The Secrets of the Rosary

A Lesson in Desire for the Holy Spirit

Albert sighed and stared at his computer screen. He wasn't sure just what he was going to do next. A few weeks ago, a teacher had told him to spend an hour a day writing and just write as much as he could in that period of time. "If you do that," said the teacher, "you'll have a full length novel in no time."

True, but on days like today, you often wondered what to do with that hour except stare at the screen and wonder what your story was about.

"Hey Buddy," called an annoyingly familiar voice. Albert's younger sister, Danielle, came into the room. Danielle was a year younger than Albert and she had long blond hair.

Albert glared at his sister. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Not at the moment." Danielle parked herself next to Albert's chair. "Is it that cute story about the girls who go searching for the pages of the book?"

"No, and it's not supposed to be cute." Well,maybe it was, but Albert was damned if he would admit that to her.

"Oh and I also saw something else you were working on, but I'm not so sure I like it.

"It was about a boy and his sister, but then the boy's teacher got mauled. That was kind of disgusting, don't you think?"

"Lots of books are disgusting including the Bible."

I know. I just don't like scary books. Still, there was something about that story that seemed familiar. The boy was kind of like you and the sister...well...is she me?"

Now Albert forgot his writing for a minute and turned to her. "That's his older sister. In case you didn't notice, you're younger than me. Besides, didn't you catch the part where the boy gets lousy grades in English class. English is my best subject."

"I know. . .details, but there was something there that just felt like us. The way the sister was trying to steer her brother on the right path to God."

Albert couldn't help smiling in disbelief. "I'm sorry. Is that what you think you're doing? Leading me on the right path to God? Since when?"

"Since always." Now she seemed to get a little bit more serious. "Actually, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about. And it's kind of related to what we just said.

"You know, there's a new boy in school named Andrew."

"Oh yeah. He'skind of weird. Actually brings his Bible to school and reads it during lunchtime."

"Right," said Danielle. "Well, I don't think it's nice to make fun of people for that. A group of boys were doing that today. And here's the part that really got to me. I heard that you were one of them." She paused with a disappointed look on her face. "You know, that's not like you."

Albert gulped. He hated to feel ashamed because of something that his sister said, but he could feel the shame washing over him now. He decided to try and give her a smart comeback. "You're right about that. Usually, I'm the one that everybody else is picking on."

"I see," said Danielle solemnly. "Is that why you were picking on this innocent boy now? To get even with all the people who picked on you?"

"Well," Albert was groping blindly for a justification.

"Tomorrow," said Danielle firmly, "you and I are going to find that boy. You will introduce me to him and you will apologize."

"Excuse me, but since when do you have the right to order me around like that-"

But Danielle had already left the room.

* * *

The next day Albert hoped that his sister would forget the whole thing if he didn't mention it, but no such luck. She marched right behind him on the way to school. And when they got there, they found Andrew by himself in the scholyard reading his Bible. for a minute that gave Albert some hope. "Hey, he's reading the Bible, we probably shouldn't bother him-"

"Nice try," said Danielle clapping him on the shoulder. "let's go."

Albert walked up to Andrew nervously. "Umm. Hello."

"Oh Hi." Andrew closed his Bible and looked at Albert with friendly skepticism.

Albert searched his brain for the words before he finally just opened his mouth and said, "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"Oh,"said Andrew smiling. "I guess that's okay." But he seemed to be looking more closely at Danielle. And that made sense because Danielle was wearing her favorite sweater which left her shoulders bare

Whether Danielle noticed this or not, she smiled and held out her hand. "i'm Albert's sister."

"I see," said Andrew taking her hand gingerly. "i think you should know something important

"I'm a Christian."

"Good," said Danielle with enthusuiasm. "So are we, actually."

"You may think you are," said Andrew now clearly focused on Danielle's shoulders. "But what I meant is that I cannot date, marry or have sex with a woman who is not also a Christian."

That stopped Danielle. "What? You don't think I was... I would never date you...No, that isn't what I meant..."

Albert was starting to enjoy this after all.

Danielle took another deep breath. "What I meant is that I only want to be friends because I'm pretty religious too.In fact, let me show you something." She rummaged in her purse. "This is one of my favorite things in the world," she said holding up her Rosary beads.

This did not seem to comfort Andrew. In fact, it made him a bit more distrustful. "i've heard of that. Isn't it for worshipping the Virgin Mary?"

"Well, sort of. It's for praying to Mary."

Praying to a false goddess. In the Bible, the Lord says clearly,'You Shall have no gods before me." Andrew paused for a moment. "i assume from all this that you're Catholic. So ddo you believe in infant baptism?"

Now Danielle was beginning to look extremely nervous. "Sure, my brother and I were both baptized as infants. We-"

"That is interesting," continued Andrew, "So you never actually came to Jesus the way that members of my church did. You know, with someone else, I might ask, you to show me where in the Bible it says that infant baptism is acceptable, but honestly, I'll give you something a little more tangible. Why does someone who was baptized as an infant now behave the way your breother does? Clearly, it doesn't do much good."

What was that supposed to mean? Albert felt attacked.

"And here'sanother question," Andrew went on. "Why does someone who was baptized as infant and claims to love the Virgin Mary as much as you do dress like Mary Magdalene?"

"What?" Danielle's nervous expression was replaced by an ice cold stare. Albert, meanshile, was trying to hold back a laugh.

"I think I've had enough of you," said Danielle and walked away.

* * *

When Albert got home from school that day, his sister still lokked upset. "I can't believe I made you apologize to that...that...that..." Clearly, she didn't know what Andrew was, but it was something she didn't care for.

Albert was still amused, but the intervening day had changed him a little. He still didn't care much for Andrew, but he was starting to feel sorry for his sister. "Look, waht he said to us about baptism I've been thinking about that a little and your Rosary beads too. Isn't Jesus' baptism by John one of the Mysteries of the Rosary?"

Yeah," said Danielle, "so?"

"And isn't the fruit of that mystery Desire for the Holy Spirit?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"Well,"said Albert, "I guess being baptized whether you're an infant or a grownup can't really make you a Christian. It can only make you desire the Holy Spirit."

Danielle shrugged. "That's interesting, I guess. But when do you get the Holy Spirit?"

"I think it comes and goes and it's not the same for everyone. For me, it makes me want to write."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. Therew are days when I can't do anything but stare at my computeer screen, but then something happens. I'm not sure what exactly. All of a sudden, I have to just type type type. I can't stop if I want to."

"Wow! And you say this is is one of those times? But what are you going to write about?"

"That's the funny thing. I'm not even sure. It almost doesn't matter."

Danielle sighed. "Well, then, if it doesn't matter. Could you do something for me? Your favorite sister?"

"My only sister, but what did you have in mind?"

"Write more of that story about the girls who go searching for the pages of the book. I really want to read more about that."

Maybe it was because his siter looked so helpless at the moment or maybe it was the Holy Spirit, but Jsaon opened that file on his laptop and began to type.