Monday, November 21, 2005

My Pocket Rosary

This is something that I started doing about 2 months ago. It works for me, and I'm sharing it here hoping that it might help somebody else.

A Friar suggested to me that a good way to deal with anger is to say the Rosary. I've never been much of a Rosary person but I figured, what can it hurt? I started keeping one in my pocket (and I am rarely without a pocket). The idea is that when I start to get angry I should take a time-out and pray for a decade or more, with the intention of relieving my anger and finding a good way to resolve the situation.

Around the same time, I started to think about the fact that people, myself included, say they will pray for some intention. I don't want to forget that I have promised a friend that I will pray for their grandmother, or whatever it is. So I began to dedicate my "pocket Rosary" for a certain intention each day. If someone asks me to pray for their intention, I dedicate my day's "pocket Rosary" for that. Each time I notice the Rosary in my pocket, I saw a quick prayer for the day's intention. And of course any decades I might complete are also offered for that intention.

It helps me to know that I am following up on the situation somehow. I know some people keep notebooks, or whatever. This is what works for me, right now.

I read somewhere--and if I can remember where, I will credit it properly--that the best response when someone asks you to pray for them is to say something like, "I will pray for you, as the Lord brings you to my mind." Whenever you think of this person, just say a quick prayer for them. Chances are, the Lord will bring them to your mind often.

That said, today's Pocket Rosary will be for the Cajun Princess.

3 comments:

Steve said...

I love you Barb! You just brought tears to my eyes1

Steve said...

I always had an affinity for the rosary; even before I became Catholic, for some crazy reason (unbeknownst to me at the time)I wanted to learn it waaaaay back
"In the day" as it were. I always knew how to do the Hail Mary, it just seemed like something I needed to know. Oh how little did I know how much I needed that prayer!

I've heard it said that padre Pio prayed the rosary 20 time a day, as he walked, he kept it in his pocket and continually prayed. i like that, makes it feel even all the more right.

Elena LaVictoire said...

What a wonderful idea! and very practical too. thanks for sharing it.