Wrapped Around Our Fingers

"The Rosary is a chain which links heaven and earth."

- Saint Therese of Lisieux

In 1208, Saint Dominic was granted the gift of the rosary by Our Lady, supplying to the human race a simple devotion through which many graces could be ferried to the Church. As ages passed, the humble string of beads became one of the most common prayers of the Catholic Church, being recited in pairs, families, and congregations across the globe. The rosary has become a staple of the religious habit, being suspended on the belts of Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, and various others. The rosary is not a devotion which sits in the shadows of our faith, but is prominently depicted everywhere we turn. 

For many Catholics, it can be difficult to truly understand the beauty of the rosary. We know that praying it comes with a myriad of spiritual benefits and that Our Lady constantly requests that the people of earth pray it fervently for the conversion of sinners, but it can be hard to truly appreciate this "monotonous" prayer...until you're faced with its beauty head-on by someone who is already in love with it. 

This school year, I was blessed with a particularly wonderful chemistry teacher. A man who always begins class with a smile and a prayer, Mr. Chaves truly inspired me to explore deeper the devotion of the rosary. As a chemistry teacher, Mr. Chaves checks all the boxes - he teaches us students in a personable way and helps us to understand when we just can't wrap our minds around the mystery that is chemistry. As a Catholic, Mr. Chaves checks all those boxes too. Often, before class, he finds a way to stick in a quick plug about the awesome gift of the rosary. One can easily see the Christlike joy radiating from Mr. Chaves' smile, and he daily works to emulate the virtues of Our Lord. I have no doubt that every day, when Mr. Chaves prays the rosary, he prays it for us. 

My family always prays the rosary together in the evenings, and, as cradle-Catholics, all of my siblings and I have spent this family time going through the motions and saying the words on repeat, without truly knowing what we are saying. The beauty of "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee..." - it all goes over our heads! But there comes a point in every Catholic's journey where we come to embrace the rosary as Our Lady's hand in ours and depend on it for strength throughout our days. 

If you are reading this and have not yet realized the true beauty of this hymn to Our Mother, then I encourage you to continue praying it, to continue asking for the guidance of Our Lady in all that you do. Wrap those 59 beads around your hand and feel Our Lady holding you there, watching over you. I promise she will never leave you alone, though it may feel like that in the moment. And one day, when all this is finished, we will be able to fall into the arms of Our Blessed Mother and truly feel her there, with us. 

Mother of G'D, Mother of the Church, and Mother of Mine, pray for us!!!