Like many people coming from a Protestant background, the Saints and Mary were something that it took awhile to get my head around. It was that I disagreed with any of the doctrine, I just didn't “get” it. Spending all of my life pretty much ignoring Mary and the Saints, I figured this shouldn't be surprising and I just needed to be patient. I also figured that continuing to ignore them, wasn't the best way to go about “getting” it. So I decided to just jump in as best as I could.
I decided that since the Rosary was such a popular devotion, that would be a good place to start. I made myself a lovely rosary think that f it is special to me, I'll be more likely to use it. Then I committed to saying just one decade every night. I wanted something that seemed doable, but also something I could be consistent with over a period of time. At first it was pretty empty, but as I learned the prayers and was better able to meditate while I was saying them, it became more meaningful. I couldn't yet say I “got” it, but I seemed to be headed in the right direction.
As for the Saints, I found the book My Life With the Saints by James Martin. It really helped my understanding to read about how someone else related to the Saints. Reading how Father Martin's own relationship with the Saints grew helped my own understanding to grow. I found myself praying to them more often. I thought of Saint Monica when I found myself frustrated with the boys at work. I thought of Saint Anthony when I had lost something. I didn't totally “get” it, but the Saints were slowly creeping their way into my life.
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