October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, so we wanted to honor Mary and reflect on her help during this time of singleness. How have you called on her intercession before? What is your relationship with our Blessed Mother like? If you don't know much about Mary or the Rosary, is there something keeping you from getting to know her?
This week, the topic at hand is the Rosary! October is the month of the Rosary so we should all make a special effort to pray it daily this month. I went to
Father Apostoli's (EWTN) retreat this summer on the message of Our Lady of Fatima and one of the things Our Lady stressed to the 3 children was prayer and penance to make reparation for all the bad things going on in the world. If that was Our Lady's message in 1917, I'm sure that message is more fervent in 2014 when war and violence, abortion, immodesty, pornography, etc are all rampant. The Rosary is a powerful weapon in our arsenal.
As a convert, I was a little afraid that the Marian doctrines would be a stumbling block on the road to my conversion. I already knew what the Church taught (since I went to Catholic school from K-12) so I knew what was coming about Our Lady: Perpetual virginity? Her Assumption? Crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth? Growing up Protestant, these just weren't things were focused on, let alone believed. At most, Our Lady played a peripheral role in scripture and salvation history, right? I knew I couldn't in good faith convert if I didn't really believe the doctrines in my heart. I remembered thinking that I would just trust what I was learning and realize that I wouldn't necessarily understand everything but take it on faith. . .
During RCIA, I started praying the rosary. But I initially resisted--isn't it just "vain repetition?" I learned that it was a form of spoken and contemplative prayer on the life of Christ. Some people say it's as if Our Lady is holding our hand while we reflect on the mysteries of Christ. I purchased a rosary at the National Shrine in DC and began trying to pray it. I won't lie--the first time, I fell asleep! But I kept trying. When I learned about 54-day novenas, I started praying those as well. Soon I was in a pretty good routine of praying the rosary if I had a long train ride to work.
Shortly after my initiation into the Church, I spent a summer in Europe. My faith was deepened by the time I spent in the old gothic churches where devotion to Our Lady is
very strong. I even visited the Miraculous Medal Shrine in Paris (my first pilgrimage) and started wearing a medal soon after that. I like to say the medal was my "gateway devotion" to Our Lady because soon after that, I felt her gentle pull to develop a deeper relationship with her. After 2 or 3 random people mentioned consecration to Our Lady, I completed it on the Feast of the Assumption the following year.
During this single journey, Our Lady has definitely been a comfort and confidant. I often
whine ask her to ask her Divine Son to grant this desire of my heart. The Rosary is one tool that we have to draw closer to her and to Jesus. There are days when I don't want to pray the Rosary, but I've never regretted it when I do.
