The Rosary Mysteries for Lent: The Agony in the Garden

For me, the words that stand out in the Biblical account of the Agony in the Garden are, "Could you not watch one hour with me?"  For most of my adult life, even during the height of my very lukewarm Catholic days, I attended Mass on Holy Thursday and stayed afterward to pray for an additional hour during Eucharistic Adoration.  I figured that was the least I could do since Jesus' chosen Apostles did not.

Last year, I took this practice a step further and set a goal to make a Holy Hour every week during Lent.  I found it so profitable for my spiritual life that I decided to pray a Holy Hour at least once a month. I wish I could say that I kept that up, but my monthly Holy Hours were rather sporadic.  To get back on track, I have renewed my weekly Lenten Holy Hour this year.

I usually spend my hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament after daily Mass, usually on a Friday.  (I am blessed that our chapel is open most afternoons.)  I bring prayer books, a rosary and my Bible.  I try to offer up each Holy Hour for a special intention.  I often pray the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross, then spend some time just being in the presence of Christ.  Occasionally I'll bring one of the booklets of Holy Hour prayers and meditations that I picked up in a Catholic gift shop.

I am almost always the only person in the chapel, and I enjoy the silence.  Our chapel is nearly 100 years old and has a beautiful altar and stained glass windows.  We are blessed to have a relic of the True Cross and St. Jude as well. 

I have come to enjoy these weekly visits with Jesus.  I rarely have any big moments of revelation or even an overwhelming feeling of the presence of Christ.  That's fine because I know that He is there and that He appreciates my little visits.  I leave with a sense of peace, ready to take up my cross again and follow Him.

Happy Feast Day, St Joseph and The Institution of the Eucharist

First of all, Happy Feast Day, St. Joseph!  (For the final novena prayer, see this link.  While you're at the site, sign up for email reminders so you won't miss the novena next year.  They also send notices for other popular novenas throughout the year.)

We recently bought 20 acres of beautiful land with a spectacular view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The man who sold the land to us showed my husband a pile of rocks at the base of a giant oak tree.  He told my husband that he often walked to that site early in the morning and watched the sun rise over the mountains as he said a prayer for a special intention.  After he finished the prayer, he placed a rock on the pile by the tree.  The pile was already quite large, and my husband assured him that we would treat the site with respect and would likely add our own prayer rocks to the pile.

Today my family gathered at that pile of rocks and asked St. Joseph to watch over the construction of our new home and to help us grow in holiness as a family.  We placed a rock on top of the pile, the first of many, I'm sure.  As a military family, we have often called upon St. Joseph to help us sell our old home and find a new one.  Now that my husband has retired from the Air Force, I hope we will enjoy many wonderful years in this newest home.

Now, back to the Rosary Mysteries for Lent...

I recently bought one of the wonderful Glory Stories CDs and played it for my two middle school-age children in the car.  (The CDs are aimed at slightly younger children, but the stories are told so well that all of us enjoy them.)  We listened to the story of Blessed Imelda, the patron saint of First Communicants. 

During Imelda's lifetime, children did not receive First Communion until about the age of 14, but Imelda did not want to wait that long.  She watched longingly as others at Mass waited in line for the Body and Blood of Jesus.  She often said, ""Tell me, can anyone receive Jesus into his heart and not die?"  At age 11, a miracle occurred, allowing her to finally receive her First Communion.  She returned to her pew in a state of ecstasy and literally died of happiness.

During Lent, spend some time meditating on the 5th Luminous Mystery, The Institution of the Eucharist.  As you wait in line for Communion, think of Blessed Imelda's words.  Are you so filled with joy at the prospect of actually receiving Jesus' Body and Blood that you could die of happiness? 

The Rosary Mysteries for Lent: The Transfiguration

The weather was beautiful once again today.  I think we reached 80 degrees!  I just had to go out for a bike ride again, but I ended up fighting a pretty strong wind.  At times, I felt like I wasn't going anywhere.  As I pedaled furiously, the mountains in the distance reminded me of the fourth Luminous Mystery, The Transfiguration.

I wondered if Peter, James and John were working as hard as I was on my bike when they climbed Mount Tabor with Jesus.  Jesus frequently went "up the mountain to pray" and was no doubt accustomed to arduous climbs, but I'm not so sure about Peter, James and John.  Like most Jews of that time, they walked everywhere, but I don't know if they often climbed steep peaks like Mount Tabor.  They might have wondered where they were going and why, exactly, they had to work so hard to get there.  The reward for their efforts was to see Jesus in His glory, a brief glimpse at the possibilities of the Resurrection.

Lent can sometimes feel like fighting a strong headwind or like an arduous climb up a mountain.  At times we're not sure where we're going or why we're working so hard.  If you feel discouraged, reflect on the mystery of The Transfiguration.  Remember that our ultimate goal is heaven, where we too will some day experience a transfiguration at our own resurrection.

Reminder:  Today is Day 8 of the St. Joseph Novena.  His feast day is tomorrow!

The Rosary Mysteries for Lent: The Proclamation of the Kingdom

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Since I'm Irish, I wore green all day and made a delicious Beef and Guiness Stew. 

I finally dusted off my road bike for the first time in quite awhile.  An injury has kept me from riding, and it was wonderful to get outside and pray the Rosary as I enjoyed the beautiful spring weather.  The sheep and cows were grazing, the grass was a beautiful shade of emerald green, and a few wildflowers added color to the backdrop of the rolling hills with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance.

As I prayed the Luminous Mysteries, I reflected on The Proclamation of the Kingdom.  Jesus tells us that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 10:7)  Lent is the perfect time to reflect on how we live that reality each day.  Heaven is ours to enter if we follow in the footsteps of Christ.  A good place to start is to carefully read The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), which are often cited as part of this third Luminous Mystery.  Spend some time reflecting on how they apply to your daily life.

Reminder: Today is Day 7 of the St. Joseph Novena.

The Rosary Mysteries for Lent: The Wedding Feast at Cana

My parents had to obtain a special dispensation to get married during Lent.  My dad had just joined the Air Force and received orders to Japan, so the wedding had to happen quickly in order for my mother to accompany him. 

We don't usually think of weddings during Lent, but Jesus actually begins His road to Calvary with this first miracle at Cana.  He says to Mary, "My hour has not yet come," letting her know that if he works this miracle then he will manifest His divinity and change both their lives forever.

I often wondered why Mary chose to push Jesus out in the world, in a manner of speaking, at this point.  One day I was praying all the decades of the Rosary in chronological order during a long bike ride when a possible answer came to me.  I had recently mediated on the 5th Joyful Mystery (The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple) and was thinking of how Mary held Jesus back in the Temple when He was on fire and ready to begin His ministry at age 12 when a Jewish boy becomes a man.  Mary took Him back home and He went obediently.  As I thought about the Wedding Feast at Cana, it occurred to me that since Jesus obeyed Mary in not beginning His public ministry, He patiently waited until she decided it was time.  I was so surprised by this revelation that I actually stopped my bike to think about it.  Of course, this is my own thought and not Church teaching or interpretation as I have not seen this idea anywhere in print.  I do know though, that the more often I pray the Rosary, the better I understand the mysteries so perhaps this understanding was the work of the Holy Spirit.

Today is Day 6 of the St. Joseph Novena.

The Rosary Mysteries for Lent: The Baptism of Jesus

After Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River, "the Spirit immediately drove Him out into the wilderness.  And He was in the wilderness forty days, temped by Satan..."  This passage also calls to mind last Sunday's Gospel reading describing the temptations that Satan presented to Jesus after His extended fast.  These 40 days in the wilderness are the foundation of Lent.  Jesus spent time alone with His heavenly Father, fasting and praying, before beginning His adult ministry.  In the same way, Lent is a time of renewal, a time to focus on what is truly important.  Like Jesus, we too will be tempted as we strive to improve in virtue and holiness.  Be watchful, as Satan and his minions will hover nearby, ready to pounce as soon as they perceive any progress in your spiritual life.  I try to pray the St. Michael prayer every day during Lent.  In case you don't know it, I'll post it here:

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Note:  If you are praying the St. Joseph Novena, here's the link to Day 5.

The Rosary Mysteries for Lent: The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

I often think about the bittersweet aspects of the 5th Joyful Mystery.  Like all parents, I can identify with Mary and Joseph's intense anxiety as they frantically search for young Jesus as well as their overwhelming joy when they finally find Him in the Temple.

To me, Lent often evokes the same conflicting emotions of anxiety and sorrow as well as joy and relief.  I worry that I'm "doing enough" for Lent and become frustrated if I don't accomplish  my planned prayers and devotions for a particular day.  I do better when I try to realize that my efforts are bringing me closer to God and not farther away.  This allows me to focus on the joy of learning more about my faith and enriching my prayer life through my Lenten practices.

I find the most joy in a practice I started two years ago of making a weekly Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament during Lent.  It calls to mind Jesus' words to Mary and Joseph in the Temple, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49) 

Note:  Today is Day 4 of the St. Joseph Novena.