St. Pascal Baylon Catholic Church

As I entered the Oakdale post office this week to pick up our held mail I encountered a much longer line than I expected for a weekday afternoon. With only two clerks working it looked like it would be a while. After my initial frustration, I remembered to continue the Rosary I had been praying in the car. My time in line allowed me to turn a frustrating event into a time of prayer reflecting on the third Luminous Mystery, “The Proclamation of the Kingdom”.

Instead of fretting about how long each customer was taking to do a simple mail transaction I was able to think about how Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God through his ministry. How he had patience, which I tend to have a short supply of at times. Confronted with people crowding to see him and bringing loved ones to be healed, he stayed with the crowds bringing love, forgiveness, healing, and hope. This reflection provided me an opportunity to think about how I can model this in my interactions with others.

Just as I was finishing the mystery it was my turn to head to the counter. I had lost track of what was going on and how much time each transaction was taking as I ticked off the hail Mary’s with my fingers. The beauty of the Rosary is that you can do it with a group or alone, with a nice set of beads or on your fingers, and it is a tool that allows us to dive ever deeper into the mystery of God’s Love that entered into our world through the incarnation.

I know that praying the Rosary is not for everybody, but if you have not tried praying the Rosary I encourage you to give it a try. It will be cumbersome at first, as is any new endeavor. If you stick with it the prayers and routine of the Rosary will become second nature and you can free yourself to dive ever more deeply into the mystery of God’s revelation in Jesus. I find the link between my time studying and praying with scripture and the mysteries of the Rosary to enhance my prayer life and understanding of the Gospel of Jesus.

Standing in lines like I had to shortly after 9/11 at the San Diego airport security checkpoint can be like a mini-retreat. On that occasion the line was so long I was able to pray all 4 mysteries of the Rosary!

Peace and blessings,

Deacon Richard