I can’t say I watched too much news this evening, although I stayed up to date with the latest on the attacks in Paris. I think I was able to watch maybe 45 minutes of news altogether. The rest of the evening was spent watching “Caillou,” “Nina’s World,” and various other child-friendly cartoons. The 45 minutes the news was on was, perhaps, 45 minutes too long for my heart.
My heart is heavy. It grieves for France, similar to when it grieved for the United States after September 11, 2001. Today was France’s “September 11th” – the date of November 13, 2015 will go down in their history as a horrific day.
As I watched the news, Man Cub was excited to see a “police car!” in the midst of cars on the television. It took every ounce of willpower to say, “yes, it is a police car back there,” in a normal, non-strained voice. I was disappointed that, once again, I am reminded that the world is not a safe place – for anyone. That my children will grow up in a world that forces one to be triple-aware of their surroundings – to assess danger points, access and egress points to buildings and rooms, and to assess other people’s body language. Gone are the days where one could “innocently” wander into buildings and rooms and feel a sense of safety.
As I watched the news, and read reports online, I got an overwhelming urge to “pray for Paris.” Not the cliche saying, but truly to pray for Paris. I decided the Rosary I said tonight would be said for Parisians – those whose lives were lost, those who have been touched by losing a family member or friend, and those who have a strong attachment to the city of Paris. I found it fitting that, tonight, the Mysteries explored in the Rosary were the Sorrowful Mysteries, where one contemplates: Jesus’ Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning of Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion itself. It seemed as though even the Rosary’s messages were weeping for Paris tonight.
For the first time since I started my Rosary challenge, I also felt the urge to add the Divine Mercy chaplet at the end of the Rosary. For those unfamiliar with the chaplet, it is said using the Rosary beads, and is a relatively new chaplet in Catholic Church history, having been written down by St. Faustina Kowalska, and championed and encouraged by now-Saint Pope John Paul II. The prayers are much shorter than the Rosary itself. If you’d like more information on the specific prayers, check out this link: http://www.praydivinemercy.com
That said, I want to focus on the major portion of the Divine Mercy chaplet. On the 5 “Our Father” beads of the Rosary, one recites:
Think of those words. Let them sink in. Digest the meaning behind those words.
Then, on the 10 “Hail Mary” beads of each decade, one recites: