Maddie and I on the Way

It was lovely.We had just returned from writing poetry by the river. Moments of peace. Now, I am sitting by the fire with my rosary in hand. Then, it struck me. It's Tuesday.The Sorrowful Mysteries.On Christmas. I was tempted to cheat and do the Joyful. Who would know ? But that didn't seem like it would be a true rosary, so I relented.

Tell me I am not the only one who would rather focus on joys and glorious things rather than sad ones. I think that I am a little afraid of the sorrowful mysteries and I don't even know what that means. But then something happened that was so wonderful.

The night before, at the Children's Mass, my 6 year old granddaughter, Maddie,  asked about one of the Stations of the Cross that she could see from her seat.These Stations are created out at the monastery and are of stained glass.So colorful and beautiful. They catch the eye even though that night they were hard to see for the crowds.These stations depict what happened to Christ in His last hours on earth and as He walked the streets on His way to the cross.Pretty grim and sorrowful.

Maddie's first question was: "Did He want to die?"Then," why are they taking His robe?" and on it went. I felt privileged to be holding her hand as we journeyed from place to place. I had to move  the choir bongos to see the last one; Christ wrapped up and heading for the grave. This was much like going from one sad bead to the next.

As I prayed the rosary,  this came to me; when I travel these sorrowful mysteries twice a week, I am no longer by myself on this sad trek. In some way that I know to be true but have no idea how, my Maddie is with me , holding my hand. I am not alone.