THE ROSARY

OCTOBER IS ONE OF THE 2 MONTHS THAT WE AS CATHOLICS PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ROSARY. (THE OTHER BEING THE MONTH OF MAY)

I HAVE PRAYED THE ROSARY SINCE I WAS A YOUNG GIRL,SPORADICALLY AS I GREW UP AND DAILY FOR YEARS NOW IN MY OLDER YEARS. I LOVE IT!

WHAT IS THE ROSARY? HISTORY REVEALS THAT ST. DOMINIC WAS THE FIRST TO TEACH THE ROSARY AS A FORM OF MEDITATIVE PRAYER BACK IN THE 13TH CENTURY! I WOULD HAVE TO TYPE PAGES AND PAGES AND PAGES TO GIVE YOU THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF HOW THE ROSARY CAME ABOUT BUT …. “As Fr. Reginald Garrigou-LaGrange, great Dominican theologian of the 20th century said, “What the word of the preacher was unable to do, the sweet prayer of the Hail Mary did for hearts.” Ultimately, that “sweet prayer” would come to be called the Rosary – a “wreath of roses” that would lead to countless conversions and miracles….”

THE ROSARY LOOKS LIKE A NECKLACE OF BEADS. IT IS MADE UP OF A FEW PRAYERS …ESPECIALLY THE ‘HAIL MARY’ …

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death. Amen.

THIS BEAUTIFUL FORM OF MEDITATION IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE WAYS TO PRAY . THE CATHOLIC RESOURCE CENTRE DESCRIBES IT LIKE THIS :

The rosary is one of the most cherished prayers of our Catholic Church. Introduced by the Creed, the Our Father, three Hail Marys and the Doxology (“Glory Be”), and concluded with the Salve Regina, the rosary involves the recitation of five decades consisting of the Our Father, 10 Hail Marys and the Doxology. During this recitation, the individual meditates on the saving mysteries of our Lord’s life and the faithful witness of our Blessed Mother.
Journeying through the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries of the rosary, the individual brings to mind our Lord’s incarnation, His passion and death and His resurrection from the dead. In so doing, the rosary assists us in growing in a deeper appreciation of these mysteries, in uniting our life more closely to our Lord and in imploring His graced assistance to live the faith. We also ask for the prayers of our Blessed Mother, who leads all believers to her Son.

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MANY RECORDED MIRACLES DUE TO PRAYING THE ROSARY WITH DEVOTION. ONE OF MY FAVOURITE STORIES IS FROM IMMACULÉE ILIBAGIZA. In 1994, 22-year-old Ilibagiza huddled with seven women in a pastor’s 3-by-4-foot bathroom for 91 days. Outside of the home, the genocide was raging across Rwanda, as machete-carrying soldiers broke into house after house, slaughtering men, women and children. Ilibagiza emerged three months later, alive — but just 65 pounds, only to find her family had been brutally murdered.

IMMACULÉE SAYS THAT ONLY BY PRAYING THE ROSARY WAS HER HEART TRANSFORMED TO GRANT FORGIVENESS TO THE SOLDIERS AND NEIGHBOURS WHO MURDERED HER FAMILY AND DESTROYED HER COUNTRY. SHE HAS OTHER STORIES OF PERSONAL MIRACLES BECAUSE OF THIS WONDERFUL,SPIRITUAL TOOL AS WELL. LOOK UP HER NAME AS GUEST SPEAKER FOR ‘THE PAROUSIA ROSARY PILGRIMAGE’ TO HEAR MORE.

OUR LADY HAS APPEARED ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR CENTURIES AND ASKED PEOPLE TO PRAY THE ROSARY. ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE APPARITION MIRACLES WAS THE FATIMA, PORTUGAL APPEARANCES TO THREE CHILDREN OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO. MARY’S FIRST APPEARANCE WAS ON MY BIRTHDAY, MAY 13TH.

SOME PEOPLE SAY TO PRAY THE ROSARY IS BORING. SOME PEOPLE SAY YOU SHOULDN’T JUST DO MINDLESS PRAYERS BY ROTE. AND YOU SHOULDN’T! PRAYING FIVE DECADES OF THE ROSARY WITH REVERENCE USUALLY TAKES ME 20 MINUTES AND I OFFER UP EACH DECADE FOR A PERSONAL INTENTION. I HAVE SEEN MY OWN MIRACLES OCCUR FROM THIS LOVELY FORM OF PRAYER. DRAWING CLOSER TO OUR LORD THROUGH MEDITATING ON HIS LIFE HAS MADE MY OWN SUFFERINGS PALE IN COMPARISON AND MY LOVE INCREASE 10 FOLD.

I THINK WE NEED PRAYER MORE THAN EVER THESE DAYS. YOU MIGHT CONSIDER PICKING UP ‘THE BEADS FOR THE BATTLE‘ (AS SCOTT HAHN,A FORMER PRESBYTERIAN WHO CONVERTED TO CATHOLICISM , CALLS THEM) AND FIND THE PEACE THAT COMES FROM SLOWING DOWN AND CONNECTING TO THE ONE ‘WHO’S GOT THIS’!

O.K. OFF TO PRAY THE ROSARY!

PEACE.