Dear Parish Family,
One of our parishioners recently found out that her father-in-law was terminally ill. It caused her to dig deeply into her faith and she remembered how important prayer was throughout his life – long before being diagnosed with cancer. She then sent me this tender reflection on what this journey has been like for her:
“My father-in-law’s spirits are high but the outlook is not so good. He continues to exude joy and faith in all that he does, but he made a specific request of me personally. He asked that I find a way to incorporate saying the Rosary in my day, not for him, but rather because he believed it would help me. He has asked all of us each Easter and Christmas season to do this, but this time his plea was personal and timed in a way that was especially meaningful. Ultimately, I made a commitment that I would make a concerted effort to say the rosary, starting small by making it happen once a week. My mother-in-law generously gave me a beautiful Rosary from her collection along with a card of how to say the rosary including the different mysteries.
Admittedly, I've just begun to truly incorporate the Rosary in my life and it has been on my mind a lot. It seems like a simple task, but it is challenging to set aside the time and to be fully present when doing so. I'm keep the encouraging words of my father-in-law fresh in my mind so as not to become discouraged...
“Just do what you can.”
“It will get easier.”
“If you don't finish it in one sitting, that's okay, just pick up where you left off when you can.”
“You are not alone, a lot of people feel weird doing it at first.”
Not everyone has an amazing family to help with these things like I do so I want to share my story of beginning a new prayer practice. Perhaps if others learned more about the rosary, they too may be inspired to give it a try and discover a little more of the peace that I already have begun to feel by including it in my life.”
For the month of May, you’ll find a basket at the main entrance of the church filled with rosaries and guides for how to pray with the beads. Consider taking them and giving this prayer a try. Those of us with a daily prayer practice all agree that once you’ve tasted the peace of daily prayer, you can never go back. The peace it gives is beyond precious.
Happy Mother's Day!
Father Scott