Tag Archives: Rosary

The Second GLORIOUS Mystery – THE ASCENSION by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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This mystery recalls how Jesus, at the end of his earthly ministry, ascended in to heaven and sat at the right hand of God the Father. This occurred forty days after His resurrection. Both the gospel of Mark (16:19 ) and the Acts of the Apostles (1:8-9) mention this in the scriptures. The Church associates the Ascension with Jesus’ call for His disciples to pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. This happened nine days after the Ascension on the Feast of Pentecost. We, to this day, celebrate novenas (prayers for nine days) because of this. Also associated with His Ascension is the Great Commission from Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus tells us, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This is the mission of the Church.

This second Glorious mystery is so important as it celebrates the very successful culmination of Jesus’ ministry here on earth AND His triumphal return to the Father in Heaven. It also celebrates the elevated human condition of all mankind as Jesus takes His glorified, human body in to Heaven. We, as His human children, will follow Him. Now, and forever, humanity is a permanent part of the Godhead. Think about that….. It is so amazing. God has lifted up humanity to share in His divinity. At mass, in the preparation of the cup, as he pours water in to the wine, the deacon (or if there is no deacon, the priest) quietly says, “By the mystery of this water in wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” Because of Jesus, we share in the Divinity and the Divinity shares in our humanity. That is quite mind-blowing when you really think about it. The Jesus that we follow and pray to is BOTH the Word (2nd person of the Trinity) and the glorified human born of the Virgin Mary, now and forevermore in Heaven.

Before His crucifixion, Jesus was preparing His disciples for His absence and said to them, in John 16: 7, “Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth: it is better for you that I depart. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, whereas if I go, I will send Him to you.“ As much as the apostles wanted Jesus to stay, He made it quite clear to them that it was better for Him to go. When He went to the Father, He, would send the Holy Spirit to be with them, and to all of us, forever. Jesus’s Ascension to the Father allowed us to receive the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ promise to be with us always, until the end of the world, is kept in our receiving THE power from heaven, the Holy Spirit.

The departure of Jesus in the Ascension led to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, just nine days later. This Holy Spirit empowered the Apostles and disciples of Jesus at the beginning of the Church and has continued to do so to the present day. Jesus, in John 16: 12 said, “I have much more to tell you, but you would not be able to bear it now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth”; but more about that next week in the third Glorious Mystery.

Questions to Ponder:

1 – Do I honor all humanity by recognizing it sharing in the divinity of God?

2 – Do I respect, and help others to respect human life from conception to natural death?

3 – Do I really believe in the power of prayer?

4 – When is the last time that I prayed a novena?

5 – Do I rely upon the power of God’s Holy Spirit to lead me and guide me.

6 – Do I try to live out the mission of the Church by trying to “make disciples” by teaching others the Christian Way through my words and the way I live my life?

7 – Do I encourage others to seek the Christian baptism?

8 – Do I read and study the scriptures on a regular basis?

9 – Do I pay attention to all the words of the mass?

10 – Do I feel the presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit and through the Church?

The Second Sorrowful Mystery – THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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All three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) as well as John’s gospel tell of how Jesus was tortured in one way or another before being crucified, Matthew and Mark and John mention that Jesus was scourged, or flogged. Luke says that He was punished. The mention of the pillar is not in scripture, however, it was common Roman practice to strip a man before crucifixion and to tie him to a pillar and then to whip him. Also, Church tradition not only tells us that he was tied to a pillar, but the Church is in possession of the pillar that Jesus was whipped on. The Roman’s were very good at inflicting pain, and there is no doubt that Jesus suffered greatly here, even to pealing off of his back skin. The scourging was done with a flagrum, which is a leather whip with three or more leather tails that had plumbatae (small metal balls or sheep bones) attached to the end of each tail. These not only inflicted great pain, but also would rip open the skin. Jesus suffered greatly from this scourging.

When the Romans tortured Jesus, they did so in front of the public on the very streets that Jesus walked, teached and healed people. Mel Gibson, in his movie about the PASSION of Jesus, delivers the scourging scene that makes even the most hardened of hearts, cringe from the pain that Jesus suffered. There is no doubt that the pain that Jesus felt during this scourging was immense. On top of that immense physical pain, I can just imagine the emotional pain that Jesus felt. Here were the people that Jesus was dying for, now mocking him. Here were His children, whom He loved so much, giving Him terrible pain. He must have seen his own mother, Mary as well as His disciples gathered around watching Him be scourged. How difficult, emotionally, that must have been on Jesus.

Jesus knew that He was on the way to be crucified and how painful that was going to be. Now He had to suffer the agonizing pain of being scourged. We cannot forget that as painful as the actual crucifixion was, there was so much pain leading up to it. When we think about how Jesus was BOTH, human and divine, we have to realize that THE WORD, the second person of the Holy Trinity bore suffering for us. He suffered so that we could be saved and to show us the oceans of Mercy that He has for us. The Church is so right in asking us to do something special, every Friday (the day of the week that Jesus died) to help us remember His great love for us and the suffering that He endured for us. Before Vatican II we were asked to give up meat on Fridays, every Friday all year long. Vatican II took that obligation away, except for during Lent, BUT asked us to do something on our own to remember Friday as the day that Jesus suffered and died.

Questions to Ponder:

1 – Do I really appreciate all that Jesus did for me to give me His Salvation?

2 – When I have suffered either physically or emotionally, have I asked to unite it to Jesus’ suffering?

3 – Have I attended Stations of the Cross, during Lent?

4 – Do I thank God for all that He has done for me?

5 – Do I do something special every Friday to remember that Jesus suffered and died for me?

6 – Have I thought about the humanity of Jesus, as well as His Divinity?

7 – Do I do anything to help those who suffer throughout the world?

8 – Is there anything that I do that causes people to suffer?

9 – Do I attend mass regularly so as to be able to re-live what Jesus has done for me?

10 – Do I make use of the many resources the Church has, so as to learn more about Jesus?

The First LUMINOUS MYSTERY of the ROSARY – The Baptism of Jesus by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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Many people ask, “Why did Jesus undergo Baptism by John?” It is obvious that the Baptism performed by John was one of repentance for SIN. Since Jesus did not sin, why would He consent to this baptism? The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, “The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”. His baptism even is a connection to his saving death and resurrection and unites us to that. Saint Paul tells us, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his [Rom. 6:3-5]. Jesus is the normative man; that is, we should do as Jesus does. The Catechism goes on to say, “Through Baptism the Christian is sacramentally assimilated to Jesus, who in his own baptism anticipates his death and resurrection. The Christian must enter into this mystery of humble self-abasement and repentance, go down into the water with Jesus in order to rise with him, be reborn of water and the Spirit so as to become the Father’s beloved son in the Son and “walk in newness of life”

Just as the Baptism of Jesus was the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, our Baptism is the beginning of our walk with Him. The baptism that we follow in the Catholic Church is at the command of Jesus. Just before ascending in to heaven, Jesus told His disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19). The Catholic Church follows this command, strictly. Let us take a moment to reflect on how this affects us.

1 – Have I been baptized in the Trinitarian formula (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)? If you were baptized in the Catholic Church, you were. If you were baptized in another faith, you many not have been. Check to see and if you were not, sign up for the Adult Christian Initiation classes in your church and be baptized as Jesus tells us to.

2 – Do I understand that my baptism marks me for all eternity as a follower of Jesus?

3 – Do I understand that my baptism means that I have been given a job to do, namely being like Jesus and telling others about HIM.

4 – Do I understand that when I was baptized, I received new birth and received the Holy Spirit (to be later given in fullness at Confirmation).

5 – Do I understand that my baptism has made me a child of God?

6 – Do I fully appreciate the humility that Jesus showed in being baptized?

7 – Do I treat the baptism of friends and relatives with the respect that it deserves?

8 – Do I understand that God has sanctified water and continually uses it to bring about His graces.

9 – Do I see other baptized people as my brother and sisters?

10 – Have I encouraged my friends and relatives to honor baptism,

SACRED BRAILLE – The Rosary as Masterpiece through Art, Poetry, and Reflections by Annabelle Moseley Review by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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Leonardo da Vinci said, “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”  It seems to me that the purpose of both art and poetry is to lift us up beyond what we normally can see and feel.  They both reach in to our very being, our soul, our essence, to lift us up higher than we can imagine.  This book by Annabelle Moseley does all of that.  It is filled, literally filled, with art and poetry about our Mother Mary.  The poetry by the author and the art work that was chosen by her help us to reach in to the depths of truth and intimacy with Mary, especially through the Rosary.  This book brought tears to my eyes several time as it helped me to internalize the love that Mary has for us.  I had just previously read Keith Berube’s book on Mary and the Rosary which did pretty much the same thing.

I feel very blessed to have had these two books brought together for me at the same time.  I also find it interesting that each of these two authors write in the introductions of each other’s books.   Also the Foreword in SACRED BRAILLE is written by Bishop Richard Henning who I first got to know when he worked in my parish many years ago as a young priest.  Bishop Henning is a good and holy man and one of the most intelligent men I know.   Also much of the art used in the book is taken from the Seminary that I attended for my diaconal training, The Seminary of the Immaculate Conception.  It brings back many good memories.  More important than that, the artwork stimulates the soul and lifts us up above the ordinariness of everyday life.  It helps us to see that we are much more than we appear to be and that our God has reached down to us to help us to better realize that.

I cannot overstate that the original poetry of the author and the amazing art work inside the book are ethereal.   The poetry especially fascinated me.  It is complex, but understandable.  Some of it follows traditional elements of poetry but some of it takes on a unique nature of its own.  I was especially moved and impressed by the “Mirror Sonnets” contained throughout the book.  I cannot even imagine how difficult it is to write these sonnets where the first section is read and then the second section is read line by line in reverse order of the first and they both make complete sense.  You have to read this to believe this and to even understand what I am saying so I will, with the author’s permission, share one Mirror Sonnet with you.

                                             Mirror Sonnet*: Mary Recalls The Prophecy of Simeon

A mother knows her son’s hands like her own.

She studies them from birth—each fingernail

is halo-shaped. Soft skin over strong bone,

each line and dimple forms a Sacred Braille.

While Simeon foretold, I held Christ’s hand.

And that was when the blade first pierced my soul.

I knew that to redeem a broken land,

my child’s palms could not remain smooth, whole.

The earth is punctured, seeded, before sprouts

grow forth. Then fruit is gathered, branches pruned.

There must be something for the soul who doubts

to press their fingers into, like a wound.

The piercing of my soul provides a sieve—

for sifting death from those who long to live.

For sifting death from those who long to live,

the piercing of my soul provides a sieve—

to press their fingers into, like a wound.

There must be something for the soul who doubts.

Grow forth! Then fruit is gathered, branches pruned.

The earth is punctured, seeded, before sprouts.

My child’s palms could not remain smooth, whole.

I knew that—to redeem a broken land…

And that was when the blade first pierced my soul.

While Simeon foretold, I held Christ’s hand.

Each line and dimple formed a Sacred Braille,

was halo-shaped. Soft skin over strong bone,

I’d studied them from birth—each fingernail.

A mother knows her son’s hands like her own.

                                                                                          * a new poetic form created by the author.

Throughout this book, the author’s writing shows me the deep love that she has for Mary and the Rosary.  I can’t help but to believe that the Holy Spirit inspired her to write this about the Spouse of the Holy Spirit.  The writing is way above the ordinary, and seems quite inspired.

The Preface by Annabelle Moseley sets the stage for what is to follow.  It also contains within it some interesting date-coincidences (more like God-incidents) in Annabelle Moseley’s life.  She then begins with the Seven Sorrows of Mary before leading then to all four of the Mysteries of the Rosary.  The poetry and art reflections on each mystery will bring new life to your own reflections on the mysteries as you say the Rosary.  After completing all four mysteries, she has a section with discussion questions for all of the poetry from the Seven Sorrows through the four mysteries.  This could be used either by you or in a group.

After the discussion section, Annabelle Moseley gives us a workbook for a three day retreat.  This workbook is filled with ideas on how to do the retreat including settings, readings, exercises, activities and even music to play.  I am still thinking of ways to put this in to action for myself and for my parish.  After this section the author teaches the reader how to pray the Rosary.  She then has a section listing the fifteen promises of Mary concerning the Rosary.

As if all of this is not enough, Annabelle Moseley teaches us three different ways to enhance our reflection on the Seven Sorrows and the four mysteries of the Rosary.  The first way is the “Visio Divino” where she lists several great works of art pieces to contemplate.  The second way is the “Lectio Divino” where she gives us several scripture passages to reflect on.  The third way is the “Audio Divino” where Annabelle Moseley gives us various pieces of music to use while contemplating.  The book ends with a call to make a Living Rosary and to see the Rosary as a true Masterpiece in itself.

 I have always had a deep appreciation of art and poetry and music.  The individual pieces within this book are Masterpieces themselves, but taken together this book is a true, and very rare, masterpiece that helps to transform you in to who God calls you to be.  Mary gave the perfect YES.  We too are called by God to say our YES to Him.  What better way is there than to follow the Mother of Jesus as she leads us to her son Jesus.  This book helps us to do this with beauty and style.  Do yourself a favor, buy this book and keep it out to be used often.  You will be glad that you did.

NOTE:  I am writing this review at the time of a world-wide pandemic.  People are getting sick and dying and most stores and businesses have had to shut down.  There is no income coming in for many and everyday living seems to be quite traumatic.  People are hurting and in need of healing and consolation.  Our mother Mary is the great Consoler who can bring us to her Son, Jesus who is the great healer.  Just as Mary consoled Jesus at the foot of the cross, she can console us at the foot of our pandemic cross.  The beauty and the message of this book is a great means of receiving consolation from our Mother who loves and cares for us so much.  Hopefully this pandemic will be over soon, but all of us know that we are in need of consolation throughout so many stages of our life.  This book could be a real spiritual medicine for us.

You can visit Annabelle Moseley’s website by clicking here.  www.annabellemoseley.com