Prayer will set you free...

Joyful mysteries of uncertainty

Donald Rumsfeld, the former United States Secretary of Defence, once said: “As we know, there are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”

None of us, it seems, have all the answers – not even Donald Rumsfeld. But for all the unknowns and uncertainties in life, we can also be assured of, through God’s goodness, the certitudes of joy. Sometimes the two feelings go hand in hand. Uncertainties can raise questions, even when we experience joy in our heart. The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary illustrate this truth. Each occasion of joy, each bead, is threaded and tied with a question of uncertainty.

In the mystery of the Annunciation, the news that she is chosen to be the Mother of God prompts Mary to ask with uncertainty: “But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?”

Her cousin Elizabeth, overjoyed and excited by Mary’s visitation also raises a question: “Why should I be so honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?”

And surely there is uncertainty for Mary and Joseph as they make their way to Bethlehem to register for the census, aware that the birth of Jesus is imminent. No hospitals in those days, not even room in a warm guest-house.

Then the time arrives for Joseph and Mary to fulfil the law and present Jesus in the Temple – a joyful occasion, notably for Simeon who has waited so long to set eyes on the the Saviour of the world. But for Mary and Joseph, they can only stand and wonder at the things Simeon is saying about Jesus, especially when he speaks to Mary of a sword that will pierce her heart.

Life’s unknowns for Mary and Joseph manifest again in the final joyful mystery when Jesus goes missing. It’s a joy to discover that he is safe in the Temple. But this joy is mixed with uncertainty when Mary asks her Son, “My child, why have you done this to us?” And even when Jesus explains, his parents fail to understand his answer. The question of uncertainty remains.

Each joyful mystery is a journey, each bead a stop on the journey, a station, an incident – an episode in our life. And we know there is a degree of uncertainty with any journey we undertake.

The journey for Mary begins with the arrival of the Angel Gabriel. Pregnant, she sets out on a long journey from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea, some 70 miles away. Three months later Mary returns to Nazareth. Almost six months pass before Joseph and Mary are on the move again, this time to Bethlehem. From Bethlehem it’s just a short passage to Jerusalem for the Presentation; and then follows the long journey into Egypt before the Holy Family eventually move back to Nazareth.

St Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph would journey to Jerusalem every year for the Passover. On one occasion on their way back to Nazareth, they discover that Jesus is missing from the caravan. And so yet another journey, another step of uncertainty, is undertaken to search for the twelve-year-old.

The journeys for Jesus and Mary continue with the mysteries of Light, the Sorrowful mysteries, and the Glorious mysteries.

In her messages from Medjugorje, Our Lady often refers to the journey with Jesus as the path – of perfection, of peace, of love, of salvation, the path towards eternal life.

It is impossible to share in this journey and its joys and illuminations, its sorrows and glories, without confronting uncertainty and the unknown. There is no easy by-pass to Heaven, just the certainty of faith knowing that Jesus has prepared a place for each of us that desire to make the journey and follow him.

I desire that through you the whole world may get to know the God of joy. By your life bear witness for God’s joy. Do not be anxious or worried. God himself will help you and show you the way. part message, May 25, 1998

Walk with Mary...

The following is adapted from a homily given by an Irish priest at St James church in Medjugorje on October 7, 2006.

I am here with a group of pilgrims from many different parts of Ireland, but we are all pilgrims. We are all brothers and sisters here. We are all Mary’s children, and thank God for that. I’ve jotted down a few thoughts that were coming to me during the week.

There is an old custom and an effort is being made to revive it in this present time and it’s the custom of saying the Three Hail Mary’s. And if you go back in Ireland and I’m sure other countries, maybe 20 years ago, when you went to confession, unless you had something very bad to tell, the priest would usually let you get away with three Hail Mary’s for penance. At home when we were maybe in need or trying to do something, our parents or somebody else would say to us, say three Hail Mary’s. And there is an effort being made now to revive that. I feel that it’s something worth considering and its not to replace our regular prayer, it’s to increase the prayer that’s already there and to enhance it. Simply before or during the day when you find things difficult, stop for a moment and say the three Hail Mary’s, and that will lead you into more prayer. You might say, well three Hail Mary’s, what can that do? Very early here, Our Lady reminded us that even one Hail Mary is a great consolation to Her. We will never know how much good Our Blessed Mother can do with one Hail Mary that we would say, one prayer, well said. It can be the start of a great grace or great blessing. It’s like the young man who had the few loaves and fishes. He was keeping them for himself, for his own use, but when he gave them to the Lord, the Lord blessed them and multiplied them and it became the great miracle of the loaves and fishes. The little we have when we give it to the Almighty can become something very special, very great indeed.

What’s happening here in this Church of St. James is something out of this world. And we all are feeling uplifted during the Mass, the Adoration is an experience not to be missed.

The confessions outside are another great blessing. And we all think, “Oh, if we could only take this home, wouldn’t it be great. If there was something like this in our own churches on Saturday evenings or Sunday mornings wouldn’t we uplift people?” How do we do it we wonder? I feel that the way we might be able to do it is just to move out from here. What I feel is happening here is because of what is happening outside around the village in the fields. People like ourselves unashamedly praying, carrying their Rosary beads. There’s nothing different in what is happening here (in St. James Church) and outside of here (in the village streets and fields). Of course when we go back to our parishes there is the church. We have our churches, we have our faith but when we leave our churches we seem to leave everything else as well, including God. And we’ve drifted a way a little bit in our prayer and as we fall off in prayer, we fall away from God. We have distanced ourselves from God. Our problems have become big because our God has become small. So we need to once again to begin to take the Mass and what is happening in our churches, out into our daily life.

I’m very impressed by people moving among the streets and fields praying in groups. I’m particularly impressed with our young people, turning their Rosary beads and unashamedly being part of all of the spiritual exercises. I’d like to say to all of us when we go back home, let’s not be ashamed of carrying the Rosary beads and let them be seen. There’s nothing wrong going inside a church to visit the Blessed Sacrament, to light a candle, to say a prayer.

Pope Paul VI said people will be more impressed by witness than anything else. And take the late great Pope John Paul II. Was there anyone in the last 50 years that stood out more than he did? Why? Because first of all he was a man of prayer with a deep devotion to Our Blessed Mother. Remember the last time he was in Lourdes, down at the grotto, crippled with pain. When the prayers were finished he asked his helpers, his aides, to take him out of his wheelchair and he was stooped over to one side. They said, “Your Holiness, you won’t be able to do it.” He said, no I want to do it. And they placed him on the kneeler and he spent a considerable amount of time in prayer to the Blessed Mother. What prayer he said, we will never know. He knew that this would be his last time. When he got up he turned to the people who were in wheelchairs, and to people who were suffering a great deal. He said, “I’m here as one of you. Walk with Mary.”

And that’s the point of being here in Medjugorje. We’re walking with Mary and we need to do it when we go back home also. Our own Rosary priest from Ireland, Fr. Peyton, coined the phrase, “the family that prays together, stays together.” Who could not be impressed by Vicka yesterday morning in particular her prayer, her deep prayer, her reverence in prayer, her life in prayer. And this morning we got another beautiful message from Jakov. And one of the very first things he said was the graces of Medjugorje are not just for Medjugorje. They’re for all of us and all our parishes and that should help us go home feeling we’re not alone in trying to bring this message of Our Blessed Mother to a hungry world.

This should be a very precious item for all of us. Have your Rosary beads in your possession. It will protect us. But it’s no good just having it on us. We need to be using it. And when we start using our Rosary beads, in our hands it is the Blessed Mother’s hand in our hand. And just try to remember that as we pray. As we pray the Rosary, Our Lady is praying with us. She is holding our hands as we hold the Rosary beads. When we start to pray like that we will then be led into Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and Mass. We won’t just be bumping into Jesus, we will be letting him touch us and when we let Jesus touch us, our lives will be transformed and then people will begin to see Jesus living in us and our faith will come alive in church and out of church.

Our Lady’s messages concerning the Rosary

I would like the people to pray along with me these days. And to pray as much as possible! And to fast strictly on Wednesdays and Fridays, and every day to pray at least one Rosary: the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries. August 14, 1984

Dear children! You have helped me along by your prayers to realize my plans. Keep on praying that my plans completely I request the families of the parish to pray the family rosary. Thank you for having responded to my call. September 27, 1984

Dear children, Let all the prayers you say in your homes in the evening be for the conversion of sinners because the world is in great sin. Every evening pray the rosary. October 8, 1984

I invite you to call on everyone to pray the Rosary. With the rosary you shall overcome all the adversities which Satan is trying to inflict on the Catholic Church. All you priests, pray the Rosary! Dedicate your time to the Rosary! June 25, 1985

Dear children! Today I call you especially now to advance against Satan by means of prayer. Satan wants to work still more now that you know he is at work. Dear children, put on the armor for battle and with the Rosary in your hand defeat him! Thank you for having responded to my call. August 8, 1985

Dear children! Today I call you to begin to pray the Rosary with a living faith. That way I will be able to help you. You, dear children, wish to obtain graces, but you are not praying. I am not able to help you because you do not want to get started. Dear children, I am calling you to pray the Rosary and that your Rosary be an obligation which you shall fulfill with joy. That way you shall understand the reason I am with you this long. I desire to teach you to pray. Thank you for having responded to my call. June 12, 1986

Pray and let the rosary always be in your hand as a sign to Satan that you belong to me. Thank you for having responded to my call. part message February 25, 1988

Dear children! Today, like never before, I invite you to prayer. Let your prayer be a prayer for peace. Satan is strong and desires to destroy not only human life, but also nature and the planet on which you live. Therefore, dear children, pray that through prayer you can protect yourselves with God's blessing of peace. God has sent me among you so that I may help you. If you so wish, grasp for the rosary. Even the rosary alone can work miracles in the world and in your lives. I bless you and I remain with you for as long as it is God's will. Thank you for not betraying my presence here and I thank you because your response is serving the good and the peace. January 25, 1991

I call all priests and religious brothers and sisters to pray the rosary and to teach others to pray. The rosary, little children, is especially dear to me. Through the rosary open your heart to me and I am able to help you. Thank you for having responded to my call. part message, August 25, 1997

Dear children! Also today, I call you to prayer. Little children, prayer works miracles. When you are tired and sick and you do not know the meaning of your life, take the Rosary and pray; pray until prayer becomes for you a joyful meeting with your Savior. I am with you, little children, and I intercede and pray for you. Thank you for having responded to my call. April 25, 2001

Giving and receiving

Some thoughts on the Rosary’s Joyful Mysteries...

• Everything I have in life is gift from God... my very life is such a gift... a gift is a present... it is given. There are two actions involved in making a gift or presentation – giving and receiving. To receive, I have to be present or present myself in some way. By making myself present or available, I am also giving of myself. Each Joyful Mystery is linked by a presentation theme... a present or gift.

The Annunciation: Mary is presented with the good news – the gift of Jesus in her womb. Mary gives of herself when she says, yes. She presents herself to accept or receive the gift.

The Visitation: Mary and Jesus present themselves to Elizabeth and the child in her womb, John. Elizabeth acknowledges the visitation; first giving praise to Jesus: “Blessed is the fruit of your womb,” and then to Mary: “Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?” Even the child in Elizabeth’s womb, an unexpected gift from God, is delighted and leaps for joy! Mary, too, then proclaims the gift of Jesus when she responds with the Magnificat.

The Nativity: Wise men, kings and shepherds present themselves to Jesus. Mary presents Jesus to the world, rich and poor. Jesus offers Peace to all men; but not everyone will present or give of themselves to receive and accept the gift.

The Presentation: Mary and Joseph present Jesus to God. Two doves are also presented as sacrifice. Simeon is given the gift of enlightenment and recognises God’s gift to the world and the hearts of mankind.

Finding Jesus in the Temple: The discovery of the ever-present Jesus in the hearts of men – an eternal present, an everlasting gift. Jesus gives of himself in the Temple, is present with the doctors, listening and giving answers to their questions.

LIFE IS PURE GIFT!

Mary’s response

Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee...
My Son, Jesus Christ wishes to bestow on you special graces through me...

Blessed art though among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus...
As I bore Jesus in my womb, so also, dear children, do I wish to bear you unto holiness...

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now...
Everyday I pray to my Son to forgive the sins of the world... I am His Mother, and I intercede for you with Him... all prayers go to Jesus...

...and at the hour of our death.
I am with you and intercede for you in front of God... I am with you and unceasingly I keep watch over every heart which is given to me...

• Our Lady’s words were taken from her messages dated:
May 17, 1984; March 25, 1990; November 3, 1981; December 31, 1981;
November 25, 1988; February 25, 1989.

The hand of your Mother...

The Rosary was in the hands of Our Lady in Lourdes and in Fatima... It is in the hands of Our Lady in Medjugorje... Today she places it in your hand... The Rosary – the hand of your mother in your hand.

• Fr Jozo Zovko OFM

The Rosary

The Rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of the world and open on the substance of the next.

• Bishop Fulton Sheen 1953

The Rosary is dear to Our Lady

I call all priests and religious brothers and sisters to pray the Rosary and to teach others to pray. The Rosary, little children, is especially dear to me. Through the Rosary open your heart to me and I will be able to help you. Thank you for having responded to my call.

• part message from Our Lady given to Marija Pavlovic, August 25, 1997.