There am I in Their Midst

I have two rosaries that I typically use for everything.  I used to have three, but I'm waiting to purchase a new Rosary for the Unborn (since I lost mine on the airplane back from Jamaica - bah). 

I digress... as usual.  *Blush*

The first is my Confirmation rosary.  I was given this simple white rosary by my Aunt Bernadette (both my Godmother and sponsor) back in 7th grade when I was confirmed.  I had it socked away in a drawer for years, but since my reversion, it's never been far from my side. 

I chose that rosary to take with me on my trip to Treasures of the Church, though, which meant I got to touch it to almost 200 1st class relics.  From that night on, anytime I pray with that rosary, I feel it's perfectly acceptable to ask all the saints I venerated to pray along with me.  I'm sure they're only too happy to oblige. 

Anyway, last night I said my prayers downstairs so as not to wake up John (who had gone up to bed an hour earlier).  Since I keep my Confirmation rosary next to my bed, I reached into my purse to use the one my mother gave me for Christmas.  It's a beautiful birthstone rosary with lavender pearls and amethyst beads.  The Crucifix and center piece are by far the nicest I've ever seen. 

As I pull the beautiful rosary from my purse, I realize that I can't fairly ask the saints to pray along with me since I don't have "their" rosary.  Mind you, I'm fully aware that they'd pray along with me just the same, because they have no care what's in my hands so long as the prayers are coming from the heart, but I still feel as though that something is missing.  This is sort of like Jesus being fully present as I accept Him in the Eucharist vs. Him being fully present in the Eucharist at Adoration.  In both instances, He is absolutely fully present.  There is, however, a different type of intimacy.  I feel the same way about praying with the two rosaries.  Both obviously help me in my spiritual development, and both guide me through the meditations of the Rosary / Divine Mercy chaplet, but in uniquely different ways.

So instead of asking the saints to pray along like I normally do, I ask my guardian angel to pray along with me.  Whenever I make this request, I always picture a beautiful ethereal being solemnly bowed down in prayer, then rolling his eyes at me for such a foolish request.  Of COURSE he'd pray with me.  He'd do it regardless, and probably tries to coax me into doing it more myself!

But I ask anyway, because I don't want him to feel left out or think that I don't appreciate his presence.  So off we begin our prayers when a thought enters into my mind:

"Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in their midst.”  (Matt 18:20)

Welp... me and my guardian angel make two, right?  So I wondered if Jesus was hovering around us somewhere.  As I made my way through an Our Father, I realized that not only was Jesus present, I was SPEAKING HIM! 

Jesus is the Word of God, right?  He is the Word of God incarnated, but the Word of God nonetheless.  The words of the Our Father were given to us straight from Jesus, Himself, so that's about as "Word of God" as it gets.  In the state of prayer, in acknowledging His Presence, I understand that I SPEAK His Presence.  He really was present with us as not only were His Words being used... His Will was being done through those prayers. 

The Holy Spirit was kind to me with that little nugget of illumination.  When I acknowledged that, too, I realized that the Trinity does fully exist with, for and in one another.  One can never be without the Others.  As soon as I realized that I was speaking Christ's Presence, I realized it was the Holy Spirit who placed that thought in my head.  I realized then it was the Will of the Father being done through the simple action of reciting His Words granted through Jesus, His Son. 

This is another reason why prayer is so important.  This is proof that not only do we talk to God, God speaks directly back to us... just not necessarily in the ways we expect or are used to.

So make use of your guardian angels!  I hear they like that sorta thing... *wink.*

---