The Secrets of the Rosary

The First Joyful Mystery-Cassandra Learns Humility

It was the most important day of Cassandra's life.

At least, she thought so.

As she leaped out of bed, she could only think that today was her sixteenth birthday, and that was an important day for a girl in Glindor because at the age of sixteen, a girl became a woman and was taken before the Bishop who would then decide on her purpose. Cassandra had some not too modest ideas about what her purpose would be.

"It's today!" she yelled out loud and danced around the room in her bare feet.

Her younger sister, Gretchen, was still trying to sleep. She poked her head from the covers and sighed. "Will you calm down?"

"I can't calm down. It's today! You won't understand. You have to wait two more years until you get your purpose Trust me, when you're my age, you'll be just as excited."

"No, I won't," said Gretchen honestly. Gretchen had attended a few purpose ceremonies and she was not looking forward to her own. It seemed so scary to up there in front of the church with all your family watching and the Bishop looking you in the eye, passing judgement on you. To her, it was the stuff of nightmares.

"Well, maybe you're right," said Cassandra. "After all, your purpose finding will probably be some boring affair where the Bishop tells you that you have to marry So-and so, the son of Farmer So-and-so, and give birth to exactly three more so-and sos over the next ten years. So maybe that won't be very exciting."

Now Gretchen smiled at her sister just a little bit. "What exactly do you think the Bishop is going to tell you that's so exciting?"

The question seemed to make Cassandra sober a bit. "Well," she said, "I have some ideas, but I'm not sure that I should talk about them."

"Oh? Like what? That you should go to Reme, marry Prince Stephen, and become the next Queen when King Joseph dies?"

"Honestly," said Cassandra, "I don't think I'd like that very much. Sure, it would be fun living in the castle and having all those servants to wait on me. But I'd never be allowed to go anywhere by myself or climb trees or swim in lakes. No, I hope it doesn't come to that."

She sounds as if there really is a chance it will come to that, thought Gretchen. Out loud, she said, "What are you hoping for?"

"Well," said Cassandra wistfully, "in school we learned about the prophecy of Aldus."

"So?"

"And we also learned that some priests and theologians believe that this might be the year, it comes to pass."

Gretchen laughed again, "You can't believe that that has anything to do with you."

"Why not? The prophecy said that at a certain time the book would be completed, and that when it happened a brave, but humble person unlike any who had lived before would be chosen to journey forth and acquire it."

"And you think you might be that person?"

"Well, why not? I'm brave. I'm definitely humble and everyone knows I'm unlike anyone else who ever lived before." With that, Cassandra stopped off to have her bath.

Gretchen sighed, shook her head, and tried to decide how much of that she agreed with.

* * *


At breakfast, most of the conversation consisted of Cassandra talking about her upcoming ceremony. Mother and Father both seemed tolerant of her excitement. Gretchen was getting tired of it, but she kept her mouth shut.

Then, it was time to leave for the church. The entire family walked to the church where a young priest named Father Joseph greeted them, gave Cassandra a congratulatory pat on the head, and said that Bishop Lawrence was currently preparing for the ceremony in the church's contemplation chamber.

Gretchen and her parents sat in the front row while Cassandra was seated near the altar to await the bishop. Gretchen had to admit that her sister actually looked more dignified then normal.

Then a bell rang sixteen times in the steeple. Everyone in the church rose as Bishop Joseph entered the church bearing a large red book at arm's length in front of him.

The book, of course, was the church's copy of the Prophecy of Aldus. Only bishops and a handful of other scholars had ever seen the inside of it. Moreover, they never discussed its contents with anyone else.

When he reached the altar, he nodded at Cassandra, and for a minute, Gretchen worried that her sister would forget to curtsy and kneel before the bishop, but Cassandra remembered and dropped to her knees. She actually looks pretty when she's like that Gretchen admitted to herself.

"For what have you come?" the Bishop intoned.

"To learn my purpose," Cassandra recited back.

"Then do you renounce the Father of Lies?"

"I do."

"Do you embrace the Prince of Light?"

"I do."

The Bishop led Cassandra through a long list of promises. Cassandra responded to each one dutifully, but by the last one, Gretchen heard an impatient tone in her sister's voice.

"Then, let us open the book." The bishop opened the book and Gretchen found herself wishing she could see what was inside. She had heard some people claim that the pages were completely blank and that words only appeared when the bishop prayed over them. Others claimed that the pages had words, but that they were in some bizarre language which only a bishop could understand.

As the bishop read the book, his face remained expressionless, but when he looked up, there was a glimmer of surprise crossing his face. For a long moment there was silence, as if he was not sure what to say next.

Then, Cassandra was on her feet. "Will you just tell me what it says?" All of the family was embarrassed, but it was expressed in different ways. Father looked angry. Mother looked as if she would faint. Gretchen covered her face with her hands. Somehow, she had known that her sister wouldn't make it through the entire ceremony.

The Bishop, meanwhile looked almost angry, but he seemed to be swallowing the rage. "It mentions the Prophecy of Aldus and the missing pages," he said stiffly.

"I knew it!" Cassandra shouted. "I am the one, aren't I? The one who's going to acquire the missing pages."

Now, the bishop smirked in spite of himself. "No, actually. It says your purpose is to continue to aid the one in her quest."

"What? That can't be right," said Cassandra. "Besides, what am I supposed to do with that if I don't know who the one is?"

The Bishop shrugged. "Sometimes one must interpret the prophecy for oneself." He turned to the congregation. "Let us pray for the maker and for this new woman."

Cassandra looked like she wanted to object, but her voice was drowned out by the prayers.

* * *


After the ceremony, the family held a party for the friends and relatives. In addition, Bishop Lawrence and Father Joseph were both invited. The former was rather taciturn as bishops often are outside of church. Father Joseph was a bit more talkative. He ended up chatting with Gretchen and Mother just because they were nearby.

"Well," he said, "sometimes the Prophecy tells you strange things. This appears to be one of those times. The good news is that it sounds like the people who say that it is time for the book to be completed are correct. And this young woman is going to help make it happen."

Gretchen laughed a little. "You know, she actually thought that she was going to be the one. The person whose job it is to find the lost pages."

"Well, I guess she got the next best thing," said Father Joseph.

"But she's still got a problem," said Gretchen. "It's like she said. If nobody in the world knows who the one is. Then how can Cassandra help her?"

"I've thought about that," said Father Joseph. "Maybe she's supposed to start by finding the One for us."

"How is she going to do that?"

"Well," said Father Joseph, "do you remember how His Grace said that she should 'continue' aiding the one? It sounds to me like the One is a person that she already knows and has been helping."

Now Mother spoke for the first time, "I guess I'm not the One, anyway. That girl never helps me with anything."

The party was successful for the most part. The food was delicious and Cassandra was allowed to toast the occasion with a glass of excellent wine. It was the first time that she was permitted to drink such a thing. Nevertheless, everyone uncomfortable and Cassandra seemed the least comfortable of all. All the enthusiasm which she had shown that morning had vanished. Moreover, she spoke very little during the entire evening.

At the end of the feast, Cassandra stood and cleared her throat. "May I have your attention?"

Everyone stopped talking and listened. They figured that it was time for Cassandra to make the customary speech regarding her future plans.

"First," said Cassandra in an emotionless voice, "I would like to say Thank you to all the wonderful people who are here today. Thank you to my parents for raising me these past sixteen years which I realize was not an easy task." Some laughter rippled around the table, but it was not very heartfelt. "And, of course, I would also like to thank both Bishop Lawrence and Father Joseph for their work today.

"Now, I need to explain what I am going to do because of what I have learned today. I was told today that it is my purpose to 'continue aiding the in the quest for the missing pages of the prophesy.' This is an honor which I never dreamed of."

Horse excrement, Gretchen thought, but she kept quiet.

"Anyway," Cassandra went on, "the way I see it, I need to start by identifying the one. Clearly, it is an individual that I have already been helping quite a bit."

So she was interpreting it the same way as Father Joseph. Gretchen became more attentive.

"I have spent the past few hours thinking about who that is, and if I'm being honest with myself, I haven't been the most helpful person in my sixteen years. But, three years ago, my sister fell into the lake and it was I who jumped in and pulled her out. " Gretchen twitched at the memory.

"Moreover," Cassandra went on, "a year later, that same sister fell from a tree and broke her arm, it was I who got her back to the house. Finally, just this past year, that she broke Mother's good plate and I helped hide the evidence."

"What?" shouted out Mother and Gretchen was turning bright red.

"Oh, sorry," Cassandra. "I probably shouldn't have mentioned that last one, but the point is obvious.Today, we can state with confidence the identity of the one who will retrieve the pages of Aldus." There was a long pause. Then, Cassandra spoke again, "Come on up, Gretchen."

* * *


"What is wrong with you?" shrieked Gretchen. The two girls were home in their bedroom again

"Nothing's wrong iwth me," said Cassandra. "I'm simply stating what I see." She had become oddly solemn since the ceremony.

"I mean," said Gretchen., "you can't seriously expect-"

There was a knock at the door. "Girls," called Mother's voice, "there's someone here to see you."

Gretchen opened the door and was astonished to see her mother standing next to the Bishop himself, but Cassandra didn't look too surprised. She just dropped .a proper curtsy.

"Well," said Gretchen recovering from the shock. "Can you tell my sister how crazy she's being?"

The Bishop smiled. "On the contrary, I have come to state that your sister's argument is theologically sound."

"Theologically sound? What about common sense? Everyone knows that I am not worthy of such a thing."

The Bishop almost looked defeated, but then Cassandra spoke. "Gretchen, do you remember how we learned about humility in our religion class?"

"Sure. Humility. That is exactly my point. I know that I am not the person to go looking for the pages of Aldus. That sounds like Humility to me."

"No, I don't think so," said Cassandra. "After all, God has told us that you are the persoin. So by denying it, what are you saying? That you know better than God? Sounds like somebody needs to get off her horse."

Gretchen stared at her sister with disbelief. Then she glanced at the Bishop hoping he would give support, but he was scratching his chin thoughtfully. Gretchen wondered if Cassandra's argument had impreseed him. Out loud. she said, "I don't understand what's going on here.. My sister-Miss I'm so wonderful and everyone knows that I am destined for great things- just gave me a lecture in humility."

"And?"

"And it sort of made sense."

All at once the solemnity vanished from Cassandra's face and she became the excited girl she had been that morning. She ran over and gave Gretchen a hug. "So," she cried out. "When do we leave?"