Pray the Rosary!

The month of October is dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. The Rosary is a truly wonderful way to pray. Each prayer, every bead draws us deeper into the mysteries of our faith – the moments where God was at work through the life of His Son, Jesus, and Mary, His mother. I’ve always considered the Rosary to be the perfect prayer because it has it all – a statement of what we believe (the Apostles Creed), the prayer Jesus taught his disciples (Our Father), a prayer of praise (the “Glory Be…”), a prayer to Mary –our great intercessor (Hail Mary), and the four mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, Luminous). The repetition of the prayers gently draws our hectic lives and busy brains into a meditative state where we contemplate all that the Lord has done for us. The movement from bead to bead also takes us on Mary’s quiet journey with her Son through the joys, sorrows, and miracles of His earthly ministry.

As a child I remember my grandmother – who lived with us toward the end of her life – praying the Rosary before she went to bed each night; it was moving to see her in prayer. She had a beautiful Rosary with sterling silver beads that she kept on her bedside table. I taught myself how to say the Rosary after I made my First Holy Communion. Even though I received a nice set of Rosary beads as a First Communion gift, my favorite set was the one that was plastic and glowed in the dark! Today I like to pray the Rosary while I’m driving. I use a small “onedecade” plastic Rosary (this one doesn’t glow in the dark) and the prayer is calming, and uplifting as it fills my mind with all things good and holy.

I recommend the Rosary to you as we get closer to election time, as we long for a more peaceful world, and as we worry about all the things we worry about. Mary has always brought us closer to her Son, and that’s where we need to be as we navigate life. So, pick up your Rosary, and pray your way into a deeper relationship with Christ through the powerful intercession of His Mother and Our Mother! In case you need a refresher, go to this website:

https://www.usccb.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary

In Christ and Mary,