Come on a journey with me

Have you ever fallen asleep while reciting the Rosary? I try not to, but it happens—occasionally after an unusually taxing day, or if I find other (more important?) things to do and wait until I’m bone tired to start the prayer.

Then there are times that I am reflecting on a particular “mystery” of the Rosary and it feels like I am there! Suddenly I realize that my head is not bowing, but falling down onto my chest and I awaken with a “snort”! I have heard of others who fall asleep, but I hope they have the good sense to awaken more quietly—and in private. Several times I have fallen asleep while in Adoration! Not for long, mind you, but long enough to chastise myself as Christ chastised Peter, James and John when he said, "Could you not watch one hour with me?" (Mt 24:40)

On my drive home from Bakersfield today, I could have said several Rosaries. But I was so tired that I was afraid of falling asleep, so I contemplated the Rosary itself. I thought about what the Rosary is to me.

The image I came up with was Our Blessed Mother reaching out, and taking my hand. Then she said, “Come on a journey with me, child.” As we walked along a path of roses, she began telling me a story.

It started with the Angel Gabriel appearing to a young woman to announce the birth of a Savior to all nations. Then the pregnant young girl visited her cousin, Elizabeth, who's own expected child "leaps in the womb" because he recognizes the presence of God Incarnate. You know the rest of the story. It continued with the Blessed Mother telling me the rest of the Joyful Mysteries, then the Luminous, the Sorrowful (where the path of roses turns to thorns), and the Glorious, ending with the “young woman” mentioned at the beginning of the story being crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth. What an image, huh? Wouldn’t it be something to hear the story we all know so well from Mary’s own perspective and voice? I believe that if we are in the right frame of mind when we recite the Rosary, that's exactly what is happening.

I was feeling quite smug about the image I thought up all by myself, wondering if anyone else had ever come up with a similar meditation, so I decided to search the web when I got home to look for other “meditations on the Rosary.” As it turns out, the competition was very stiff, and no, I wasn’t the first to consider this aspect of the Rosary. In fact, most of the other meditations said it better.

One of the first articles to come up on a Yahoo.com search was the Apostolic Letter, ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE, written by Pope John Paul II when he “introduced” the Luminous Mysteries (or “Mysteries of Light”) in 2003.

In his letter, the Holy Father said, “The Blessed Rosary of Mary, a sweet chain linking us to God, in a way similar to what takes place in the Liturgy, the Christian week, centered on Sunday, the day of Resurrection, becomes a journey through the mysteries of the life of Christ, and he is revealed in the lives of his disciples as the Lord of time and of history. To recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ.” He also wrote, “Mary lived with her eyes fixed on Christ, treasuring his every word: “She kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19; cf. 2:51). The memories of Jesus, impressed upon her heart, were always with her, leading her to reflect on the various moments of her life at her Son's side. In a way those memories were to be the “rosary” which she recited uninterruptedly throughout her earthly life.” The man sure could turn a phrase. Of course love and devotion can do that to someone.

I realized that the Holy Father’s impression of the Rosary was very similar to the one I had envisioned earlier today. At least I’m in good company.

After reading the Pope’s letter, I feel “energized” enough to stay awake for the prayer tonight, so I’ll leave you with this image and these words: “Come on a journey with me, child.”