To Be a Saint or Saintly Sinner
Since we are approaching the feast of the halloweds (the saints), I’ve been musing about sainthood. One of my favorite prayers as a teenager was, “O God Who art all powerful, make me a saint.” Some people exclaim, “I’m no saint,” yet we are all called to be saints. As French novelist Leon Bloy pointed out, “The only real failure in life is not to be a saint.” If we are not saints by the time we die, then we will have a miserable eternity. In view of our weakness, faults and temptations around us, being holy may appear farfetched, for some impossible! Keep in mind, though, that saints were sinners too—they had “tilted halos”— yet they loved God and others. The canonized saints are to serve as models for us, although the martyrs’ path to sanctity is not very appealing. The uncanonized saints, some of whom we rub shoulders with, may be easier to imitate. (more…)
The Rosary: Gospel on Beads
This week I saw the rough sketches for my next book, which is about funny stories from Sisters of Notre Dame classrooms. I suggested that the artist add a large rosary to the drawing of a Sister and e-mailed this photo of the one I used to wear. Although the rosary no longer hangs from our waist, warning students that we are approaching, we still pray it everyday. It is a powerful prayer, and one that Mary urged us to pray when she appeared at Fatima. She prayed it with Saint Bernadette at Lourdes (except for the Hail Marys!). In fact, after the catastrophe of September 11, Pope John Paul II asked us to pray the rosary for peace. October 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and the whole month is dedicated to this beloved prayer. It’s a good time to renew the practice of praying the rosary. It is not old-fashioned but ever new because while we say the formula prayers, we mediate on Gospel events.
I like to tell this story, which is quoted here from my book The Catholic Companion to Mary:
“A university student sitting on a train next to an old man praying the rosary remarked, “I don’t believe in such silly things. Take my advice. Throw the rosary out of this window and learn what science has to say.” “Science? I don’t understand,” replied the man. “Maybe you can explain it to me.” The student offered, “Give me your address and I’ll send you some literature.” Fumbling in his pocket, the old man drew out his business card. The boy looked at the card and burned with shame. It read, ‘Louis Pasteur, Director of the Institute of Scientific Research, Paris.’ ”
The rosary came about when illiterate people couldn’t pray the 150 psalms. They began to pray 150 Our Fathers. This evolved into 150 Hail Marys (Mary’s Psalter). Saint Louis de Montfort wrote a book called The Secret of the Rosary. In it he stated, “If you say the rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins, ‘you will receive a never-fading crown of glory.’ ”
Rosaries are not just for hanging on rear view mirrors, wearing around the neck, or holding in the hand when our body is in a coffin! They are meant to be prayed in honor of our Blessed Mother. People pray the rosary on beads they received for First Communion, on ten-bead bracelets and rings, or on their fingers, which conveniently number ten. Families pray the rosary together; some people pray it when they can’t fall asleep. Pope Francis prays the rosary when he takes a break—sometimes three rosaries a day. He finds it restful.
If you’ve forgotten how to pray the Rosary, you can pray along at the website www.comepraytherosary.org. To teach children about the rosary, there is the reproducible book The Rosary: The Gospel on Beads for Grades 2–6, which can be found in my Bookstore.
When has the rosary meant a lot to you? Do you have a special rosary?
The Challenge of Spontaneous Prayer
A Catholic convert from an evangelical tradition asked me this week, “Why don’t Catholics pray spontaneously?” This is a good question. My friend proposed that it was because no one taught us to offer personal prayers out loud. I wonder, though, how it happened that our Christian brothers and sisters find it so easy to do, and we Catholics don’t. The closest thing we come to it is saying “God bless you” when someone sneezes. When asked to offer a prayer, we feel tongue-tied and self-conscious. Yet, imagine if instead of just promising someone, “I’ll pray for you,” we stopped and right then and there spoke to God about the person’s concerns. That person would be consoled and strengthened by hearing our prayer—and we wouldn’t risk forgetting to pray for him or her. (more…)
God Speaks Through Nature, His Creation
Now that the trees are about to burst in autumn glory, I thought the introduction to the first book I ever had published (Voices) would be appropriate. (It’s out of print now.) Here it is:
Creators are mirrored in their creations, A song reflects the composer; a painter, the artist; a book the author. In the same way the universe, the masterpiece of the supreme Creator, reveals God. Its variety, its intricacy, and its magnitude attest to God’s wisdom and power. Every created thing is an epiphany, echoing some aspect of the divine Being. (more…)
Memorization for Knowledge and Prayer
What do you have committed to memory? Probably the ABCs, the multiplication tables, and at least a few of your passwords. Nowadays, when we can always consult the Internet for information, memorizing is sometimes viewed as outdated. Yet, our power to remember things is a boon. When I was a child, for each piano lesson I had to memorize a piece of music. (Now it’s difficult to master even one!) We marvel at those musicians who play long pieces without looking at a score. In the spiritual life, memorizing is helpful. We can still recite the Catholic prayers we learned at our mother’s knee—and perhaps the Baltimore Catechism answers. This common knowledge helps when we pray as a group or discuss the truths of our faith. Memorizing Scripture has value too. (more…)
