by Denise Mercado
Reviewed by Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D. Profiles in Catholicism
Denise Mercado, the author, was raised in a conservative Catholic household around the time of Vatican II, she witnessed great changes in the Catholic Church. From a young age, she was taught to rely on her faith, practicing traditions such as praying the Rosary. Years later, Denise’s faith was on the backburner when a family tragedy prompted her to start p raying and seeking God again. And seeking God again. Her journey led her to read and research her faith, delving deep into questions about why the Rosary was important and how it helped her understand the lives of Jesus and Mary. Denise demonstrated how to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary while tracing the history of many Catholic traditions, beliefs and texts. She intersperses the narrative of her life with information she gathered about Catholicism, showing how her theology helped her through loss and hardship.
The Rosary, through meditation and contemplation, provides a way to draw closer to Jesus and Mary. Mary is an amazing woman. She was created without sin in the same way that Eve was created. Mary, however, remained sinless to fulfill her destiny as Mother of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. None of this could have occurred without Mary’s consent. She said YES because she was without sin and knew God in the same way that Adam and Eve knew him before the Fall. The peace, tranquility, and calmness of the Garden of Eden before the Fall is difficult to fathom. Yet we know from scripture that Adam and Eve heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. Unfortunately, this is noted in scripture immediately after they had followed the prompting of the evil one. When they heard God walking about in the Garden, they hid themselves because of their sin. They recognized that it was God walking toward them and they hid themselves because they knew they had done wrong.
Unlike Mary, we are created not only with original sin but with the tendency toward sin perpetuated by ego. Baptism marks us as children of God by cleansing us of the state of original sin. However, ego still exists. As we grow in the Lord, it is up to us to crucify the ego and die to self. This is an ongoing process completed many times during our lives. Every time we recognize sin in our lives, we acknowledge the workings of the ego. When we crucify the ego, we put God first, and only then can we say, “Your will be done”. Because of our sinful ways we cannot do this on our own. The only way this can be accomplished is with the help and support of the Holy Spirit, who is initially given to us in baptism, and continues to touch our lives through the other sacraments. We are never alone even if we choose solitude. The triune God is always with us. Mary, our mother sits at the right hand of Jesus and intervenes for us. Whether or not we recognize her role, it does not change the fact that she is the daughter of our Father Most High, the mother of Our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, and spouse of the Holy Spirit. She is, therefore, Queen of Heaven and Earth. May she continue to intercede for us as we journey through the many trials and challenges of life. It is a great gift for yourself or to offer to another.