A mother’s memories!
We all know what a scrapbook is. It is not about simple scraps. It is about keeping memories alive.
I am sure more than one of you who has survived the death of your mother was surprised by … and deeply moved by what she kept of your childhood.
Among them are firsts such as baby shoes, coloring books, report cards, Mother’s Day cards, and maybe even your first baby tooth. Souvenirs of milestones in your life.
All were precious to her. Years later, she could take out these mementos and be transported back to those special moments in the life of the one who was the center of her life.
The Rosary as Mary’s Memories
St. John Paul, when he introduced a fourth set of memories, oops, I mean, mysteries of the rosary, wrote a section titled “Mary’s Memories”
He reminds us Mary lived with her eyes fixed on Christ, treasuring his every word: “She kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19; cf. 2:51).
To me, that’s another way of saying she kept a scrapbook of memories in her heart.
St. John Paul reminded us …
The memories of Jesus, impressed upon her heart, were always with her, leading her to reflect on the various moments of her life at her Son’s side. In a way, those memories were to be the “rosary” which she recited uninterruptedly throughout her earthly life.
She probably never saw anything like what we call a scrapbook. But if she did I would not be surprised if she had sections for memories that were joyful, sorrowful, and glorious.
Mary’s Luminous or “light-filled” memories
In establishing the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary, St. John Paul encourages us to join Mary in her memories of Jesus bringing light to the world. He singles out five moments in particular.
- Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan when God told us that Jesus was his beloved. Listen to him.
- His first sign at the wedding feast at Cana… a sign which he performed at the intervention of his mother. (What a memory to treasure!)!
- Jesus’ first proclamation of the kingdom of God. “The time has come, the kingdom of God is near, repent, change your way of thinking, and believe the good news.
- His transfiguration when the Spirit of God descended upon him like a dove. “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.”
- His last supper and the Eucharist, when he showed them what he wanted them to do in memory of him… “wash one another’s feet” He gave his life to show us what it means to love one another in real life.
The Rosary as a Christo-centric prayer
St. John Paul continues
All of these memories were first and foremost memories of her son. The Rosary is at heart a Christocentric prayer. To recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ.
The Rosary mystically transports us to Mary’s side as she is busy watching over the human growth of Christ in the home of Nazareth. This enables her to train us and to mold us with the same care, until Christ is “fully formed” in us (cf. Gal 4:19). This role of Mary, totally grounded in that of Christ and radically subordinated to it, “in no way obscures or diminishes the unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power”.
As you pray the rosary, appreciate that it is about Mary’s memories of Jesus. Memories which she pondered in her heart.
Thank you, Fr. John, for this deep reflection on the Rosary.
Some parts hit me in a special way, like what you say at the last luminous mystery: “…when he [Jesus] showed them what he wanted them to do in memory of him… “wash one another’s feet”. He gave his life to show us what it means to love one another in real life.”
Well, “wash one another feet” and not: “cut off one another’s feet”. I’ll keep it in mind for a quite difficult task I embarked on years ago.
I am discovering that denouncing “evil”, which I feel is my duty to do, and loving my enemies, at the same time, is quite a Christian enterprise!!! I was reflecting: after all, isn’t the love of our enemies what distinguishes Jesus’ followers from the followers of other religions?