Telling Beads, and Beading Tales: The Stories Stored in Our Rosaries

Today being May 13th, it seems only fitting to write a post in honor of Our Lady in this her month of May, and on this the anniversary of her first appearance to the children of Fatima. (I have published two other pieces at T&S about Fatima: here and here.)

We tell a story with the rosary — the story of the main events, or “mysteries,” in the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ and of His Immaculate Mother. We do this in three waves: joyful, sorrowful, glorious. All told, 150 Hail Marys as the “poor man’s psalter” in place of the 150 psalms of David recited weekly by the monks and nuns (not, of course, that one cannot do both!).

But a rosary itself can also tell a story. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has strong memories and associations with particular sets of rosary beads. They seem to accumulate these memories and associations over the years, the longer one uses a given set, the worse the trials one passes through while fingering the beads, crying out to God and Holy Mary for help, the deeper the friendship with another person who prays with us. There are so many ways for the rosary to be saturated with life, as its liberating chain binds together day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year, before we go to God.