We Want a Balanced Life
The goal for so many of us is to live a life of balance and peace. We want to do some meaningful work balanced with a little leisure. We want the occasional friend over for coffee. We look for some satisfying hobbies. And yet, so many people live out of balance. Like a leaf caught in the wind, they are thrown from crisis to crisis or one long meaningless march of toil and sloth. What’s the answer to achieve balance?
I’m sure most of you know what the answer is — the
Catholic Church! In this article on Catholic Exchange, Dr. Donald Demarco provides this insight:
In the Catholic Church we find a paragon of balance. In this regard, She has no peer. Sin is expiated by forgiveness. Chastisement is tempered by mercy. Nature is elevated by grace. Sexuality is made meaningful by responsibility. Rights are counterbalanced with duties; work is crowned by prayer. Will is tethered to reason. Where there are difficulties, there is hope. Where there is doubt, there is faith. Where there is goodness, there is love. Problems are resolved; order is maintained. No other organization offers such a system of balance.
“We need not be diplomatic to present Catholicism in all its balance and wholeness and invite one to examine it for what it is. One can dispense with any concern for choosing any one of Her rivals. She shines on Her own. There really are no competitors.”
How the Rosary Teaches Balance
Truly, to us Rosary prayer warriors, we can see this balance play out in the 20 mysteries. The Rosary acts like guardrails to keep us along that narrow path that ultimately leads to Heaven. It balances us as we walk that tightrope of virtue over a chasm of sin. With the Rosary, walking that narrow path becomes a little easier and sure footed because we know we are on the right track.
The roots of the Church’s teachings are found in the Rosary. This is why Our Lady asks us to pray it every day. The Rosary brings out the fullness of Christ’s love for us and God’s plan for humanity. It is through the Rosary that we foster healthy desires that lead to a full and complete life when we strive to obtain them:
Joyful Mysteries
- A desire for the love of humility
- A desire for charity toward my neighbor
- A desire for a love of God
- A desire for a spirit of sacrifice
- A desire for zeal for the Glory of God
Luminous Mysteries
- A desire to live one’s baptismal promises
- A desire to do whatever Jesus asks
- A desire for God’s forgiveness
- A desire for holiness
- A desire for the Mass and Eucharist
Sorrowful Mysteries
- A desire of repentance for one’s sins
- A desire for mortification
- A desire for moral courage
- A desire to exercise patience
- A desire for perseverance
Glorious Mysteries
- A desire for strong faith
- A desire for an increase in hope
- A desire for knowledge and wisdom
- A desire for a holy death
- A desire for greater love in the Blessed Virgin Mary
These are the fruits of the Rosary. Now imagine the joy and completeness one feels when he realized all these desires. This is what our faith offers. There’s no career, political cause, hobby, or person that can offer us this. In fact, many people or organizations don’t want you to achieve a tiny fraction of what the Church offers. They grab a lot of power and money by making sure your life is unbalanced and full of turmoil so they can sell you a “solution.”
If something feels unbalanced in your life, pick up a Rosary and pray it. Concentrate on the mysteries and their holy fruits. Like a child coming to his mother for help, we come before Mary with our concerns and worries. She will point us to the Rosary as the solution for any and all things in our lives. The Rosary reveals God’s plan for us because it reveals His Church. Everything else is spiritual plate spinning — it will come crashing down eventually.
