November 20, 2009 |
|||||
The rosary: October’s powerful weapon is no mystery“The rosary is the most versatile of prayers,” says Bishop Thomas Wenski. “It can be prayed before the Blessed Sacrament or in the car; it can be prayed in family, in a group or in solitude.” 
iStockphoto.com Posted: 10.07.09 ORLANDO | The rosary. The very word evokes the gentleness of this beloved devotion – a deeply contemplative meditation on the life of Christ through the magnificat of his mother. “I’ve always prayed the rosary,” shared Kathryn Stauffacher. “Mary called me to her. It was so gentle – gentle woman – it was through her gentling me that I was brought to my knees.” The rosary dates back to the 12th century with adaptations even to today. Through the heart of Mary, the prayer reflects on the instances of Christ’s life which brought joy, sorrow, the celebration of his glory and, with the new mysteries of light, deeper understanding of his message. “The rosary is the most versatile of prayers,” said Bishop Thomas Wenski. “It can be prayed before the Blessed Sacrament or in the car; it can be prayed in family, in a group or in solitude.” The month of October commemorates the rosary and Bishop Wenski led the first rosary celebration at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando on Oct. 4 with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, recitation of the rosary, a homily and Benediction. “The Hail Marys ask Mary to ‘pray for us sinners’ and help us to pray the Lord’s Prayer – ‘forgive us our trespasses’ with more confidence and certainly with more sincerity,” Bishop Wenski continued. “I had the rosary in my house every evening at 7 p.m.,” shared Father Esau Garcia, pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Orlando, who will be presiding at an Oct. 18 rosary celebration at the basilica. “It was part of my upbringing as a child.” Father Garcia laughingly recalled two poignant memories – of the arrival of his uncle, accompanied by his boss, when the family was praying. “My grandfather said, ‘Welcome to our house, but we are praying the rosary,’” Father Garcia explained, “and we just continued.” The second memory resonates with many parents of teenagers. “I was in high school and told my father that I didn’t need to pray; the rosary was boring and I wanted to watch television. My father said, ‘This is my house, we pray the rosary. You don’t have to pray, but there will be no TV.’” Stauffacher, a parishioner at Ascension Parish in Melbourne and wife of a deacon, also has vivid early memories – from Freeport, Pa. in the 1950s. “I remember processing through town and stopping at different homes to pray a decade of the rosary,” she said, “That really inspired me.” The tradition of processions continues with one Oct. 10 at St. Teresa Parish in Titusville. “The entire parish will be in pilgrimage to honor Our Lady following the 5 p.m. Mass,” explained Jacqueline Zackel, St. Teresa Catholic School principal. “We’ll be outdoors praying at different places around our whole community. School and religious education students will carry the large wall rosary and lead the pilgrimage with the cross and candles, and each parishioner will carry a candle.” Stauffacher credits the nuns and her Catholic school education with reinforcing her devotion to the rosary. “The Sisters of St. Joseph were really a big influence in my life – it must have been Our Blessed Mother’s idea. I was a military brat and went to Catholic school because when you go to Catholic school you’re never a stranger.” St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in St. Cloud will also hold a procession. “We’re praying the living rosary at 2:20 every Friday afternoon in October,” explained Principal Maura Cox. “Our middle school students will actually form a rosary and lead the prayers. Children in the lower grades will pray the responses.” Father Garcia, who studied in Rome and was ordained by Pope John Paul II, no longer avoids the rosary. “Every single day I pray the rosary. I pray in the shower, in the chapel and my favorite time to pray is in the car – on my way to the hospital, to meetings – waiting at traffic lights are important times that I pray for my parishioners. The rosary helps me to be in communion with the mysteries of Our Lord Jesus. I’m in communion with a little old lady in my country (Colombia) and a priest alone in Africa and with the pope daily. It is the power of our Catholic prayer. Pray the rosary.”
|
Advertisement
|
||||
