I LOVE A MYSTERY!

(actually, I love 15 of them!)

Want an adventure? Want to experience joy, danger, intrigue, passion? Want to witness and actually feel the agony of defeat absolutely trounced by the thrill of victory?

Then welcome to the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

The Rosary Rules!

Now, I’ve gotta tell you...I didn’t always feel this way. When I was a kid, my parents mandated nightly Rosary praying, just before my two sisters and I went to sleep. Around 8:00 or 8:30, all five of us would kneel around my parents’ bed, beads in hand...except for me, since, invariably, I would forget where I’d put them, and had to resort to counting furtively on my fingers. My dad would start us off, with he and my mom alternatively leading each decade. As our voices droned on, I struggled to stay awake. I became convinced that my parents used the Rosary as a way to insure that my sisters and I would go to sleep with no argument whatsoever. It worked. By the time that final "amen" came around, I couldn’t wait to drag myself off to bed.

Discovering adventure

I was a widow in my early thirties before I realized what a remarkable adventure this powerful devotion actually is. The Rosary is, in my view, a "magical mystery tour" of the life of the most fascinating woman in history: Mary, Mother of God. Through this prayer, I travel with her, experiencing her joys, her sorrows, her ultimate triumph...and no matter how often I pray it, a new, spellbinding window opens before me.

Return with me now to the thrilling days of yesteryear...

Since we’re nearing Pentecost, let’s look at the Third Glorious Mystery: the descent of the Holy Spirit. Here’s what happened to me the last time I prayed it.

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The Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit

It’s cold in this room. Odd, though, I don’t feel discomfort from the cold. Actually, I welcome it...it gives me something to concentrate on, something tangible, concrete. Because otherwise the waiting would be unbearable. What are we waiting for? As I look around at my companions’ faces, I see that they certainly don’t seem to know. Some of them look ­ what ­ frightened? Maybe not, but certainly apprehensive. Others look sleepy. Look at those two guys, chattering away nervously, as if empty, banal talk would make the time go by more quickly. Mary, as usual, is serenity itself, as she adjusts her face to better drink in that delicious breeze dancing through the window near her face.

That breeze...it’s rather peaceful. You’d think it’d make this room even colder, but no, it’s oddly comforting. Maybe I’ll inch a little closer to that window, to the breeze, to Mary. There, that’s better. The breeze seems to be picking up a bit. Mmm, this is nice. Yes, it’s definitely getting windier. Gee, maybe it’s time to suggest closing the window...hey, what’s that? What happed to the breeze? That’s no breeze, it’s ­ holy cow, it’s more like a hurricane? How’d that happen? And when??? This place is going to be blown away any second now, and ­ wait a second! What’s that? Fire? It looks like the whole roof is on fire! I’ve gotta get out of here! Where’s the door? Where is everybody? What’s happening????

..................................

How’d I get outside? Hey, we’re all outside now, and look at this crowd! They look foreign to me, yet familiar! I know them somehow...and I’ve got something important to tell them. What, I wonder? And anyway, what if they don’t speak my language? I certainly don’t speak theirs! And yet, and yet...this lady here, I can understand her! I don’t speak her language, but I hear what she’s saying and ­ this is amazing, she seems to hear me, too! Have I gone mad? No! I actually think I’ve gone sane! Mary. Where’s ­ ah, there she is. She’s looking at me. She’s smiling. She understands it all so perfectly. And me...I’m starting to understand, too. This is...this is good, really good news...and I can’t keep it to myself...

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Pretty cool stuff, huh? And that’s only one experience with one mystery. Remember, there are fifteen mysteries in the Rosary, and in each one, the possibilities are stupendous.

Excuse me, Kelly, but uh...what are you smoking?

Okay, okay, I know this might sound a little bizarre. But I promise you, it isn’t. You might not be able to put the adventures you experience when you pray the Rosary into words. So what? There’s still every chance you will experience them, if you’d like to. And why wouldn’t you? Why wouldn’t you wish to enter as deeply as possible into one of the most powerful devotions offered to us by Holy Mother Church?

How to make the Rosary live!

Please keep in mind that you’re reading the words of an avowed sinner...when it comes to prayer, I need all the help I can get. Now you might not need to follow any of these suggestions. It’s actually entirely likely that you already pray the Rosary regularly (in which case I’m grateful, albeit a tad surprised, that you’re still with me, here). Anyway, for whatever they’re worth, here are my suggestions for getting the most out of praying the Rosary.

Pray near the Blessed Sacrament.

What an amazing rush this is! I mean, how could it get any better? You’re in the Real Presence of Jesus. You’re honoring His Mother. I swear, you’ll feel Jesus smiling at you! Naturally, this might not be possible in many cases, but if it is at all, go for it!

Pray with other people.

Find, if you can, a group devoted to praying the Rosary regularly. (If you’re in the Boston area, e-mail me: maybe I can help you.) There are three good reasons for this. The most basic: it’ll pretty much guarantee that you actually will pray the Rosary. Hey, I talk a good Rosary game, but if I hadn’t gotten in the habit of praying it with other people, I would’ve probably ended up skipping the whole thing. Remember, I used to think it was b-o-r-r-r-r-r-i-n-g! Secondly, hearing the prayers of the Rosary out loud helps enormously to get into the rhythm of the devotion. And finally, with other people, you can alternate "leading" the decades, which is an enormous aid in losing yourself in the prayer.

Consider adding brief scripture passages to each decade.

This requires a bit more preparation time but it’s worth it. My parish’s Pro Life Group prays the Rosary monthly, and parishioner Gerry Zeller is good enough to provide relevant scripture passages not only for each decade, but for each Hail Mary! Again, this is a wonderful aid in adding depth to the prayer. (What makes it even better is that I don’t have to do any of the work...thanks, Gerry!)

Remember those all-important "post Rosary" prayers!

You know what I mean: prayers like "Hail, Holy, Queen," the Memorare, and others. There’s a reason that they’re perennial favorites: they’re extraordinarily cool! While you’re at it, why not pray the "Litany to the Most Blessed Mother?" Need the words to any of these prayers? E-mail me, and I’ll be happy to oblige.

Offer your devotion for a special intention!

The value of this cannot be underestimated. Look at it this way: Jesus made a miracle at a wedding, even after saying it wasn’t yet His time to do things like that! Why? You know!

Call me opportunistic, but I figure it this way: if I want Jesus to do me a favor...I ask His Mother .

(End Note: for more information on praying the Rosary, including a little document called "Rosary 101," or the text of any prayers traditionally associated with the Rosary, please feel free to e-mail me. Let me know what format you’d prefer: text only, or Microsoft Word: specify Mac or PC.)