Rosaries

One of the ways that I pass the time as I journey from one place to another is in prayer, or contemplation.  Since Wednesday I have been walking on average about 8 to 10 hours a day, that is a lot of time for prayer!  Sometimes I marvel at the creation I am traveling through, at other times on how God is working in my heart and still other times I am praying for the needs of the elevations communities that I am part of, my family, my co-workers, my parish, the deacons and clergy of Denver and my friends.

One of the best tools for being a pilgrim is the rosary - each one is a meditation on the life of Christ's through the eyes of Mary.  It is my goto prayer when I am engaged in strenuous work (like climbing hills and mountains).

I also use the rosary to memorize the scriptures.  For example when I was meditating on the Beatitudes the other day I would recite the verse for a particular Beatitude on each "Hail Mary" bead, and then once a decade pray a Glory Be and a Hailary reflecting on how Mary experienced or lived that Beatitude.

Finally, the Rosary is also a great way to pair up the person I am praying for with a particular intention.  Sometimes they just fit, like when someone is suffering and I pray the sorrowful mysteries for them, or when someone is always cheerful and I pray the joyful mysteries for them.  

Who do you need to pray for today?  A spouse? A child?  A friend?  Someone else in one of your communities?  Consider taking s (short) walk and praying for them - a mini pilgrimage in 20 minutes!