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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
I have always struggled with the Rosary, but it wasn't until I received some healing that my struggle turned into a desire. I was often reminded of the words that Jesus spoke to the Apostle John while on the cross: “Behold, your mother.” These words profoundly affected me as I longed for Mary to be my mother. I began focusing more on the Rosary, and as I closed my eyes to pray, I imagined that with each Hail Mary, I was handing Mary a beautiful rose that she would gracefully receive. By the end of the Rosary, Mary would be standing before me with her arms full of roses and a flower crown I had placed on her head.
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The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
Today, October 18, is a special day for my family. Two and a half decades ago, my oldest son was born. He came into the world on a night when our city was engulfed in a historic flood, the likes of which hadn’t been seen for over 100 years, and that seemed to set the standard for how his life would roll. He arrived at a time of high drama and adventure, and he never looked back. He’s the reason I developed a devotion to the Rosary. Trusting the Blessed Mother to Protect My Fearless Child When he was four years old, we moved to an old farm out in the country that had a huge, dilapidated red barn on the property. That barn was like a magnet for my son. He would talk about climbing the “ladder to nowhere,” a rickety old ladder barely hanging onto the side of the barn that used to lead up to the second-story loft, long since rotted away. His goal was to jump from the ladder onto a fraying rope hanging from the rafters and swing out over “the bottomless pit” — a hole in the flooring below that opened over old farm equipment, unused since the 1960s. It was the perfect enticement for a fearless young boy, full of adventure ... and a disaster waiting to happen.
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The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
Recognizing the place of the Blessed Mother in my life and the importance of the Rosary was a gradual process for me. I was blessed to be raised in a Catholic home, the youngest of seven siblings, and was fortified by the love of my mom and dad (60+ years) as well as an aunt who lived with us while growing up. The Catholic faith and the Mass were always important to my family. I was in rich soil. Mary Had a Special Role in Hearing Our Requests While I do not remember praying the Rosary on a regular basis during those early years, I do recall that we would go to Mary and pray the Rosary together when people in the family needed significant intercession. We trusted that Mary had a special role in hearing our requests and praying for us, presenting our petitions to her Son. One memory of praying together as a family was in early college. My sister-in-law was hemorrhaging after giving birth to my nephew, and we prayed the Rosary as a family, receiving a call shortly afterward that she would be okay (a doctor who was pioneering a way to help women in these situations just happened to be in town for a presentation and was called to help).
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The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
Like many Catholics, I often felt guilty for not praying the Rosary as often as I ought. It was hard to fit in. Having lots of little children in a short time span made sitting down to pray a Rosary seem nearly impossible. Eventually, Catholic Guilt — a blessing, not a curse at all! — caught up with me, so my husband and I instituted a nightly decade with our six wiggly little people. Learning in Their Own Little Ways We each take turns saying the Hail Marys, and the kids manage it surprisingly well. They remember whose turn it is to lead as if it were a winning lottery combination. That does not mean that everyone sits nicely and listens prayerfully. Not even close. They squirm and flop and bother everyone frequently, but they still are praying and learning in their own little ways. Sitting nicely for prayer is a skill and we are working on it. Rome was not built in a day, after all. Neither is the family Rosary.
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The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
Not one of our five sons is a practicing Catholic. This is a source of great sorrow and a sense of failure for me. Where did we go wrong? If we’d continued praying the Rosary as a family, would they still love their faith? These questions haunted me. Our parish published a bulletin announcement about Adoration that helped: “It doesn’t matter how much or how little one has been raised in the Faith. Throughout life, the soul given by God at birth is constantly striving to bring together the created and the Creator.”
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The-Rosary-In-Our-Hands | family prayer
I went to St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans where every nun had a Rosary hanging from her habit. There were several beautiful Rosaries in my home, including the sparkly crystal one I received for my First Holy Communion, but it honestly was more of a prop for my picture than a tool for spiritual battle. There Had to Be More to This Beautiful Prayer As an adult, I slowly adopted the discipline of praying a Rosary thanks to friends and family who invited me to pray it with them, and I noticed a pattern. The more I prayed the Rosary, the more things fell into place. However, despite my efforts, I could not get to the point of looking forward to it. It seemed like a necessary chore like exercise or cooking dinner. I knew there had to be more to this beautiful prayer, and I felt guilty for my lack of enthusiasm.
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