So Much More Than Beads

Hail Mary, full of grace...

When I'm scared, I pray the Rosary.
When I'm worried, I pray the Rosary.
When others ask me to pray for them, I pray the Rosary.

The Lord is with thee...

Holding the beads is comforting. Reciting the prayers is comforting. Today I sat in the backseat of a car. Silent. Praying the Rosary. Then sat in a hospital waiting room. Listening. Praying the Rosary.  Talking. Praying the Rosary. Hugging. Praying the Rosary.

Blessed art thou amongst women...

When I administered tests to my students, I roamed the room silently praying Rosaries, manipulating the beads in one hand (I've become quite the master of the one-handed Rosary hold).

And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

All those years, I thought I did this unnoticed. Until one year the ESL teacher asked me to come to her room to read an essay. This was not unusual, but this time it was different. The essay she wanted me to read was a copy of a college entrance essay. A copy she had made for me.

Holy Mary, mother of God...

The student wrote about the time he was taking a TAKS retest and his teacher walked around the room praying for him. He said that to him it meant I hadn't given up on him. And I hadn't. I don't remember his name, but I can picture his face. He wasn't my student, but he came to my classroom after school three days a week for tutorials.

Pray for us sinners...

Reading that essay, I remembered that he had caught me praying during that test. He stopped me as I walked by his desk and asked, "Miss, are you praying the Rosary?" I told him I was. He asked me how many I'd said. Two. His response? "You must be slow. My mom says them really fast."

Now and at the hour of our death.

He was right to feel that praying that Rosary meant I hadn't given up on him. I hadn't. The man I prayed it for today? I hadn't given up on him either. That's what the Rosary is about. Hope. That's why I pray it. Because when I'm scared, I want to hope. When I'm worried, I want to hope. When I'm sad, I want to hope. Mary helps me find my hope. Those beads help me find my hope.

Amen