Blood of Christ Rosary

I come from a multi-religious, multi-ethnic family. My father has a bunch of siblings and was loosely raised Protestant (only attending services on Christmas and Easter). My mom's family was much smaller, but they were very devout Catholics which is why she insisted we be raised Catholic too. After a few years of attending masses, my father decided to convert as well.

Growing up we had grandparents, aunt's, uncles, and cousins out the wazoo, but I very rarely saw them. Even to this day only one of my dad's siblings (an Aunt) decided to pursue a relationship with us. Before that the only member of my father's family who accepted us was my Grandfather, who passed away just before I was born. The other family members have always had severe issues with us big, bad, evil, pagan, idol worshiping, Catholics. My "Grandmother" wouldn't even participate in my parent's wedding.

The accusations always varied. We were pagan because in their view we worshiped the saints and Our Lady as gods. We were idol worshipers because we had statues of them in our and homes. The Holy Trinity is such an offensive and overwhelming subject they won't even discuss it. But the one big issue that always comes up is our "preoccupation with the crucifixion". Others believe since our focus isn't solely on the Resurrection we are missing the point. They can't even begin to understand, or relate to, the extreme sacrifice made by Christ, his family, and friends. They believe the torture, emotional abuse, and cruelty Christ suffered is somehow less significant.

The one thing I know from experience is bigots are a difficult group to deal with, especially for a child. How do you maintain your self esteem when others (friends, boyfriends, family members, co-workers, and other acquaintances) keep judging and berating you? The only thing I could do was pray that God would be able to open their hearts to his true message (while struggling with my own self-esteem issues). Until now...

I feel like this rosary is my way of taking a stand. Our religion was created by Christ himself, not man. It is a tribute to the fact that we don't change beliefs just because they are difficult, or unpopular with the rest of society. It is a way for us to meditate on the pain, suffering, and HUGE sacrifice our Lord made for us (even knowing what imperfect children we would be). It is a celebration of His never ending love and also a gentle reminder that we were not created to stand in judgement. God did not sacrifice himself so that we could take his power away by passing judgement on others. We are here to spread his love through words and actions. A lot of people seem to have forgotten what being Christian really means.

But when those bad days, months, or years, come along, don't forget the big picture. Remember what's important, and in today's narcissistic and chaotic world, keep your focus on the light, no matter how much darkness surrounds you. Never forget His sacrifice.

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