Blessed Mother Mary

Back in her arms

In the first moments of His life, Mary held the baby Jesus. And after being taken down from the cross, Jesus’ body was  placed in her arms. It had come full circle. The sixth sorrow of Mary is Jesus being taken down from the cross. 

Over the years I’ve read many reflections upon the crucifixion, and it is significant to note that in this instance, the body of Jesus was removed from the cross. Usually the point of a crucifixion is to be a deterrent for others. The Romans wanted the bodies to be hung for the maximum amount of time to dissuade others from repeating the crimes of those who hung on the cross. Crucifixions always took place in a highly visible area, just outside of the city or town, so that as many people as possible could see them. It could take several days for a person to die on a cross. The bodies were left hanging for all to see and the scavenger birds picked at the remains. Guards were often stationed there to prevent families from removing and burying the bodies. For Pilate to grant Joseph of Arimathea permission to remove the body was surprising from the perspective of Roman tradition. However, since Pilate had not wanted to crucify Jesus, granting this favor may have been a way Pilate sought to relieve his guilt of his part in the death of an innocent man.

While the Gospels do not specifically state Mary’s presence during this event, each does describe the burial of Jesus beginning with Joseph of Arimathea receiving permission to remove and bury the body. But if Mary was present at the foot of the cross, how could she not be involved with His burial? With the strength and grace she received from God for this moment, it is only logical that she would cradle her Child one last time. As part of the stations of the cross, many depict Jesus removed from the cross and being placed in Mary’s arms. Perhaps the most iconic image of this is The Madonna della Pietà, informally known as La Pietà, a marble sculpture of Jesus and Mary located in the Vatican’s Saint Peter’s Basilica. Here a larger-than-life Mary holds Jesus’ lifeless body, with her serene demeanor illustrating her trust that this was God’s will. Jesus’ passionate suffering had come to a conclusion. Her suffering, however, lingered. She must face each moment now without Him. 

Mary keenly understands loss: the loss of a loved one, the loss of a child, and the loss of a family member convicted of a crime. We may not see her tears on the Pietà, but even with her trust in God, I’m sure she shed her fair share of them; just the sheer overwhelming emotion of Jesus’ Passion and Death would cause that. Sorrow and grief can only be relieved when we share the pain with others, otherwise it becomes a burden too heavy to carry. 

In these last days before Holy Week, let us pray to Mary to share her sorrowful burden, as well as for her to help us with ours. She is our mother too and wants to aid us in all our needs, carrying us in her arms like she did Jesus. 

The piercing moment

The fifth sorrow of Mary seems like it should be the last, but it is not.  It is, however,  the pinnacle of the life of Jesus. He was born of Mary to be crucified. His first throne was a manger; His last the cross. And Mary was there for it all. 

In reviewing each of the Gospels for this post, I found it interesting that Matthew and Mark mention several women named Mary, but not Jesus’ mother. Luke only mentions that the women who followed Jesus were there in the distance. How ironic that all the writers mention the women present at the crucifixion. Yet, it is John’s gospel that provides us with the exchange that Jesus gave to both John and Mary (John 19:26-27). How could her heart not ache with all the sufferings that Jesus had endured? This must have been the moment she remembered Simeon’s prophecy of the sword piercing her heart; yet she stood by the foot of the cross for her Son. 

If only it was just a moment. From the agony and arrest in the garden, to the trial by the Jewish and Roman leaders, then the scourging and crowning with thorns, followed by the carrying of the cross, Jesus had been through more than any human could endure. He was in the final stage of His Passion: nailed to a cross, lifted up and naked, condemned to a criminal’s death. The Roman soldiers passed the time by gambling for His garments. Others jeered and made fun of Him. Forgotten were all the miracles He performed. His only supporters were the youngest apostle and the women who assisted in His ministry. Did Mary know that Jesus was going to die? Did she stand at the cross hoping for a miracle? Perhaps. However, she said yes to God’s will before conceiving of Jesus, what else could she do but place Jesus into the hands of His Heavenly Father? Both Mary and Jesus put God’s will first, even though it had resulted in the death of Jesus. 

All too soon during this Lent, will be Passion Sunday, where Jesus’ Passion and Death are proclaimed as the gospel reading. I think it’s only human nature to want to get through it as quickly as possible. Not because it’s a long reading, but because it reminds us of what price Jesus paid for our sins. The price He paid so that we could have a relationship with Him, with God our Father, and with the Holy Spirit. Too often we overemphasize Jesus’ resurrection, and to some degree, we should. But we also need to remember that in order to rise, Jesus had to die. And He didn’t just die quickly and rise immediately. Jesus suffered many types of torture: mental, physical, and emotional before His death. He stayed dead for three days to illustrate that He truly died, and it wasn’t just a coma or trance that He experienced. 

As we journey through these last few weeks of Lent, let us offer up our sacrifices and penances to Mary as a symbolic way to keep her company as she stood by the foot of the cross. Perhaps she can, in turn, present them to God to assist and comfort those who are in mourning. Mary, Mother of Sorrows, pray for us. 

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

Journey to a new beginning

Mary only observed the effects of Jesus’ scourging: the blood soaked through His clothes as He walked towards the place of His death. Yet the events of Jesus’ Passion and Death would provide many moments where the sword that Simeon prophesied would pierce deeply. The fourth sorrow of Mary is watching Jesus as He carried the cross towards His execution. 

While the Gospels don’t mention Jesus meeting Mary during His struggle to Golgotha, according to an article on EWTN, it is based on tradition that this event indeed occurred. The Gospels do indicate that Mary was at the foot of the cross, so she would have had to travel the same/similar road herself to get there. It is plausible that whether they were near enough to touch one another, or only close enough to make eye contact, they could have very well met on that road.

Was Mary amongst the crowd that was stirred up by the Pharisees at the praetorium? Did she hear them call for the release of Barabbas? Did she witness the crowd calling for Jesus to be crucified like a criminal? Tradition and the Gospels are silent on how much Mary observed prior to the actual death of Jesus. However, the tradition of Jesus meeting Mary as He carried the cross evokes a painful reunion for both. Mary watched Jesus grow from a little baby to an adult man, who was ready to give His life for the salvation of souls. She saw the precious Blood staining the woven garments He wore, potentially ones that she made with her own two hands. She saw the depth of depravity by the soldiers in the crown of thorns piercing His head. The protruding wood of the cross He carried was unmistakable. 

While the first three sorrows of Mary marked occasions in Jesus’ childhood, there are no mentions in the Gospel of His adolescence or in His ministry that was a cause of sorrow for Mary. I’m sure there were times, like in so many families, where Jesus’ words or actions could have been challenging for a mother. Mary assented to God’s will at the time of His conception. Her ability to do so illustrates her great trust in God. Mary knew Jesus was not an ordinary baby who would have an ordinary life. When the time for His ministry came about, she encouraged His first miracle. Still, being an itinerant teacher must have brought challenges and discouragements on occasion. But were those instances enough to prepare her for what was to come? As much as Jesus tried to prepare the disciples, most of them fled at His arrest. The Gospels capture Jesus indicating the Resurrection, something that we are familiar with, to be a concept that was foreign to His followers (Mark 9:10). Even if Mary was aware of what was to come, future joy is very hard to see when the current pain and suffering are so overwhelming.

The way of the cross seemed to be the end. After all, is there anything more final than death? Well, for God, death is not the last word. Rather it is a tool used to illustrate the power, and the love, of God. It shows that God is far beyond our being and that He has control even over something that seems so final to us. As Jesus walks towards Golgotha, it is not a journey to His end, but rather to a new beginning. As Christians, we too, will walk through the valley of death, but our baptism promises us that our soul will live on. If we choose to trust God and His will for us, our relationship with Him will be transformed beyond our wildest imagination. And at the end of time, our souls will be reunited with our bodies, so that in both body and soul, we can share in the love that God is, as it flows from Father to Son to Holy Spirit. 

We are almost at the half-way point of Lent. Regardless of how challenging or overwhelming our practices are this year, it’s not too late to reach out to Mary for assistance as we strive to grow closer to God and recognize what is prohibiting us from embracing God’s will. No matter the pain and sorrow we will face, Mary will walk us through until we reach the joy of Jesus. 

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

Searching for Jesus

We are all searching for Jesus in our lives. And in one instance, Mary and Joseph were no different. They, with Jesus,  followed the custom they had been following each year, making their annual trip to Jerusalem and back. Only on the way back, it wasn’t like all the times previous. Jesus didn’t leave with the rest of His earthly relatives. The search was on.

At the cusp of adulthood but not quite there, Jesus had stayed behind in the Temple. At 12 years old, He was old enough to be responsible for Himself and His actions, but not quite old enough to be on His own. Yet He knew who He was and what He was being called to do. His parents, however, did not. We are only given a summary of the events in Luke’s Gospel (Lk 2:41-51). In the English translation, it’s hard to pinpoint just how many days Jesus was separated from Mary and Joseph. “…But supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. After three days they found him in the temple…” If Mary and Joseph traveled a whole day and presumably it would take another day’s journey to return, are those days included in the three days? A separation of three days would be hard enough, but if the travel time is added onto that, then five days of separation must have seemed like an eternity to them! 

Mary and Joseph did a fair amount of traveling during Jesus’ youth. First, they traveled to Bethlehem where He was born. Then they lived in Egyptian exile while King Herod, who tried to kill Jesus, reigned in Jerusalem. They then returned to Nazareth although scripture does not tell us how old He was at the time of His return. Still, if the family had a “custom” to travel to Jerusalem yearly, I would say that journey would need to happen about five or six times in order to consider it a “custom.” After the journeys to Egypt and Nazareth, traveling with friends and relatives yearly must have been a welcome change. People were safer when they were in a group. But it also gave time to chat in a way that probably didn’t happen on a daily basis. What may have been a relaxed and enjoyable trip turned. Did Mary and Joseph travel back at night? They did flee to Egypt in the middle of the night, so it is possible. Or did they wait until morning and, as they made their return trip, did they seek Jesus in the groups that left after their party? That may have slowed their return, talking to various groups of people they encountered. Most likely, they traveled by themselves, just the two of them. 

Where did they look for Jesus in Jerusalem? Did they go back to where they stayed? Was the Temple the first place they looked or the last, after many other locations? If it actually took three days to find Jesus after they returned to Jerusalem, then the Temple was the last place they looked. It must have been such a relief to find Him and know that He was safe. When Mary asked for an explanation as to why, Jesus’ answer of attending His Father’s business was not immediately understood by them. Perhaps it took until Jesus started His preaching mission, or maybe it was at the foot of the cross that His statement began to make sense? It could have taken until after the resurrection and ascension that Mary was able to reflect on this to really understand why this event happened. 

Jesus is with us every moment of every day, yet our busy lives don’t allow us to recognize His presence. When we feel far away from Him, we need to seek Him. It may take minutes or hours or days to realize He is right there with us. When we find Him we may not understand why it took so long or why we find Him in whatever place we do. And we may not understand the answer when we immediately receive it. Mary and Joseph make up two-thirds of the Holy Family, yet they understand what it means to be separated from and to seek Jesus. Lent is a perfect opportunity to proactively practice seeking Jesus on a daily basis. Abstaining from obstacles that interrupt our hunger for God in our life will allow us to be more open to hearing God and knowing what next step to take to become closer to Him. Let us not wait until He is a “full day’s journey” from us, but rather seek Him in “His Father’s house.” Jesus is waiting at every church and in every tabernacle that contains the consecrated hosts. Let us not just look for Jesus, but let’s find Him!

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

Life on the run

So, to continue on from last week… the second sorrow of Mary is the flight into Egypt. While Matthew’s Gospel addresses it only in a few short lines, (Matt 2:13-21), there is much to ponder within the text provided.

Joseph was warned in a dream to take his family and depart to Egypt. Upon rising in the middle of the night, they left. Did Joseph need to awaken Mary or was she awake and tending to Jesus? Can you imagine having your sleep disturbed only to find out you need to leave on a long journey immediately? Even if she was awake, the dreadful news that the precious Child was in danger must have been disturbing to hear. With a destination of Egypt, a place where the Israelites had fled from slavery, Mary, and Joseph too, had to put all their trust in God. Just because they were caring for the Son of God, didn’t mean they would have an easy road. The detour to Egypt probably had a number of challenges, especially since they didn’t have the time to prepare for the journey. Yet, it was for the protection of Jesus, and so they made the trip.

Aliens. No, not the kind from outer space but rather those who travel from one country to seek asylum in another, safer country. That’s what the Holy Family were: aliens in Egypt. Moving to another country where you need to learn a new language, new customs, and a new way of life is challenging for anyone, but to do it with an infant surely poses many difficulties that most may not even be able to imagine. They had no friends or relatives that could help them get started, just the grace of God. If the reception at Bethlehem, among their kinfolk, left them out with the animals, what kind of welcome did they receive in Egypt? Were they looked upon with suspicion? Did the Egyptian people gossip about this strange family coming from a foreign land into theirs, wondering why they left their own homeland? Especially since Mary and Joseph were devout Jews, they must have been totally out-of-place there. Were there any synagogues there? Were they able to have a little taste of home and worship in the manner they did when living in Israel? 

News does travel fast, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they heard about the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem and realized that if they had stayed, Jesus would have been one of them. As a new mom, Mary must have been heartbroken to learn about all the needless killing; all the mothers who lost their sons while she still had Jesus. Relief and anguish all rolled up together, and she could do nothing to comfort those women. Nothing to let them know that the Child their sons died for was safe and why it was so important that He remain so. Jesus was safe for the moment, but the time would come when Mary would need to let Him go, watching as He suffered and died for us all.

As we journey through this Lent, let us keep in mind that there are those who don’t speak our language and are looking for a safer place to live. Let us remember that when we treat them with the dignity of being a child of God, we honor the sacrifice the Holy Family made in their time of exile into Egypt. Let us look at the excess we have in our closets and pantry and see how we can donate to others who need it more than we do, no matter what circumstances cause their need. Let us comfort those who have lost loved ones, especially their children, with our prayers, our friendship, and a shoulder to cry on. Lent is an opportunity to practice mercy towards others. Let us open our hearts and ask God what we can do to help those in need.

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

Prophecy of the sword

As we begin our Lenten journey, I thought a good way to “travel” it this year would be to reflect on the seven sorrows of Mary. While I may have addressed or referenced these events in other posts, I’d like to concentrate on these as a guide within the Lenten season. 

The first sorrow of Mary’s is the Prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:34-35). It is only 40 days after Jesus’ birth.

…and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Lk 2:34-35

It all began with a visit from an angel, then Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, then for Mary to become part of Joseph’s household, and finally their journey to Bethlehem, where the birth took place. That’s quite a lot to happen in less than a year! Some of these things would be wonderful, like the visit with Elizabeth. Some may have been a bit more stressful like the relationship with Joseph and the travel to Bethlehem. Could Mary think of some of these events she’s already lived through as “sword-piercing?” Or did she think of all the hazards that parents encounter when raising a child, let alone the Son of God? 

Perhaps Mary thought about the various judges and prophets from the Old Testament. While some were looked upon favorably, all had warning messages to give to people who were less than willing to listen. Who wants to be told they are living their life incorrectly? Being a devout Jewish woman, Mary would have known all the stories very well, and probably understood them better than we do today. She was living in the land where they occurred, and would have understood the nuances within the text. The scriptures were written in her language, so there was nothing that could be “lost in translation.” 

At just 40 days old, Jesus had His whole life ahead of Him. There was no way that Mary could understand the gravity of the prophecy Simeon was making. But she didn’t let it stop her from raising Jesus. She had claimed herself as the Lord’s handmaid and she lived out that vow. Mary was also a very young woman at the time. While she may not have understood the prophecy, she probably remembered it as each trial event occurred. 

As we begin this Lent, we know that there will be trials to live out with whatever practice(s) we have identified for this season. The whole point of a Lenten practice is to challenge ourselves, to go deeper into our faith. No matter what avenue we choose — prayers, fasting, pennances, or almsgiving — it will bring an experience of suffering. However, if we seek Mary’s patronage this Lent, uniting our trials to her sorrows, we can receive the consolation that only a spiritual mother can impart upon us. No sword can piece us as strongly as the one Mary had to endure. Yet even now Mary does not rest in her heavenly home, but rather keeps watch on all her spiritual children visiting and intervening at times when circumstances will be most fruitful. 

While the sword of the prophecy is metaphorical, the damage is just as painful as from a physical sword. Let us call on Mary to lead us this Lenten journey, through whatever sorrow and pain there may be, into the arms of her beloved Son, Jesus. 

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Angels and dreams

God sees each person as an unique individual, and that is demonstrated by how He prepared Mary and Joseph to be the parents of Jesus. Each was visited by an angel, but their experiences, at least what we know of them, were vastly different.

Luke’s Gospel shares with us Mary’s encounter with the Archangel Gabriel. There is a conversational exchange that occurs between them. When the angel greets her,  Mary is “greatly troubled  at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” (Lk 1:29) I’ve heard many interpretations that indicate Mary was afraid, but the text doesn’t seem to indicate that. She doesn’t seem to be disturbed that an angel is visiting her, it’s more his message that seems to concern her. But since she is “filled with grace,” has the awareness to ponder the words used by the angel, and, perhaps knowing of the long-awaited Messiah, she recognized the magnanimous and prophetic language that the angel used. Being such a humble young woman, Mary’s interaction does not seem to be fearful, but rather inquisitive and wanting to understand enough  that she acts in accordance with the will of God. The angel departs only after Mary provides her consent to be “the handmaid of the Lord.”

In contrast, it is Matthew’s Gospel that shares Joseph’s perspective (Matt 1:18-25). Matthew only mentions that Mary is found to be with child before they lived together. Joseph, being a righteous man, was going to quietly divorce Mary because he was unaware of how the conception took place. Joseph is then also visited by an angel; however, it is not  “in-person,” so to speak, but rather in a dream. And instead of seeking Joseph’s acceptance of the situation, he is given directions to follow: take Mary into his home and name the child Jesus. The angel does kindly give the how (conceived by the Holy Spirit) and why (to fulfill the prophets and save people from their sins) of Mary’s pregnancy. Upon awakening, Joseph follows the directions he was  given. God communicates twice more to Joseph using this dream method, helping him to protect and care for Jesus.

Why is there a difference between the two communication methods? Could it be that because Mary was immaculately conceived that she could be visited by an angel when awake? While that may have some merit, Luke’s Gospel also gives the account of Gabriel appearing to Zechariah, the husband of Elizabeth and the father of John the Baptist. Zechariah was a priest, and that may have been a factor for sending the angel during the time he was ministering in the temple. A modern perspective would be quick to judge that it was due to Joseph being a menial carpenter that he did not receive a visit by the angel while awake. But logic would refute that. Otherwise why, or how, could God trust Joseph with the Most Precious of all children if He didn’t find him worthy enough to receive an encounter with an angel? Maybe focusing on the angel visit as an indicator of the holiness of the individual is the wrong way to interpret the difference. It could be that the relationship between God and Joseph was so deep, that God trusted him immensely to the point that He knew Joseph only needed to be provided the necessary information in a dream in order for him to take action. (If an angel appeared in a dream to me and gave me instructions, I’m not sure I would be able to follow them upon awakening; I’d probably wonder what it was that I ate or drank that gave me such odd dreams!)

God prepares each of us for the challenges that lie ahead of us in whatever way that we can understand best. He gives us what we need at the time we need it. He knows our human nature too well, thinking we understand more than we do, as well as our propensity to worry and be anxious about things yet to come. We look to Mary and Joseph not to see how God communicates, but that He picks the method that is needed to achieve His purposes. 

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

Theotokos

Theotokos was once seen as a source of conflict. It means “Mother of God” or “or God-bearer.” In the early Church, there was debate over Mary being the Mother of God, since God is not a created being, yet she is the Mother of Jesus, who is the second person of the Triune God. The Council of Ephesus in the early 5th century confirmed this title on Mary, and the Eastern Church uses Theotokos as one of the titles for Mary.

No one questions that Mary did, indeed, give birth to Jesus. However, recently I was asked, if Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin, did she suffer in childbirth? My very first reaction was to shrug it off to say it doesn’t matter, it’s not a detail worth investigating. But as someone who has never given birth, that perspective could be rather myopic. Perhaps it’s better to take a step back and look at the whole picture of Mary and how God prepared her to be Christ’s mother. 

The fall of Eve produced the following two-fold curse: “I will intensify your toil in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” (Gen 3:16) Eve’s curse is to desire her husband, and the fruit of that is a child. Thus while the desire is initially satisfied with pleasure, the pain of childbirth would be intensified or prolonged, seemingly to be a punishment for the initial desire. Yet, once the child comes, the desire does not go away, and the “curse” begins its cycle again. 

Because God intervened at Mary’s conception to keep her free from the taint of original sin, her desire was to please God. Mary was already betrothed to Joseph when Gabriel came to seek her consent. She was going to be a married woman. Perhaps if she did not give birth to the Son of God, she would have had a large family. Mary’s fiat to God’s plan turned her into a living tabernacle, a living ark of the covenant. What little of Joseph we do know, is that he understood the history of the Israelites and the covenant. He would be familiar with the ark, and that no one but the priests could touch it. He would have been familiar with the account of Uzzah, who reached out a hand to steady a tipping ark during its trip back to Jerusalem at the time of David, and was struck down because he was not worthy to do so. (2 Sam 6:6-9) Joseph realized just how special Mary and Jesus were, he would respect her and not seek to despoil her. From this viewpoint, the second portion of Eve’s curse is irrelevant. And for those who question when the various books in the New Testament refer to Jesus’ brothers, the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the expression is used for those who have a close relationship in the Old Testament. (CCC 500)

Mary made many journeys as a pregnant woman: first to visit Elizabeth in the hill country of Judah (perhaps a “suburb” of Jerusalem?) and back north to Nazareth, and then back south beyond Jerusalem to Bethlehem to eventually give birth. Travel then was long and arduous, regardless of whether she traveled by foot, donkey or cart. After giving birth to Jesus, when she and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple, Simeon predicted a sword piercing her heart, which, while metaphoric, was a true suffering she experienced standing at the foot of the cross. The Church includes Simeon’s prophecy as the first of seven named sorrows that Mary endured. 

If we look again at Genesis, the translation uses the word “intensify,” which to me indicates that there would have been some duration of discomfort and/or pain associated with birth even before the fall of Eve. While the New Testament and Catechism is silent on the detail of how much pain Mary suffered during the birthing process, she would have had some level. But she certainly knows the pain when a child goes missing, is wrongfully accused, tortured, and put to death. Her solace in all of it was the grace of God. He prepared her to be the mother of His Son, and in doing so supported her during all her trials. 

After the visit of the shepherds, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) The grace of God was alive in Mary, even before becoming Jesus’ mother, and intensified afterwards.  On the cross, Jesus gave Mary as mother to John, who represents the Church body throughout the ages. Mary had, and continues to have a relationship with God that is like no other. It is with confidence that we seek her intercession, aid, and assistance in praising God. And if God could prepare Mary so well to be Theotokos, how can we not think that He will prepare us for every blessing and trial in our life … if we let Him.

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Prayer of roses

At the beginning of October, the Church celebrated the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. It’s a prayer tool that has been around for about 800 years! Much has been said and written about it, as it seems like a topic that is inexhaustible. But is there a place for the rosary in our modern world?

In the 13th century, Our Lady appeared to St. Dominic with the option of praying the Marian Psalter. It combined the Angelic salutation with the life and works of Jesus, teaching the basics of the faith and combating the heresies at the time. It was a spiritual weapon that converted, or reconverted, many to the faith. In some ways, it mirrors the 150 Psalms, only instead of having to memorize all the different Psalms, it’s just a few prayers and the mysteries for meditation. A big part of the rosary is meditation, thinking about the specific mystery during the course of reciting an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be. If all three sets of the original mysteries are prayed, then you would be reciting the Hail Mary 150 times. While memorization was important in the 13th century since that is how many things were taught to new generations, in today’s era of asking Google or Siri whatever is on your mind, memorization is not a skill that is actively pursued.

With the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, the ability to read and pray the Psalms from a book became possible to a greater number of people. However, praying all 150 of them does take quite a lot of time, since some of them are very long! The most I’ve done during Adoration is to pray the seven penitential Psalms: 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143. Praying from Scripture is always encouraged, and these seven are good to become familiar with, however, I think I’ve probably had deeper spiritual experiences when praying the Sorrowful mysteries than the penitential Psalms.

The majority of each mystery is meditated upon with the backdrop chant of the relatively short prayer of the Hail Mary. We repeat the words of the Angel Gabriel and the acknowledgement of Elizabeth, while seeking the intercession of Mary now and at the moment of our death. To some it may sound like we’re praising Mary, but in reality, we are praising God for His most perfect work of creation. In each mystery, God in one of the Trinitarian persons, is facilitating the event. Even those events that seem to be about Mary, like the Annunciation or the Assumption, are prompted by God with Mary as its recipient. It is truly a God-centric prayer and meditating on the mysteries can bring us closer to Him.

In our age of social media, it’s much easier to scroll endlessly through Facebook, Instagram, or any of the other platforms looking for something to catch our eye or entertain us. How can the rosary be a method of prayer embraced in today’s world? Perhaps because of its simplicity and non-technological requirements, it is the best method for people to get to know God. Whenever I read articles on reducing anxiety or managing stress, one of the suggestions is always learning and taking time to meditate. Usually the suggestions are to learn some Eastern form of meditation, and I wonder how many Catholics forego praying the rosary and embrace these other types of meditation thinking they are somehow better? Yet when one takes time to meditate on God, and especially the earthly life of His Son Jesus, the power of the prayer can calm our troubled hearts and minds as well as orient ourselves to God’s will.

The rosary is a timeless method of prayer designed to bring a person closer to God, provide mental exercise that can reduce stress and anxiety, and can be completed in about 20 minutes for one set of mysteries. It is the perfect prayer for those on the go as well as those who need to practice how to quiet their mind in order to better hear and see the impact of God in their lives. It is as if we are presenting a rose to Mary each time we pray the Hail Mary, who then presents them on our behalf to God as a beautiful and fragrant bouquet.

At the foot of the cross

The third set of the last seven words of Jesus is addressed to His mother, Mary, and Saint John the Beloved Apostle. These words take a little family and transcend their relationship throughout all generations. 

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

John 19:26-27

Mary and John stood  at the foot of the cross. They could  do nothing but watch and pray. Yet, they are there for Jesus, to support Him as a family does when one member is suffering. They are the witnesses of His final hours, and  while it is painful to watch, this is the reason Jesus came to earth — to suffer, die, and rise for the redemption of our sins. They have the courage to stand amongst those who believe this is the end of the disturbance that Jesus has brought about with His teaching. I would have thought they would be fearful for their lives as well. But perhaps their love for Jesus was stronger than any fears they may have had for their own lives. Maybe it’s because John was the single Apostle to stand at the foot of the cross, that he was spared a martyr’s death that all the other Apostles eventually faced. I can only imagine the trauma and emotional strain of watching a beloved friend be executed in such a brutal manner that  the price of this witness may have cost him more than a martyrdom would have.

The exchange that Jesus directs from the cross has long been taught by the Church: it’s at this moment that Mary becomes Mother to the Church and Mother of All. John is the sole representative of all the Christians that shall live in the ages that follow. John receives Mary and cares for her needs for the duration of her lifetime. However, Mary’s needs have not stopped there, but rather they have been transformed to care for all God’s children, and directs us to do God’s will in the charity we share with our neighbor. Likewise, we continue John’s work by seeking her intercession and guidance to draw closer to God.

Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant. She carried Jesus within her womb and raised Him, protecting His young life and supported Him during His ministry. Once again she is called to accept God’s will as she watches her precious Son slowly die in agony. Her pain is as sharp as a sword, just like Simeon predicted all those years ago when Jesus was first presented in the Temple. One could even ponder as to whether or not she knew what would happen and how things would end. Yet even if she did know about Jesus’ inevitable crucifixion, His resurrection needed to follow His death. Each moment Jesus hung on the cross must have felt like a lifetime. But Mary had declared herself the handmaid of the Lord and she trusted in Him, no matter the cost. 

Let us ponder what it means to stand in support of Jesus on the cross. Is our love for Him stronger than our fears? Do we seek to do what God calls us to do? Do we trust God even when it seems that the worst possible thing is happening? Calling out to Blessed Mother Mary and St. John, let us ask for their intercession as we progress through this Lent and pick up our daily crosses.