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Posted May 22, 2013
5 Delightful Mysteries of the RosaryBy Father William ByrneI don't mean to seem cheeky as if I am St. Dominic who received the Rosary from our Blessed Mother or Blessed John Paul who gave us the Luminous Mysteries, but I have come up with my own set of mysteries in honor of Mary's month of May. I wish that I could claim that I received these in a mystical state, but rather I tend to get easily distracted so these are the result of mental wanderings as I have said the beads. Although the Gospels don't explicitly say that Mary smiled, we know that she must have since she is a human like you and me. I have chosen times in the life of our Lady and our Lord Jesus when she must have cracked a smile. While I don't expect Pope Francis to adopt these for the universal Church, perhaps you may enjoy my 5 Delightful Mysteries of the Rosary. 1. Jesus gets unusual baby gifts. - As the Magi laid down the gold, frankincense and myrrh, I imagine Mary's smile of gratitude mixed with an interior giggle. I imagine her thinking, "These guys know nothing about a newborn." Frankincense, a expensive incense or perfume, and myrrh, an anointing oil, have symbolic significance but they are not particularly practical when you need diapers. Joseph must have been glad for the gold when they had to head to Egypt. Mary teaches us to be gracious with those who might not know better. 2. Mary attends Jesus' soccer game etc.. - This is the most flexible of the Delightful Mysteries because it can include anything that happened in the life the Holy Family from the time that Jesus was 12, when he is found in the Temple, until he began his ministry at the age of 30. These 18 years are called the Hidden Life because Scripture does not record any of the events. It was then that Jesus was growing up and learning from Mary and Joseph how to be a man. Other names for this mystery might be "Mary hosts a kid's birthday party" or "Mary and Joseph wait up for kids to get back from prom." You are only limited by your imagination. What's important is that the Hidden Life is your life. 3. Mary waits outside. - In Matthew 12, Jesus is addressing a crowd and is told that his mother and brothers are outside. He says to his listeners, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?' And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." (Matthew 12:48-50) At first we might think Mary might have been annoyed, but I picture a big smile as she rejoiced that their love was not limited but actually had no limits. It includes even you and me. 4. Mary meets the resurrected Jesus. - Scripture does not record this moment, but it does not take much to imagine the smile on Mary's face as not only her Savior but also her son is alive! Feel her joy. 5. Mary receives the Eucharist. - Jesus is truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament in his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. As truly as Mary carried him in her body after the Annunciation so also do we carry the same Jesus truly present in our bodies as we receive him at Mass. Imagine our Lady's sublime joy, and her big smile, when she experienced that intimacy with her boy Jesus, her Lord, again at each Mass. That smile must have been remarkable. When you do say the real Rosary, pray a bead for me. |