family prayer | The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands
Louise stood at the foot of their staircase, not knowing how to put one foot in front of the other. She had only moments ago sent her husband out the door with his lunchbox and a kiss on that regular Monday morning. Now she had to make it to the top of those stairs to tell their six children that their dad would never come home. A heart attack ended his 42-year-old life and with that catastrophic news, her life as she knew it.
Our Lady Gave Her the Courage
My beautiful Nana always professed it was Our Lady herself who carried her up that staircase and gave her the courage to deliver that unspeakable news. And it was Our Lady, through the power of the Rosary, who supported her every day for the rest of her 48 years as a widow and single mother.
I can only imagine what sort of daily challenges Nana must have faced in those first few years without her Bill. Life was chaotic and uncertain with a wild crew of fatherless children. But she always had one point of clarity. When my young grandfather died, the Blessed Mother handed her a playbook — and there was only one play. Nana would reach for those beads every day to survive. Those prayers unlocked a supernatural strength in her to move forward.
Faithful in Prayer
Even in her own tragedy, she tucked other people’s grief and worries into her own heart when she prayed. She prayed for the unborn and the unconverted every day. She put the power of the Rosary to work for the troubling events she saw on the news. I once read that everyone assumes the most influential person on earth is a world leader or celebrity, but from God’s perspective, it is certainly some humble cloistered nun whose prayers are keeping the world from crumbling into oblivion. I believe that could be true. Although she lived a largely hidden life, I feel sure that Nana’s prayers kept both the planet on its axis and her hungry children fed at the dining room table.
It was always a wonder to me that even after God allowed such pain in her life, Nana was laser-focused on loving Him. This paradox seems like the greatest problem we face as Christians. How can we suffer and still hold on to Christ? Nana knew the answer. It was by reaching out to His Mother, Our Lady of Sorrows. She who experienced the greatest of all sufferings picks us up and presents our shattered hearts and weary bones to her Son at the foot of the Cross. The most perfect and beloved of all humans was permitted the most terrible pain. This is how we can know that He has not abandoned us in our distress.
My Nana knew that beloved children of God are often pricked with sorrow. The Rosary kept her eyes open to the love Christ had for her. It was one foot in front of the other up those terrifying stairs, one bead after another on that delicate string.
Venerable Patrick Peyton, known as "The Rosary Priest," devoted his priestly life to encouraging family prayer, especially the Rosary. This October, for the Month of the Holy Rosary, Family Rosary (an apostolate founded by Father Peyton) and Catholic Mom have teamed up for this daily series dedicated to the Rosary.
About the author:
Katie Klements is a homeschool and Catholic school mom who is passionate about pro-life advocacy and Catholic family culture. She loves the Communion of Saints and cooking for her family. Katie lives in Massachusetts with her husband and five children.