Joyful Mysteries (Random Musings)

The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation: I've often wondered about Mary's life prior to the Annunciation. I don't wonder so much about how she filled her time. Rather, I wonder about what she felt on the inside. In the depths of her heart, did she know that something great, something big - something huge, was coming? As a woman and as a person who believes that we are more aware of our purpose than we think, I think that she knew. I mean, she didn't know of course, but somewhere deep within she knew. I doubt she knew that she would bear forth the long awaited Messiah. Her confusion during the encounter with Gabriel is proof of that. But in the moments that followed that confusion, I wouldn't be at all surprised if she found herself thinking, "Oh. This is it. This is that thing I always felt was coming."

Do you trust the inclinations inside of you? Do you listen to that little voice inside of you that anticipates the greatness that you are to become?

The Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation: Why did Mary go to Elizabeth? Mary knew (because Gabriel told her) that Elizabeth was living the very power that God has to do what seems impossible. At that moment Elizabeth embodied the greatness of a truly amazing God. So did Mary. Perhaps she sought the company of someone she knew she could trust to rejoice with her in God's greatness. Perhaps Elizabeth was for Mary a place of refuge, where Mary was free to glorify God.

Who (or where) is that refuge in your life? Are you that refuge for the people around you?

The Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation: There have been moments in my life when I've really wanted to be able to present God with something that is good. I get tired of approaching God imperfect and unfinished. So often I wish I could present to Him my life lived perfectly. What I'm learning to accept is that presenting myself to Him at all is a grace and a gift. I can get so caught up in not being as good or as holy as I would like to be (or should be) that I forget to be grateful for the grace He offers that leads me to His presence anyway. The fact that He allows (in fact welcomes and encourages) me to present myself before Him at all is worth far more than even my desire to present more.

Are you grateful to God for His allowing you in His presence? Do you thank Him for the evils He does lead you away from, or is it too difficult for you to see past the evils you do face?

The Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple: For several years now I've loved meditating on how Mary and Joseph model in this mystery what companions should do with their relationships. They are seeking to find Christ - together. Their focus for those three days is to find the Child Jesus. They seek to find God. That is how all of our friendships should be. Recently though (as my friendships have been shifting) I often myself not visibly seeking Christ with some people. What I have to remember now is that the purpose of my life is to seek Christ anyway. I should strive to find God whether I'm searching alone or with a companion.

Is seeking to find God the most important thing in your life? Are you easily distracted by others in your life, or does the pursuit of God receive the full attention it deserves?

***I know that I skipped the Third Joyful Mystery (The Nativity). There was a lot of lane changing and distracted prayer happening during that mystery this morning, so I didn't meditate it on it very well. If I get an insight on the next Joyful Mystery day, I'll come back and add it in.***

Feast of St. Therese

“May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.” - St. Therese

This feast is one that I always look forward to. The novena to St. Therese has taken many forms in my life; I have never received an actual rose. I've asked for many, many things. I've wanted the answers to many, many questions. Some of my requests offered through this novena are actually embarrassing remember.

This year, I'm not expecting big answers. Oh, I want them. However, I'm learning to accept that we are not always meant to understand, and I've presented myself before God though the intercession of St. Therese over the past nine days with the hope that I am genuinely surrendered in my asking.

Happy Feast Day!

Sts. Joachim and Anne

This past weekend I volunteered at the Steubenville St. Louis Mid-America conference. I attended the conference the previous weekend with teens from the youth group.


Saturday was the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. In talking with others who attended the conference, Mary's presence seemed almost tangible. There were moments when it seemed like I couldn't get the Hail Marys out quickly enough. Her intercession was felt in many ways.

Today we are a novena away from the Feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne. Mary's parents. While what we know about Joachim and Anne comes to us from small "t" tradition and legend, many Catholics have a strong devotion.

This article does a good job summing up the truth of the matter. I also spent some time reading about both Saints on newadvent.org.

I'm excited to start a time of prayer asking for the intercession of these saints. I've never been devoted to them before, but there has always been a hint of vague curiosity within me regarding the parents of the Blessed Virgin. There has always been a sweetness that comes with the sound of their names. So this year, I plan to embrace their intercession on my behalf.

I recommend that you visit Elizabeth's blog for a story or two of personal devotion. She includes a downloadable file of St. Anne prayers. I'm planning on using the "Prayer to Obtain Some Special Favor" as a novena-type prayer until the feast day.

Please consider whether this devotion will be an asset to your personal prayers over the next 9 days.

The Solemnity of the Annunciation: Holy Land Style

Today the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Annunciation, which commemorates the angel Gabriel announcing to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and bring forth the Savior of the World. We remember and allow ourselves to be inspired by Mary's fiat - her joyful surrender to God's will.

Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done unto me according to thy word.

As those words echo in our hearts today, please enjoy some pictures from my pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

This is a picture of Mary's Well in Nazareth. This well was built over what is believed to be the site of the well from which Mary would have drawn water for her family in Nazareth. This is also the location where (in the Greek Orthodox tradition - not Roman Catholicism) Gabriel appeared to Mary.

This is the main entrance to the Catholic Church of the Annunciation. It is built over the actual home of Joachim and Anne. 

This is the grotto inside the home where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary (upon which the church from the previous picture was built).

Our group was able to celebrate mass right in front of the site of the Annunciation. In many traditional stories, the presence of Mary is often associated with the otherwise unexplained scent of roses. One of my favorite moments on this trip was during this mass when I could smell the sweetness of roses. That sign of Mary's presence along with our proximity to the location of the holy event that occurred thousands of years ago is a memory that stills brings me joy and peace.

As we take a break from our Lenten fasting today, may the disposition of our hearts and our own surrender to the will of our Father be united to Mary and offered to God through her generous and effective intercession.

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

St. Andrew Christmas Novena

You actually need to go here to read this post. I posted it to the AYM blog so that it could be more easily accessed.

Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

In honor of this liturgical celebration, here are some cool Holy Land pictures that have to do with St. Peter.

This is a picture of me touching the Sea of Galilee.  This was a wonderful site to visit on the trip. It was amazing to think of all of the life that happened on that Sea, beyond the Biblical stories.  I remember being flooded with images of St. Peter.  That Sea and its shores are truly the place of his conversion.  They are the place where he worked, lived, got it very wrong, got it more right than he could have ever imagined, and where he first began to learn to love our Lord.

This is St. Peter's house in Capernaum. This is where the first domestic church began.  The whole village of Capernaum was a really cool experience. You could still see where the houses and roads of the first century village were. You could also see the foundation of the Synagogue where Jesus prayed and visited (upon which sit the remains of a 4th century Byzantine Synagogue).  Being here, I could almost sense the hustle and bustle of life back then - not its busy-ness, but its liveliness.

This is what the locals call "St. Peter's fish."  It is the kind of fish that Peter would have caught, and that Jesus would have prepared on the sea shore after His resurrection. I ate it for lunch on the Mt. of the Beatitudes (overlooking the Sea of Galilee). For those of you who need proof of that statement, enjoy the following pictures...

It was good.  In fact, it almost tasted like chicken...you know, once I got past the whole "my lunch is looking at me" thing.

This is inside the Church of Peter's denial of Jesus.  I love this portrayal because in the same image it shows the moment of St. Peter's most obvious rejection of our Lord and the honor that God bestowed on him.  It captures the complex nuances of St. Peter with which people today can so easily identify.

Following along the same lines as the bottom portion of the previous picture, this is the Church of the Primacy of Peter.

***

On this Solemnity, may our hearts grow in love of our Lord and His Church. May all Christians be united under the primacy of the Church He instituted, and may we all find the eternal rest and happiness that Sts. Peter and Paul rejoice in now.

Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us.