What about those Sorrowful Mysteries?

I would like to confess that I very seldom do the sorrowful rosary. It's not that I don’t believe in suffering, nor that I bury my head in the sand when the going gets rough. I just can’t relate to worshiping the crucified Christ, as it is really an over rated experience for me.  I don’t believe Christ came here to save us from our sins. This belief, for me personally, is just a "past the buck" attitude, that keeps us from really doing our own inner work. Each one of us needs to partake in our own process of waking up. I believe that Christs life is a very important event for human evolution. His compassion, teaching and wisdom opened the Way for All of Us.  The focus on the crucification actually was not worshiped in early Christianity.  Art historians are discovering this in their findings of ancient churches. The art of Jesus’s Crucifixion did not even appear in churches until the tenth century!  A book called "Proverbs and Ashes" has done research on following the art history of the Mediterranean Early Christian Churches. This new research challenges the core of Christian faith of Christ dying for our sins. And in their researching the art of the early churches, they found in the Roman catacombs, Istanbul Cathedral of the Hagia Sophia, monasteries of Northeastern Turkey and Evenna’s mosaics were of orchards, clear skies, craggy landscapes and images of Christ as the Good Shepard. The art was all about paradise that invoked the Garden of Eden. The art shows Jesus' teachings are life affirming. This is much different than the obsession of the violence that took place on the cross and in the agnoy of Jesus.  The early churches were filled with starry night skies, colorful clouds. The hand of God blesses the world with all the saints and angels standing by. The community of early Christians gathered in these sacred places to celebrate the Eucharist. The community supported the church by bringing in gifts of food from their harvest, flowers from their gardens, olive oil, fresh cheese and honey from their hives. Red meat was banned because it was animal sacrifices. The Eucharist was called a bloodless sacrifice, prayer was considered the ultimate holy sacrifice. There would be thanksgiving prayers teaching and miraculous healing for those in need.  Consecration prayers blessed the food and the table for the entire community.  These new findings give a totally different view on how Christianity was presented. You may like to read more about Early Christian traditions in the book "Proverbs and Ashes by Rita Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker".

Midnight Rosary Revelations ***** This writing is my own personal experience when practicing the rosary. When meditating on rosary mysteries the mystery reveals itself. These experiences can be very personal. With all this said, I can now share my Midnight Rosary Revelations. Life can sometimes be suffering and in those times we can review our life as Christ might have reviewed his life in the Garden of Olives.***** I prop myself up in bed and fumble to find my rosary in the dark and begin my practice. My finger slides across the first four beads like stepping stones as I enter an ancient rose garden. This garden is made up of all the prayers of all the people who have ever said the rosary before me.  An ancient assembly lines up before me as saints and angels draw near. I whisper into the dark of the night “Hail Mary so full of Grace the Lord is with thee.” This happens to every person who chooses to do this practice, if they know it or not, this occurs behind the veils. The night is silent, my breath gets into a rhythm as I say my prayers. I enter the garden to find Christos kneeling, his apostles asleep around him, as he too silently prays.  I begin to realize that this is the moment that a soul begins to review their karmic records. The records show the family patterns that one has finally just begun to see for the first time, locked within their DNA for many weary generations.  They begin to unwind before me.  Did not Christ say “This is my body” as he raised the bread, and “this is my blood” as he raised the cup of wine at the Last Supper? “Drink of this and you shall never die”. Christ knew his Eternal Self while still living in his human form. Living in human form the DNA carries both the gifts and negative patterns of one's ancestors for seven generations.  Was he giving us a clue how to unlock the DNA patterns with this statement? Carried in Christ Blood is the memory of the Eternal Self. This mystery is a reminder for all of us how to live. We all have the opportunity, while we are in embodiment, to transform the karmic lineage of our bloodlines. This can happen when we enter the Rose Garden, even when others around us have fallen into a deep sleep of the human condition. Our practice can develop an inner review of our actions, reactions, choices, judgements, and projections. This teaches us how to begin to witness within, just as Christ witnessed his life that final night in the Garden of Olives as he prayed. The Spiritual Heart Center is Unconditional Love. It is here we learn to release our ego that forever thinks it is right. Witnessing deepens our view without reaction or projection.  The deep point in Heart Center is the seat of our Inner Christ Self. It is through this Deep Center that we past through all the layers of hurt, blame, shame and guilt of our experiences. This Deep Center contains no thought. It is just Stillness. If you are able to hold that Center, even for a moment, karmic patterns begin to dissolve. St. Francis of Assisi called this space “the Great Silence." In the final mystery, the crucifixion, I see the Three Marys at the foot of the cross. A more symbolic meaning reveals itself about the three aspects of the feminine at the foot of the cross, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Cheops from Egypt. It was these three women and St. John, that did not turn away from the Master’s darkest moment.  The three silent women represent the three aspects of physical life here on Earth for every person.  Mary the Virgin is the beginning of life, pure, untouched by human experiences.  Magdalene is the full experience of living life. The word Magdala actually means Tower or Watch Tower. Magdalene's life experiences has taught her how to witness her experiences. She witnesses through rising in Awareness and climbing up the high Tower of Consciousness. This gives her a greater view. This is the soul's journey.  Mary of Cheops, the Dark Egyptian from the land of the dead, represents the end of life, the Crone aspect of the Mother. This happens when our life force begins to unwind. Our lessons are learned and our body begins to return to the gravitational pull of the Earth. Christ is on the cross, He who knows his Eternal Spirit, while still in his embodiment. NOW is his moment, and the scene is set. He turns to John and says “This is my Mother, take care of her."  Could his words mean so much more than just his physical Mother Mary?  Is this the Great Mother, this body, the incarnation, the very Earth? Take care of her he asks, for Life IS a Precious Gift. **** My Prayer; Everything we have gone through, on this path of life, has been a step for our personal transformation. Each step is the opportunity to open us deeper into Unconditional Love. No matter how crooked one’s path may look, each path has been designed specifically for our own Awakening. May we deepen, May we understand, May we heal together from life times of misunderstanding of the Holy Word. May our Inner Heart have revelations of the Truth. May the Passion of Christ inflame each one of us to become a Living Spiritual Vessel. May we realize our Wholeness and Walk forward with New Vigor and Purpose. Blessed Mary and the Christos that lives in each one of us, hear these prayers. Amen.

Books by Raylene Abbott "Novena for Now" A Book of Spiritual Practices can be found on Amazon.com

Sacred Arts by Raylenea Custom Handmade Rosaries contact rayleneabbott@gmail.com This beautiful rosary is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus the Sterling Silver Center Medal and the beginnning medal in direct alignment with Christ is a Sterling Silver Medal of Mary Magdalene. The wire is all of high quality 22 gage sterling silver with deep red garnet beads and pink rhodochrosite decade spacer beads.