Rosary.org

It's been pretty hectic here lately. Just when I think I'll be able to catch up on maintenance, and actually make progress, work and other issues take center stage. However, in the little bits of time here and there, I was able to put together this little booklet. I've found it helpful in keeping track of novena days, and which mysteries I'm on. It's based on the PocketMod concept - a neat way of printing out little booklets on a single piece of paper. I'm making it available here, as others may find it helpful as well.

The folding part can be tricky at first, but there's a good print and video tutorial here. It's a .pdf file, so you'll need Adobe Reader (a free download). Printer specs vary, but make sure your printer is set to landscape, with no scaling to fit (messes up the layout).

It's based on the 54 day Rosary Novena, but with the Luminous Mysteries, it's now a 72 day Novena. That's a pretty grueling regimen, but if you can do more than one rosary in a day (not that hard, really) you can do it in a much shorter time. Not cheating really, as the more time in a day spent in prayer, the better you can focus on it. That's not always possible, but when you can, it does help. Being able to keep track of where I am keeps me on track, and I'm not as likely to jump ship. Hope you find it helpful.

Rosary Novena Tracker

I was in line at the bus terminal getting my pass for next week. It had been a long day, an even longer week, and I was dog tired. I just wanted to get my pass, get home, and relax. It was somewhat crowded, the line fairly long, and there seemed to be a bit of a stir ahead of me.

I couldn't see what was going on, I couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary, but people off to the side kept looking over. Some seemed disgusted, some were snickering, and some were laughing outright. And while the clerk at the window was still on the same customer, the line seemed to disintegrate in front of me, one by one. Until I stood a foot behind him.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. It was the unmistakable aroma of urine and sweat, so strong I had to back up a step and turn to the side. No stale wine or alcohol, just the raw, unadulterated stench of extreme poverty.

After a moment, I turned again to the front, and looked at the elderly man just ahead. I say elderly, as that was my first impression, but on looking closer I saw he appeared to be in his sixties, not so old for today. He had a good head of gray hair, not too long, but it was scraggly and disheveled. His beard was the same. His head was bent low, his gaze focused on the floor just in front of him. His shirt was nondescript. His medium blue jacket, sliding down his right shoulder, was so filthy it looked like it hadn't been washed in years. His jeans were as worn and dirty as his jacket, ending in tatters just above ragged white sneakers.

As we inched forward, he would raise his head a bit and look off to the right, where others in line were openly mocking him. There was no anger or resentment on his face, only resignation, and a hint of shame in his wide blue eyes. Then, he would turn to the front again, and lower his head.

I felt sorry for him. He seemed so beaten down, like he had been on the bottom so long, he didn't remember any other way. Maybe I'm inferring a bit too much, but that's the impression I got. I wondered why he was in line.

When it was his turn, he held up his hand and I saw he had several ones in it, maybe four or five. He stepped up to the window and mumbled something, I couldn't hear what. The clerk waved him away with a wide exaggerated sweep of her hands. The old man tried to say something, but the clerk again waved him off, leaning far back in her chair so as to avoid any contact with him or his aroma. He bent his head low, put his hand down to his side, and walked away off to the left, not stumbling or shuffling, just beaten.

As I stepped up to the window, the clerk and another woman in the back laughed and talked about it, while the second woman made a point of spraying air freshener about in a wide swath for several seconds. Then the clerk turned her attention to me and proceeded with the transaction, as though nothing had happened.

Finishing, I turned and walked back to the main part of the terminal. I looked around for the old man, but didn't see him at first. Then I spied him, off to the side, at one of the token machines. His head was still bent down, and I couldn't see if he was getting tokens or just standing there. I'd like to say I went over to him, to play the Good Samaritan, to see that he had what he needed. But, I didn't. I just paused briefly, then rushed off, not wanting to miss my bus.

The ride home wasn't all that long, just about fifteen minutes. All the way, I kept mulling over thoughts of the old man, his circumstances, and what, if anything, I could have done. He was still on my mind as I got off the bus and started the short walk home. Once there, I sank onto the sofa, dropping my bags to the floor, and closed my eyes. I was tired, and still a bit saddened by the whole experience,

And yet, in spite of everything, I felt strangely blessed. I saw Jesus today.

It never ceases to amaze me. God's tender care extends to even the tiniest details of our lives. I used to depend on Jesus to do my food shopping for me. I know, that sounds a bit over the edge. But, it's true.

During one of our ultra-lean times, finding the resources to feed two hungry boys was difficult, at times impossible. I would shop at a supermarket, not known for it's low prices, but not having a car, it was the only one I could get to. And, it never failed. When I only had a dollar or two to spend on dinner, I'd go in there, and lo and behold, there would be some "manager's special" that just fit the bill (or rather my meager pocketbook). And decent food, too. A whole chicken for a dollar or two (enough for at least 2 meals). A large package of italian sausage (who can't find a hundred things to do with that! ;-) ) Large packages of ground beef. Always different, and always something I could afford. There were many-a-time when we would have had to go without had it not been for those unannounced, out-of-the-blue sales.

And then, there's the blueberries. I love blueberries. I mean, I LOVE blueberries. Pies, cakes, muffins, anything with blueberries. I noticed that sometimes, the "sale" included some form of blueberries. Not always, mind you. But when I was down, depressed, just in need of a hug, there would be some form of blueberries on sale - a bargain even I could afford. You see, Jesus knows I love blueberries. Just one of those things He and I understand.

Things have gotten better since then. And they've gotten worse. Sometimes lots worse. But, they're getting better again, much better than they have been in some time. Still, it can get tight from time to time. Like now. Just paid the bills, and there wasn't a whole lot left over. Enough to make it to payday, if we don't breathe ;-) Well, I went into that same supermarket chain (different store), with the same dilemma. I had just so much money, and had a number of things to get with it. After going up and down the aisles, looking for that special "sale" but not finding it, I figured Jesus was trying to teach me humility and mortification. Thank you, Jesus. So, I retraced my steps, and decided on spaghetti. That's pretty inexpensive, if you go with the store brands, and I found a package of Turkey Italian Sausage on sale. Not a great sale, but I could manage it if we did without a few other things.

I got to the checkout and chose one of those you-scan-it lanes. I only had a few things, and besides, I like the power. I scanned everything else, and came to the sausage. It scanned in a good bit more than what it should have. I deleted the item, and rescanned. Same higher price. Darn it! I might have to put it back. Well, vegetarian spaghetti is good, too. First, I went to the girl standing herd over the line, and told her of the problem. She said, they didn't put in the prices, the meat department does that. I reiterated that the sign said one price, and it scanned at another. She got out the sale circular and went over it. It wasn't there - must have been one of those unannounced sales. She called over the manager, and she went to the meat dept. to check on it. The manager came back with another of the same. It too scanned at the higher price. "Well," she said, "looks like you get it for free." "What!?" "If it scans at the wrong price, you get that item for free." Wow! Free. You can't get a better bargain than free.

All together now -- THANK YOU, JESUS!