Dedicated to Mary and the Rosary

 

 My daughter needed pictures of her and her siblings as preschoolers for a project she's working on. She asked if I could look through the photo albums and send her a few. I always enjoy walking down memory lane when my children were younger. Revisiting all the happy moments in my life is always fun. I looked at all the first day of school, dance recital, prom, and homecoming pictures, and I smiled. But I smiled for another reason. In the background of many of my photographs was our statue of Mary. Mary is always with us. Thinking of all my moments with Mary brought happy tears to my eyes. 
 Although Mary is in the background of all my pictures, she has always been beside me or in front of me, guiding me through the twists and turns of my life. How grateful I am to have my heavenly mother always ready to help me with both big issues and small daily moments. If Mary had not helped me with the daily challenges, I would probably have fewer happy pictures of my life with my family. 
 October is dedicated to Mary and the Holy Rosary, and I can’t think of anything more powerful than praying a string of prayers with Mary and Jesus to help me get through life. The rosary isn’t just a habit for me; it’s a lifeline. Because of the Rosary, my life has more meaning, understanding, forgiveness, purpose, and love. My life isn’t perfect, and I don’t believe it ever will be, but I’m perfectly happy to spend each day with Jesus and Mary. Like the beads of the Rosary, my life’s path can shift and change, and I’m okay with that because Mary has never left me alone. She has held my hand, wiped my tears, and celebrated my joys, all while helping me focus on the crucifix. Mary helps me to understand that the crucifix is at the beginning and the end of the Rosary and every moment in between. 

-Susan

The Little Moments

 

  I wanted to continue highlighting Mary again this week by sharing my conversation with my granddaughter, Isabella. Isabella looked at my roses when she approached my Mary statue. She looked at Mary and said, "GG, Mary would like one of your roses."

 I smiled as I went to find my trimmers. I cut off a pretty rose from my bush and handed it to Isabella. Isabella placed the rose on top of Mary's head. "There, that looks pretty," she said. She spent the next few minutes playing around Mary. Then Isabella announced, "GG, did you know Mary is thinking about getting her haircut?"

 "No, I had no idea," I said, smiling.

 Now, I can neither confirm nor deny that Mary was thinking about getting her haircut because, to be honest, I was not privy to that conversation. I thought about it, though. How many times did I have conversations with my own mother about hairstyles? Talking about hair is a typical mother/daughter conversation.

 I'm sharing this story not only because it makes me smile every time I recall it but also to encourage everyone to talk with Mary. Don't wait until you are in a crisis. Spend little moments with her every day. Like all mothers, Mary wants you to share your life with her. And she wants to share her life with you. I want to encourage you to pick up your Rosary beads and share with Mary what is on your mind, and then as you pray the Rosary, listen to what is on Mary's mind.

-Susan 

 

Share the Rosary

 

This summer, I habitually prayed the Rosary with the Halo app as I walked my dog. I would put the volume on my phone just loud enough to hear while walking. I found it very peaceful. I could not step outside one rainy day, so I listened to the Rosary app while sitting on my couch. My dog just about had a fit. He heard the man's voice say, "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,"  and he ran barking towards the front door. I couldn't believe it! Praying the Rosary had become a habit for my dog as well!

 Now I realize my dog probably doesn't know how to say the Rosary, but I tell this story to demonstrate how easy it is to pray the Rosary. It is repetitive and relaxing. It's like wearing an old warm sweater on a crisp Fall evening. It just feels good. The comforting rhythm of the Rosary wraps the love of Mary around you as she opens your heart and mind to embrace God's love.

 October is the month we honor Mary and the Rosary. I encourage you to spend more time with Mary this month. Some beautiful Fall days are coming, so why not share them with Mary. Invite a friend to join you. Sharing your love of the Rosary with someone else is a path worth taking.

-Susan

Has Anyone Seen Jesus?

 

 In keeping with our focus on Mary and the Rosary this month, I thought I would pose a question that I often wonder about while praying the Rosary. As a parent, the fifth joyful mystery, The Finding Of Jesus In The Temple, scares me. Any parent who has had a child forget to tell them where they are going, mix up a pickup time, or miss a curfew can relate to the fear and stress of not knowing if your child is safe. My son once thought he was turning off his phone and accidentally hit the call for help option (911) instead. He quickly explained to the 911 operator he had made a mistake and then properly shut his phone off. My son was confident he had handled the situation. He didn't know that; in the meantime, my phone plan alerted me that my son had just called 911. Panicked, I called him immediately. Of course, I could not reach him because he had shut his phone off. For the next hour, I called every one of his friends, trying to determine what had happened. Fortunately, in my case, my son was never in danger. I was so grateful to his friends who helped me locate him.

 So my question about the fifth mystery is this. When Mary and Joseph discovered Jesus was missing, why didn't anyone in the caravan return with Mary and Joseph to find Jesus? I can't even begin to imagine how distraught Mary and Joseph must have felt, but their pain must have been compounded by the fact that they searched alone. Perhaps this is why Mary is always eager to help us in our time of need. She knows how painful life can be when we feel we are walking through a crisis all alone.

 If you know someone who has "lost Jesus" in their life or is struggling with personal problems, reach out to them. Let them know they are not alone. Let them know you are praying for them. That lasso of the Rosary has saved more people than we will ever know. 

-Susan

Planting Seeds

 

  As I mentioned earlier in the month, October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. I would like to suggest thinking of the Rosary from a different point of view. Imagine that each bead of the Rosary represents a seed. While we pray the Rosary and meditate on the mysteries, Mary plants seeds of faith into our souls. These seeds will help us to love Jesus even more. These seeds will open our minds to contemplate the Incarnation, Transfiguration, Eucharist, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost, to name just a few.

 From heaven, she nourishes these seeds until they blossom into a beautiful garden. If we are open to her graces, this garden will grow larger and larger, season after season, and the harvest will be great. Seeds of faith will grow into large mustard trees where others will find shelter. The fruits of this garden will be nourished by the Holy Spirit, Himself, and include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Jesus often took His disciples to pray in the garden of Gethsemane because that is where they opened their hearts to God the Father.

 I encourage all of you to plant the Rosary deep into your soul. Allow Mary to handpick the seeds that allow the Kingdom to flourish within you and touch all who are near.

-Susan

Rosary Meditation-Joyful Mysteries

  October 7th is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.  The Church dedicates the whole month of October to the Holy Rosary. There are so many wonderful ways to pray the Rosary.  I know I have my favorites, but I also like to change things up every once in awhile to keep things fresh. I would like to share this video on the Joyful Mysteries that I have created based on the Gospel of Luke. It brings me great joy to help others discover the beauty of the Rosary.  Together let's try to encourage everyone to follow the heart of Mary as she reveals the heart of her son.  The video can also be directly accessed from the side menu for easy access.

-Susan

Unveiling The Hidden

 

 Today we begin celebrating Mary and the Holy Rosary.  Of course as everyones knows, I love praying the Rosary!  It's never the same prayer for me and I love when Mary surprises me with a new insight. When meditating on the Rosary, I often like to imagine how Mary saw these events unfold.  She knew Jesus better than anyone.  Intuitively, she must have known what all Jesus' gestures, smiles, and glances meant as He encountered both individuals and crowds, supporters and challengers, love and hostility.  Mary was blessed to have spent thirty years with Jesus before He began His mission.

  I would like to suggest that we spend the next thirty days discovering Jesus through Mary's eyes. A mother knows her child not through a couple of keys moments, but through thousands of little moments from day to day and year to year.  Let's spend time with Mary and ask her to share some of those moments from the "Hidden years".  Let's begin when Jesus was just a baby and each day add one year to His age. Perhaps these little discoveries will enhance our Rosary meditations. Let's fall in love with the child Jesus just as Mary did!

-Susan

Chain Reaction

It

  I like this above quote by St. Francis Xavier Cabrini.  I feel that if the Rosary had a motto, it might be this.  Mary's greatest desire is to remind us of Christ's great love for each of us.  A rosary's simple design allows us to carry Jesus and Mary with us no matter where we may be. It is a symbol of faith, trust, and love. It mysteriously connects our lives to Jesus. It is a prayer that leads us to inner peace so that we may extend peace to the world through our words and actions.
  October is the month dedicated to the Holy Rosary, and the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on today, October 7th.  I would really like to encourage everyone to share the Rosary with at least one person this month.  We all know someone who is going through a difficult time.  Why not pray the Rosary with this person, or invite someone else to pray the rosary with you for that person in need. Peace and love in our lives can never be underestimated.  Life can wear us down, but each bead of the Rosary starts a chain reaction in our souls.  It stirs us to love, He who is love. It challenges us to love as Christ loves. As we pray each rosary, we change, and then we begin changing the lives of those around us. It's an incredible chain reaction.

-Susan

Celebrating Mary

  October is the month dedicated to Mary and the Rosary.  The Rosary is my "go to" prayer.  Whether I am excited, scared, nervous, confused, angry, depressed or happy, the Rosary helps me celebrate life.  More specifically, it helps me celebrate God's life within me.  Sound mysterious?  Well that is the whole idea.  By dwelling on the mysteries of Jesus' life, I begin to unravel the mysteries of my own life. 
   God is amazing and loving far beyond my comprehension.  Like any good mother, Mary can sense my perplexity.  Gently she holds my hand and slowly helps me to understand.  She is so patient with me even when my mind is clouded with distractions, or my heart is too angry or too sorrowful to grow.  Linked together by the Rosary beads, Mary stays close to me. As I hold the beads, I can sense that Mary holds the answers I so desperately desire.  I want to love God more, but I let so many little things get in the way.  As I close my eyes and pray the Hail Mary, Mary opens my mind and heart to embrace God's loving plan.  She helps me understand things I could not comprehend on my own. 
  I have fallen in love with the Rosary.  The Rosary is my mysterious, inspiring connection to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  I believe the Rosary is the lifeline of my soul.

-Susan

All Souls Day

Each life is important.  
      Every soul is precious.  
          Remember to pray for the holy souls 
       Who have gone before us.
           Especially today.
                  They need our prayers.
          Our prayers can touch them,
       Just as their prayers can touch us.

-Susan