Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Enjoy this devotion. Respect this veneration of Mary.

Remember church history, church theology connected to the Rosary. Make time and say the Rosary today. Make time and give thanks to God today. Do not be afraid, do not be resistant. Remember that the path to Christ is through Mary. Saying the rosary is both a notable and popular feature of Catholic spirituality. The rosary is the epicenter of Catholic Christian spirituality. This is one of the most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation, Christian meditation.

Saying the rosary properly, devoutly involves discipline, focus, respect, purity of intention, reverence. The rosary can be used to start a conversation, to establish communication between the soul and Christ.

Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him. Padre Pio.

May the Rosary help each of us to find and serve the Lord.

Be strong, fear not! - December 12

See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. James 5:7

I meant to write this entry earlier but it was such a busy day that I spent more time at the Cathedral than I had originally planned. I participated in one Mass, photographed another Mass, photographed another celebration, photographed a Christmas present wrapping party, participated in another Mass, had pizza and photographed more gift wrapping, then photographed the choir evening concert, and then photographed happy parishioners singing Christmas carols and drinking wassail. It was a delicious day, filled with prayer, filled with thoughts about the Lord.

It was a day of standing on the marble. It was a day of giving thanks.

The day was dedicated to God. There was something nurturing and playful; there was something healthy and alive, energizing my spirituality, evangelizing my spirituality. There was so much to observe, to experience, to remember.

There were children. There was a procession. There was a recreation.

A miracle was replayed and presented in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

There is something beautiful, something immense in being a part of this parish. Each day can be an expedition leading to goodness, kindness, holiness; leading to God.


Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another? Matthew 11:3

Inspiration

This will not be a description of how or when I became a Christian; it will be sufficient to say that I accept and understand that I was born with original sin, but that I came to convert a good while ago now. The several prayers and hymns in which, in my time, I have said and heard during my lifetime did not always please me but did inspire me, for one reason or another; our lives need purpose, direction, and hope; but when, on a summer evening about seven o’clock, I first tried to read Seven Storey Mountain, with its spiritual call and response, this autobiography has been compared to St. Augustine’s conversion, encouraging an education in the Christ’s mercy, the story of the restless and vagabond travels, observing or living; the great power of the ruined life rising high into the melancholy sky, with a whole platoon of memories--blurry figures, soft voices--skimming about with questions and revelations and facts and figures and fissures;--when I first tried reading this book, I felt instinctively that my burdens might be removed from my shoulders, that my tired fingers might write no more, that at last, within my imagination, I had found inspiration in a book to read. Initially I tried to read the book, this autobiography explains one person’s private journey; Christian spirituality needs to be nurtured and developed; this is the power of vocation, purpose of discernment, so far at least as spiritual growth is concerned, to encourage movement closer toward God in all areas of our lives. After reading a couple of chapters, I put the book down, convinced myself that I would pick it up later on, and several days, then weeks, then months passed. The book remained untouched and unread. There, with the former inspiration of the book, I tried to read this book again and again; I thought about reading the book several times and I even told several friends that I was about to read the book.

And so now as Advent begins, I am about to read the book again.