chef13- Thank you for being so excited about this story! It's reviews like yours that make me wanna write. I hope I did well on this chapter. I'm about to leave for Miami for a few weeks so I wanna get as much done as possible. Thank you for being so patient with me and I hope I did well on this chapter!
NeverEndingNights-THANKS!!! I'm SOOOOOOOO happy you love this story! It really makes all the difference!
5oclock.autumn- Hehe! It was fate. God came to me and said "Karen, if you don't update Ash is gonna kick your butt" so I updated!! Lol. Tell me what you think about this chapter. I'm trying not to make it boring, but it focuses on the Rosary. Hope I did a good job!
SilasCilice- Thanks Diamond! Jessy is an ANGEL! She helps me out SOOO much! I'm glad she puts up with me!
RainismyStrength- Is this post soon enough? I tried to hurry, but I also tried to not make this chapter boring. Tell me if I succeeded! Thank you!
yashagrl- FLUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Though not so much in this one, I don't think. I don't know anymore. Please leave me a review telling me what you think.
SilverRaiine- I often curl up into a taco. It's very good when you're cold. It helps to keep warmth in! You just take a blanket and roll yourself around in it like a taco or burrito. It's fun! I'm sorry it took so long for that last chapter, but hopefully this will take your mind off of it for a while.
Lexae- You will find out soon what will happen between Mona and Silas! Just stay tuned! ;)
xmnemosynex- Thank you for the review!! I'm glad you found this story again! And yes, it would have been a SERIOUS crime if you had not read those last two chapters!!! Lol.
NOTE: The Preparatory prayer has at least two versions that I know of. I am posting one now, but if anyone wants the other version just ask! I don't remember which one is correct, but this one just worked better with the story. Thank you all for being patient!
The Holy Mother
Mona felt fingertips make their way from her shoulder slowly down her arm while featherlight kisses were placed on her neck waking her up from her nap.
"It's time to wake up, my love."
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Mona woke up feeling groggy and in pain. Her head was still hurting a little and her ribs where killing her from being on the floor for so long. When she looked around she realized she was still on the plane. Groaning, Mona ran her fingers through her titian tresses, trying to tame what she knew was unruly hair and forced her eyes to search for Silas. Sitting up and turning a little to her left Mona was able to see Silas kneeling on the floor with his back to her, clearly in prayer. Removing the covers from atop her legs Mona turned onto her knees and began crawling towards him. As she reached him she stretched out on her back legs like a cat before sitting with her knees pressed against her chest, waiting for Silas to acknowledge her.
"I thought you were still asleep," Silas said without opening his eyes.
"I woke up and saw you praying. I didn't mean to bother you," Mona replied sheepishly.
"You haven't bothered me…yet." Mona could have sworn she saw a smirk grace his lips briefly, but she quickly shook it aside. Turning her gaze to the Rosary he was holding, Mona traced the pattern with her eyes starting from the wooden beads that could be seen delicately intertwined between his fingers. The cherry wood stood out against his pale skin and the small crucifix at the end, swinging gently back and forth added to Silas' innocent appeal.
"Bishop Aringarosa gave it to me when I took my first communion." When Mona looked up she saw Silas staring back down at the Rosary.
"It's very beautiful. I have one myself. It's hanging on my bedroom wall. My priest, Father McKay gave it to me when I received my first communion as well. He bought it himself because we had made a deal, if I received my communion and continued with my religious studies he would buy me my very own Rosary instead of getting the gold ones that everyone else got. It was so beautiful- a plain silver crucifix with crystal clear beads and every ten beads was a silver rose. It wasn't anything flashy, but it was mine and it was given to me out of kindness. He was such a wonderful priest and he was the reason I looked forward to church every Sunday until he died of a heart attack. He was only in his forties," Mona's eyes glazed over as she remembered the man who had made her love religion for so many years.
"After he died, I ran to the church late at night and snuck in to pray for him. I had gone through the back way through the basement and made my way upstairs to the alter when I heard the nuns gossiping- saying that his heart attack was deserved. It angered me so much that they would say such horrible things about a man who did all he could to bring back faith into the hearts of those who didn't care anymore. That's about the time that I became angry with the Catholic Church and decided I didn't want to be a part of a religion that preaches one thing yet says another when backs are turned." Silas placed his hands on his lap as he turned his head to better face Mona.
"I am sorry to hear that. I can only pray that one day the rest of the Church will become as enlightened as Opus Dei. The Way rids all who follow its path diligently of hypocrisy." Mona was surprised by the sincerity in his words yet she was also confused. Shouldn't he be angry at her? While she was still a long way away from signing up for her Opus Dei membership card (Now with free Secret Decoder Ring! Limited time offer. Offer valid only in the Continental United States), but she had to admit it was a refreshing change of pace from the scorn she was used to receiving from her captor.
"Maybe. So…it's been a while since I've said the Rosary. Could you…could you show me how to say it again? I mean if you don't have time that's okay, I mean I don't-" She began to ramble while looking around nervously.
"Be quiet." Silas ordered. Mona instantly fell silent. "I would gladly teach you the Rosary. This is how it works," Silas gracefully lifted his Rosary closer to eye level and began his explanation. "The Rosary consists of twelve parts. The first prayer is optional and begins at the cross and it is called the Preparatory Prayer. Would you like me to tell you how it goes?" Silas asked. Mona noticed how his eyes lit up as he spoke about the Rosary.
"Yes, please. I never learned of the Preparatory Prayer." Mona admitted with a frown of concentration on her brow.
"I'm sure you have, you just don't remember it or you never knew what it was called. This is how it goes:
Almighty God in heaven, we are keenly aware of the evil forces around us, both physical and spiritual. We feel the heat of the battle on a daily basis. We know that our carnal nature is the focus of the enemy's attack.
We know that our flesh is weak, but we also know that we have spiritual power and authority against our enemies when we are covered with your righteousness Oh Lord.
Increase our faith that we might not live in fear or intimidation. Give us a holy boldness to confront satan and his forces in all the power and authority of the name of our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Cleanse me from any evil or unclean thing that might be in me. Purify my heart and establish me firmly in your word. Help me to trust you to protect and defend me. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ for the only begotten son of God, and my beloved Redeemer. Amen."
Mona could only think of how this prayer seemed to be the Opus Dei motto.
"It seems familiar. I guess I must have forgotten it. What happens next?" Silas gave a small smile at how much Mona sounded like an eager child.
"Next you hold the Rosary like so with the crucifix in you hand and you make the sign of the cross and say the Apostle's creed."
"I know that one:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,the Creator of heaven and earth,and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,born of the Virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heavenand sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and life everlasting.
Amen."
Towards the middle of the prayer Silas joined Mona in saying it.
"Very good. Next comes the "Our Father," which I know you know." Mona smiled at his comment. "Three hail Mary's follow, one for each bead then. These beads are called decades.
Hail Mary,Full of Grace,The Lord is with thee.Blessed art thou among women,and blessed is the fruitof thy womb, Jesus.Holy Mary,Mother of God,pray for us sinners now,and at the hour of death.
Amen
While holding the chain you then move to the next bead and recite 'Glory be to the Father.' It is a very quick prayer that goes like so:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
After this, depending on the day of the week you say on of the four Mysteries Prayers. These prayers are the Joyful Mysteries, Sorrowful Mysteries, Glorious Mysteries, and Luminous Mysteries and each mystery has five parts, or verses, to them. Each mystery is different from the other."
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Silas was amazed at how enjoyable it was to speak to Mona about something they both found fascinating rather than arguing. Re-teaching her the Rosary made his chest swell up with happiness. It was odd for him to feel this way, and for a female to speak to him and not look upon him with disgust or fear was very refreshing. When she had smiled, his heart had skipped a beat, but he was unsure why.
"Now, the Joyful Mystery is said on Monday and Saturday, and because it is Saturday we will say it. It goes thus:
First Joyful Mystery - The Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary I Desire the Love Of Humility Think of... The humility of the Blessed Virgin when the Angel Gabriel greeted her with these words: "Hail full of grace, the lord is with thee". Luke 1:26-1:28
After you have done this you say ten more Hail Mary's while meditating on the Rosary Mystery. When you have done that, once again recite the 'Glory be to the Father' and follow that with the Fatima Prayer." Silas stopped to take a deep breath and decided that Mona needed one too.
"This is A LOT to remember. I'm surprised I knew this at one point. How do you remember all of it?"
"Practice makes perfect, I believe the saying goes. I am a monk so I pray often. I know it seems overwhelming at first, but after saying it a few times you remember and it becomes second nature." Mona gave him a disbelieving look.
"If you say so. How does that Fatima Prayer go? And who was Fatima?"
"Fatima is another name given to the Virgin Mary after it was believed that she appeared to three shepherds in Fatima, Portugal."
"Oh. How come I've never heard of this before?"
"Because some Catholics choose to believe it never happened while others believe it did. It's all a matter of faith. I was taught the "Our Lady of Fatima" prayer in Latin originally and a few years ago I learned how to say it in English." Mona was fascinated by this tidbit of information.
"Can you say it in Latin first? I would love to hear it! I love Latin! It's such a beautiful language, don't you think?"
Silas started as Mona's eyes began to shine in delight, "Yes, it is a beautiful language. Well, in Latin it goes:
Oh me Iesu, dimitte nobis debita nostra,
libera nos ab igne inferni, conduc in caelum omnes animas,
praesertim illas quae maxime indigent misericordia tua. Amen."
And in English it translates to:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven
especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen
This prayer tends to be optional and most people skip it to cut back the time it takes to say the Rosary, but it is a nice prayer. The second Joyful Mystery comes next followed by the 'Our father'. It is called the Visitation of Mary to St. Elizabeth and it goes thus:
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy spirit
and cried out in a loud voice, 'blest are you amongst women and
blest is the fruit of your womb'
Then you repeat ten more Hail Mary's followed by 'Glory be to the Father', the Fatima Prayer, and then it's the third Joyful Mystery Prayer:
The Nativity
She gave birth to her first born son and
wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid him in the manger,
because there was no room for them in the Inn.
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Mona was getting bored with his explanation of the Rosary and found herself getting sleepy as he spoke, but whenever he would look up at her from his Rosary Mona would see the joy in his face and would feel her chest warm up.
There is no way I can have feelings for Silas. I mean he's a monk, he's Catholic, a member of Opus Dei, an albino, a murderer, a gentle man when he wants to be, he protects me to the best of his abilities even when he is in pain, and he makes me feel like I am the only other person in his world…nope not falling for him. Maybe a crush. MAYBE. But nothing else. Nope. Nothing else.
"After you say ten more Hail Mary's, the 'GlorybetotheFather' and the 'OurFather'you say the fourth Joyful Mystery. After the fourth Mystery you repeat the Hail Mary, Glory be and Our Father, and say the last Joyful Mystery. The fourth and fifth Joyful Mysteries are:
The Presentation When the time came…they brought the child up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
The Finding of the child Jesus in the Temple He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.
And then you end the Rosary by saying the final ten decades and say 'Hail, Holy Queen.' "
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Mona could not express how relieved she was once he was finished, but at the same time she was sad that he had stopped speaking. This had been the most they had ever spoken to one another civilly or that he had spoke to her for so long about anything.
"Thank you for teaching me all of this. It was enlightening."
"You were falling asleep," Silas stated.
"Only because of your accent. I'm not saying it's thick or bad, I'm just saying it's relaxing. You should really look into making those relaxation tapes for overly stressed people. You'd make a fortune," Mona said with a smile on her face. Silas gave her a confused look before he shook his head.
"If you feel like changing, a numerary donated clothes for you to wear. They are in the closet by the bathroom."
"Will I look like a nun?"
"No. These are the clothes the numerary donated along with the rest of her worldly possessions so that she may become a part of Opus Dei."
And the peace is over.
"Right. I'm gonna go change now." She quickly opened the closet door and rushed to the bathroom and changed. Five minutes later Mona stepped out wearing a plain white top with an ankle length, flowing white skirt.
"It's not what I would normally wear, but at least it isn't tight. It's actually pretty comfy." Silas could only look with wide eyes as Mona twirled around in a circle twice before asking him what he thought.
"You look fine," he replied while clearing his throat, "the plane lands in ten minutes and the pilot has asked that we return to our seats."
"Alright," Mona answered a little disappointed by Silas' reaction.
What did you expect? For him to call you beautiful? Get a grip! He taught you the Rosary; he didn't profess his undying love for you!
"Um, where do I put these dirty clothes?" Mona asked uncertainly.
"There should be a bag in the closet. Put it there for now and take a seat."
"Okay. Um, thanks." As Mona found the bag and placed her dirty grey dress, Silas's phone rang. Moving to a chair somewhat close to Silas Mona listened in. He can't honestly expect me to give him some privacy when that call could dictate my life!
"We are about to land….yes…two of them... the keystone?...yes…what about the girl?…yes…I shall…good-bye." Silas shut his cell phone and choose to look out the window.
"What about me? What's going to happen?" Mona quickly asked him.
"There has been a slight change of plans. I must attend to something for the Bishop, but you will not be coming along. I am to send you to him where you will wait until I return." Mona began to panic at his words.
"Silas you can't leave me alone with him! I don't know what he'll do to me! What if he-"
"The Bishop will see that no harm befalls you."
"But-"
"No 'buts"! Trust me. No harm will come to you. Did I not promise you this?" Silas asked turning to her.
"Yes, you did…Fine, I trust you." Closing her eyes Mona took a deep breath before exhaling and opening her eyes. Soon they felt turbulence and then heard as the Captain came on the speaker to announce their landing. Soon the turbulence stopped and Mona looked out her window as they reached the small private airport.
"Where are we?" She asked, turning to Silas who had unbuckled his seat belt.
"Just outside of Paris," was his brief reply, "Come, I must take you to the Bishop before I leave."
Mona didn't know what to say as Silas quickly slipped back into his dark persona. Something about what he was about to do bothered him greatly but there was nothing Mona could do for him. Quietly getting up from her seat, Mona made her way to the exit only to see Silas with a gun pointed at someone.
"Whatare you doinghere?" Silas growled.
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So, I literally stayed up ALL NIGHT just to write this. I'm glad it didn't take me months! Just to let you all know there are only a few more chapters before SML is finished! I will try to make the next few chapters enjoyable as we say good-bye to Silas and Mona.
Thank you Phoenix for ALL of your help! I really appreciate it! I'm sorry that explaining the Rosary took so long, but that was the slightly condensed version. It takes a LONG time to do the Rosary!
If any of you have questions feel free to ask!
REVIEW!!!!!