Last week I spoke about the Rosary at our Village because October is the month of the Rosary. In preparing, I came across information that I had not known or forgotten. I pass it on to you here.
What famous people prayed the Rosary?
Hadyn prayed the Rosary when he had trouble composing.
Martin Luther prayed it all his life.
Thomas Merton said, “I would ever do without the Rosary.”
Father Patrick Peyton is famous for promoting the Rosary, in particular, his slogan, “The family that prays together stays together.”
Saint Pope John Paul II said it was his favorite prayer. After 9/11, he asked families to pray it every day for peace.
How is the Rosary related to roses?
You hear that flower when you say “rosary.”
The rose is queen of all flowers, the most beautiful, most fragrant. It’s given to beloved ones.
Praying the rosary is like giving Mary a whole garland of roses.
One of Mary’s titles is Mystical Rose.
Why pray to Mary?
We are pleased when someone praises our mother. God is pleased when we praise his mother.
When we honor Mary, we honor her Son.
Mary is our mother Jesus gave us on Calvary.
Mary has power: She prays to Jesus for us like she interceded at the Cana wedding.
Saint Padre Pio said, “In times of darkness, holding the rosary beads is like holding your blessed Mother’s hand.”
What is the origin of the Rosary?
John Smile’s cartoon here is title “the first Rosary.” In the Rosary we call on our blessed Mother no less than 53 times as we pray its Hail Marys.
The Rosary evolved. People have kept track of their prayers for ages using pebbles, notches on wood, knotted cords, and beads.
The word “bead” comes from Old English bede, which means “prayer.”
Muslim prayer beads have 99 beads, for the 99 names of God. When I was in Arabia, I purchased a smaller one. It has 33 beads, three sets of 11. The sets represent “Glory be to Allah,” “Praise be to Allah,” and “Allah is the greatest.”
The Church prays the 150 psalms, called the Psalter. Long ago illiterate people prayed 150 Our Fathers on circle of beads called paternosters. In 1075 Lady Godiva willed her paternoster of gems to a monastery.
Then in the 12th century people prayed 150 Hail Mary’s instead of Our Fathers, “Our Lady’s Psalter.”
What about Saint Dominic?
A legend holds that the rosary began when the Blessed Virgin gave it to Saint Dominic. However, he was born in 1170, after the first rosaries. The legend probably arose because Saint Dominic and his Dominicans promoted it. The mysteries were added in the 15th century by a monk 200 years after Dominic lived.
What are the mysteries?
Praying the rosary, we multitask, praying verbal and mental prayer at the same time—like patting your head and rubbing your stomach or eating while watching TV! The prayers are like background music.
For each decade we think about an event in Jesus’ life. There are four sets, five mysteries in each: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, Luminous. In 2002, Saint Pope John Paul II added that last set.
Where did the prayers come from?
The Rosary is “the gospel on beads.” Its prayers are Bible-based. The Hail Mary combines the words of Gabriel and Elizabeth. In 1569, the Church added the rest of this prayer and made it official. Jesus taught us the Our Father.
How did October become the month of the Rosary?
In 1571, the Ottoman Turks were sailing to Italy with 450 warships, aiming to take over Catholic countries. Pope Pius V, a Dominican, asked Catholics to pray the Rosary. The Christian nations won the Battle of Lepanto, and Europe was saved on October 7.
October 7 became the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, which was changed to the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
How has Mary encouraged praying the Rosary?
In 1858, when Mary appeared in Lourdes, a rosary hung from her arm, and she and Saint Bernadette prayed it together.
At Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, Mary appeared to three children and called herself Our Lady of the Rosary. She told them to pray for peace. She also gave them this prayer to say after each decade: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.”
How is Saint Pope John Paul II connected to Fatima?
He was shot by an assassin on May 13, Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, the anniversary of the first appearance at Fatima. The bullet took a zigzag path, avoiding vital organs. The pope attributed this to Mary. So he had the bullet placed in the crown of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal.
What kind of rosaries are there?
There are rosaries made of jewels, metal, cord, and crushed rose petals.
There are rosary rings, bracelets, and strings. God also provided us with ten fingers for praying a decade.
As part of our habit, we used to wear a large rosary at our side.
A Story I Love
A university student on a train seated next to an old man praying the rosary remarked, “I don’t believe in such silly things. Take my advice. Throw the rosary out of this window and learn what science has to say.” “Science? I don’t understand,” replied the man. “Maybe you can explain it to me.” The student said, “Give me your address and I’ll send you some literature.” Fumbling in his pocket, the old man drew out his business card. The boy looked at it and burned with embarrassment. It read, “Louis Pasteur, Director of the Institute of Scientific Research, Paris.”
A Final Comment
You can pray along with the Rosary with EWTN or clicking this Internet address: https://www.mydailyrosary.com/daily-rosary
2 Responses
I pray the rosary every night lying in bed. It calms me and the more I do it the closer I feel to Mother Mary, and hopefully eventually with Jesus.
Gary, did you ever hear that if you fall asleep praying the Rosary, your Guardian Angel finishes it for you?