Spiritual Meaning Of Finding A Rosary? All Answers

He emphasizes: “In praying the Rosary, we remain faithful to the Scriptures and to this tradition.”

That the Holy Rosary is a “Christ-centered prayer, centered on the life of Christ and the culmination of God’s great salvation stories for the redemption of the world,” is another reason that makes the prayer special and powerful, Archbishop Brislin says.

“This prayer, more than any other, helps us to remember and focus on the life of Christ, His teaching, and His gift of self. It reaffirms our faith in the incarnation, passion, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and our faith in the great gift of the Holy Spirit,” the 64-year-old prelate explained in his October 7 reflection.

The Marian mysteries help us to reflect on the saving power of God, because “Mary, after all, like all people, was saved by Jesus Christ and represents us all,” adds the South African archbishop.

Another reason praying the Holy Rosary is special and powerful is that it is a prayer of contemplation, says Archbishop Brislin, referring to the 2001 Directory of Popular Piety and Liturgy of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, which described the recitation of the saint’s rosary as “contemplative prayer, requiring stillness in rhythm or even spiritual dwelling, which encourages the faithful to meditate on the mysteries of the life of the Lord”.

“The point of contemplative prayer is that it’s not just about ‘thinking’ about the mysteries or bringing them to mind,” says the South African prelate, explaining that “in contemplation we take the mysteries into our lives, so this prayer is no longer just words that we use, but becomes a living prayer – a prayer that changes and transforms us so that we can live what we pray.”

The archbishop, who has been serving the people of God in Cape Town since December 2009, finds praying the rosary special and powerful because “it is a prayer that asks the intercession of Our Lady”.

“One theologian described praying the Rosary as sharing in the life of Mary, with the focus on Christ,” he says, referring to Romano Guardini, adding: “Like Mary, through the Rosary we try to orient our lives more and more towards Jesus.”

The Holy Rosary “is also an acknowledgment that Jesus Himself gave Mary to be the Mother of the Church and indeed the Mother of us all,” he continues, referring to the Gospel of John, which says: “His mother and the disciple Seeing whom He loved to stand beside her, Jesus said to his mother, “Woman, this is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “This is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took them to his house.”

Biblical Basis for the Rosary

– Answered by Father Johann Roten, H.M.

Q: Is there a biblical basis for the rosary?

A: As you know, the Bible “doesn’t” tell us to pray the rosary because this form of prayer didn’t originate until the Middle Ages. However, important elements of the rosary are biblical and/or part of the common Christian faith. judge yourself.

1) The “Confession of Faith” or creed at the beginning of the Rosary is nothing other than the earliest baptismal creed still common to all Christian records.

2) The “Our Father” – also part of the Rosary – is literally biblical.

3) Among the “Twenty Mysteries” there are very few that are not directly biblical, namely the Assumption of Mary and her coronation. The ascension relates to Gen 3:15; the coronation can be aligned with Apoc 12.1.

4) The first part of the “Hail Mary” corresponds to the angel’s greeting at the Annunciation and Elizabeth’s greeting at the Visitation (Lk 1:28 and 2:42).

5) The second part, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death”, could be understood as follows:

“Holy Mary” again corresponds to the Bible passage of the Annunciation (Lk 1:28: “full of grace”)

“Mother of God” is the proper meaning of the biblical proclamation, although the term was confirmed as such in Ephesus (431).

“Pray for us”: Although not specifically mentioned in Scripture, intercession can be linked to the wedding feast at Cana, where Mary and her son enter into trouble for the young couple. See also Luke 18:13. The earliest intercessory prayer for Mary (Sub Tuum) dates from the fourth century. It was common to all Christian traditions for more than a thousand years, until the Reformation. It is important to remember that Mary only intercedes for us in and through Jesus Christ.

“Now and at the hour of our death”: These final words were not added until the 19th century. They are not in the Bible but can be linked to Mary’s station at the foot of the cross as a haven of hope.

6) Finally, the “Glory be to the Father” refers directly to the Trinity. It is not mentioned as such in the Bible, but no one would question the Father, Son and Spirit and their due praise.

When a rosary was made for King Henry VIII in 1509, it was hand-carved in minute detail by a master craftsman. Many of today’s rosaries, on the other hand, are made from the same plastic used in mass-produced items such as children’s toys and water bottles.

The believers don’t care; For faithful Catholics, praying with plastic is just as good as praying with a large work of art.

But it presents us with a dilemma. As librarians at the University of Dayton’s Marian Library, we help curate a collection of religious artifacts that number in the hundreds of thousands, depending on how you count them. It includes postage stamps, wine labels, books, statues and rosaries. Many of the items are Catholic and were given to the library by charities trying to do right with a family heirloom or the collection of a recently deceased loved one. Donations could include anything from medieval manuscripts to a car air freshener featuring Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In many cases donations are welcome. But we’re having trouble knowing what to do when donations duplicate items we already have, or when the item being donated has no particular value. And that’s common, especially with mass-produced items like rosaries or cheap plastic statues.

Mass Produced Cards

Another example is the sacred card. Sacred cards, or prayer cards, are in many ways the religious equivalent of baseball trading cards — they even attract the same kind of fanatical collecting. The obverse usually contains an image of a saint or a religious scene, while the reverse often contains a specific prayer or the saint’s biography. Early examples of sacred maps may have been printed on silk or hand-colored. Some can look a bit like the fanciest of Valentine’s Day cards, with lace borders and space for personal messages.

With advances in printing processes, the mass production of sacred maps accelerated in the 19th century and continues to this day, with millions being produced each year. Today you can buy 100 new sacred cards for less than $20, and they’re often picked up at funerals, baptisms, or special masses.

With the mass production and widespread distribution of items such as holy cards and rosaries, donations to our collection can quickly multiply. Most months we receive unsolicited gifts of mass produced materials in the mail. And we are not alone – other libraries, archives and museums also receive such gifts.

A widely used guide to the running of a Catholic church by liturgist G. Thomas Ryan suggests that objects no longer needed should be donated to an archive or museum. But institutions often lack both the staff to process the gifts and the space to house them.

Anything can be blessed

Our first step with an unwanted donation is to attempt to return it to the donor. However, this is not always possible when materials appear anonymous or the donor does not want them back.

Anyone who has driven for several hours to deposit grandma’s statues unannounced often simply wants to drive away unencumbered. Therefore, whenever possible, we look for good houses for items such as: B. Local Catholic schools or parishes.

If donating again is not an option, we have a problem. While some unwanted non-religious donations to libraries may go straight to the trash, for many religious items this is not an option. As a result, we had to investigate how to properly dispose of religious items.

According to the canon law of the Catholic Church, certain types of particularly sacred material, such as holy water and holy oil, must be treated with care and disposed of in a special way.

The law states that “sacred objects intended for worship by dedication or blessing are to be treated with reverence.” But the law does not specifically define what items are considered sacred.

Catholic convention states that discarding objects such as statues, rosaries, or the Palm Sunday palms should be done by respectful burning or burial. However, this is not common practice in most libraries, and the burning of books and artwork has worrying associations with censorship or even war crimes.

But in Catholicism it would be more scandalous to throw certain religious objects in the trash or sell them for a profit than to burn or bury them, even if no one wants them and they don’t fit in our collection.

In addition to protocols related to specific types of objects, many other Catholic artifacts can be considered sacred depending on their intended use. This is especially the case when they have been prayed or blessed with.

It can be impossible for us as librarians to know the history of an object’s use by previous owners – especially if it has been passed on to us by a third party. Any sacred card, statue or painting could have been blessed as an image and therefore called sacred.

In addition to blessings on items intended for sacred purposes, the Catholic Church literally has a “blessing of everything,” meaning any item could have been blessed by a priest. While this does not necessarily make an object sacred, it does indicate the freedom with which blessings are distributed.

Burning after the reading room?

So what should curators do in the face of the ongoing mass production, widespread distribution, and frequent donation of such objects?

The best solution we’ve found is to remember that intent matters. Our intentions as stewards of these items are good: we communicate in advance that not all donations can be accepted, and we try to find new homes for items that do not belong in the Marian Library – whether by offering items for free the community or communication with another library that may be a better fit.

Disposal would be the last resort. To date, we still don’t have reverent, respectful fire to destroy duplicate holy cards – but we’re not ruling it out.

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Committed to helping you dispose of all types of waste properly, Can You Throw It Away also offers ideas for reusing your old items. The company’s mission is to make it easier for people to recycle and reuse in the modern world so they can reduce their environmental impact. Can You Throw It Away has a team that is passionate about sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint on the planet.

Many Christians pray the rosary out of devotion to their faith, to supplicate Mother Mary, or to ask for blessings, forgiveness, or peace. When a rosary is blessed by a priest, the rosary beads are imbued with the blessing of the church, which means that as you pray the rosary, your prayers are reinforced with the prayers of the church. In addition, a priest’s blessing will also bestow rosary beads with an indulgence, meaning that if you pray the rosary for forgiveness, you will be absolved of the penalty for your sins. Only a priest has the power to bless a rosary with this special spiritual help. However, you can bless your own rosary with holy water yourself to add spiritual grace to the beads.

Take your rosary with you to church.

Bring your rosary to the holy water font used for finger dipping and blessing, usually located near the church entrance. Place a few fingers in the holy water and sprinkle a few drops of holy water over your rosary.

Say a personal prayer that elicits God’s blessing or read a brief blessing from the Bible.

By Catherine Stodola, University of Alabama

With all of the trials the world faces today, it’s easy to feel lost or helpless. People want to help make things better but aren’t sure how to make a difference. Unfortunately, nobody can single-handedly cure COVID-19, end abortion, end racism, or other major problems completely. Most are not even able to engage directly in these matters, but one thing anyone can do, regardless of age, wealth or connections, is pray, especially pray the Rosary.

By the 1500s, the Turks had conquered many lands to add to their empire and were fast approaching their next target, the Christian kingdoms of the Mediterranean, including Rome. Faced with their imminent sinking, the Christian European leaders assembled a fleet, but they stood no chance against the larger and much more experienced and experienced Turkish fleet. On the day of the battle, Pope Pius V called on Catholics across Europe to pray the rosary and ask for the intercession of Our Lady. By the power of such a union of Mary’s prayer and intercession, the European fleet accomplished a seemingly impossible task and broke through the surrounding fleet, scattering the Turks and saving Europe.

Sister Lucia of Fatima said: “I tell you, there is no problem, no matter how difficult, that we cannot solve by praying the Holy Rosary.” Throughout history, countless saints and religious have testified to the immense power of the rosary , committed to regular prayer and encouraging others to do the same. St. Padre Pio declared: “The rosary is the weapon for these times.” Especially now the world desperately needs this weapon to fight hatred, fear, sickness and need.

Much of the power of the rosary comes from the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. People often ask their friends to pray for them or their specific needs, but much more can be accomplished by asking Mary to pray for us as she is so close to God and can take our needs directly to him. It is said that the rosary is a chain connecting heaven and earth, with one end in our hands and the other in the hands of Our Holy Mother. Through Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan de Rupe, the Blessed Virgin revealed fifteen specific promises to those who dedicate themselves to praying the Rosary, including receiving special graces and protection. She even said, “Anything you ask of me you shall obtain by praying the Rosary.” With such incredible promises and even encouragement to pray the Rosary directly from Our Lady through various Marian apparitions, one would think that devotion to the Rosary would be much more widespread. However, many still see the rosary as a repetitive, monotonous, and outdated prayer rather than the effective tool it is.

Misunderstandings about the rosary often arise from the fact that it is no more than a mere formula for reciting prayers. Simply trying to focus on the words of the prayers paves the way for distractions and leaves a lot to be desired. One way to counter this is to offer intentions, either for the entire rosary or for each decade, and focus on the intentions as you recite the prayers, but the real key to the rosary is understanding that the prayers are meditations. Each decade is associated with a mystery that highlights an event in Jesus’ life. Part of the beauty of the rosary is the repetition, which allows for deeper meditation on the mysteries. As you repeat the well-known prayers, you can fully immerse yourself in the scene of the mystery and see the event through the eyes of Jesus and Mary. You can imagine the sights, smells and sounds of the scene and how those present felt at the time, and reflect on how the mystery relates to you and your life. Through this meditation and reflection, the Rosary can never become boring; Each time you pray the Rosary you can have a completely different experience. The rosary itself remains the same, but we don’t. Every day our experiences, questions, difficulties and strengths change and the personal meditation aspect allows the rosary to adapt and allows God to speak to us about all our greatest needs.

While this probably sounds great in theory, in practice it’s sometimes difficult to implement. The hustle and bustle of today’s world opens doors to many distractions, and many find it difficult to focus on meditation for even twenty minutes without their mind wandering. Fortunately, there are several methods to solve this problem, and they can be especially useful for those who are just starting to make the rosary habit. For starters, you can simply read a relevant scripture or verse at the beginning of each decade after the secret was announced. This refreshes your memory of the meaning of the Mystery and gives you a starting point for your meditation. You can also pray a Biblical Rosary, which will help guide your meditation by including Bible verses between each Hail Mary. (See the scripturalrosary.org link in the Sources for how to pray a biblical rosary.) Finally, as suggested by St. Louis de Montfort, there is the method of adding a modifying phrase after Jesus’ name in the Ave Maria . Also known as the litany of the rosary, this method works similarly to the biblical rosary in that it helps guide and focus your meditation, but it does so in the context of the Hail Mary. (See the book A Rosary Litany for the phrases and more information.)

Regardless of how you choose to pray the Rosary, with the right dedication, it can have immense power in the world and in your personal life. By committing to praying the Rosary every day, I have experienced that same power in various aspects of my life including healing and conversion for friends and improved relationships and who knows what might happen when an entire generation of Catholics meet would again oblige powerful prayer. Especially in these difficult times, I urge you to take up your mighty weapon and commit to praying the Rosary, especially for peace and healing in the world.

Still not convinced?

“The Rosary is a prayer that is both humble and simple and theologically rich in biblical content. I ask you to pray it.” – St. John Paul II

“The Holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use with confidence and you will be amazed at the results.” -St. Josemaria Escriva

“Pray the Rosary every day to bring peace to the world.” – Our Lady of Fatima

“The best way to pray is to pray the Rosary.” – St. Francis de Sales

“Pray the Rosary often. It costs so little and is worth so much!” – St. Padre Pio

Sources

Power of The Holy Rosary

Interceding for Others by Praying the Rosary

https://dynamiccatholic.com/rosary/10-reasons-why-pray-the-rosary

https://www.scripturalrosary.org/BeginningPrayers.html

This is a local copy of a guide by Zoltan Abraham, last revised February 1998. The original is here.

A detailed guide to the Rosary of Our Lady

by Zoltan Abraham

Copyright, 1994

Last revised February 1998

Introduction:

I wrote this article in 1994 in response to a request to a discussion group. Since then I’ve seen it in various places on the net. This version is essentially the same as the previous one, but with more reflections on the scroll of the rosary and with the big exception that I eliminated the graphics to make the text more manageable. Please feel free to copy and reproduce this article if you wish, but I ask that the text be reproduced unaltered, in its entirety, including the title, authorship, and copyright notice. I also ask for notification when the text is rendered.

What is the rosary?

Praying the rosary is very simple. It will probably seem complicated at first, but after you pray it a few times, it will become second nature. In fact, it’s much more complicated to talk about than to pray about.

The word rosary has two main meanings: the physical object consisting of a string of pearls, a medal and a cross; and prayer using this physical object as a guide. You don’t need the item to pray the rosary, but the beads will help you keep track while you pray. In addition, the rosary, as a physical object, is a sacred object, the presence of which in your home or bag is in a sense a constant prayer offered to God through Mary.

When we pray the rosary, we start with the cross, say a prayer, then move to the first bead and say a prayer, then move to the second bead and say a prayer, and continue like this until all the beads are covered. (Whether we go left-to-right or right-to-left probably doesn’t matter.) (Note: You can find all the prayers at the end of this article.)

The basic configuration of the prayer is simple: the rosary consists of a cross, a medal, individual beads and consecutive beads. For the cross we pray the Apostles’ Creed; the Lord’s Prayer for the individual beads and the Ave Maria for the consecutive beads. After all the beads are covered, it is customary to say some final prayers (see below), including supplications (if the supplications have not already been made), which can be taken to correspond to the medal. (Otherwise the medal has no corresponding prayers.)

The Rosary can be divided into three parts: the introduction, the five decades and the conclusion. The introduction consists of the cross and the four pearls that follow it, which together signify the Apostles’ Creed, an Lord’s Prayer and three Hail Marys. The five decades each consist of a single bead and ten consecutive beads – i.e. one Lord’s Prayer and ten Hail Marys. The closing prayer can be any prayer to Mary, related prayers, and the supplications for which the Rosary is prayed (if the supplications are not already specified). (See the end of the article for some examples of concluding prayers.)

Each decade is dedicated to a specific event in the life of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. For the purposes of the Rosary, these mysteries are named. Jesus is always the focus. But since the Virgin Mary, as the mother of Jesus, had (and continues to have) a special relationship with Christ, the Rosary is meant to help us reflect on Christ and His love for humanity through His Mother—and our Mother—whom He loved so much.

Since the rosary has five decades, each corresponding to a mystery, there are five mysteries for each rosary. Finally, there are three sets of five Mysteries: 1) the Joyful Mysteries, 2) the Sorrowful Mysteries, and 3) the Glorious Mysteries.

The secrets are as follows:

(The custom is to pray each set of mysteries on the days of the week indicated—but that is just a custom.)

The Happy Secrets:

(Monday and Thursday as well as the Sundays from the 1st Sunday in Advent to Lent.)

1. The Annunciation to Mary

2. The Visitation of Mary

3. The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ

4. The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple

5. The finding of our Lord in the temple

The sad secrets:

(Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays of Lent.)

1. The Agony of Christ in the Garden

2. The Flagellation at the Pillar

3. The Crowning of Thorns

4. The Carrying of the Cross

5. The crucifixion and death of our Lord on the cross

Glorious Secrets:

(Wednesday and Saturday as well as the Sundays from Easter to Advent.)

1. The resurrection of our Lord

2. The Ascension of Our Lord

3. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles

4. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven

5. The Coronation of Our Lady as Queen of Heaven and Earth

When we pray the joyful mysteries, the first decade corresponds to the proclamation, the second decade to the visitation, the third to the birth of our Lord, the fourth to the temple offering, and the fifth to the coming of the temples.

As we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries, the first decade corresponds to Christ’s agony in the garden, the second to Christ’s flagellation, the third to the crowning with thorns, the fourth to the bearing of the cross, and the fifth to the crucifixion and death of our Lord.

When we pray the glorious mysteries, the first decade corresponds to our Lord’s resurrection, the second to our Lord’s ascension, the third to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, the fourth to the Lord’s ascension to the Virgin Mary, and the fifth to the Virgin’s coronation Maria.

Put everything together

Now we can take a look at how it all comes together. Two different basic approaches have emerged, both of which will be discussed. Both approaches are equally acceptable, but certain rosary indulgences may require us to conform to local custom.

The first method

The introduction:

— Kiss the cross and make the sign of the cross

— on the cross — saying the Apostles’ Creed

— on the first single bead — say an Our Father

— on each of the three consecutive beads — say an Ave Maria

The first secret:

— indicate the first mystery

— optional: indicate the prayer requests for this mystery

— at the single bead — say an Our Father

— on each of the ten consecutive beads — say an Ave Maria

— after the 10th say Glory Be and O My Jesus

The second secret:

— explain the second secret,

— optional: indicate the prayer requests for this mystery

— at the single bead — say an Our Father

— on each of the ten consecutive beads — say an Ave Maria

— after the 10th say Glory Be and O My Jesus

The third secret:

— indicate the third mystery

— optional: indicate the prayer requests for this mystery

— at the single bead — say an Our Father

— on each of the ten consecutive beads — say an Ave Maria

— after the 10th say Glory Be and O My Jesus

The fourth secret:

— state the Fourth Mystery

— optional: indicate the prayer requests for this mystery

— at the single bead — say an Our Father

— on each of the ten consecutive beads — say an Ave Maria

— after the 10th say Glory Be and O My Jesus

The fifth secret:

— state the fifth secret

— optional: indicate the prayer requests for this mystery

— at the single bead — say an Our Father

— on each of the ten consecutive beads — say an Ave Maria

— after the 10th say Glory Be and O My Jesus

Conclusion:

— a Marian prayer

— if desired, a general prayer, such as a prayer to the Holy Spirit

— declaration of intent, if not made earlier (the intention could also be at the very beginning)

Note: The usual closing prayer in the United States seems to be the Hail, Holy Queen, but other prayers, such as St. Bernard’s Mamorare, are equally appropriate. (See sample prayers at the end of the article.)

— finally making the sign of the cross and kissing the cross on the rosary

The second method

This method is the same as the first, with one major exception. Here the mysteries are not proclaimed before each decade, but inserted into each Ave Maria. This is done in the following way:

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women, and blessed are they

fruit of your womb, Jesus.

[The secret is explained.]

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners

Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

The advantage of this method is that the secret is said 10 times over the course of the decade, rather than just once before that. In this way, it is easier to focus on the mystery the decade is dedicated to, and easier to ponder while praying the decade.

In the second method, each Ave Maria has a mystery inserted in the middle, even the three Ave Marias in the introduction.

The mysteries are formulated in such a way that they can be included in the Ave Maria. They are the following:

The first three secrets of the introduction:

1. Who strengthens our faith.

2. Who strengthens our hope.

3. Who perfects our love.

The Happy Secrets:

1. Which you received by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2. Who you carried in your lap when you visited St. Elizabeth.

3. Who was born of you in Bethlehem?

4. Who you introduced at the temple.

5. Who you found in the temple.

The sad secrets:

1. Who sweated blood for us sinners.

2. Who was scourged for us sinners.

3. Who was crowned with thorns for us sinners.

4. Who carried the cross for us sinners?

5. Crucified for us sinners.

The Glorious Mystery:

1. Who rose from the dead.

2. Who ascended to heaven.

3. Who sent us the Holy Spirit?

4. Who raised you, holy virgin, to heaven.

5. Who crowned you, holy virgin, in heaven?

For example, when we pray the first decade of the Joyful Mysteries using this method, we place the first mystery in the middle of each of the ten Hail Marys.

Again, this happens as follows:

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women, and blessed are they

fruit of your womb, Jesus,

*Who you received through the power of the Holy Spirit.*

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners

Now and at the hour of our death. Amen”

When we pray the second Decade of Joyful Mysteries according to this method, we insert the second mystery in the middle of each of the ten Hail Marys – and each Decade is prayed in the same way.

Also, the first three mysteries of the opening correspond to each of the three Hail Marys of the opening, rather than the joyful, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries. Thus all three of these introductory mysteries are said at the beginning of each of the three groups of five mysteries.

Some reflections on the spirit of praying the Rosary

The above is an explanation of the Rosary from a technical point of view, but it is equally important to consider the spirit with which the Rosary should be prayed.

We should always remember that the goal of the rosary is Christ. When we pray the Rosary, we draw near to Christ through Mary – His Mother and our Mother – because of her special bond with Him and with us. It is beyond the scope of this article to examine all of the reasons for Marian devotion, but volumes could be written on this subject, as well as on the biblical foundations of Marian devotion.

Suffice it to say here that Mary is the mother of Christ and therefore our mother because we are a part of Christ. A family must be very dysfunctional if the children do not want to honor their mother. When we honor Mary, we are literally doing what the Fourth Commandment requires of us. It was also God Himself who freed Mary from all stain of sin, made her His own mother, raised her to heaven after completing her earthly life, crowned her Queen of Heaven, and made her the mediator of grace between Christ and Jesus. If God Himself has seen fit to honor Mary so richly, we are only doing what God Himself is doing when we honor Mary too. But we don’t honor Mary for her own sake—we honor her to glorify God, whose work she is.

Since Mary was always sinless, her whole life was always centered on God. When we turn to her in prayer, she will lead us immediately to Christ, because she never thought a thought that was not an act of worship of God. Her whole being was always determined by the complete worship of God; she has never experienced any other way of being. As we open our souls to it, it molds them to equip them for the perfect love and worship of God.

According to the human nature of Christ, Mary is the creature nearest to God. While Christ is the mediator of all graces between God and creation, Mary is the mediatrix of all graces between Christ and mankind. Consequently, Mary is a powerful advocate for all who turn to her. God normally works through his creatures – the gospel is preached by men, Bibles are printed and distributed by men, churches are built by men. In the same way, many things will not happen unless people pray for them. That is why people need to pray for one another. If we believe that our prayers will help one another in this life, why should we doubt that the prayers of those who have reached heaven can also help us. If a man’s prayer is effective while he is still in this world, why shouldn’t his prayer be even more effective when he is standing face to face with God in eternal glory?

Church history testifies that Our Lady’s intercessions do not fail. When we pray to her, we can be sure that our prayers will be answered. The answer may not come in exactly the form we would like, but in the end we will find ourselves more blessed than ever, and we will find ourselves growing closer to God in worship and love.

As we pray the individual prayers in the rosary, we should say them slowly, either concentrating on the meaning of the words themselves, or meditating on the mystery of the decade. We should be very careful that praying the Rosary does not become a mere habit done quickly and without much attention. Prayer is not magic. The words will not bring us anything if we do not pray them from the heart. A rosary prayed hastily and with little attention will be of almost no use to us. But a rosary prayed sincerely and with sincere devotion leaves a lasting impression on our spiritual development.

If possible, we should meditate on each mystery either before or after the Decade prayer and pause for a minute or so to reflect on the meaning of the mystery.

Finally, whenever we pray the Rosary, we should be careful to bring our requests forward at some point so that we know what we are praying for and so that we can respond to Our Lady’s desire to grant us ever more graces through the Rosary.

Continue reading

Many books have been written about the Blessed Virgin Mary. One of the best explorations of the devotion to Our Lady through the Rosary is The Mystery of the Rosary of St. Louis de Montfort (available from Tan Publishers). St. Louis de Montfort is known as the great Marian saint of modern times. Although the style of his writing has not aged well, his message of Marian devotion has stood the test of time, and he continues to be one of the leading authorities on the devotion to the Virgin Mary. His book Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is also one of the great spiritual classics of the Church.

The prayers

The Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again 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 eternal life. Amen.

Our father:

Our Father who is in heaven; holy be thy name; Thy kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Ave Maria:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory to:

Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and always will be, world without end. Amen.

O my Jesus:

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are most in need of Your mercy. Amen.

(Note: According to the testimony of the visionaries of Fatima, Our Lady herself, in one of her apparitions, asked that we pray the O my Jesus prayer at the end of each decade. The apparent universal willingness of Catholic faithful around the world to adhere to it Holding on to that desire is living testimony to the authenticity of the visionaries’ claim.)

Hail Holy Queen:

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. We call to you, poor banished children of Eve. To you we send our sighs, sorrow and weeping in this vale of tears. So, most gracious Advocate, cast your eyes of mercy on us. And after our exile, show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O gentle, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary.

– Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

– So that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: O God, whose only begotten Son by his life, death and resurrection purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beg, that we meditate on these mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, we can imitate what they contain and receive what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Memories of St. Bernard:

Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary, it has never been known that anyone fleeing for Your protection, imploring Your help and seeking Your intercession, was left without help. Inspired by this trust, I fly to you, O virgin of virgins, my mother; to you I come; before you I stand sinful and sad. O Mother of the Incarnate Word, do not despise my requests, but hear and answer me in Your mercy. Amen.

Creator Christ

(by Zoltan Abraham)

Creator Christ, through whom and in whom we are and have our being, we adore you, we thank you and we praise you for your infinite glory. Together with the angels and saints and through the Immaculate Heart of our Holy Mother, we consecrate ourselves totally to your Sacred Heart and to the Holy Trinity. [We cannot partake of Your Most Holy Body and Most Precious Blood today, but] we ask You to fill us with the boundless grace You give us in Holy Communion. Lead us through the Virgin Mary and Your real presence in the Eucharist to the Divine Life in the Holy Trinity, now and for all eternity. Amen.

Other prayers:

Consecration to the Virgin Mary:

Hail Mary etc.

My queen! my mother! I give myself completely to you and to show you my devotion I dedicate my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole self to you. Therefore, O loving Mother, since I am your property, protect me, defend me as your property and possession.

From the United States Act of Dedication to Our Blessed Mother:

Mary Immaculate, our Mother, patron saint of our land, we praise and honor you and devote ourselves to you. Protect us from any harm. Pray for us that, always doing your will and the will of your divine Son, that we may live and die pleasing to God.

Prayers from the Byzantine Catholic Liturgy:

In memory of our most holy, pure, blessed and glorious woman, the Mother of God and Eternal Virgin Mary with all the saints, we commend ourselves and each other and our whole lives to Christ our God.

O gentle protector of Christians, infallible Mediatrix before the Creator, despise not the praying voices of sinners; but in your goodness hasten to help us, whom you confidently call to you: “Inspire us to prayer and hasten to hear our supplications. Intercede always, Mother of God, for those who honor you.”

Mothers cannot be virgins, and virgins cannot be mothers; but in you, O Mother of God, both virginity and motherhood were present. That is why all the people of the earth keep praising you.

Today the Virgin is present in the Church, praying invisibly to God with the hosts of the saints. The angels adore with the archangels and the apostles rejoice with the prophets because Our Lady prays for us to the eternal God.

It is indeed right to call you blessed, O Theotokos: you are always blessed and perfectly blameless and the Mother of our God. Higher in honor than the cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the seraphim, you gave birth to God the Word in virginity. You are truly the Mother of God: we praise you.

The fifteen promises of the Virgin Mary to those who pray the rosary

(Revealed to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan):

1) Those who faithfully serve me by praying the rosary will receive signal graces.

2) I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all who pray the Rosary.

3) The Rosary is said to be a powerful armor against Hell, it will destroy vice, lessen sin and conquer heresies.

4) Virtue and good works will flourish; it will obtain for souls the rich mercies of God; it will draw men’s hearts away from love of the world and its vanities, and raise them to desire for eternal things. Oh, that souls would thereby sanctify themselves.

5) The soul recommended to me by praying the Rosary should not perish.

6) Whoever prays the Rosary devoutly and devotes himself to contemplating its sacred mysteries will never be overcome by misfortune. God will not chastise them in His righteousness; they will not perish by some unforeseen death; if they are righteous, they will remain in the grace of God and become worthy of eternal life.

7) Those who truly worship the Rosary will not die without the sacraments of the Church.

8) Those who faithfully pray the Rosary will have the light of God and the fullness of his graces during life and death; at the moment of death they will partake of the merits of the saints in Paradise.

9) I will deliver from purgatory those who have surrendered to the rosary.

10) The faithful children of the Rosary will deserve a high degree of glory in heaven.

11) You shall receive everything you ask of me by praying the rosary.

12) All who propagate the Holy Rosary may be helped by me in their needs.

13) I have received from my Divine Son that all Advocates of the Rosary should have the entire Court of Heaven as their intercessor during their life and at the hour of death.

14) All who pray the Rosary are my children and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.

15) The veneration of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

“Pray the rosary every day to bring peace to the world.” — Our Lady of Fatima, 1917

Copyright 1994 by Zoltan Abraham. Please feel free to copy and reproduce this article if you wish, but I ask that the text be reproduced unaltered and in full, including the title, authorship and this copyright notice. I also ask for notification when the text is rendered.

The Catholic faith is filled with so many wonderful beliefs! And we can remember some of these Catholic beliefs by using Catholic rosaries with different colors that represent our faith. Each color of the beads on the rosary has a special meaning and a corresponding Bible verse: Purple: (original sin) For all have sinned and are bereft of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23 Red: (Redemption through Jesus) For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 White: (Forgiveness) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all wrongdoing. – 1 John 1:9 Blue: (baptism) “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” – Matthew 28:19 Green: (growth) “Grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory now and forevermore.” – 2 Peter 3:18 Yellow: (The light of the Lord) Jesus spoke to them again and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” – John 8:12

summary

Rosary, also called prayer beads, (from Latin rosarium, “rose garden”), religious practice in which prayers are recited and counted on a string of beads or knotted cord. By extension, the beads or cord can also be called a rosary. The practice is widespread and occurs in virtually every major religious tradition in the world.

Known as malas, prayer beads are a traditional tool in Buddhism and are particularly common among Tibetan Buddhists. It was probably adopted by Hinduism. A mala typically consists of 108 beads, said to represent human desires, and often ends in a tassel or amulet. The beads are commonly used to count the recitation of mantras, but can also be used to control meditative breathing or to count prostrations. The beads themselves are often painted in specific colors and may be made of bodhi wood, seeds, shells, metal, or other materials depending on the focus of the meditation.

In Christianity

In Christianity, the practice was adopted by Eastern Christian monks in the 3rd century and various forms of the rosary were developed. In Roman Catholicism, the rosary became a popular method of public and private prayer. The most common rosary is the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin dedicated to Mary, whose prayers are recited with the help of a wreath or rosary. The beads of the rosary are arranged in five decades (sets of 10), with each decade separated from the next by a larger bead. The two ends of the rosary are connected by a small cord holding a crucifix, two large beads and three small beads.

Traditionally, the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin requires three turns around the rosary. It consists of the recitation of Ave Marys (150 Ave Marys) from 15 decades, each holding a small bead. On the larger beads that separate the decades, various prayers are said (the Gloria Patri and the Lord’s Prayer) and certain mysteries are meditated on. The 15 Mysteries are events from the life, death, and glorification of Jesus Christ and Mary; they are divided into three groups of five – the joyful, the sad, and the glorious mysteries. The introductory and concluding prayers of the rosary vary.

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In 2002, Pope John Paul II added a fourth group of mysteries, the “luminous mysteries” or mysteries of light. The five new mysteries celebrate events in Jesus’ ministry, including his baptism; his miracle at Cana, turning water into wine; his proclamation of the kingdom of God; the Transfiguration, in which he revealed his divinity to three of his apostles; and his establishment of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.

The origin of the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin is not certain, although it has been associated with St. Dominic, founder of the Dominican order in the early 13th century. The devotion probably gradually developed as a substitute for the reciting of the Psalms or the prayer of worship sung by monks at the various canonical hours of the day. It reached its final form in the 15th century through the preaching of the Dominican Alan de la Roche and his associates who organized Rosary Confraternities in Douai in France and in Cologne. In 1520, Pope Leo X gave official approval to the rosary, and it was repeatedly praised by the Roman Catholic Church. Since the 1960s, however, public reciting of the rosary has become less frequent. John Paul II’s addition of new mysteries not required for praying the Rosary should revitalize interest in the practice; However, some traditional Catholics rejected the new mysteries, believing that they disrupted the relationship between the original number of mysteries and their corresponding psalms.

Detail from La Vierge du Rosaire, Paris, c. 1490. This image of the Virgin of the Rosary shows Mary, the mother of Jesus, standing on a crescent moon surrounded by rosary beads. The Newberry Library, Wing Fund, supported by the Florence Gould Foundation, 1990 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

In Eastern Orthodoxy, the prayer rope predates the Catholic rosary and is primarily a monastic devotion. Rosaries with 33, 100, or 300 knots or beads are the usual sizes, and they are used to count repetitions of the Heart Prayer (the Jesus Prayer). The Russian Orthodox Vertitza (“cord”), chotki (“wreath”) or lievstoka (“ladder”) consists of 103 beads divided into irregular sections by 4 large beads and connected in such a way that the rows of beads are parallel. thus suggesting the form of a ladder; The parallel lines symbolize the ladder Jacob saw in his dream, reminding believers of spiritual ascent to greater devotion and virtue. In the Romanian Church, the rosary is called matanie (“reverence”) because the monk makes a deep bow at the beginning and end of each prayer counted on the beads.

The Anglican prayer beads are a mixture of Orthodox and Catholic rosaries. They have four sections (“weeks”) of seven beads each, four larger “cross-shaped” beads separating the weeks, and an invitation bead and cross at the base. A prayer is said first on the cross and then on each of the 33 beads – 33, according to tradition, correspond to the number of years in Jesus’ mortal life – and the “circle of prayers” is typically performed three times (symbolizing the Trinity), making the total number of prayers increased to 100, representing the fullness of creation.

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From the beginning, rosaries were a symbol of rebellion.

An early legend has it that Saint Dominic (c. AD 1170 to 1221), founder of the Dominican Order, saw the Virgin Mary in a vision. According to the book Consumption and Spirituality, “In this vision, Mary exhorted Dominic to use the rosary as a spiritual weapon against the Albigensian heresy. Historically, the rosary developed between the 12th and 15th centuries.” Its use consisted of meditations and prayers to Christ and the Virgin Mary.

In the 16th century the Protestant Church considered the worship of the Virgin Mary to be idolatry and an act of heresy. As a result, the Catholic Church “strongly supported the Rosary” to counter the doctrine and practice of the Reformation. And as Catholic missionaries spread “the Word of God” throughout Mexico, the Philippines, and Central and South America, they also spread devotion to the Virgin Mary and the importance of rosaries in prayer. To this day, Latinos and Filipinos give away rosaries as a rite of passage and as a symbol of protection. It is also common for them to wear rosaries outside the home as a representation of their spirituality.

But reinterpreting what rosaries symbolize and wearing them as an object of devotion outside of a house of worship has been a point of great controversy within the Catholic Church.

The Catholic religious document, the Code of Canon Law, states: “Sacred objects intended for worship by consecration or blessing are to be treated with reverence and are not to be put to profane or improper use, even if they belong to private individuals.” For For more conservative members of the Catholic Church, wearing rosaries as a fashion object takes the sanctity of the rosary and transforms the object from a sacrament into a fashion accessory.

For more conservative members of the Catholic Church, wearing rosaries as a fashion item takes away the sanctity of the rosary.

However, how one defines what wearing a rosary means for “profane or improper use” is open to interpretation, particularly if the person is Catholic and wears it as an expression of faith.

Mark Miller is a Catholic theologian and Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of San Francisco. “I’m not at all against people wearing rosaries for fashion,” he says. “I don’t know if I would go so far as to say it’s heretical. But the [kind of] heresy [to which it is related] is called Pelagianism. It is named after Pelagius who was born around AD 360…Pelagianism is associated with the wearing of the rosary or various other protective measures. And the thought is that you have a certain kind of control over grace; some kind of control over God. It no longer makes grace the free gift it should be.”

So the intention behind wearing a rosary is directly related to whether or not it is considered heresy by practicing Catholics.

But wearing a rosary as a fashion statement is often a mixture of religious homage and a symbol of personal self-confidence.

One of the earliest moments when rosaries appeared in popular fashion consciousness happened in Los Angeles in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Chicano youth, known as pachucas and pachucos, sometimes wore rosaries to proudly display their Hispanic heritage. The American-born sons and daughters of Mexican migrants began to develop their own identity, one that was decidedly different from white Protestant America. Men wore an extravagant style of draped trousers, brightly colored shirts and garish suspenders, often paired with black or wooden rosaries. Women often wore fishnet stockings, flowers in their hair, and fitted skirts, responding to the hyper-femininity of the time. The style was popularized by the play and film Zoot Suit, which was about the Zoot Suit riots in East LA.

Pachucos were victims of systemic racism and segregation by white America, and were often viewed as “not really Mexican” by their first-generation Mexican-American peers. So, wearing rosaries connected them to their past while helping them adopt a new language and style. This style evolved into the Cholo and Chola culture in the ’60s, which borrowed many aspects of Pachuco fashion and reimagined it as a tomboy, lowrider, and pin-up aesthetic. In some cases, rosaries also denoted affiliation with a gang, with beads of different colors representing the different gangs members belonged to. In others, the rosary was worn as a symbol of protection and reflection from Latinidad.

In the late ’70s, rosaries began to appear in both goth and punk subcultures. Goths and punks often wore rosaries to reject conservatism, and sometimes to criticize the stranglehold that Puritan values ​​had on American and British culture. Early goth and punk figures who wore rosary beads as a fashion and used them in their video images include Christian Death frontman Rozz Williams, members of the Bauhaus and Depeche Mode.

“Although there is no overarching religion for Gothic culture, many are drawn to images of the saint – be it early medieval artwork, Mexican Day of the Dead altars, Celtic crosses, etc.,” says Liisa Ladouceur, author of Encyclopedia Gothica and creator of the video “40 Years of Goth Style”. “These things are more of a memento mori than anything else. Catholic imagery in particular is appealing for its overly dramatic beauty – the rosary is not a strict object of worship; It’s also intricate and a pleasure to see and touch. Aside from the convenience of finding them plentiful and cheap in thrift stores, especially in the early 80’s before goth branded merchandise was widespread, I can understand why so many goths are drawn to wearing them.”

Pachuco, goth, and punk all took to wearing rosaries as a fashion. But the term didn’t enter the mainstream until the early ’80s.

In 1984, Madonna wore rosaries in her Like a Virgin video. She has referred to her relationship with them as a “security blanket”: They symbolize the Catholicism she grew up with and became part of her religious branding. All aspects of Catholicism were incorporated into her storyline, from her name to her album title (Like a Virgin) to her quest for iconic status.

“She was the first to tap into mainstream culture and become visible through videos with rosaries,” says Diego Rinallo, professor of marketing at Kedge Business School and co-author of Consumption and Spirituality, a Religious Statement. It was a disruption to take something from the religious world and bring it into a profane moment of fashion.”

Many fashion historians credit Madonna with not only popularizing rosaries but also sparking fashion’s interest in playing with religious imagery and iconography.

Fashion photographer Shawn Griffin wrote his thesis, The Church of Fashion, about the intersection of religion and fashion. He examined the ways in which fashion designers, marketers, and photographers employed imagery in fashion that reflected Enlightenment-era religious iconography. Griffin believes that religious imagery in today’s fashion world ranges from models posing like saints, to clothing reminiscent of religious art, to the use of rosaries and crosses as ornaments. “In the late ’80s and early ’90s,” he says, “[the rosary fashion trend] really started with the Immaculate album with Madonna and Jean Paul Gaultier [designing her looks]. That’s when you saw [rosary beads] making its way into high fashion.”

Then, in the 2000s, Dolce & Gabbana and Alexander McQueen both presented rosaries on their catwalks. Rinallo believes that Dolce & Gabbana’s use of rosaries was a landmark in fashion, particularly because of the importance of two gay Italian designers creating rosaries against a predominantly Catholic background.

“Dolce & Gabbana created a moment where religious consumers can show their religion without offending people,” says Rinallo. With the release of D&G’s rosaries, he explains, both religious and non-religious people felt free to wear a sacred object for aesthetic pleasure. At the same time, D&G rosaries have become a symbol of identity for Catholics who once hid their religion. With the popularity of fashionable rosaries, believers felt comfortable wearing them in public.

The history of wearing rosaries for fashion often defied convention. An item once considered a transgression by the Protestant Church is now a symbol signifying transgressions in fashion. It has never been “sanctioned” by the Church, but many who bear the sacraments of the Cross have never needed sanctioning of their beliefs, way of practice, or existence anyway.