I wonder if this happens to other folks. It doesn't happen all the time, but it happens enough for me to take notice. Sometimes, when I pray/meditate the Rosary, I get sudden flashes of insight.
Now perhaps there's a psychological explanation for all this; or maybe a spiritual one. I want to be clear that I make no claims as to the source of the inspirations. It could be my genius showing through (hee hee, yeah, right), or maybe a deposit of the Holy Spirit (oh sweet vanity), or might just mean I'm due for a nice padded room with a warm straitjacket.
I've forgotten most of them, and I'm sure I've had a few repeats, although I've been just as tickled as if each time were the first.
A few months ago, I told someone that I've a long commute to and from work (an hour each way). She suggested that I pray the Rosary while driving. I really wasn't warm to the idea, since it seemed to be a distraction. But a little thought reminded me that it's the day dreaming that would be distracted (yep, I largely drive on automatic, except when the traffic is bad, at which point an hour commute becomes extremely tiring). And a little desperation creeped in. As I've already admitted in the previous post, I had bitten off a little more than I could chew. I needed to make up time. So I began, hesitantly, to pray while driving. But after about a week, it became second nature. As time progressed, I found it easier to meditate on the mysteries while driving. I was pretty impressed with the amount of tasks I could accomplish at once: pray, meditate, drive, check the rear view, change lanes, think about the grocery list and solve a problem at work. Multitasking computers?! Pfft!
Today while driving, and meditating on the mystery of the wedding at Cana, it came to me that the transformation of water into wine, the miracle of the loaves and all those other miracles, impressive though they may be, aren't as impressive as Jesus's transformation of souls, the liberation from the slavery of sin. Of course, the thought was immediately followed by "Hey the mystery of the institution of the Eucharist is coming up." And yes, the transformation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of our Lord, is pretty impressive, but somehow to me, it seems that this last is really in a class of its own.
Other little epiphany of the Rosary is a nugget of evidence that St. Luke interviewed the Blessed Virgin Mary for his Gospel. The late Father Raymond Brown seemed to have thought that Luke made up the Magnificat by borrowing from the Old Testament. It's another reason why I immediately viewed the work of Father Brown with suspicion. I'd like to explore and develop this idea of St. Luke's interview of Mary someday. Maybe, I'll take on Father Brown.
Well, these are the sorts of things that just pop into my mind.
And then there's the little epiphany of the Rosary which is the reason why I dared to publish this post. It has to do with The Passion of the Christ, there is one scene which came to convince me that Mel Gibson understood. He gets It. It's the scene the Blessed Virgin and Mary Magdalene are mopping up the Blood of Jesus after the scourging at the pillar. Mary Magdalene has the flashback as the woman that the Pharisees caught in adultery (Gibson apparently took some artistic license playing off of the legend of Magdalene as prostitute). It is there, that I saw that Mel understood.
But the explanation of Mel's interpretation of John 8 will have to wait. It will appear in another post. Soon. I promise.
Posted by Bob at March 31, 2005 11:33 PM