Honoring The Rosary

I want to share with you a little more about the Rosary, This will take more than one blog posting.



The Rosary started as early as the 2nd century as a way to imitate the praying of the 150 Psalms. Something as simple as a cord with knots tied in it to very elaborate beads have been used to keep track of which prayer one is on.

The Rosary we pray today is believed to have been established around the time that the Albigensian heresy was breaking down the faith in France. The tradition states that Mother Mary herself asked for the rosary to be prayed to end the heresy and sin growing more and more common at that time.

It is said that the Order of Preachers or Dominicans have the first clear historical reference to the rosary. St. Dominic was the founder of the order. Alain de Roche, one of the Dominic's disciples, began to establish Rosary Confraternities to encourage others to pray the rosary.

The Dominicans still remain some of the most active supporters of the Rosary. It is thought that more miracles have been attributed to the Rosary than any other prayer in the History of the Church.

Rosary means "crown of roses" and it is as if you are offering such to the Blessed Mother each time you say the prayers.

Many have argued that the Rosary along with other repeated prayers are not useful and have no place in Christian life. I would argue that is true, IF the prayers are being said in words alone. The idea of the Rosary and other prayers is to get your mind to focus on the prayers and on the scripture and teachers behind the prayers. To say the Rosary is not simply to recite the words but to use it as a way to block out the day to day stresses, and distractions and to really MEDITATE on scripture, Our Lord, Mary as our Mother, our spiritual lives and to contemplate how we can be better and make the world around us better.

Lets also not forget the 15 promises made by the Blessed Mother to ALL Christians who pray the rosary faithfully.
1. To all those who shall pray my Rosary devoutly, I promise my special protection and great graces.
2. Those who shall persevere in the recitation of my Rosary will receive some special grace.
3. The Rosary will be a very powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, deliver from sin and dispel heresy.
4. The rosary will make virtue and good works flourish, and will obtain for souls the most abundant divine mercies. It will draw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. Those who trust themselves to me through the Rosary will not perish.
6. Whoever recites my Rosary devoutly reflecting on the mysteries, shall never be overwhelmed by misfortune. He will not experience the anger of God nor will he perish by an unprovided death. The sinner will be converted; the just will persevere in grace and merit eternal life.
7. Those truly devoted to my Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite my Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces and will share in the merits of the blessed.
9. I will deliver promptly from purgatory souls devoted to my Rosary.
10. True children of my Rosary will enjoy great glory in heaven.
11. What you shall ask through my Rosary you shall obtain.
12. To those who propagate my Rosary I promise aid in all their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Son that all the members of the Rosary Confraternity shall have as their intercessors, in life and in death, the entire celestial court.
14. Those who recite my Rosary faithfully are my beloved children, the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to my Rosary is a special sign of predestination.

I am going to try my best as a total and humble layperson, to break it down piece by piece in an attempt to share the awesomeness of this prayer.

There are 20 decades in the Rosary. 4 rounds with 5 mysteries each. It is meant to be prayed all at once or broken so that 1 round is said at a sitting. There are several prayers to be said in the Rosary. Each has special significance and power all on it's own. I will elaborate on the prayers later.

Here is an example of how one would divide the Mysteries if your not going to say all 20 decades in one sitting.

The Joyful Mysteries (Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation: Humility
2. The Visitation: Charity
3. The Birth of Our Lord: Poverty, or detachment from the world
4. The Presentation of Our Lord: Purity of heart, obedience
5. The Finding of Our Lord in the Temple: Piety

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden: Contrition for our sins
2. The Scourging at the Pillar: Mortification of our senses
3. The Crowning with Thorns: Interior mortification
4. The Carrying of the Cross: Patience under crosses
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord: That we may die to ourselves

The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays and Sundays)
1. The Resurrection: Conversion of heart
2. The Ascension: A desire for heaven
3. The Coming of the Holy Ghost: The Gifts of the Holy Ghost
4. The Assumption of our Blessed Mother into Heaven: Devotion to Mary
5. The Coronation of our Blessed Mother: Eternal happiness

The Luminous Mysteries (Thursday)
1. The Baptism in the Jordan
2. The Wedding at Cana
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom
4. The Transfiguration
5. The Institution of the Eucharist

Next I will focus on the prayers...