David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah brought severe, generational consequences.
Before his sin with Bathsheba, David generally exhibited
courage in battle, trusting God for protection. After the sin, David lived in a state of tormenting guilt and fear,
realizing his actions warranted death and separation from God. His fear
shifted from external enemies to the internal weight of sin and divine
judgment.
David used every opportunity to plead for God's mercy.
2 Samuel 16:9,When cursed David, Abishai suggested, "Should I remove his head?"
David responded, "If the LORD has commanded him to curse me, then it is
acceptable. Perhaps the LORD will acknowledge my suffering and return
good to me for the curses I am receiving today."
Repentance is the source
for maintaining a state of grace. Repentance
brings ongoing internal and external turmoil
for purification
resulting in profound, lasting joy
. Repentance targets
the removal of the seed of vice brought
by the Fall.
The Rosary is an effective tool for repentance. Realizing the power of conscience to bring peace is important to repentance. To realize this, the Rosary helps the brain to focus internally.
In a state of grace, the soul lives, heart-virtues are nourished, and
the fear of God prevails. If in a state of sin, connection with God is
lost and the soul is in a state of spiritual death. Consequently, the
person is also in a state of death. This causes a fear of death and triggers survival-based instincts, intuition, and stimuli. Furthermore,
this intellectual awareness of our mortality creates a constant, often
subconscious, existential anxiety. To manage this, humans construct
cultural systems, meanings, and self-esteem to feel enduring, valuable,
and protected from the void."
"Do this in remembrance of me." Mary "treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart".
Fear of God is a a profound reverence that binds the faithful to God in a loving relationship.
By fearing the only One who truly matters, the soul is freed from the trivial and crippling fears of the world and is anchored in the peace and safety of God’s presence
The habit of practicing cardinal virtues, Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance creates the necessary, stable, "watered" soil in the soul for theological virtues, Faith, Hope and Charity to take root, allowing divine grace to flow easily into daily life.
Virtue is defined as a "habitual and firm disposition to do the good"
. This state of being enables a person to perform good acts with ease, self-mastery, and joy, allowing grace to flow through their actions rather than just being an isolated, sporadic act.
The Rosary is the premier holy habit that facilitates the flow of grace from soul to heart. The Eucharist is the food that nourishes the soul, and the Hail Mary prayer—an "Angelic Salutation"—awakens the spirit. The contemplative thoughts on Jesus and Mary in the Rosary anchor the imagination and strengthen the soil of Christ’s memory. This process helps grow the seeds of virtue—the connection points of grace.
The more often the rosary is prayed, the more grace flows, leading to constant growth, day by day, until eternity.