DO  YOU  HAVE  A  ROSARY?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Do You Have A Rosary?”

If you answer “Yes” to that question, could you find it and have it in hand in less than 10 minutes?

In a bureau drawer? In your pocket? On your car mirror? In a box next to your bed?

Today is the feast the Most Holy Rosary. It’s not mentioned because October 7^th falls on a Sunday this year - and we’re celebrating the 27^th Sunday in Ordinary Time. However, I want to be practical - hands on - and I think thoughts about the rosary can be helpful for some Sunday reflections

ANOTHER QUESTION

What scenes, what stories, what memories, what thoughts hit you when you hear the word, “rosary”.

Can you picture an aunt or an uncle buying you a rosary for your first communion or confirmation or graduation or what have you?

Did someone go to Rome or Jerusalem and bring you back a wooden rosary - as a gift - a remembrance - instead of a t-shirt?

Did anyone ever see a rosary in your stuff and ask: “What’s this?”

Did you ever go to a funeral - go up to the casket  - and see a rosary in the dead person’s hands? When I see a rosary in hand at a funeral parlor - I reach in and say one Hail Mary on that person’s rosary beads.

I sort of remember - that when my brother died, they were looking everywhere for his rosary.  I don’t think it was my sister-in-law - who is visiting here today - buy I think it was his buddy, Marty Goldberger, a Jewish guy, who found it.

ROSARY SCENES

I remember the 1940’s and early 1950’s when we said the Family Rosary together. It took 15 minutes but it always  felt like an hour.  We knelt at my parent’s bed . The floors were wooden and they were hard. We’d be out on the street playing stick ball. It would be a warm summer evening. Then one of my sisters would scream from the front door, “Rosary!” That interrupted our evening for a while. Then we’d go back out and finish our game.

I remember - one time there - in the 1970’s -  walking up 2^nd Avenue - in Manhattan, New York City.    2^nd  Avenue had wide, wide sidewalks. The cement sidewalk was crowded. It was  around 3 PM. Coming towards me was this big crowd of people. However, this one lady stood out as she walked towards us - rosary in hand.  For some reason this well dressed middle aged woman saying the rosary - as she walked - stood out. She still is walking down the sidewalk of my mind?

How many other people do that every day? While walking …. While driving …. While sitting in an easy chair in a parlor or on a back porch - and they are saying their rosary?

When you hear the word “rosary” what are your rosary scenes? Do you picture a grandmother or a parent in a nursing home - saying their prayers?

I remember being back home once. We were now adults. My brother was there - up from Maryland - and someone suggested saying the rosary together once again as a family.

Compared to our childhood, by now my mother had added on a bunch of extras. Ugh. That rosary took forever. When we finally finished my brother said to my mother, “Are you going to put on vestments now and say Mass for us?”

MYSTERIES

Those of us who went to Catholic School and / or were trained as Catholics were taught the 15 mysteries of the rosary: the Joyful, the Sorrowful and the Glorious mysteries. Then Pope John Paul 2 added the Light Bearing Mysteries. Religion always has add on’s.

The rosary gives us a chance to reflect upon 20 events in the life of Jesus

People ask what should they think about  while saying the rosary.

I suggest look at the 20 events in Jesus life - with the same 20 events in our own life.

We all have experienced annunciations, announcements, phone calls that changed our lives.

We’ve all experienced visitations, visits,  surprise meetings that changed our lives.

We’ve all experienced births - children, adopted or born to us - babies that were Christmas like gifts that changed our lives.

We’ve all experienced presentations, graduations, awards, and findings in church or school or work or in the family that changed our lives.

We’ve all had our sufferings, our crosses, our falls, our headaches, our beatings, our deaths.

We’ve all had our glorious moments: times we realized those who have died are with the Lord.  We’ve climbed - moved up - ascended closer to God - trips to the mountains, Ocean City - moments when the Holy Spirit breathed new life into us. We’ve figured out who Mary is and how she fits into the Christian life.

We’ve all experienced light - sun rising moments - epiphany moments - baptisms, weddings - marriages -  the stuff of today’s readings - transfiguration moments when all changed - so too great Masses.

Taking out a rosary for a Catholic is like taking out a prayer rug for a Muslim.  Now I’m going to pray.

ROSARY BEADS ARE NOT JUST FOR HAIL MARY’S

For the past 30 plus years I’ve been saying, “Rosary Beads are not just for Hail Mary’s anymore.”

Rosary beads are great worry beads.

While driving, while relaxing, while wanting to pray, take your rosary in hand and use the 59 beads as prayer beads.

Finger the beads and say 59 times - a word per bead: “Thanks” - “Help” - “Wonderful” - “Amazing grace”.

Or pick out 10 or 59 people you want the Lord to bless.

The one word per one bead rosary takes 3 minutes or you can go slow and think of 59 people you’re remembering.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is a question: “Do You Have a Rosary.”

Find it and  say 59 times: “Lord, teach me how to pray.”

Or, “Thank You God for everything. It’s been a great life so far.”

Or say in prayer to Christ, “You are the way the truth and the life.”