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Our Lady's Rosary
The Beginning
A string of beads makes counting easier, and so it is also easier for those who pray, to use a string of beads to direct their thoughts to God. The Rosary is a string of beads on which we pray the Our Father, and the Hail Mary and the Glory Be... . These are special prayers, because the Our Father and Holy Mary prayers were given to us by God. Christ, the Son of God, gave us the Our Father when his disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. It is certain that Our Heavenly Father hears this prayer, since it was given to us by His Son, and we are His followers. The Hail Mary is in three parts. The first is the divinely inspired greeting which Mary received when the Angel Gabriel saluted her as the Mother of God. The second part was the greeting Mary received when she visited St. Elizabeth upon hearing she was with child. The last part was added in 430 A.D. by the Council of Ephesus, and identified Mary as the Mother of God, asking for her help now and at the hour of death.
Mary Helps
In
the year 1214 A.D., St. Dominic, a holy man, felt very unhappy because no matter
how hard he tried, he could not seem to convince people to change their lives
and love God, Jesus, and His Mother. During his prayers one day, Mary
appeared to him and said, "Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed
Trinity wants to use to reform the world? In this warfare, the main weapon
is the Angelic Psalter (Rosary) which is the foundation stone of the New
Testament."
The Angelic Psalter (Rosary) was also known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary, because the fifteen decades, each containing ten Hail Marys, equaled in number the 150 Psalms in the Book of David (David's Psalter). The Book of David is still widely read today.
Dominic made the Psalter of Jesus and Mary easier to say be arranging the repeated prayers into three parts of five mysteries each. The Joyful Mysteries recall the events in the early life of Jesus, the Sorrowful Mysteries tell of the suffering and death of Jesus, while the Glorious Mysteries describe God's glory, power, and love. The Rosary encourages both mental meditations on each of the Mysteries, each Mystery containing the Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
Jesus Helps
Dominic began to preach devotion to the Holy Rosary, and formed a Confraternity to encourage its daily use. The popularity of this devotion spread for about one hundred years, but then started to decline. In 1460, Blessed Alan de la Roche, a Dominican, was saying Mass one day, when Our Lord spoke to him in the Sacred Host. He said, "Alan, you have crucified Me once by your earlier sins, and now you are doing it again because I have given you the knowledge you need, but you are not preaching My Mother's Rosary. Since you are not doing this, you are guilty of the sins which others commit." This warning led Blessed Alan to preach about the Rosary at every opportunity. Devotion to the Rosary began to spread again, and continues to this day.
Its Meaning
The word Rosary means "Crown of Roses", and when said devoutly, honors Jesus and Mary. Each prayer carefully said is like a heavenly rose which will neither fade, nor lose its heavenly beauty. The Chronicles of St. Francis tell of a young friar who regularly prayed the Rosary before his evening meal. One day he was not able to do this, and so asked to be excused until he could. Because he was slow in returning, two other friars were sent for him. They, and then two others, found the first friar kneeling in his light-filled room facing Our Lady who was accompanied by two angels. Each Hail Mary he said became a beautiful rose which the angels placed before Our Lady as she smiled approval.
Its Importance
Next
to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, there is no other devotion more preferred by
Our Lady. She highly regards those who work to preach the devotion, to
establish it, and spread it. Likewise, she firmly punishes those who work
against it.
Our Lady
has appeared on many occasions. Each time, she has left a loving message
for us to heed and follow. She has made certain promises for those who
recite her Rosary.
Mary's Promises
01. Whosoever shall
faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
02. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all
those who shall recite the Rosary.
03. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will
destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
04. It will cause good works to flourish, it will obtain for souls
the abundant mercy of God, it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of
the of the world and its
vanities, and will life them to the desire for eternal things. Oh, that
souls would sanctify themselves by this
means.
05. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the
Rosary shall not perish.
06. Whosoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to
the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered
by misfortune, God
will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided
death; if he be just, he shall remain in
the grace
of God, and become worthy of Eternal Life.
07. Whosoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not
die without the Sacraments of the Church.
08. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during
their life and at their death the Light of God and the plentitude of His
Graces, at the
moment of death they shall participate in the Merits of the Saints in Paradise.
09. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to
the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of Glory
in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of Me by recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by Me in
their necessities.
13. I have obtained from My Divine Son that all the advocates of the
Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during
their life and at the
hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are My sons, and the brothers of My
Only Son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to My Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
The Mysteries of the Rosary
Pope
John Paul II added an additional group of five mysteries to the Rosary; which
now contains four aspects in the life of Christ and our salvation history.
The
Joyful Mysteries
Annunciation
- The Angel Gabriel announced to Mary she would become the Mother of God.
Visitation -
Mary visits Elizabeth and is greeted by her inspired salutation.
Nativity -
Christ is born of Joseph and Mary.
Presentation
- Christ's parents present him in the Temple and dedicate him to God.
Christ is
found in the Temple - Jesus absences himself from his parents. After three
days of searching, they find him
in the Temple, being "...about My Father's business."
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Agony in the
Garden - Christ faces the suffering and death he will undergo, and prays for
strength.
Scourging at
the pillar - Christ is beaten and whipped.
Crowning with
thorns - Thorns are fashioned into a crown and pressed in Christ's head.
Carrying the
cross - Sentenced to death, Christ must carry the cross upon which he will die
to the ridicule of all.
Crucifixion -
Christ is nailed to the wooden cross, and is left on it to die.
The Glorious Mysteries
Resurrection
- Christ rises from the dead.
Ascension -
Christ ascends into heaven.
Descent of
the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Mary - The Holy Spirit enters into
Christ's inner circle and
strengthens them to announce Christ's Gospel message to the world.
Assumption of
Mary - Mary, the Mother of God, is taken body and soul into heaven.
Coronation of
Mary - Mary is crowned in heaven as Queen of Heaven and Earth.
The
Luminous Mysteries
Jesus is
Baptized in the River Jordon - Jesus enters into his public ministry by
accepting the baptism of repentance
preached by John the Baptist.
Jesus works
His first miracle - The miracle at Cana wedding marks the first manifestation of
his divinity.
Jesus
announced the Gospel message - Jesus' ministry was to announce the coming
kingdom of God, His father,
and die on the cross for our redemption.
Jesus is
transfigured - Jesus shows the glory of His divinity to His apostles.
Jesus
institutes the Holy Eucharist - Christ's presence continues to be with us for
our spiritual strength.
How
to recite the Rosary
Make
the Sign of the Cross saying:
"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
Recite the Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven
and earth, and in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the
Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell. On the
third day, He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right
hand of God the Father almighty from 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.
Recite one Our Father:
Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us
this day 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.
Recite
three Hail Marys:
Holy Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee.
Blessed are 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 our death.
Amen.
Recite
the Glory be:
Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; as
it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
Select
the Rosary Mystery for the day of the week:
*Sunday and
Wednesday-Glorious, Monday and Saturday-Joyful, Tuesday and Friday-Sorrowful,
Thursday-Luminous.
*Identify the first Mystery you will meditate upon.
Recite: One Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory be.
*Identify the Second Mystery you will meditate upon, and
recite the prayers contained in the line above.
*Do the same with the Third, Fourth, and the Fifth Mysteries.
*After the final Glory be, conclude with a suitable prayer to
Mary, such as the Memorare, above.
"My
child, if you knew how
much I love you, you would cry
for joy."
Mary's words during an appearance
to the children
at Medjugorje.