"You have your own basketball team," many people said when our fifth daughter was born. My Spiritual Director instead saw—one child for each decade of the Rosary. I loved that concept as soon as the words came out of his mouth. So, I committed to praying a Rosary every day, and toward the end of the year when reflecting on what faith-based intentions I wanted to have set for life vs. variable, I was not sure where the Rosary fit. The next year, the practice slipped away. I still prayed the Rosary sometimes, but it was sporadic as I no longer viewed it as a daily commitment. However, often when I prayed the Rosary, I thought about how I missed it.
My Spiritual Director's words, again, prompted me to finally take action as I decided to reintegrate the practice in my life, praying one decade for each of my girls. As I pray the initial prayers, I think about how it is also about praying for my husband, our marriage, and us as parents woven throughout. Here are some of my thoughts about a month into the process:
- It has affirmed how much I love having the Rosary as a regular part of my life. It is not always easy to find an ideal time and the logistics will sometimes have to shift. Often, I have prayed the Rosary either before or after Mass. Sometimes I have prayed it while walking with the baby in a sling while waiting for soccer practice to be out. A couple of times I prayed it out loud while one of my daughters was trying to fall asleep for her nap or while rocking another before bedtime. Sometimes I have been driving. I prefer to pray the complete Rosary at one time, but a couple of times it has been split into different times of the day. Regardless of how and where I pray it, I know that beginning to pray a daily Rosary again feels right.
- It has helped with my work in progress to better align my life to the proper prioritization of having my vocation as a wife and mom be second only to God.
- I had already been thinking about connections between my life and the mysteries when I prayed it regularly before, but having a decade linked to each daughter has helped me reflect specifically on their lives at different ages and stages and my role as a parent to them from a faith-based perspective.
- It has provided me with encouragement for the challenges and joys that come along with the vocation. Thinking about Jesus' and Mary's lives and how they responded to different circumstances in the Gospels helps me to focus on peace and hope as I navigate life and support my girls in navigating theirs.
The Family That Prays Together Stays Together
