The Rosary
The rosary is not just a set of beads used as a guide for repetition. It is the symbol of the story of the life of Jesus. Knowing and meditating on his story causes growth in our spirits and strength for our souls. It connects us to him as human beings who experience the same things and enlightens us in our own struggles.
My name is Tina Coffey and I am a member of the Parish Council here at St. Joseph. This week I will continue our series of personal testimonies by sharing my story.
When I sat down to write this, I asked myself if this was possible. How am I going to truly reach hundreds of people in a matter of minutes? Rather than continue to tell myself how impossible this was, I decided to pick up the very tool that I was challenged to share with you today. I picked up my rosary and began to pray. The following is what God gave to me. I ask you to open your minds and hearts to hear my story.
What is the Rosary? It is the truth, a history, a weapon against evil, and finally a tool that can increase faith and grace.
The Rosary is the story of a real family and the events in their lives.
It is the story of good news, a visit with a family member you love, the birth of a new baby. It is proud moments parents have for their child and also the fear and worry a parent experiences.
It is life’s celebrations and miracles: baptisms, weddings, living out your calling,
It is tragedy: worry and fear, facing fears, facing the evil in this world, and finally facing and coming to terms with death.
It is overcoming the odds, winning a battle that seems impossible, experiencing justice, and eternal rewards.
All the events I named are not generic life events but real emotions and experiences felt and lived by Mary, Joseph, and Jesus.
The rosary is not just a set of beads used as a guide for repetition. It is the symbol of the story of the life of Jesus. Knowing and meditating on his story causes growth in our spirits and strength for our souls. It connects us to him as human beings who experience the same things and enlightens us in our own struggles.
I am a cradle catholic who lived a typical life of catholic school and going to mass on Sundays – not much else. I miscarried a baby 12 years ago and faced the question we all face. Why God?? Why have you abandoned me? When you ask that question, just as Jesus did on the cross, it is not abandonment but rather an invitation by God to make a choice: “Turn towards me and I will give you what you need or turn away and lose everything.”
I chose to turn toward him because I felt I had no alternative. I was desperate for children and I knew He was the only way. I found peace and safety in the rosary because I felt, “who would understand my pain better than the Blessed Mother.” It was a baby step, that has led to hundreds of baby steps in my faith.
Faith is not a giant leap you can take and be done with. It is a lifetime of steps forward and backward. Each step gives you growth, knowledge, peace, and understanding.
I challenge and invite each of you to pick up a rosary. Learn how to pray it. Take a baby step on your path towards communion with God.
As Catholics we use the terms communion and eucharist synonymously. Our goal as a parish council is to recognize and share that the eucharist is in fact the source and summit of our faith.
Answered Prayers
God really does answer our prayers (though not always the way we want of course) and many times He uses the people around us to answer them. The next time I feel a prompting to “do the right thing” – I’m going to listen to it. It may be God using ME to answer someone else’s prayer!
Hi! My name is Annette McGarrahan, and I’d like to tell you a true story.
When I was about 20 years old, my father took a job in Baltimore, Maryland.
Since my family lived in the Midwest at the time, this was going to entail a big move, with a several-hundred-mile drive in the car. My two sisters and I were all in college and working summer jobs – only my two brothers, who were 15 and 12, would be moving with my parents. But my father had to leave to start the new job right away, so that left my mother to drive halfway across the country with my two brothers.
I hated the thought of Mom making that long drive by herself. My brothers could keep her company, but they couldn’t give her a break from all that driving. What could I do? I was working an hourly job that didn’t provide for vacation time. Finally, I just decided that I had to help my mom. Even though it meant losing my paycheck for awhile, I just felt I had to drive over with her – it was the right thing to do. So I went into my boss and told him I needed the time off, and explained why. He kindly agreed to let me go.
I went home to tell my mom the good news, and she was very happy. She told her parents (my grandparents) who lived about four blocks from us. Of course, they were also very happy. The next time my grandmother saw me, she said, “Annette, I’m so happy you’re going to drive with Peggy (my mom) over to Baltimore. I was so worried about her, and I prayed that God would help us out and He did!” As she told me this, a shiver ran down my spine, as I realized that God had used ME to answer my grandmother’s prayer! I had never had that happen to me before – that awesome feeling that God had used me as His instrument. It showed me in a very concrete way that the power of prayer is real.
God really does answer our prayers (though not always the way we want of course) and many times He uses the people around us to answer them. So the next time I feel a prompting to “do the right thing” – I’m going to listen to it. It may be God using ME to answer someone else’s prayer!
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