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iThe Rosary
iMarch 06th, 2018
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i
iI like to pray the rosary. I didn't understand it for a really
ilong time. Even when I made my way back to Catholicism it never
imade any sense to me. The formal, stilted prayer of my childhood
ididn't sit well with me. It felt like a performance and not
ia connection to the divine.
i
iThe first time I tried it was more of a lark than an honest
ieffort. The repetition, the monotonous droning of voices, it all
iadded up to nonsense. I tried it anyway.
i
iAt first I was lost in the specifics, the order, which comes next,
iand what is a Sorrowful Mystery. Somewhere around the second
idecade--that is, the second set of 10 Hail Mary prayers--I lost
ifocus on the words I was saying and felt my mind snap shut onto an
iintention. I thought of a close friend who needed the kind of help
ithat comes from God, the kind that's deep inside. I said the words
iand before I knew it the decade ended. As the Our Father began
iagain my mind flashed to someone else and held fast. Ten prayers
irepeated without a single distracted thought stepping in the way.
i
iIt is the way of a mantra. It is the spirit of the mandala. It is
ifound in a thousand traditions in a thousand faiths in a thousand
iforms. The repetition, the effort spent on the menial to provide
ifocus for the sublime, that is the spirit I find in the rosary.
i
i - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
i
iTonight I completed work on a small stick that my son picked up on
ia walk. It's about 9 inches long and not much more than a twig. It
ihas been cleaned of bark, soaked in boiled linseed oil, waxed, and
ithen carefully wrapped in about 4,000 individual threaded knots.
iThe colors are purple and orange, as he picked them. I'll share
ia picture of it on Mastodon without any description so the only
iones in-the-know will be gopher.club.
i
iI made one of these for myself years ago while on a silent
iretreat. It became, in a sense, a focus of prayer and intention
imuch like the rosary. My mind was free to engage on one special
ithought because my body was burning away distraction through
iprecise, monotonous physical actions.
i
iThe meaning behind the sticks isn't important to others, but
iI thought the idea something you all might relate to. I suspect
ithere's some element in the passion of knitters, bikers, and
irunners. I'm glad I was able to finish this for him tonight.
iI think I needed the prayer as much as he'll enjoy the result.
i