Journey with Jesus and Mary
The mysteries of the Holy Rosary.
Journey Through Time
Anne Lastman
The Rosary considered a Catholic prayer, and today in our daily prayer life is thought best left to the nanas, elderly aunts and even older mothers but not a spirituality of the younger pray-ers. And yet if taught and understood well, and considered well, it can be seen beautifully and the way that God brings about his Holy will, that it is, the story of a journey begun in the Garden of Eden, creation, sin, promise of redemption.
Beginning from Genesis with the expulsion of the man and woman from the garden God who had promised a redeemer, set out to begin the work to bring this about. It’s a glorious prayer which, when meditated upon and understood well, allows us to continue that part of the journey allotted to us to continue the journey which begins at the gates of the garden and with each individual the baton is passed on from generation to generation until the end of time. It’s a prayer retelling the whole story like the twelve tribes of Israel who gathered annually at Shechem, retold their story verbatim, adding the new events of past year, and then returning to their tribes till the following year and the return to do the same the following year and so on. Oral Tradition, which could not and cannot have one word changed.
This journey begun eons ago not only takes us to the arrival Jesus but introduces us to the history of all those who would journey whether in joy and even those who would be rebellious. All the personages along that journey would be introduced and their contributions to their part of that journey.
This many layered prayer (mostly rejected by non-Catholic worshippers) is the prayer of a journey, not a static prayer, naming those who would be met along the way and those who would be prominent individuals, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, King David, Prophets, leading at the end with the arrival of the promised one. Him who was first promised at the time of the sin and loss of friendship between Creator God and man. The Saviour, the one who would defeat him.
The seed of “the woman” (not man as it was then believed) the promised one was to come and lead us as we try to understand that journey from beginning to the end of the whole story. The woman (Maryam) his mother will walk with her divine son who would come and complete the task of reclaiming the lost relationship between man with his Creator father and then return having accomplished his mission and again the words “very pleased” with his son’s work would be heard. His work in bringing back those who had been touched by the claw of satan. The story ends with woman crowned in glory because of her “Yes”.
When we speak about the holy mother and give her, her many appellations, “Star of the Sea”, “Virgin of virgins,” “Queen of apostles” “queen of peace,” and the many more, we can only imagine what these mean. We can only use human language and the meanings we have appended to them, but do they really mean the same? We see her adorned with garments of what earthly beauty might be like. (clothing of middle ages). We visualise “star of the sea” stars surrounding her as perhaps she stands over the sea, as her son in the future would also control nature, the sea by quietening it and then walking on it. “Queen of peace” but again, what does peace look like because we haven’t known what peace looks like. As a humanity we have never known what true peace has looked like because true peace was disturbed in the garden, and a really difficult one to understand “virgin of virgins” what does that mean? Is it the virginity we understand today, free from sexual intercourse, or is it a different virginity, one not understood as a virginity, meaning one untouched by stain of sin. Like the “woman of Genesis” We speak of a human woman, born like the rest of human beings but one created like the very first one, with all perfection before stain of sin touched her with her decision to doubt and reject the words of her creator, but the new “Eve” new “woman” new “virgin” is one who remained, virgin, perfection, fighting temptation to rebel against her creator by remaining virgin, unmoved, untouched by that claw. And yet we speak of her (Maryam’s) perfection and still we cannot know what this means until, with hope, we will see what these appellations mean.
This reminds me of recent years past standing in front of basilica of Our Lady of Fatima, in Portugal, and looking high up at the huge statue of the most blessed of all women and weeping and feeling unworthy being allowed to be there and in her presence. I remember a man standing nearby and looking at me and said, “why are you crying?” (reminded me of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, “woman why are you weeping?”) and I responded saying “because I’m not worthy to be here” and his response (which I will always remember) quietly “you didn’t choose to be here, mother called you” and he walked away. I continued to walk around in a different level of consciousness. Next to the deity and her son, Mother calls and we respond because she chose us to visit with her. Perhaps the greatest pain in the future for one who has been called to visit is the pain remembered about when the call came, and sin covered the body like a dirty mantle. It’s a memory which never leaves because we know that when she was called by the Angel she was “full of grace” and one who presents before her, covered by sin, sorrow can only be the response.
The holy Rosary is the journey to prepare a people, a family, and household, a tribe, a kingdom and a nation to be made ready for the time a human, a very young woman would be asked the question would she permit herself to be the mother of God’s son, whose name was to be Jesus, (saviour of his people) and all creation waited to hear the response. That “Yes” would reverse the “No” of eons earlier. Would she allow herself to be a place where her God’s son could take up residence, as human being, and her beautiful response “let it be done unto me according to thy word” her yes and all that, that would mean. Beginning with conceiving, giving birth, mothering her son to adult life, and walking with him as he slowly began the work he was born to do. That is, carrying all our sins on his body, our sorrows and even our joys.
We walk with them on this journey in the Now, not two thousand years ago but now. We walk with them now. the journey towards the barque with Peter (the barque) which would lead other boats towards that garden and angels with flaming swords with the future visible captain of the Barque to steer. Not land but a barque, or even perhaps an ark like Noah’s ark which allowed entry of each member of creation. All welcome on the barque. As we meditate on the Joyful mysteries, we enter into the time of what we believe to be two thousand years ago, but not so. We walk with them now accompanying them as they journey onwards. They continue to walk with us in an unbroken journey. But as we meditate on the mysteries, we will be able to see clearly how creation and redemption has been a journey and as the journey progressed with each person passing the story and history orally the story and history in an unbroken line. Similar to the twelve tribes of Israel meeting at Shechem once a year retelling their story verbatim, (oral tradition) adding the events of this past year to be retold together with all others and then returning to their own tribal land and families To pass on the story to them.
From the first mystery (Joyful) we can begin to see that this is the beginning of Creator God keeping his promise to send a saviour and in the sending we get to see that this would take the style of journey over many years, many lands, many individuals, many journeys until a point in time is reached where a people had been prepared and a young Almah (maiden) prepared to be asked the question and her response returned to the most high.
Today as we enter into this mystery, we may close our eyes, still our thoughts, control heartbeat and be present as the messenger {angel} carried the message from the one who had created the one “full of grace” her response back to her creator.
We know that God is the God of time. For him there is no yesterday or tomorrow or next week, month or year. For him all that happens is now. He abides in the Eternal now and within that “now” creation exists. For the young Almah {maiden} her time and response are also “now” suspended in time. From us to her we can enter her time and place as she can enter ours, as we too wait and watch the messenger from heaven make the momentous request. We also wait in anticipation because she is a young woman. Someone who lived with parents, as was the custom, who’s prayer for woman was her home and family life and rituals which surrounded them and comforted them and made their life within their God, blessed.
As we sit and meditate on this epic scene of an Archangel asking permission of a lowly handmaiden to be the mother of the son of the highest, we sit and gaze with awe at the scene. We sit with Maryam as she ponders on what has just happened. Her answer is still suspended. There is silence, (same as at the moment of His death. Creation for a second stood still) wondering, awe, even fear and we sit there with her. We gather around her and the angel Gabriel whose name means strength of God. She now needs the strength of God to know what to do and finally with a gentle, feminine voice, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour”
How beautiful is her response and all of earthly creation and heavenly creation sigh deeply. It’s to be accomplished. There is the Yes. the answer to her Father “Teltelestai” (It is accomplished.) The mission to ask and receive the answer accomplished. Later, again the word Teltelestai (it is accomplished) will be repeated. At Her son’s death when his work is completed.
From the very beginning, after sin, a journey had begun. A journey which would take untold millennia. Many twists and turns, many minor and longer journeys. Many individuals who would prepare the people to recognize the saviour. Many types who would prepare ears and eyes to recognize creator Father that it was He who was journeying with them, leading them, protecting them. By day with a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire by night. He would feed them, protect them by even suspending nature (crossing the Red Sea). He would be their protector whose story would be repeated annually and to each generation.
Every mystery of the Rosary has the theme of journey. From Nazareth to Ein Karem (Elizabeth) back to Nazareth, then to Bethlehem, then back home to Nazareth, then to Egypt, then back to Nazareth, later back to the Temple and a return to the temple in Jerusalem to find the child. Then for a time silence. He went home “and was obedient to them.”
The journey to Cana in Galilee to a wedding (possibly a family relative), his first miracle and the most important part of this visitation and the miracle, his mother giving him permission to set forth on a new journey as her earthly son, from then onwards this journey towards Jerusalem would be as his Father’s son. The “hour” had now come and the Journey towards the final Teltelestai. Why her permission? Because her permission was asked to receive him at his beginning and now her permission to let him go to carry out the work of his father. She knew he had reached the time to begin his work and encouraged the miracle which would uncover his identity and so leave her behind and start another much shorter journey.
The Joyful mysteries are one long journey.
Once Jesus had left his mother to begin the work of his father, the journey became more determined. The Luminous mysteries are the beginning of his public ministry. His journey to the Jordan to meet his cousin and receive his baptism, followed by journey after having chosen his apostles to slowly beginning the announcement of the arrival of the redeemer “behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29) An announcement which wasn’t really understood because the people had not understood that the kingdom of God had arrived come upon you. Behold the kingdom of God is in the midst of you (LK17:20-21) to each town and hamlet he preached that the kingdom of God had come and is amid them. Throughout the land he walked with his apostles and preached, healed, comforted, raised from the dead. He gave clues of his identity but wasn’t recognised because he was considered as one of them “Isn’t this the carpenters son?” the expectation was that the new Messiah would be in the style of David, a warrior messiah/king who would liberate them from Roman rule, and so the journey continued whilst teaching and preaching to those who would listen and his apostles and disciples.
His time was coming for him to turn his face resolutely towards Jerusalem and this was announced with journeying up to Mt Tabor with three of his apostles (Peter, who would be left to begin and hold the church together, steer the barque, James, who would lead the Church in Jerusalem, and John who would take care of the woman who had said Yes to his earthly life) to these he left a responsibility. At the Transfiguration he showed them who he was and had been as he walked amongst them. To remember what they had seen in his final journey towards the completion. After this he turned his face towards Jerusalem where he would endure the final chapter of his earthly life, the death ritual. He even gave them a promise that he would be with them forever. And to eat of his flesh (forbidden from time of beginning) and drink of his blood (previously forbidden) but now a new covenant made and signed with his blood and with this he would remain with them and in them and they in him. The Holy Spirit, the spirit of his father and himself would ensure this. His pain, fears, sense of abandonment, continued until his final Teltelestai (Father it is accomplished) He came to defeat death and with the final earthly journey up to calvary, the mission of his coming had been accomplished.
His now final work (very different from the start) beginning with resurrection, (death defeated and the leaving (Ascension) he had reversed the closure of the gate of Eden (and man had seen again the face of God -son) and lived- reversal of man cannot see the face of God and live (Ex 33:20) and entry into the heaven was again opened. The final teachings, his unusual appearances, his comforting of them and their fears, he made his final journey, it’s believed from Mt of Olives-in a garden, the same as where death had been chosen, garden of Eden.
What was left was to later return and take his mother body and soul to the place created just for her. The woman who had said yes “let it be done according to thy word” to be with him and his earthly father Joseph, and Heavenly Creator father and the Holy spirit who had hovered over her at conception and with this completed the physical earthly journey with the crowning of his beloved mother as queen.
We use these terms because they are human terms for highest honour as we do not know any other way to express the respect of an honoured one (3rd commandment, respect your mother and father. Jesus had done both) He had respected his Father and His mother. Fulfilled first and second commands to honour his father, and first commandment relating to human creation, commandment to honour and respect his mother.
For those who believe in divine history, that history of human beings began with expulsion from a garden and ends again by leaving via a garden. The story of life had gone the full circle. Accomplished.
However, this time with Yes echoing through time. “I am with you always until the end of time” (Mt 28:20)
