Most Catholics who read my
blog will recognize the title, "Mystical Rosebud" as a reference to
Mary. One of her venerable titles is the "Mystical Rose". I will be
honest... I was not entirely sure what this title meant when I created my blog,
but I have since done my due diligence to become educated about its
significance. Rather than attempt to explain it all myself, I will share some
of the more poignant pieces that I read (link here for full article) and then explain
why I chose this title for my blog.
"Mary is the immaculate virgin and mother, mother of God, and
of all mankind. She is the most noble and perfect of all mothers. Like a
magnificent rose she shines in the splendor of her virtues, and is the perfect
example for all mothers. Because her heart is fired with love for God and man,
she is...likened to the flaming red rose."
"The rose obtains its life
through the stem, to which it is closely united. A rose broken from the stem
will soon wither. So Mary received all her graces from Jesus, with whom she was
united throughout he liveliest faith and ardent love."
St. Brigid's words stand out to me more than anything:
"The Virgin may
suitably be called a blooming rose. Just as the gentle rose is placed among
thorns, So this gentle Virgin was surrounded by sorrow."
By naming my blog "A Mystical Rosebud", there are
several things I wish to convey to my readership.
First of all, I want people to realize that I - and everyone else
for that matter - are on a journey while on this earth. All of us are meant to
participate in the glory of God. That is what we were ultimately created for:
to choose goodness and Love for ourselves and all individuals we encounter.
My state in life as a married woman is God's way of helping me
learn how to love properly. In marriage, there are endless ways for me to
improve my love and self-sacrifice for my husband. By learning to die to self
out of love for him, I am both serving my husband and my Lord, as well as
increasing my own spiritual growth. The Blessed Mother Mary is my greatest
advocate and role model. She was without sin, and her "fiat" (her
"be it done", her "yes") brought life and redemption
to the world through her son Jesus.
In a similar way, married people can bring life to the world when
they serve as conduits of the love of God in service to one another and their
children. My goal is to become better and better at saying yes to God as best I
can, like Mary did.
This relevant passage (from the previously linked article) helps
illustrate my point:
 |
| (Bouquet from my own wedding) |
By using the article "A" in the title, I hope you are
spurred to think about your own potential. I am not the only mystical rosebud.
There are millions of people in this world who try their best to do good every
single day. There are billions of saints in the making. You are one of them!
You, yes you, are meant to have a personal relationship with the One, eternal
unchanging God of Love. He is subtle. He will not force himself on you. You
must open your heart to Him before change will happen in your life.
God has promised crowns of glory for those who follow him to the
cross.
“What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him,”
-1 Corinthians 2:9
With a bit of perseverance, we can become fully blossomed roses,
in the name of Christ!
"Mystical" is a reminder of the spiritual side of life,
the supernatural ("above nature") aspect of the human experience. Too
often we find ourselves swept up in everyday life and it is difficult, if not
impossible, to lift our gazes above the here-and-now to contemplate the
eternal.
My blog is, for me, a way to develop my musings for my own
spiritual growth. I've made it public because I recognize that perhaps others
may benefit from the little gifts of insight that are inspired in me.
I am not so smart. I just try to be open to whatever it is that
God wants me to understand. If truth benefits me, then surely I should share it
so that it might benefit my readers too.
Let me tell you about a funny coincidence theme-thingy in my life
(or for a better term, a "God-incidence", since I believe everything
happens for a reason).
The first church I attended after years of absence is a diocesan
shrine to St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The church itself and the grounds
which it is situated on are absolutely lovely - the hidden gem of the small
town of Collinsville, Oklahoma. The place is fitting for the Saint of the
Little Way. It is quiet and unassuming, yet beautiful and poetic just like St. Thérèse.
This is ultimately the place I would like to be laid to rest.
During my formation in the faith, I found myself at this church
almost daily. Even in the midst of going to school and work full time, I was
never too overwhelmed or exhausted to find myself there on a weekday after a
long shift as a certified nursing assistant.
For all my love of St. Thérèse, I did not know anything about
her apart from a few quotes. I had not yet read her autobiography, "Story
of a Soul". And still, I know she interceded on my behalf.
I was supposed to be working only part time or PRN at the assisted
living community. However, due to a shortage of staff I often found myself
covering lots of shifts and even working overtime occasionally.
I asked God, "how can I make it through this?" I was
exhausted and often angry, being called in to work at the last minute when I
had a lot of homework or an exam to study for. Even so, I knew it was an
opportunity for me to take up my cross. I was acutely aware of my own mortality
and of the importance of daily choices. I prayed about how to handle my
situation. I knew I could either let the devil take me down and harbor
resentment while just ticking the boxes at work... Or I could offer up my
suffering for the souls in purgatory or for some other intention that I felt
needed prayer.
I realized that I don't have to be the best in order to show
the Love of God to the world. I don't have to go on mission trips, or be a nun,
or anything extreme like that. I simply have to live according to the law of
Love. Working as a CNA, I saw that the value of my job resided in its capacity
to allow me to show that type of love to my under-appreciated elderly
residents. A smile is enough for them! How lazy I am! But still, this is the
work of Christ.
No good deed is too small. Little did I know, St. Thérèse already
came up with the "little way".
She has undoubtedly been praying for me from her esteemed place in
heaven! After all, she did say before she died that she would, "...spend
my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses."
Another whisper from heaven came to me and my husband on our
honeymoon.
We were travelling back to San Antonio from Six Flags and on the
way we saw a sign that said "The Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Little Flower". Having a devotion to St. Thérèse, of course it was a
divergence we were more than willing to take.
We were stunned at the beauty of the cathedral. It was so quiet
and unassuming, but the interior was magnificent and awe-inspiring.
To the left of the altar, in a side chapel, was a glorious
memorial to St. Thérèse. I had seen pictures of it before - who
would have guessed that we happened upon it!
Here is my own picture:
We prayed for awhile, and we were actually there in time for
Mass!
Afterwards, a nice man approached us and told us that they even
had a relic of St. Thérèse that we could view. He insisted that if
we each were to touch our wedding rings to her bone relic, that our
marriage would be graced with many blessings.
Therefore, we followed his suggestion by
praying for the intercession of the Little Flower. We touched our rings to the
relic and kissed it, thanking God for his great love.
Following that moving experience, we were also permitted to view
an original painting, created by St. Thérèse's sister,
Celine (Sr. Genevieve of the Holy Face).
I have always interpreted that funny honeymoon happenstance to be a sign from
beyond that I am being looked after, prayed for, and guided.
Right now I am only a rosebud. I trust, however, that the grace of
Christ will help lead me to live a more holy life and one day, after I die I
will be a Saint.
It's a bold claim in this age, but I believe that is due to the
misconception that Saints were only made "back in the day". As if it
is some sort of medieval honor that was granted only to people who would not
burn (St. Lucy, St. Agnes, St. Lawrence) , or who levitated during prayer (St.
Joseph of Cupertino, St. Gerard Majella, St. Gemma Galgani).
This is not the case. Saints are people who have died and entered
heaven. There are more Saints than the Church could ever keep tabs on, because
most people endure the cleansing fires of Purgatory before entering heaven,
which means they were not perfect on earth but the mercy of Christ purified
them after death. If you don't understand Purgatory or you're skeptical about
it, I suggest you have a read through this
article.
God can make Saints out of the worst sorts. St. Augustine comes to
mind. "Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet" he famously
stated in his Confessions.
Another "Blessed" (someone who is on the path to
official Sainthood but not quite there yet) who comes to mind is Bl. Bartolo
Longo. He was an Italian lawyer and former Satanic priest. His story is
inspiring, his past and conversion not altogether very different from my own,
and you can read a summary of it here.
I trust in the mercy of God to make Saints of anyone who
does good deeds with Love, in the name of Christ.
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