For a mature Catholic, the feel of a rosary in their hand is a familiar and comfortable sensation. They transition from a Hail Mary to the Our Father without even looking at the beads. Whereas younger Catholics and other Christians who did not grow up with this form of prayer often see it as a mindless recitation.
Yet, even when it becomes a bit mechanical, the rosary still has value as prayer.
October is the month of the rosary. Catholics around the world pray the rosary daily to honor the Virgin Mary. On Oct. 7, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which was previously known by the title “Our Lady of Victory.”
Here are five reasons to cultivate a deeper rosary experience and make it part of your prayer life.
1. Rosary prayers come from the Bible. From the Our Father, the prayer given to us by Jesus, to the Hail Mary, we are reciting Bible passages when we say the rosary.
2. Each decade of the rosary (a section of 10 beads) is focused on a specific mystery in the life of Jesus. The mysteries include Christ’s first public miracle at Cana when He changed water into wine, the institution of the Eucharist, rising from the dead, and 17 other events. Meditating on them opens our hearts to experience Jesus’ life, emotions and love in new and deeper ways.
3. Each Hail Mary asks Mary to intercede for us. Mary is a powerful intercessor who can lead us to and help us be closer to her Son. She, above all other human beings, knows Jesus more intimately and trusts Him most completely. Jesus gave his mother to us as our own. Why would she not help us when we are close to her in prayer?
4. The devil and demons despise Mary and the rosary. There are many documented instances of a rosary being used to deliver people and places from the grasp of evil. Mary’s “yes” to God confirmed her role as the vessel that brought Christ into this world. Lucifer could not accept that the Second Person of the Holy Trinity would humble himself to become man.
5. Christians around the globe can unite in prayer to change the course of world events. The Catholic News Service reported that the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary “takes place as a commemoration of the Battle of Lepanto, a 16th-century naval victory that secured Europe against Turkish invasion. Pope Pius V had encouraged the faithful to pray the rosary, and the Blessed Mother’s intercession was credited with the triumph of the ‘Holy League.’ For centuries, the rosary has been considered a weapon of protection against evil and a powerful tool of intercession.”
Saint Padre Pio pronounced the rosary a most powerful option to affect people and events in the hands of the followers of Jesus.
The rosary can be said anywhere, in full or in part, even without a strand of beads. But there is something to be said for the tactile sensation a traditional rosary offers.
To refresh yourself or learn how to say the rosary for the first time, here is a guide: How to Pray The Rosary https://www.catholiccompany.com/content/how-to-pray-the-rosary. If you don’t have a rosary, consider getting one. Here is a charity devoted to the rosary that offers them free and for low cost: https://hcfmstore.org/collections/complimentary-rosaries.
And, for more on the history of Our Lady’s intercession in the Battle of Lepanto and a tie-in with our Lady of Guadalupe, listen to the Real Living podcasts 1 and 2.
May you feel the power in your hands as you grow your relationship with Christ through a devotion to Mother Mary and the rosary she gave us.
