Soon, I will be doing the Autumn clean up of the garden. It is a good time for reflection. One of the perennial delights of our little growing space is the return each summer of the Morning Glories. They climb and cling to the garden fence. The blossoms are shaped like trumpets and are deep violet with a brightly glowing center. Morning Glories seek and reflect the light that gives them life.
I think these lovely flowers can teach us something about prayer, and in particular about the Rosary.
A lovely memory I recall about my mother was her devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. My mom closed every day, praying the Rosary. In the quiet light of night, she rested in her favorite chair and prayed. Gently holding the beads, she would move through the Mysteries seeking God’s light. I imagine she reflected on life’s blessings and the love she found in all her daily activities. I suspect she prayed for me and my Dad, and all the people whom she knew.
The Rosary Prayer holds life and love together – an exercise in celebration of God’s loving embrace. With the Rosary, we embrace our prayer, and our prayer embraces us. We hold onto the Mysteries, and the Mysteries encircle us. As we pray through the decades of the Rosary, we recollect the story of our life of faith – encountering Jesus, born of a woman. The Mother of Jesus conformed herself to the Word of God. "Be it done unto me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38b)
In the Gospel of John, at the Cana miracle where water became wine, the Mother of Jesus instructed the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5) Life-giving words! We are the servants of the Word. This is our light. We seek to grow our lives toward the light that gives our life its deepest meaning.
As the Morning Glory seeks the light of life, so do we. As the flower reflects light, so do we.
"You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14a)
When families pray the Rosary, they are drawn into the Lord’s embrace.
The “Glory Be To God” prayer within the Rosary reminds us of how God’s light and glory enlighten our lives. How in your family is the Lord giving light to your daily activity?