There are five mysteries that the Blessed Mother shared with three children in Fatima, but the Sorrowful mysteries that include the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowing with Thorns, Carrying the Cross to Calvary and the Crucifixion are probably the ones that we relate to and connect most on an emotional level. Suffering is a real challenge for all of us. Meditating on these events over the next 40 days this Lent can help us mitigate the suffering we may experience now or in the future as we ponder our Lord’s intentional sacrifices as he prayed and fasted in the desert. Everything about the Rosary devotion is purposeful. The Blessed Mother gave us this tangible prayer tool, so she could walk with us as we struggle in this earthly life. There can be joy in the garden of life and even in the desert-- if we embrace the pain with understanding. Indeed, therein lies the paradox.

The New Year provides many wonderful growth opportunities to consider new resolutions to change and evolve into our best selves. We’ve all made resolutions. Some good habits stick and some fall by the way side with the best intentions after a few weeks. We hope to transform our minds and bodies in ways we hope will give us the ultimate happiness we seek. Well, I’ve always wanted to learn to knit. I love the concept of making something that has the creator’s energy and special intentions—a meaningful keepsake that brings warmth and joy to another. I embarked on such a project this past December and found the process to be quite enlightening. Learning new skills, making mistakes, starting over and over on a simple scarf was a challenge for me. I persevered and finished, but in the end the lessons provided transformative spiritual perspectives that lived beyond the creation. I almost gave up, but the knots were worth it.