Diocesan celebration thanks

Editor:

Thank you for the Oct. 15 article on the Seventh Annual Diocesan Rosary Celebration. Msgr. Edward Lofton and the parishioners of St. Theresa the Little Flower Church in Summerville responded generously on this occasion to honor Our Lady of South Carolina—Our Lady of Joyful Hope during the Year for Priests.

Of course, the presence of Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone affirmed the dedication of the Diocese of Charleston to Our Lady, that she may manifest to our diocese what she is proclaimed to be for the universal Church: our mother and teacher. His homily truly indicated how free we are to respond or not to God’s presence and call.

The feature story about the ‘Hail Mary’ marathon in Garden City Beach plus the article on the rosary celebration brought to mind my favorite comparisons in regard to the rosary.

The marathon reminded me of spiritual warfare, a theme found in St. Paul’s letters. In that respect the rosary can be compared to a machine gun with its many bullets. The material bullets are meant to kill a living heart, while the spiritual bullets (the Hail Marys) are meant to enter dead hearts to revive them to a Gospel life.

Once revived to the faith, the rosary can be seen as a spiritual umbilical cord uniting the heart of Mary, Mother of the Church, to the hearts of her spiritual children. The umbilical cord has two functions: to nourish and to purify. So meditation on the rosary helps purify the heart of the evils embedded in it and then nourishes it with the graces necessary for a life of faith, hope and love.

Thus, Our Lady demonstrates her role as mother and teacher because, as Luke mentions twice, she treasured and pondered these mysteries in her heart.

 Pope John Paul II said that contact with the mysteries of our Lord’s life, death and resurrection unleashes the power of those mysteries. St. Paul speaks of Christ as the power and wisdom of God.

Although the Eucharist is the supreme communal celebration of the Paschal Mystery, the rosary is a personal instrument for spiritual revival and feeder of spiritual life, preparing us as well to keep memory of Christ as He requested when instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper.  Thank you, once again.

Father Stanley Smolenski, SPMA

Kingstree