My friend Heather started RCIA classes recently. When we were at her house on New Years Eve, we got to talking about the rosary. Though they taught the class how to say it in RCIA, she hasn’t been comfortable with it.
I know the feeling. I felt the same way not so long ago. I remember sitting on my bed, in my apartment, holding the beads and feeling even more klutzy than usual. This is supposed to be easy? I muttered, as I tried to juggle meditating on a mystery and keeping my fingers on the right bead and saying a prayer I wasn’t comfortable with yet.
I gave up on it pretty quickly. But God wasn’t going to let me off the hook so easily (and I’m grateful for that!). In one big lump, I had something big to pray about, a commute to grad school, and a rosary CD a friend had given me. It was around that time that I realized that I have ten fingers – exactly the number of Hail Marys in a decade! – and so it was that I came up with my little system for driving and counting off the prayers in a rosary.
In the midst of all that rosary-ing, I got hooked.
So when Heather shared that she’s sort of confused and floundering with the rosary, I had sympathy. But I knew just where to shop and just what to send her.
Since our husbands work together, it was easy enough to stuff an envelope full of goodies and send it via “hubby mail” to the office. She sent me a little note thanking me, and sharing this little exchange she had with her three-year-old daughter as they were looking through the pamphlet that briefly outlines and explains the mysteries (in full-color with beautiful pictures).
Emma: Where’s Jesus’ daddy?
Heather: He’s in Heaven.
Emma: I want to see Jesus.
Heather: Well Honey, He lives… in… your heart.
Emma: He does?
Heather: Mmm Hmmm.
Emma (eyes wide open): Wowwww…And is it him that keeps my heart “beeping”?
Heather: Well, in a way…yes…
Emma (shocked amazement…jaw dropping): Mommy feel! Feel it beeping? You feel Jesus doing that?
Heather (emotional now): Yes, Honey…I do.
Emma: Jesus sure is strong, isn’t he?
Heather (eyes welling with tears): Yes…he sure is.
