May is a month of many joys and sorrows. Of course, the sorrow is a little exclusive to our pecs, triceps, and just our bodies in general. May is also the month of Mary, the mother of God (who is another comfort we don’t deserve).
In recent months, YHC has read/heard about many incredible apparitions of Our Lady, and in many of them she requested—or sometimes earnestly begged with tears in her eyes—for the Rosary to be prayed daily by her children on earth. These requests gradually grew more personal for YHC and became less of a request and more of a calling. YHC thanks God for F3 and Mary for her incredible patience; F3 helped YHC to shake off average teenage-level laziness (well, become less accustomed to it), and YHC finally praying the Rosary daily, as part of a DIY retreat.
The spiritual fruits of that growing devotion have been subtle thus far, but phenomenal.
YHC arrived at the Lion’s… uh… the Civic Center with Goose at about 4:50 to set up, and within five minutes of our arrival we were surprised to see White Meat pull up with newly christened Huffy in tow. WM actually looked at the time as YHC and Goose jogged to the levee to lay out the cones.
We set five cones at four different spots around the levee: at both ends of the bridged gap over the middle of the pond (with two at the far side) and at opposite ends of the long way across the pond. Each cone had under it a slip of paper listing four different mysteries of the Rosary, one from each of the four sets (the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries), chosen by the number stage at which it was set. For example, stage 1 featured the first of each of the 4 mysteries.
YHC and Goose returned at exactly 5:15 and executed Warmarama, then the PAX moseyed to the levee where YC gave the rundown. About a third of the way through the thang the wind was accompanied by a light rain, and YHC began to worry—one leaflet had already been blown into the pond and was barely readable… thankfully the rain provided no problems, only a refreshing sprinkle.
Exercises were assigned to each mystery with at least somewhat biblical connections. The mysteries and their corresponding exercises were as follows:
MOT between stages: 10 burpee broad jumps, run remainder
First Stage
· Joyful- The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)- 15 genuflections
· Luminous- The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17)- 30 scuba steves
· Sorrowful- The Agony in the Garden (Mark 14:32-42)- 30 sec mission impossible
· Glorious- The Resurrection (John 20:1-10)- 10 burpees
Second Stage
· Joyful- The Visitation (Luke 1:39-45)- 15 jump squats
· Luminous- The Wedding Feast at Cana (John 2:1-11)- 25 wife pleasers
· Sorrowful- The Scourging at the Pillar (John 19:1)- 25 merkins
· Glorious- The Ascension (Acts 1:6-11)- 15 star jumps
Third Stage
· Joyful- The Birth of Christ (Luke 2:1-7)- 30 LBCs
· Luminous- The Proclamation of the Kingdom (pretty much the meat of the Gospels)- 20 monkey humpers
· Sorrowful- The Crowning with Thorns (John 19:1-5)- 20 Carolina dry docks
· Glorious- The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles (Acts 2:1-13)- run up/down the levee 10 times
Fourth Stage
· Joyful- The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:22-38)- 8 8-count body builders
· Luminous- The Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36)- 10 hurpees (hand-release burpees)
· Sorrowful- The Carrying of the Cross (Luke 23:26-32)- 15 lunges
· Glorious- The Assumption of Mary (CCC 966)- 20 heels to heaven
Fifth Stage
· Joyful- The Finding of the Christ Child in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52)- BBSU
· Luminous- The Institution of the Eucharist (Luke 22:14-20)- 15 genuflections
· Sorrowful- The Crucifixion (John 19:17-30)- 15 X-factors (feet stationary)
· Glorious- The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth (Revelation 12:1)- 25 freddy mercuries
After all things had taken place, the PAX picked up and headed back to the flag for COT, with the 6 coming in at exactly 6:00 to complete a morning of excellent timing. The rugby shirt had come into Honey Suckle’s possession because of a comment toward its previous owner, and he “waited for a sign” to show its next PAX to weigh down. That sign came in the form of Lil Cuz‘s comment on how Suckle was the only one thus far who hadn’t sweat through it. COT and Cuz prayed us out.
F3 has proven to be somewhat pivotal in my slowly maturing prayer life, as I’m sure can be said for many of us. One sign that a beatdown is particularly grueling is if the physical begins to translate to spiritual (e.g. “Lord, I offer this next desperate burst of merkins for…”). It’s in those moments when I remember that Mary brings our own prayers to God and, as any mother would, pleads for Him to grant them. What I like to do before each beatdown is choose someone or something in need of prayers or for whom I simply wish well, and if you don’t do this already, I highly recommend it. Same with a daily Rosary—there have been a few times were I could vaguely sense a fraction of Mary’s reaction at my saying yes to her appeals to pray the Rosary. Mary, more than anyone, knows that nothing is impossible for God, and if any one of her children are in need, she will storm the gates of Heaven to see those needs met. Mary loves us more than we could know, and, like the perfect mother she is, is more than happy to invoke God’s graces to provide for our needs. Again, another comfort we don’t deserve.
SYITG, Pope
Fitness. Fellowship. Faith.
