A Valentine for You

                                My Dominican rosary will be prayed for all my readers, today.

Sophia is Catholic

Sophia I, wearing a ladder rosary.

Today, my granddaughter came over to play.  She brought over her "friends."  Her very best friend, since she was born is Ariel.  But at Christmas, a new friend enter her life.  The princess Sophia I, came to live with her and Ariel.  She's very nice.

I was happy to make her acquaintance.  We had tea together--Sophia I, and all the friends. During our conversation, we were looking and talking about my rosary collection, we learned that Sophia I, had never heard or seen a rosary.  She wasn't Catholic.  In fact, she wasn't anything.  She believed in God, after all she see's His evidence all around her, it's just that she didn't have any religion.

We explained what we could about Jesus and His Mother, Mary.  She loved Mary's Rosary, especially the ladder rosary.  We prayed our "three year old version" of the rosary, and Sophia I, used the ladder rosary, while we used regular ones.  Sophia I, loved the rosary so much that when we told Sophia I, about Mary's Son, Jesus, she loved Him, too.  I thought she was ready to be baptized.  So did my granddaughter and all her friends (We took a vote.)

We made a party of the affair.  We invited all the friends to Sophia I, christening party.  We made instant chocolate pudding, tea (of course), and even had a procession.  We processed to the kitchen sink, since it was near the table that was set for the christening party.

Sophia I, kept her own name, since Sophia means "wisdom" in Greek.  Also, since my name is Faith, I know that St. Sophia, who is a martyr, had three daughters, named "Faith," "Hope," and "Love."  (Gee, I wonder why I would remember that?)

Today was a spiritually fruitful day.  We prayed; we learned; and we celebrated.  I love how Mary brought Sophia I, to Jesus.  Funny how she does that.  One of the candidates in my RCIA class is there because of Mary, too.  Mary brings people to Jesus.  She points the way.

The Demise of the Rosary Angel

The time has come.  All good things must come to an end.  There's a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3).  The Rosary Angel is gone.

The secret can come out now.  I am/was the Rosary Angel.  You see quite a while ago, on the table near the church exit were two boxes.  One was labeled "Broken Rosaries."  The other was labeled "Fixed Rosaries."  The first box had instructions directing people to put their name on their rosaries, so when they were fixed, they'd get them back.

For a little while, this worked well.  Then after time, I noticed that the box for "Broken Rosaries" wasn't being picked up.  So I took them and fixed them.  I never told anyone.  You're the first to know.

In fact, the person whose idea started the projec,t owned a bead store.  I don't know why she stopped fixing the rosaries, but she did.  I just continued and she got the credit.  I had heard people talking about whom the Rosary Angel was, and I'd get a kick out of their assumption, when the Rosary Angel was standing in their midst.

Over time, one of the boxes disappeared.  The "Broken Rosaries'" box must have been thrown away.  I suspect the Legion of Mary.  Their stuff had taken over the surface of the table.  I bet they just decided that the Rosary Angel didn't need two boxes.

So be it.  Then along comes the day when the inside of the church was painted.  It looks beautiful by the way.  The table where the rosary box sat, was moved out of the way. And now that the table is back, the box is gone.  It's nowhere in sight.

I have several suspects, but I can't accuse anyone without revealing my secret identity.  So I'm just interpreting this destructive act, as God's Will.  It's time for the Rosary Angel to retire.

Ask Sister Mary Martha: Mysteries of the Rosary

Ask Sister Mary Martha: Mysteries of the Rosary has a post about praying the Rosary.  Someone asked her about praying while driving and a discussion arose.  People were worried that praying would distract a driver.  Really?  People drive talking on their cell phones, texting, putting on make up, looking at maps, turning around to talk to passengers, and more.  Praying is no distraction at all, when compared to others.

The comments also questioned the value of breaking up the Rosary and praying a decade, here and there.  I found this interesting.  Praying is praying.  Isn't prayer talking to God?  Sometimes you just check in.  Sometimes you relate long stories.  Sometimes you even give Him a piece of your mind.  Praying is different strokes for different folks.

In fact, I remember hearing that St. Theresa Lisieux (Saint and Doctor of the Church) didn't like praying the Rosary and said that she wouldn't pray it, if it weren't part of the Rule of her Order.  I can relate to that.  The Rosary isn't for everybody.  The Rule for the Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic require that a daily Rosary be prayed.  And I, like the Little Flower, find it a challenge.  But I do it.

What helps is to vary the prayer.  Sometimes I pray the entire Rosary at once.  Sometimes I pray it while walking.  Sometimes I listen to a Rosary CD.  Sometimes I pray it in Latin, praying to a CD of Pope John Paul II.  Sometimes I vary my position: one decade kneeling, one decade sitting, one decade walking, one decade kneeling, one decade sitting.  Sometimes I meditate on the Rosary by doing a Scriptural Rosary.  and there are times that I do pray a decade on my way to work, a decade on the way home to lunch, a decade on the way back to work, and then a decade on the way home, leaving one decade to pray in bed.  Yeah, sometimes my guardian angel finishes that Rosary for me.

And you know what.  Because I pray this Rosary as a duty.  I think it's worth more than those Rosaries prayed by people who like praying the Rosary.  I do!!!!     I do something to please God, not myself; that's an example of love.  It's like making my husband corn beef and cabbage.  (yuk)  I do it out of love.

The Rosary

October is the month of the Rosary.  And since we owe a lot to Saint Dominic for the Rosary, I was very pleased to read about the connection between St. Dominic and the Rosary, in Catholic Digest.


http://www.catholicdigest.com/articles/faith/heritage/2010/10-04/why-st-dominic-loved-the-rosary