-3
Indeed God has made salvation known through the gift of Sacred Scripture. And I feel so enthused about the next month’s prayer because, also today, we begin about a month of readings from Paul’s letter to the Romans. (We will also continue with Luke’s Gospel all the way up to Advent.)
Like the rest of Sacred Scripture, which has God for its transcendent author, Paul’s Letter to the Romans has a spiritual and theological depth that is literally inexhaustible.
Scott W. Hahn: Romans
In praying with Romans, I am using a book by Scott W. Hahn, Father Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology at Steubenville University. In his introduction, Hahn says this:
Today’s reading offered me these elements to ponder and pray with:
Paul calls himself a “slave” of Jesus Christ
He invokes his call as an Apostle
He sets himself in the company of the prophets
He appeals to Jews who revere David
but proclaims Christ, through his Resurrection, as Messiah beyond human lineage
He proclaims his mission to the Gentiles
to bring about “the obedience of faith”
I’ll be honest with you. I’ve read or heard this passage maybe a hundred times in my lifetime, and it has meant little or nothing to me. At best, it has sounded like a formal introduction such as those we hear from government “whereas” type decrees.
But I took Dr. Hahn’s advice, studying the passage, and reading it slowly and prayerfully. Here’s what I received:
Paul’s Apostolic call, to which he willingly enslaved his heart, was to preach the Good News of our redemption in Jesus Christ – to preach it to Jews, Romans, Gentiles, and all people.
It is an awesomely incredible message that can be received only through the gift of faith.
It is a message rooted in the scripture stories we love, and where we look to find a reflection of our own life stories.
Learning from these realities will help us come to a faith which expresses itself in action and gives glory to God in our own time.
Luke gives us one such story today. Jesus reminds the crowd of two familiar passages – that of Jonah and the “Queen of the South” (the Queen of Sheba, 1 Kings 10).
Jesus indicates that the people in these stories believed without a sign.
Jesus tells the people gathered around him to learn from this. The crowd demands a sign, but Jesus says the sign is right in front of you – it is only your open heart that is lacking.
In his introduction, Paul prays for such open hearts in the Romans:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
By that same grace, may we receive faith’s blessing as well.
Poetry: The Avowal – Denise Levertov
As swimmers dare
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them,
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding GRACE.
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, we pray with Psalm 90 along with readings that are both beautiful and poignant.
In our first passage, we drink from Wisdom’s sweet nectar. This book, written about fifty years before Christ’s birth, is the work of an unnamed Jewish poet and scholar. At points, as in today’s segment, the writer assumes the persona of Solomon, speaking in his name.
We know from the Book of Kings, chapter 3, that Solomon, as a young king, led a faithful and righteous life. Because of this, God offered Solomon “whatever you want me to give you.”
Think of the possibilities for this young man, just on the cusp of kingship! Power, wealth, longevity, peace, prosperity, political dominance – all the things we are inclined to covet in this world.
But Solomon prays instead for wisdom, as described in today’s reading:
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her, and I chose to have her rather than the light, because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.
Our Gospel tells of a young man offered an opportunity similar to Solomon’s. Already living a faithful life, he wants to go deeper into God’s heart.
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
But this young man, unlike Solomon, cannot accept the invitation to this deep place of love and devotion. Instead, he goes away sad. It makes me sad, too, whenever I read these verses. I always wish that, after a few steps, he had turned around and shouted, “Yes! I will do what you ask. I love God that much. Help me!”
Like these young men, we have a deep desire to live within God’s love. But are we walking toward that love or away from it? Most of us don’t say an outright “No” to God’s invitation. Instead, we are distracted, lazy, or just not paying attention to the the whispers of grace.
Let’s pray today’s powerful Psalm 90 to open our minds and hearts to God’s hope for us.
Poetry: Based on Psalm 90 – Christine Robinson
We have come out of the Earth and to the Earth we return Our lives are but a flash in the light of Eternity. We are like beautiful flowers which live only a day. We might live 70 years—more if our strength holds. So much work and hardship! How quickly the time passes.
Teach us then, to value our days to treat each one as a sacred trust. Fill our hearts with wisdom. and a love for our lives. In spite of all the grief and suffering May we be always glad of this precious gift And hallow the good in each day.
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, we pray with Psalm 97 which is built on two themes:
God reigns over all the earth
those who acknowledge God’s power have abundant reason to rejoice
This is good news for the people to whom Joel is preaching! Joel’s community has been devastated by locusts and drought. They are surrounded by adversaries. Life is just not easy for them. They have felt abandoned by God.
But Joel tells them that indeed God is annoyed, but still is always on the side of the faithful.
The LORD roars from Zion, and from Jerusalem raises his voice; The heavens and the earth quake, but the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the children of Israel. Then shall you know that I, the LORD, am your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain; Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall pass through her no more.
Psalm 97 reflects the same confident promise to all who suffer. Despite everything we are to rejoice!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth. The heavens proclaim God’s justice, and all peoples see God’s glory. R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just! Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. Be glad in the LORD, you just, and give thanks to God’s holy name.
So we are encouraged to heed Joel’s advice – to stir up our hearts in faith, to look around at all the faith-filled promises of nature mentioned in our first reading. We can learn:
from the sun which both rises and sets
from the moon which turns its mood but never disappears
from snow and rain which cycle invisibly through the years
from the leaves which hold the secret of eternal life
God abides with us, even amidst the “droughts” and “locusts”. And if we are faithful, all will be well.
Poetry: There are many wonderful images in Joel 4. One is that of the “Valley of Decision”, an image that has lent itself to many applications in art and literature. Here is one such poem:
OK — two of my “favoritest” actors!!!!
The Valley of Decision by John Oxenham
The World is in the Valley of Decision; It is standing at the parting of the ways; Will it climb the steps of God to realm elysian — Or fall on horror of still darker days?
Will it free itself of every shameful shackle? Will it claim the glorious freedom of the brave? Will it lose the soul of Life in this debacle, And sink into a mean dishonored grave?
All the world is in the Valley of Decision, And out of it there is but one sure road; Eyes unsealed can still foresee the mighty vision Of a world in travail turning unto God.
All the world is in the Valley of Decision. Who shall dare its future destiny foretell? Will it yield its soul unto the Heavenly Vision, Or sink despairing into its own hell?
The World is in the Valley of Decision; — It is standing at the parting of the ways; Will it climb the steps of God to realm elysian — — Or fall on horror of still darker days?
Will it free itself of every shameful shackle? — Will it claim the glorious freedom of the brave? Will it lose the soul of Life in this debacle, — And sink into a mean dishonored grave?
All the world is in the Valley of Decision, — And out of it there is but one sure road; Eyes unsealed can still foresee the mighty vision — Of a world in travail turning unto God.
All the world is in the Valley of Decision. — Who shall dare its future destiny foretell? Will it yield its soul unto the Heavenly Vision, — Or sink despairing into its own hell?
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, we pray with Psalm 9. It, together with Psalm 10, forms an acrostic which ultimately proclaims profound hope in God’s immutable justice, especially toward the poor and oppressed. But it takes us through a lot fire and brimstone to get there!
When we read the entire Psalm 9, we realize that the psalmist starts out in a lot of trouble:
Be gracious to me, LORD; see how my foes afflict me! You alone can raise me from the gates of death
Psalm 9:14
Match that with Joel’s community which is in the midst of a terrible drought. Joel uses the situation to teach that we must withstand many evils in life — not just droughts — in order to keep faith with God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; Yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom, a day of clouds and somberness!
Joel 2:1-2
In the end however, Joel assures the community — as does the psalmist — that God is present even in treacherous circumstances and will finally bring “right-balance” or justice to all things.
The LORD sits enthroned forever; setting up a throne for judgment. God judges the world with justice; and governs the peoples with equity.
Psalm 9:8-9
I think these readings are difficult to pray with, but it’s worth a try. How we respond to challenge in our personal circumstances – and even evil in the world at large – depends a lot on how we view God’s Presence in our lives. Both Joel and the psalmist ask us to hold fast to our confidence in God.
Praying with these readings may provoke questions like this for us: Do I believe God’s justice and mercy truly will prevail in Creation? And how will I help bring about this holy “equity”?
Poetry: Faith is the Pierless Bridge – Emily Dickinson
Faith is the Pierless Bridge Supporting what We see Unto the Scene that We do not Too slender for the eye It bears the Soul as bold As it were rocked in Steel With Arms of Steel at either side It joins behind the Veil To what, could We presume The Bridge would cease to be To Our far, vacillating Feet A first Necessity.
Music: Bridge Over Troubled Waters – Simon and Garfunkel
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy, we pray with Psalm 1, its very opening verses.
Blessed the one who follows not the counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on God’s law day and night.
Psalm 1:1-3
Scripture scholar James L. Mays says that the psalm’s primacy is not accidental:
The Book of Psalms begins with a beatitude. Not a prayer or a hymn, but a statement about human existence. Here at the threshold of the Psalter we are asked to consider the teaching that the way life is lived is decisive for how it turns out. This opening beatitude also serves as an introduction to the book. Its location as the first psalm is not accidental; the psalm is there to invite us to read and use the entire book as a guide to a blessed life.
Psalms: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching
Psalm 1 helps us to understand that praying the Psalter is a tool for spiritual guidance. It is not just about the people and times it mentions. It is about us and our lifelong journey with God.
In a sense the rosary, which we think about today as we pray with Mary, is a similar tool. And I’ll be honest with you, it’s a tool I didn’t appreciate until much later in my life.
Most Catholics have a history with the rosary. It’s a form of prayer we learned as children at our grandmother’s or first grade teacher’s knee. But for me as a six-year old, it was just too long. I became bored mid-second decade. I even used to cheat, drop the rosary on the floor, and pick it up a few decades further down the beads!
Me – on the right! 🙂
Of course, as a young nun, I prayed the rosary. I even wore the rosary at my hip and fingered its cool beads throughout the day. But I still didn’t appreciate or love it. Not until I was 36 years old and my father died.
My Dad lived an extremely simple, and I think holy, life. He didn’t vow it, but he practiced the evangelical counsel of poverty beautifully. He possessed very little that was his alone. When he died, almost everything important and precious to him (besides his family) could be found in the bottom drawer of our old China closet. That’s where I found his rosary on the day after his funeral.
It was cuddled in a wrinkled pouch imprinted with the phrase “My Rosary”. I smiled when I read that, thinking one didn’t really need to be reminded what was inside! But there was actually more inside than I expected.
Dad always loved the poems of James Metcalfe, published daily in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. One little poem was folded neatly inside the pouch:
A Dad’s Prayer
Almighty Father help me be . . . A good and loving dad . . . That my dear children may enjoy . . . The blessings I have had . . . Give me the wisdom I should use . . . To teach them right from wrong . . . And how to keep on going when . . . The road is rough and long . . . To do the duty that is theirs . . . Until its very end . . . To look for lasting beauty and . . . Appreciate a friend . . . Endow me with the grace I need . . . To mold their gentle youth . . . According to the measurements . . . Of loyalty and truth . . . Enable me to comfort them . . . Whenever they are sad . . . And O my Father, grant that they . . . Will always love their dad.
Every morning after I discovered Dad’s rosary, I ran the beads through my fingers, wanting in some way to touch Dad again.
I began to read about the rosary and its purpose as a means of meditation on the life of Christ. I began to pray it differently, slowly – eventually using the vocal prayers only as a rhythm underneath the thought of Jesus’s experiences.
Sometimes, rather than rushing through a decade as I had before, I couldn’t stay long enough to absorb all that Jesus or Mary chose to share with me in one of the rosary’s mysteries.
Maybe on this feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, we might renew our love, understanding,and appreciation of this beautiful means of prayer. Online, I found this guide created by the Knights of Columbus which I liked. You might find it helpful. (I didn’t check, but I think it might be printable.)
