The Family Rosary

At the gathering after Mass, this little man sees my camera and is interested...

Takes a closer look...

I back up trying to get a photo but he's still coming closer...

I at last get a full photo and them let him flip through the photos of himself, which he loves! Wonderful little boy with down syndrome who comes to Mass every Sunday at the Carmel.

Dear Friends and Family,

Blessed Sunday to all of you! Has been a good, and full! day here. There was of course the Sunday Mass and Confessions before and after. Today there were a number of visitors from out of town at Mass--since it is still high vacation time in England, and was neat to get to know their families and children. In fact this week there was a fairly regular stream of visitors stopping in to visit the historic chapel--some with no faith at all, others lapsed Catholics but who remembered the place, and others who had come back to the Catholic Faith because of a previous visit. Among others was a young hispanic family from Houston! So I got a chance to speak a bit of Spanish again.

This past Wednesday evening I headed out to a farm to get my hair cut and then join the family for their family rosary. Was very nice. They have the custom of praying the rosary each week together--the grandparents and then as many of the children and grandchildren as can make it. There is something deep and wonderful about the family rosary. In this case the family, as well some friends and their children visiting, gathered in a cosy room but in which all of us managed to fit. They then began with each person being able to present a petition, while the others listened and prayed. Then as the rosary began each decade would be lead by a different part of the family. Afterwards I asked them if they had any special stories of how God had acted in their life through the rosary and they did indeed! I won't repeat them here since I didn't ask their permission, but really beautiful stories of how God's grace had acted through their heavenly Mother.

Then as the sun was setting I gave a blessing to the visiting family, who would have to return home the next day, hopped in the car, and drove back to the Carmel, with a special peace and joy in my heart. There is something uniquely good about the family rosary. There's a peacefulness (of course sometimes children are crawling up the walls but even then there's a deeper peacefulness!), and simplicity, and sense of coming together over what is truly important in life. I can see why the rosary has been such a crucial element of family prayer for so many years. May it thrive again today!

As we prayed the rosary the little man in the photos above crawled around, at one point offering me his stuffed animal, which I took for a bit and then gave back to him. I couldn't help but think of how we are all called to become like little children. May Our Lady help us to become again true children at heart, that we might have the hope, peace, and joy that only the Lord can give in the midst of our crazy world today!

May Jesus and Mary watch over you all and grant you whatever graces you need this week.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Anthony Pillari