Praying The Joyful Mysteries

The Annunciation

Mary was about fifteen years of age at the time of the Annunciation. She lived a simple life of the typical rural family, and we know that she was raised in a family that strongly followed their faith. One afternoon, while she was out doing her chores, out of nowhere a giant glowing angel appears. Mary is surprised and cautious. The Angel reassures her and tells Mary the message, Mary just asks about the logistics (How can this be?). She does not bargain with the Angel to say something like, "Well, this time is not all that convenient of timing for me because my betrothed husband hasn't finished building our house yet. Can you send the message back, and negotiate how this is not going to look good in this small town, and then we'll discuss further?"

Nope, her response is utterly selfless and full of faith – If God made me, and he's making this request, then he’s going to help me through this. [If God brought you to it, He's going to get you through it] She is also the first apostle because she was the first to believe that Christ would deliver people from their sins, otherwise she wouldn’t have agreed to it in the first place. In God calling Mary to be the Mother of Jesus, he identified her as a Leader because of her humility and faith. Do you know anyone in the workplace like this?

The Visitation

Mary is newly pregnant, but the man she is married to, they are not sharing the same house yet because he’s still building it, so they are not co-habitating if you get what I mean. She learns a dear cousin, who is “advanced” in age is also pregnant and pretty far along- as the Angel says “five months” Mary travels to be with her cousin to help her out because of Elizabeth's age but also pregnancy in general, women need help sometimes. Mary doesn’t waste time saying something like "Well I’m pregnant too, I could miscarry if I travel those few towns over and help out my cousin", etc. Here Mary acts in selfless charity. Her thoughts are like "My dearest, older cousin needs me, I have my own issues, but I’ll go."

Do you know anyone like this? I think of two of my dearest friends.

The first dearest friend is a friend I have known since we were both 10 that I met in elementary school in the city where I born and raised. Since graduating college I have not lived in my hometown and have had pretty sparse visits back. One visit at least once a year to see just my family, and when time allowed, maybe every third or fourth annual visit, I could "pull the grandkids away from the grandparents" for an afternoon to visit my oldest friend. We both turned 50 this year... so this is a 40 year friendship I am referring to. Though we had kind of lost touch for years at a time, being that we both were in the middle of raising a very busy family and keeping up with a household (and her an active animal farm to boot!), we still stay in touch the best we can. When my Mother passed away, I was about 41. I hadn't really spoken or texted or even Facebook messaged this dear friend in maybe two years. But, this dear sweet friend has been in the habit of reading the obituaries in the local newspaper. Out of nowhere, she is there at my mother's wake, comforting my father with all the memories of my mother when my mother would drive us around when we were childhood friends and all the visits to my house and maybe cookies my mother made and she ate...The point is, she immediately recognized that she was reading my mother's obit in the paper and she traveled across town to the funeral home. This dear friend has alot of different mobility issues, and she also manages to care for a multitude of farm animals. So, then, not only does she come to the wake, she offers to be there at the funeral the following morning to show some support for one of her oldest friends. She herself is a woman with a "babe in arms" -- because at that time of my Mother's passing, she was the day time care giver for her niece who is about between 2 to 3 years old at the time.

Has anyone reading this post had the experience of bringing a 3 year old child to an hour long mass at a Catholic church??? We Catholics do not send the young children to the Sunday School classrooms so they do not distract the adults who are trying to pray. Oh no, each Sunday while we are desperately trying to mindfully worship and adore our Lord while also simultaneously trying to keep our little cherub angel toddlers and preschoolers from anointing the pews in front of us with Cheerios, shouting out random "Alleluia"s and "Amen"s (or more like "Owwww" or "No, no, no, my toy....." at inappropriate times during the mass. So, this dearest oldest friend brings her niece to the funeral mass, and I see her carrying her little niece, who is clutching the softest love warn stuff animal, as she approaches the alter for communion. And after she receives she passes by the front pew where I am seated with my father and brother gives me a warm assuring glance that says "I am here for you"

The second is a friend I have had for about 15 years now. We met in the city that I currently live in, and we see each other a couple times a year for lunch/dinner or with a slightly larger group of other ladies friends. About three years my Dad was in his final stages with his battle with colon rectal cancer, and was told by the doctor that he was in his final six months. While I living through my own trial with my own Dad, this friend was diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer, had a lumpectomy then underwent daily radiation treatments for early stage breast cancer, while also being the only adult child caring for very two elderly, weak parents. In the same two weeks, amid her radiation treatments mind you, she simultaneously contracted shingles and a sinus infection. Yet, she showed the upmost act of selfless charity when I may Dad passed away. Despite all her illness she was currently experiencing, she still organized our larger group of lady friends to receive donations for and then go the grocery store to purchase meals for me. And on the day she delivered the meals, she also took me out to dinner with a few of the ladies from that friend group.

So, like my oldest childhood friend who was present for me when my Mother passed away and like my dearest friend that lives in my current home town who brought me all those meals when my Dad passed away, these friends are living the gospel. These are a modern day examples of how Mary put other people's needs first, despite their own very valid and significant issues they were dealing with on themselves.

The Nativity

Mary and Joseph are aligned that they have been chosen for something “pretty awesome.” This request that has been made of them is going to change the world – literally. There’s quite a few bumpy times along the way. Perhaps Joseph's reaction to the news of the pregnancy and the obligation for the long trip to the town of his birth for the census could have been responded with an attitude of "Really, I have to travel to Bethlehem with a pregnant wife? Really?" Well, okay we’re going, we trust you will keep us safe. Then, again, really, no hotel room? Joseph does not tell all the various inn keepers something like "Hey, you have just no idea who is about to born here. He’s a king, you can’t even find a spare bed somewhere to make my wife comfortable and have a better chance of a safe delivery for both the child and the mother?." Nope, Mary and Joseph are like we’ll take that barn, we’ll make the best of it. It was God’s will, we have the faith, let’s do it and do our best. Then to be rewarded with the honor of the a visit of kings with gifts, and that the word spread to the lowly shepherds by the Angel. It’s kind of like a confirmation for them. It is kid of like "Okay, we were told this was going to be great, but now we’re in a barn house, Oh but wait, yeh, we are on the right path if these other people knew it too." Have you ever kind of questioned a plan, but when you receive confirmation from others, you felt better?

Presentation in the Temple

Mary and Joseph were people of faith, and they just received confirmation from the three wise men and the shepherd's visits that indeed the baby was the son of God. In addition to the confirmation from these nativity scene visitors at the stable, one of the most powerful earthly Kings at the time wanted the child slain. But, you know what, Mary and Joseph were humble enough to follow through with the “rule” that the first born son had to be brought to the temple and offered some doves in thanksgiving for the child. There, they receive even further confirmation when Simeon says behold at last I have seen the savior as the Lord has promised. Simeon further said something like: "And Mary, just so you know, while it is awesome and all that God chose you with something so so so very important, it isn't going to be easy for any of you. Swords will pierce your heart (ie Christ's passion and crucifixion, the hiding in the room after the Resurrection, etc.) Have you ever been promoted in a new job and on hand you are glad your strengths were recognized to lead the team/project. But, the same person that hired your also said just because you were promoted to this position doesn’t mean it is going to be easy, there will be bumps along the way and you will need to keep learning.

Finding of Jesus in the Temple

When Mary finally found Jesus in the template after three days of searching, she said to Jesus "Son, you caused your father and I so much distress because you were missing/ we were apart from you for three days." Mary and Joseph spent three days walking back through the entire group of relatives who had made the trip. They checked with all the cousins, neighbors, etc that were in the caravan. Their search for Jesus for the those three days is alot like when we, as Catholics, sometimes need to do a lot of mental work to find Jesus. Work like reading scripture, reading a faith based book, going through an online Bible study, maybe setting an appointment with a deacon or priest, researching a new saint, or finding new novenas or prayers. There is also the physical discomfort. Like all the walking and re-tracing their steps like Mary and Joseph did, if we are actively searching for Jesus there is also the physical discomfort – sleeplessness, sadness, anxiety, anger, etc.

And when Mary finds Jesus he responds simply: “Don’t you know I’m here to do my Father’s business?” In our lives we can often feel distant from Jesus. Every day does not feel like the Sunday school songs we learn where we are always happy because God is there. We lose him, and we lose him A LOT and often. Even when we’ve had a few good weeks, we trip up with either a trial or a temptation. And it is a lot of effort to find him again. And when we do find him again, he’s not like “Oh, hey, sorry, forgot to text you” He’s like “Hey, this is my Father’s work” meaning – the trials you go through in life are there so that you pay attention that I am missing and you need to do some work to find me again. He is always right here doing his Father’s will...