CC#9--Mothers Always Listen To Their Children

Welcome to the theory to action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time, to help you take action immediately, and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now, here's your host, David Kaiser.

Hello, I am David and welcome back to the theory to action podcast. In this special segment we call the Catholic corner, where we attempt to pull faith and the supernatural life, from the corner of our lives, so to speak, back to the center of our lives to help us all live a life of virtue, a life of freedom, pursuing excellence, which is ultimately a flourishing life. Since we're in the month of May, which traditionally is the month dedicated to the mother of Jesus Mary, I thought we would share an excellent book that helped me and my spiritual life to say the rosary prayer with more regularity. And with more devotion. 

That book is praying the rosary like never before, encounter the wonder of heaven and earth by Edward Shri. It was written back in 2017. And I must say it's a very easy book to read it just 192 pages. I would recommend this book for any Catholics struggling to say, a daily rosary or any potential new Catholic for that matter. That would like to have a greater Devotion to Mary by saying her most favorite prayer. First, let's define what is the rosary prayer. So the Rosary is a word that is derived from Latin comes from Latin it means a garland of roses, and the rose being one of the flowers used most to symbolize the Virgin Mary. And, of course, probably it's the most emblematic prayer for all Catholics. I would guess if you were to take a poll of all non Catholics and say what was the most what was the most identifying characteristic of Catholics in terms of their devotions, I believe most would say rosary beads. And so the rosary, it's broken up into a set number of specific prayers. 

The rosary itself consists of 50 total beads. Those beads represent 50 Hail Marys, which will be said over the course of five decades, which is the normal way to say rosary. Each decade is broken down into 10 Hail Marys, and there will be in the beginning there will be an Apostles Creed. That is said at the introduction. And then there will be an Our Father, which is the Lord's Prayer. And then there will be three Hail Marys and then one glory be and then you would move on to the introduction of the mystery. And so there's typically five there's typically well there is five mysteries per each rosary that is said. 

Typically, the joyful mysteries are on Mondays and Thursdays the Sorrowful Mysteries are on Tuesdays and Fridays and the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesdays and Saturdays that has that conception of the Rosary has been in existence since the 16th and 1700s. And 2002. John Paul the Second, gave to the church a new set of mysteries to be contemplated and meditated upon. These were the Luminous Mysteries meaning reflection of light mysteries, and he recommended that the church in the faithful. See these mysteries contemplate these mysteries on Thursdays. Anyhow, not to get too deep in the weeds on how to say a rosary. The big thing is the meditation in the reflection, following our lady's life as she interacts with her son. Because she is always pointing the way to her son. So there's a great devotion going to Mary through Mary looking at our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Now I should say, at the very end of the Rosary, there is one concluding prayer, which is the hail holy queen, and you can certainly look up all these prayers online to get their actual verbiage on certainly Protestants would recognize their father, the Lord's Prayer and then most Catholics, even if they're not, even if they have not had good Cata cases, hopefully would still remember the Hail Mary, and the glory be in the hail holy Queen prayers. So what are the origins of the Rosary? Most would say it was given
by Mary to St. Dominic in the early 20, early 13th century. 

Now, some of that is now disputed. But for the most part, most believe it was given to St. Dominic. But the actual concept of the Rosary, as more evidence is uncovered, actually predates St. Dominic and certainly predates. It goes back centuries, right to the apostles, as they were introducing Christianity throughout the world, to talk about our Lord Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection, and the good note, good news, so to speak. So right after that apostolic that apostolic era ended. Many monks throughout the, throughout the world, throughout the Roman region, many monks of the second, third and fourth centuries began to recite the 150 Psalms of the Bible, they begin to recite it as a way to sanctify their day. They did this on a regular basis, those 150 Psalms certainly come from the whole Old Testament. So they would make this their prayer, and this prayer would be recited. And sometimes it would, it would morph into a chanting of some, or some forms of singing. And they certainly couldn't remember all the different Psalms, all 150. But they would recite their favorite Psalm and repeat that over and over. And over time. Perhaps depending on their circumstances, they would reduce that from 150 to 100, and then sometimes down to 50. recitations. 

And the way the rosary beads came about was they would tie beads, or back then they would actually tie knots into a chord or a rope as a way to allow them to use that rope or cord to just use with their hands and be able to monitor and see their progression through the different number of prayers. And it's just a way of monks were able to stay recollected whether they were out in fields or whether they were on a walk or whether they were just silently, silently meditating. It was just as a way to stay recollected throughout their day, to offer more devotion and more prayers to God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit through our Lady through Mary. 

So with that backstory already explained, and unpacked, let's turn to our book of the day. Like I mentioned before, that book is praying the rosary like never before by Edward Shri. And like I said, it's only 192 pages very easy to get through, was written back in 2017. And with that, let me grab the book and we will get to our first poll quote. 

This work is different from other rosary books in that seeks to meet people where they are. I don't aim just to celebrate the glories of the rosary but also to address people's real felt needs with this devotion, their struggles and praying it their wandering minds, their difficulties in finding time for it. This book also considers common questions people have about the rosary, such as the significance of the Hail Mary. Whether the attention given to married distracts us from God, the meaning of all the repetition, where the rosary came from, and what to think about for each of the mysteries and whether one should focus on the prayers or the mysteries. This books this book also seeks to provide a variety of practical ways to pray the rosary suggestions that come from the rosaries, tradition, and most especially from St. John Paul the second. These are helpful tips that we can incorporate into into the different seasons and moments and challenges we face in our lives. These tips can benefit beginners, serve as easy on ramps for those who don't pray the rosary regularly, and they can motivate avid devotees of the Rosary to go deep Are with the Lord in this devotion. And that was me frankly, I pray that this book will be a helpful introduction for beginners and inspiration for those who don't pray the rosary regularly as they'd like. And a helpful guide to those hungering to go deeper with Jesus and Mary through praying the rosary, unquote. 

And again, that is Edward Shri from praying the rosary like never before.
So I have identified six different big topics or big key ideas coming away from this book, key takeaways that I think we should all consider. And one of those key topics key takeaways I'm going to share with you today. It's titled overcoming the enemy, equals two and a half minutes. Let's go back to the to Edward tree in praying the rosary like never before.

 First, imagine being the Archangel Gabriel. You existed long before the Blessed Virgin Mary was born before the village of Nazareth, was built before the people of Israel were established. Indeed, you existed before the sun, moon, stars and Planet Earth were created. And from the before the creation of the world you have been worshipping, and adoring the Almighty, all powerful, infinite God. But one day this all holy God sends you down to this little planet called Earth to visit an obscure village called Nazareth, and talk to a tiny creature, a woman named Mary and announce to her that the all powerful all holy, infinite God, you have been adoring since before creation is about to enter time and space and become a little baby in her womb. And all over the mystery of God becoming man inside Mary Gabriel says, quote, hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you. That comes to us from Luke 128. And indeed the Lord is with Mary as he has never been with anyone else from the beginning of time, unquote. 

Now how great is that perspective that Shree gives us he does a great job of putting the very first Hail Mary prayer, from Angel Gabriel to Mary. He puts it in incredible perspective. Since the beginning of time. Indeed, before the sun, moon, stars and Planet Earth were created. God chose Mary, full of grace. Sri continues. Similarly, consider Elizabeth's words to Mary. Elizabeth The Bible tells us is filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 241. That means she has been given prophetic insight. So she knows that Mary is pregnant, not with any ordinary child, but with the Holy Son of God. And in wonder over that mystery of Mary's son, Elizabeth exclaims, blessed are you among women, for blessing is the fruit of your womb. Luke 242. So this goodness continues, Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who was with child we know that to be John the Baptist, and this goodness continues in an ever increasing spiral. Shree finalizes the point, saying, This is what the Hail Mary is all about. Every time we say the Hail Mary, we enter into that a static praise of heaven and earth, over the mystery of Christ. Heaven represented by Gabriel and Earth represented by Elizabeth. By repeating these Biblical words in the Hail Mary, we participate in Heaven and Earth's joyful response to the mystery of God becoming man. As Pope John Paul the second explains, these words could be said, to give a glimpse of God's own wonderment as he contemplates his masterpiece, the incarnation of the Son in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The repetition of the Hail Mary in the rosary gives us a share In God's own wonder and pleasure, in jubilant amazement, we acknowledged the greatest miracle of history unquote, to sharing God's own wonderment and pleasure with Mary and her son, our Lord Jesus Christ. 

So back to uscan we not share the two and a half minutes a day? To give to God that it would take to say a decade, just 10 Hail Marys, while contemplate wanting while contemplating one of the mysteries of that day. We have five mysteries to contemplate. Can we not say in two and a half minutes 10 Hail Marys. The privilege should be ours. And hopefully we can share and enter that love more deeply today. 

And so in today's Catholic corner segment, perhaps if you are feeling it, perhaps you can begin to say the rosary each and every day, Our Lady of Fatima she asked the faithful the Catholic faithful in 1917 to say five decades of the rosary every day. We could dive more deeply into later episodes about the rosary in this Catholic corner segment because it's a fascinating prayer with a lot of history. And certainly, and certainly Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Lourdes two of the most major to the major apparitions of Our Lady in the last two centuries, can give us a ton of many more nuggets of wisdom that we can explore and unpack together. But if your mother asks you to do something like Our Lady of Fatima asked of us, say five decades of the rosary every day, would you not do that for your mother, especially your spiritual mother. Who ultimately tells us just like Mary told us, from the Gospels, Do whatever he tells you. Meaning do whatever Jesus tells you. She said this at the marriage feast of Cana referencing her only son, Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity. So let us today perhaps say the rosary for our friends and our family and become that living example of how to deepen our faith. And certainly for me, I encourage you, along with the title of this book from Edward Sri to pray the rosary like never before.


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