Love is a fermented wine, in which only time can sweeten.
Why is it that in the most endearing love stories, we are given images of elderly couples madly in love with one another? We see it in many notable movies and television shows. The best example I could come up with is probably the Notebook, where an elderly Noah or “Duke”, chooses to be loyal to the love of his life, Allie, even when her sickness causes her to forget the very man she loved. The message of that movie was loud and clear. Love is patience. Love perseveres. Love is prevailing. We can conclude that, simply, with time, love becomes more genuine. It becomes more true. More sincere. It becomes more real.
In this community, we are introduced to a very important truth: real love waits. Now as much as this conviction has been associated with chastity, it is also very important to realize the deeper (yet simpler) meaning of this conviction. Waiting does not mean we only seek fulfillment after the fact. It means that we remain hopeful throughout. It means that in our waiting, we are sanctified. Holiness is not simply a means to an end, but a constant reacquainting with the Lord on our journey. There is beauty in the wait. It is the reason why flowers take time to bloom. It is the reason why the sun rises gradually and majestically every morning. It is why the clouds in the sky above soar past us calmly and almost unknowingly. Similarly for us, there is beauty in the wait, and it comes in the form of virtue.
I firmly believe that throughout my life, I have been blessed with a rather unique (and by all means undeserved) grace. That is, the grace of “waiting”. As a child I remember always having to wait for my turn, being the youngest of my siblings and cousins. It never really bothered me, but in retrospect, I think it led to my ability to patiently put other’s needs before mine. Mind you, I’m not perfect, but I definitely think God blessed me with patience – of myself, of others and of God’s will. I know I owe a lot of patience to my family. Every day they teach me to be patient. Specifically, in having a sister with down syndrome, it’s particularly rewarding when I know that in loving her unconditionally God teaches me subtle lessons of virtue.
It does not surprise me that in leading a life dedicated to growing in patience and virtue, I have fallen in love with Mary’s Immaculate Heart, that which is most virtuous and extraordinarily patient. Thankfully she has given to us a very cherished gift: The Most Holy Rosary. It is in the rosary we learn to imitate her life – specifically, her love for Jesus.
The rosary is such a beautiful prayer. As you probably know, praying it really takes time and effort. During those long days of work or school it really gets difficult because of its constant repetition. You can even go as far to say that praying it regularly often gets monotonous.
St. Josemaria Escriva passionately wrote,
“Blessed be that monotony of Hail Marys which purifies the monotony of your sins!”
I believe that the Rosary is a beautiful example of how we must approach every circumstance of our living. A brother once told me that, “the beads of the Rosary is the rhythm of life.” They don’t merely represent the rhythm of life. They ARE the rhythm of life. Every breath has its meaning, just as every bead has its significance. Often times life can become monotonous. But what I learned in praying the Rosary was that, somewhere hidden in the repetition and in the waiting, there is a beauty that is unveiled in its mystery. The Mysteries of the Holy Rosary are the beautiful moments of God’s glory that we yearn for as time passes. Those 10 Hail Mary’s are enlivened and monotony is diminished when we encounter Jesus Christ in the Mysteries. Similar to that, we must learn to exact heavenly bliss from monotony in our very lives, only then will we truly and intimately know the secret to Mother Mary’s love for her son.
With every breath I am reminded of the sweetness of waiting, not because I inch towards a destination, but because in breathing I am reminded of a God who has given me life. I am reminded of a God who loves me in ways I don’t deserve. A God whom I yearn to love more and more each day, with every Hail Mary, and every passing bead. A God who, with every answered and unanswered prayer, affirms me that though I have failed countless times in waiting for Him, He has revealed to me in eternity that real love waits.
“Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun.” – Eclessiastes 11:7