Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary

 

Rosary Center & Confraternity

Our mission is to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ by promoting devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially through her Rosary, to help the faithful grow in their love of the Lord, the Blessed Mother, the Rosary and the Church.

Founded by the Dominican friars, the Rosary Center serves as the local headquarters of the global Rosary Confraternity, providing numerous resources to help the faithful grow in their love of our Lord, the Blessed Mother, the Rosary and the Catholic Church.

Pope Saint John Paul the Great declared the Rosary his favorite prayer, a “prayer for peace and for the family.” In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI said “without a doubt, this one of the most eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and His Mother, Mary…this prayer helps to put Christ at the center.” Most recently, Pope Francis described the Rosary as “a prayer that always accompanies me; it is also the prayer of the ordinary people and the Saints…it is a prayer from my heart.” Pope Leo XIV recently stated “In this Marian month, I would like to reiterate the invitation of the Virgin of Fatima: ‘pray the Rosary every day for peace,’ ” he said to Portuguese-speaking pilgrims. “Together with Mary, we ask that men not close themselves to this gift of God and that they disarm their hearts.”

Located next to Holy Rosary Church in the City of Roses — Portland, Oregon — we invite those who recite the Rosary regularly to enroll in the Confraternity, in order to gain extra spiritual benefits for each and every Rosary they pray.

 

 

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Can the First Saturdays devotion be fulfilled on Holy Saturday?

Since the First Saturday in April this year is Holy Saturday and there is no morning Mass, how can I fulfill all essential practices of the First Saturdays devotion?

There are four essential practices of the First Saturdays devotion. Each is to be done in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

1. Confession
2. Receive Holy Communion (Communion of Reparation)
3. 5 Decades of the Rosary
4. Keep Our Lady company with a separate and additional Meditation on the Mysteries of the Rosary for 15 minutes.

• One can go to Confession with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on another day as long as one receives Holy Communion in the state of grace. There should be one Confession for each First Saturday sometime in the month (cf. Jesus to Sr. Lucia, Feb. 15, 1926).
• Because of the special circumstance of Holy Saturday this year, it is acceptable to receive the Communion of Reparation either at the Saturday night Vigil Mass for Easter or on Easter Sunday. (Please note this is an extraordinary circumstance. Ordinarily, we recommend that if one goes to the Saturday Vigil to fulfill the First Saturdays devotion that one should go to Mass again on Sunday. However, because of the length of the Saturday Vigil on Holy Saturday, many may not be able to go to Mass on both days).
• The other 2 practices can be done on Holy Saturday.
• Remember: Each of the 4 practices is to be done with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

This is supported by the following quote from Sr. Lucia:

“And if one could not accomplish all those obligations on a Saturday, would Sunday not do? The practice of the devotion will be equally accepted on the Sunday following the first Saturday, when, for just motives, many priests will allow it” (Memorias e Cartas da Irma Lucia, Antonio Maria Martins, S.J., p. 411).

Another question is: On Holy Saturday, how can I fulfill the Rosary and the Meditation?

We encourage people to still gather together in the parish on Holy Saturday (with parish permission) to do these two practices, in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, using The Communal First Saturdays Devotional book (link provided below). If one cannot join with others, one may fulfill these 2 practices privately on this day.

If there is a Communal First Saturdays® with its inseparable devotional book in your parish:

We recommend that the leader of the Communal First Saturdays® ask the pastor/parish priest for permission to publicly gather in the church or other location in the parish on Holy Saturday. This is what we recommend you say or send to your pastor/parish priest to receive this permission:

Dear Fr.____,

On Holy Saturday, we want to say prayers and the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. We would also like to meditate on the Passion for 15 minutes with someone reading the Scriptures out loud.

May we have a designated place in the Church or somewhere else to do this at ___(list time).

Sincerely in Christ,

[add your name and contact details]

Once the leader receives pastor/parish priest permission for the 2 items above, the leader can then:

1. Advertise that for those who would like to fulfill the First Saturdays devotion, in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in April, you will have the Rosary and Scripture Meditation.
2. Can let people know that they can receive the Communion of Reparation at the Saturday night Vigil Mass for Easter or on Easter Sunday.
3. Can let people know they can go to Confession on another day as long as they receive Holy Communion in the state of grace and have the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (cf. Jesus to Lucia, Feb 15, 1926).

On the First Saturday, you can still use The Communal First Saturdays Devotional book and proceed as you normally do. The only exception is you would not be participating in Mass and receiving Holy Communion. In other words, you would start on p. 10 as usual and continue to p.23. You would then continue with p. 27 to do the Meditation (omit the parts that refer to the Holy Eucharist being within us since there would be no morning Mass on Holy Saturday). After the Meditation, you can proceed with the Litany and prayers for the Holy Father for any Indulgences.

For those who cannot join a public gathering on Holy Saturday, you could send them the card with the following link: First Saturdays and Fatima Card. You could also encourage them to use The Communal First Saturdays Devotional book for the intentions and prayers beginning on page 10, the Rosary, and the separate meditation.

Here is some additional information:

Support for the First Saturdays to be done on Holy Saturday

The following quote shows that devotion to Our Lady on Saturdays, including First Saturdays, has its theological foundation in Holy Saturday. “… to-day the memorial rightly emphasizes certain values “to which contemporary spirituality is more sensitive: it is a remembrance of the maternal example and discipleship of the Blessed Virgin Mary who, strengthened by faith and hope, on that great Saturday [Holy Saturday] on which Our Lord lay in the tomb, was the only one of the disciples to hold vigil in expectation of the Lord’s resurrection; it is a prelude and introduction to the celebration of Sunday, the weekly memorial of the Resurrection of Christ; it is a sign that the “Virgin Mary is continuously present and operative in the life of the Church” (bold and brackets are ours).[1]

“Indeed, as we can understand from this quotation, Our Lady alone preserved Faith within her Immaculate Heart on that Holy Saturday, believing that her Son would rise from the dead. We can exclaim once more, “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Lk. 1:45). Yet, although Mary believed on that Holy Saturday, she also suffered in her Immaculate Heart the death of her Son as a consequence of our sins. We recall the words of Simeon inspired by the Holy Spirit, “(and) a sword will pierce through your own soul (also), that the thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk. 2:35). Remembering Our Lady’s sorrows on [Holy Saturday] would be one special way to reveal our hearts to Jesus. He will not forget those sorrows of His Mother and the consolation we offer her.” (bold and brackets our ours) [2]

Support for the Request of the Rosary and Scripture Meditation

“Given the close relationship between Christ and Our Lady, the rosary can always be of assistance in giving prayer a Christological orientation, since it contains meditation of the Incarnation and the Redemption” (emphasis ours). [3]

“On Holy Saturday, the Church is, as it were, at the Lord’s tomb, meditating on his passion and death and on his descent into hell, awaiting his resurrection with prayer and fasting…there should be some celebration of the word of God or some act of devotion suited to the mystery celebrated this day.” [4]

“On certain occasions, the recitation of the Rosary could be made more solemn in tone “by introducing those Scriptural passages corresponding with the various mysteries…” [5]

“…the liturgical character of a given day takes precedence over the usual assignment of a mystery of the Rosary to a given day; the Rosary is such that, on particular days, it can appropriately substitute meditation on a mystery so as to harmonize this pious practice with the liturgical season.” [6]

References:

[1] Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines, December 2001, §188, 2nd paragraph. (https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html)

[2] The Communal First Saturdays: Power in Prayer Together, 2017 (420 pages, with imprimatur). This book contains the theology of the First Saturdays devotion and the Church-approved Communal First Saturdays^® (https://communalfirstsaturdays.org/shop/the-communal-first-saturdays/)

[3] Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines, § 165.

[4] Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Paschale Solemnitatis Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Easter Feasts, January 16, 1988, § 73. (https://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Calendar/Seasons/Documents/Paschale-Solemnitatis.pdf)

[5] Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines, §199, 2nd paragraph.

[6] Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines, §200, 2nd paragraph.

 

Five Rosary Mistakes That Most Catholics Don't Notice

You can pray the Rosary every day and still fall into habits that quietly make it harder to pray with real attention, faith, and love... Most of the time, it is not because we do not care. We are tired, distracted, rushed, or spiritually worn down. But recognizing these habits can completely change the way we pray.

Praying too fast

It is easy to rush through the Rosary like we are trying to finish a task instead of spending time with Jesus through Mary. But the Rosary is meant to draw our hearts into the mysteries of Christ’s life.

Fix: Slow down enough to actually mean the words. Let yourself remain with the mystery instead of racing toward the next decade.

Forgetting the mysteries

You can say every Hail Mary correctly while thinking about everything except Jesus. The Rosary is not only vocal prayer. It is also meditation. St. John Paul II called it a “compendium of the Gospel” because the mysteries lead us through the life of Christ.

Fix: Before each decade, pause. Picture the mystery. Think about what Jesus and Mary are experiencing. Ask Our Lady to help you enter into it.

Believing distractions ruined your Rosary

Your mind wandering does not mean your prayer was worthless. Distractions happen, especially when we are tired or stressed. What matters is that we keep returning our attention to God instead of giving up.

Fix: The moment you notice your mind wandering, gently come back to the mystery. No panic. No shame. Just return.

Praying without offering an intention

Sometimes we begin the Rosary out of habit and forget to place something specific into God’s hands. An intention can help make our prayer more personal and remind us why we are praying.

Fix: Offer your Rosary for someone or something before you begin: your family, your conversion, someone far from God, the souls in Purgatory, the sick, or a difficult situation you cannot control.

Praying while refusing to turn away from serious sin

The Rosary is powerful, but it is not magic. Our Lady always leads us toward Jesus, repentance, and the Sacraments. If you have fallen into serious sin, do not stop praying. Let the Rosary move you toward a sincere Confession and a real desire to change.

Fix: Ask Mary for the grace to be honest with God, repent, make a good Confession, and take the next faithful step.

The Rosary is not about praying perfectly. It is about staying close to Jesus with the help of His Mother. And when we keep returning to Him, even imperfectly, God can slowly change our hearts in ways we may not notice at first.

Can a Recorded Rosary Count as Your Daily Rosary?

 

Have you ever been traveling and wanted to pray your Rosary?

Perhaps you put on a recorded Rosary through your phone, radio, cassette, YouTube, or earphones and began praying along.

But then a question came to your mind:

"Does this really count as me praying the Rosary, or am I only listening to someone else pray?"

This is especially common among Catholics who pray while travelling, driving, working, or doing household activities.

So, what should Catholics know?

First, You Can Pray the Rosary With a Recording.

There is nothing wrong with using a recorded Rosary to help you pray.

A recording can guide you through:

The Apostles' Creed.

The Our Father.

The Hail Marys.

The Glory Be.

And the mysteries of the Rosary.

The important question is not whether the voice you hear comes from a recording.

The important question is:

Are you actually joining in the prayer?

Second, There Is a Difference Between Listening and Praying Along.

Imagine that you play a recorded Rosary and simply listen to the entire thing without saying the prayers yourself.

You have listened to a Rosary.

But now imagine that the recording says:

"Hail Mary, full of grace..."

and you pray the Hail Mary yourself along with it.

You are not merely listening.

You are praying.

The recording is simply helping you keep the prayers and mysteries in order.

It is similar to praying with other people who are leading the Rosary.

Third, Does It Count as Your Rosary for the Day?.

If you actively pray along with the recording, saying the prayers yourself and meditating on the mysteries, you can genuinely say that you prayed the Rosary.

The Church does not require every Catholic to pray the Rosary using a particular physical Rosary in their hands.

The beads are a valuable aid that help us keep track of the prayers and mysteries, but the essence of the devotion is the prayer and meditation, not the object itself.

So if you are traveling and praying along with a recorded Rosary, you do not need to feel that your prayer was somehow "fake."

You were praying.

Fourth, What If You Are Driving?

This is where we need some common sense.

If you are driving, you can pray along with a Rosary through the radio or an audio recording provided that doing so does not distract you from driving safely.

Do not:

Handle your phone while driving.

Search for another Rosary recording while moving.

Hold the Rosary beads in a way that interferes with driving.

Close your eyes to meditate.

Allow the prayer to make you lose concentration on the road.

Your responsibility to drive safely remains.

A Rosary should never become a reason to endanger yourself or another person.

If the road becomes dangerous or your attention is needed, focus on driving.

God does not want us to pray in a way that puts other people's lives at risk.

Fifth, What If You Use Earphones While Traveling?

You can use an earpiece or earphones to listen to and pray along with a recorded Rosary.

For example, you may be:

Traveling on a bus.

Sitting in an airport.

Waiting at a station.

Flying on an airplane.

Walking somewhere.

Or simply sitting quietly.

If you are actively joining the prayers, the fact that the Rosary is coming through your earphones does not make the prayer less genuine.

You are still the one saying the prayers.

The recording is simply helping to lead you.

Sixth, You Don't Have to Hold Rosary Beads to Pray the Rosary.

This is another common misunderstanding.

The Rosary beads are a sacramental and a very useful aid for counting the prayers.

But the physical beads are not what makes the prayer a Rosary.

A person who loses their Rosary beads has not lost the ability to pray.

You can pray the Rosary:

With ordinary Rosary beads.

With a finger Rosary.

With your fingers.

With an app.

With a recorded Rosary.

Or even without any physical object at all.

What matters is that you are actually praying the prayers and meditating on the mysteries.

Seventh, Don't Turn the Rosary Into Background Noise.

There is, however, something we should be careful about.

The Rosary is not meant to become merely another piece of background audio.

If you put on a recorded Rosary while completely ignoring the prayers, the recording may still be spiritually beneficial to listen to, but you should not pretend that you actively prayed every prayer when you did not.

Try to participate.

When you hear the Hail Mary, pray it.

When the mystery is announced, reflect on it.

When the Our Father is prayed, pray it yourself.

When the Glory Be is said, join in.

The goal is not simply to have a Rosary playing.

The goal is to pray.

Eighth, What About Someone Who Cannot Easily Pray Out Loud?

Some Catholics may be unable to pray audibly because they are in public, traveling, sick, or otherwise unable to speak comfortably.

That does not mean they cannot pray.

Prayer can be made internally.

You can pray the words silently in your heart while listening to the recording.

The important thing is your genuine participation in the prayer.

God knows what is happening in your heart.

Finally, so, can a recorded Rosary count as your daily Rosary?

Yes, if you are genuinely praying along with it.

The recording does not pray instead of you.

It helps lead you while you pray.

If you are traveling and the Rosary comes through your radio, phone, earphones or another recording, don't feel guilty simply because you are not physically holding your Rosary beads.

If you are saying the prayers and meditating on the mysteries:

You are praying the Rosary.

But if you simply play a recording while doing something else and never actually participate in the prayers, it is more accurate to say that you listened to a Rosary, rather than that you personally prayed the entire Rosary.

And remember:

The purpose of the Rosary is not merely to finish a certain number of prayers. It is to meditate with Mary upon the mysteries of Christ.

So whether you are sitting in your room, traveling on a bus, flying across the country, or safely driving home:

Pray. Meditate. And let the Rosary lead you closer to Jesus.

In simple words, can I pray the Rosary with a recording?

Yes.

Can I use the radio or my phone?

Yes.

Can I use earphones while traveling?

Yes.

Do I have to hold physical Rosary beads?

No.

If I actively say the prayers along with the recording, have I prayed the Rosary?

Yes, you can genuinely participate in the Rosary this way.

What if I only listen without praying along?

Then you are listening to the Rosary rather than actively praying all of it yourself.

What if I am driving?

You may pray along if it does not distract you from driving safely. Never handle your phone or Rosary beads in a way that compromises your attention or control of the vehicle.

So the next time you are traveling and someone says:

"You cannot count that as your Rosary because it is recorded,"

remember:

The recording is not doing the praying instead of you.

It is helping you pray.

Now you know.

SOURCES:

Sacred Scripture (Catholic Translation):

Luke 1:28, Luke 1:42, Luke 2:19, Philippians 4:6

Catechism of the Catholic Church §§2558-2565 - Prayer

Catechism of the Catholic Church §§1667-1679 - Sacramentals

Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy §§197-202 - The Rosary

Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Pope St. John Paul II (2002)

The Rosary

Pope John Paul II, in his apostolic letter Rosarium Viginin Mariae, tells us that the Rosary "marks the rhythm of human life." Through several years of praying the Rosary I have come to discover the truth of that beautiful statement. This sacred prayer and its holy beads have been my comfort during periods of depression, listlessness, loss of purpose and sadness. They have been my source of joy and contentment in a world full of war and heartbreak. They have also been a mighty weapon for spiritual warfare against the devil and his demons. 

The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, has Jesus Christ as the focal point of  religious thought and doctrine. Its approach emphasizes Christ's role in relation to God the Father and the Holy Spirit, making Him the central theme of all parts of every mystery presented in its entirety. 

  

What is the Rosary?

If you were to ask what object is most emblematic of Catholics, most people would probably say, "The rosary". But, just what is the Rosary?

The Rosary is a set of prayers which sprouted from the liturgical prayers of the Church and grew into a means of establishing a prayerful relationship with God. Pope John Paul II in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae  tells us that the Rosary "marks the rhythm of life."

The word rosary comes from Latin and means a garland of roses, the rose being one of the flowers used to symbolize the Virgin Mary. The origins of the Rosary are “sketchy” at best. Some say the Rosary is a powerful set of prayers handed down to man from our Blessed Mother. The use of “prayer beads” and the repeated recitation of prayers to aid in meditation stem from the earliest days of the Church and have roots even in pre-Christian times. Evidence exists from the Middles Ages that strings of beads were used to help a person count the number of Our Fathers or Hail Marys recited. Actually, these strings of beads became known as “Paternosters,” the Latin for “Our Father.” By the way, if you are saying or reciting the Rosary, you are not reaping the full benefit of it. The Rosary is a prayer, you need to pray it to get maximum benefit from it.

The structure of the Rosary gradually evolved between the 12th and 15th centuries. Eventually 50 Hail Marys were recited and were linked with verses of psalms or other phrases evoking the lives of Jesus and Mary. During this time, this prayer form became known as the Rosarium (“rose garden”), actually a common term used to designate a collection of similar material. Finally, during the 16th century, the structure of the five decade Rosary based on the three sets of mysteries prevailed.

Tradition holds that St. Dominic (d. 1221) devised the Rosary as we know it. Moved by a vision of our Blessed Mother, he preached the use of the Rosary in his missionary work among the Albigensian, who had denied the mystery of Christ’s incarnation. Some scholars take exception to St. Dominic’s actual role in forming the Rosary since the earliest accounts of his life do not mention it, the Dominican constitutions do not link him with it, and contemporaneous paintings of St. Dominic do not include it as an identifying symbol the saint.

In 1922, Dom Louis Gougaud stated, “The various elements which enter into the composition of that Catholic devotion commonly called the Rosary are the product of a long and gradual development which began before St. Dominic’s time, which continued without his having any share in it, and which only attained its final shape several centuries after his death.” However, other scholars would rebut that St. Dominic not so much “invented” the Rosary as he preached its use to convert sinners and those who had strayed from the faith. Moreover, at least a dozen popes have mentioned St. Dominic’s connection with the Rosary in various papal pronouncements, sanctioning his role as at least a “pious belief.”

The Rosary gained greater popularity in the 1500s. At this time, the Moslem Turks were ravaging Eastern Europe. In 1453, Constantinople had fallen to the Moslems, leaving the Balkans and Hungary open to conquest. With Moslems raiding the coast of Italy, the control of the Mediterranean was now at stake. In 1571, Pope Pius V organized a fleet under the command of Don Juan of Austria, the half-brother of King Philip II of Spain. While preparations were underway, the Holy Father asked all of the faithful to say the Rosary and implore our blessed Mother’s prayers, under the title Our Lady of Victory, that our Lord would grant victory to the Christians. Although the Moslem fleet greatly outnumbered the Christian fleet in both vessels and sailors, the forces were ready to meet in battle. The Christian flagship flew a blue banner depicting Christ crucified. On October 7, 1571, the Moslems were soundly defeated at the Battle of Lepanto. The following year, Pope St. Pius V in thanksgiving established the Feast of the Holy Rosary on October 7 where the faithful would not only remember this victory, but also continue to give thanks to the Lord for all of His benefits and to remember the powerful intercession of our Blessed Mother. -- Many consider this the first Rosary miracle.

Mindful of the action of Pope Pius V, our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, in an Angelus address given in October, 1983, stated, “The Rosary also takes on fresh perspectives and is charged with stronger and vaster intentions than in the past. It is not a question now of asking for great victories, as at Lepanto and Vienna, rather it is a question of asking Mary to provide us with valorous fighters against the spirit of error and evil, with the arms of the Gospel, that is, the Cross and God’s Word. The Rosary prayer is man’s prayer for man. (remember, this is Pope John Paul II saying this). It is the prayer of human solidarity, the collegial prayer of the redeemed, reflecting the spirit and intent of the first of the redeemed, Mary, Mother and Image of the Church. It is a prayer for all the people of the world and of history, living and dead, -- called to be the Body of Christ with us and to become heirs together with Him of the glory of the Father.”

How can we say this? "It is a prayer for all the people of the world and of history, living and dead, called to be the Body of Christ with us and to become heirs together with Him of the glory of the Father.” -- How are all the people in the world included in the Rosary? -- We, at St. Peter, last October, had an "International Rosary". The Rosary was prayed in 11 different languages by our parishioners. How can we, an English speaking parish justify praying in many different languages? -- The answer is in the Rosary. We Catholics call our religion "universal" How can we say that? -- Again, the answer is in the Rosary. In the prayer that Jesus taught us when he was asked how we should pray.

When we pray the Rosary, we say "Our" father, and Holy Mary Mother of God, Pray for "us" sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Our and Us- meaning that when we pray the Rosary we are not alone, we are part of a larger group of believers. Sometimes that group is our family, sometimes its the Church, sometimes it could be another group, such as Knights of Columbus, we pray the Rosary at every business meeting, and through the use of Internet, our group can be multitudes of people in multiple countries. -- "all the people of the world and of history, living and dead, called to be the Body of Christ with us and to become heirs together with Him of the glory of the Father.”

The fact that our Church continues to include the Feast of the Holy Rosary on the liturgical calendar testifies to the importance and goodness of this form of prayer. Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “The Rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the Rosary is beyond description.”

Devotion to the Rosary is one of the most distinguishable features of popular Catholic spirituality. The Rosary inspires us to meditate on the mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary. Meditation is an important of our lives as Catholics. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, meditation “engages thought, imagination, emotion and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart and strengthen our will to follow Christ.”

Through Mary, we are led to a closer relationship with her son, Jesus. The Rosary is an invitation for us to present our needs to God and to love Him more. When we recite the twelve prayers that form the decade of the rosary, we need to deeply reflect on the mystery associated with that decade. Simple recitation, whether vocally or in silence, is not enough because we miss the true essence of the prayers.

Praying the Rosary involves reflecting on the grace of God. By praying the Rosary, we meditate on the events in the life of Jesus Christ and this lets us know God more. 

In recent times the Mother of God has appeared in various parts of the world and asked for the recitation of the Rosary, the prayer she gave to the world centuries ago. It is her favorite prayer, for it is essentially a meditation on the life of her Divine Son. The Rosary is a combination of vocal prayer (the Our Fathers & Hail Marys) and of mental prayer, namely, reflection on important events in the life of Christ and His Mother.

Understanding the Rosary

Light and Life – May June 2020, Vol 73, No 3
A Publication of the Western Dominican Province

 

Understanding the Rosary

By Fr. Basil Cole, O.P.

Many Catholics today do not pray the Rosary because, as they say, they find it too difficult to think about two things at the same time: the Hail Marys and the Rosary mystery. As a result, many persons of good will have simply given up praying the Rosary because they misunderstand how the Rosary should be prayed. In their confusion they hope that Mary will not mind, since their prayers have been so muddled with distractions and boredom.

MISUNDERSTANDINGS

This objection stems from a misunderstanding of what the Rosary is and how it is to be prayed. The Rosary is a combination of vocal prayer, the Hail Marys and the Our Fathers, and of mental prayer, the meditation on the various incidents or mysteries in the life of Our Lord and His Mother. Yet there is no conflict in this combination, but rather a blending of one with the other, for while the lips pronounce the words of the Hail Mary (vocal prayer), the mind should reflect (mental prayer) on the mystery of the Rosary that has been announced. The repetition of the 10 Hail Marys is used as a measuring device to determine the length of time to meditate on the mystery at hand. So, the Rosary, properly understood, brings before us for our reflection, not the vocal prayers being recited, but the mysteries of our redemption. However, one might well reflect on the Hail Mary during the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, for the words of that prayer recall those mysteries.

As regards those who see the Rosary as being insignificant, claiming that it is not in keeping with the spirit of Vatican II, the Second Vatican Council in the Decree on the Liturgy (no. 13) clearly states that “popular devotions of the Christian people are warmly commended, provided they accord with the laws and norms of the Church.” Moreover, the fact that Pope St. John XXIII who called the Council, and Pope St. Paul VI, who presided over its sessions and conclusion, so highly recommended the Rosary, is clear evidence of the mind of the Church in this regard. In his Apostolic Letter, Pope St. John Paul II testified, “How many graces have I received in these years from the Blessed Virgin through the Rosary. Magnificat anima mea Dominum! I wish to lift up my thanks to the Lord in the words of His most Holy Mother, under whose protection I have placed my Petrine ministry: Totus Tuus!”

“Redeemed by reason of the merits of her Son and united to Him by a close and indissoluble tie, the Virgin Mary is endowed with the high office and dignity of being the Mother of the Son of God, by which account she is also the beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Because of this gift of sublime grace she far surpasses all creatures, both in heaven and on earth.” – Lumen Gentium, n. 53

Not only were these three Popes, who reigned during Vatican II or afterwards, great lovers of the Rosary, but so was their predecessor Pope Pius XII, who wrote in an encyclical on this prayer of Mary: “We well know the Rosary’s powerful efficacy to obtain the maternal aid of the Virgin.” And speaking of the vocal and mental prayers that make up the Rosary, he said: “What prayers are more adapted and more beautiful than the Lord’s Prayer and the angelic salutation, which are the flowers with which this mystical crown is formed?”

MORE DIVINE THAN HUMAN

The Rosary is not only an important means of instruction in the truths of our faith, but an important means to bring Catholics to love and to be loved by Mary who gave this form of prayer to the Church. As Pope Pius XII points out, its very origin and the wisdom of its composition is “more divine than human.”

Yet the Rosary is not simply devotion to Mary. It is a devotion that leads one to the divine Trinity of Persons through the hearts and minds of Jesus Incarnate and Mary Immaculate. It is Mary’s instrument to bring us closer to her divine Son, and to become more involved in our lives as her children.

I am often saddened by the number of children and adults who do not know how, or do not care, to pray the Rosary; for when it is understood and prayed with devotion, it is a celebration of faith, of confidence and of love in the Most Holy Trinity.

OTHER MISCONCEPTIONS

In addition to the above-mentioned reasons why some have given up praying the Rosary, is the fact that some find its recitation monotonous. This problem, as a rule, comes from the misconception already referred to, namely, reflecting merely or mainly on the vocal prayers being recited. Such is like a body without a soul. A mere repetition of Hail Marys, fruitful as it may be as a prayer, or even as a source of meditation, is not the Rosary.

The Rosary, in the words of Pope St. Paul VI, is a “compendium of the Gospel.” It is so devised that it helps us to reflect briefly on the principal events of our redemption. If some find it difficult to meditate on these mysteries, either because of lack of instruction, or because of fatigue, or some physical or mental difficulty, the Rosary will not be without its fruit, if they do the best they can, keeping in mind that involuntary distractions do not detract from the value of prayer. In prayer, what we want to do and try to do, is more important before God than whether or not we actually succeed in doing it. Those twenty minutes (more or less) given to this prayer, doing the best we can, are very pleasing to the Mother of God, and the source of much fruit, even if they might leave us without much personal satisfaction. We don’t measure the value of prayer by the “lift” we get out of it.

As Pope Pius XII wrote, speaking of the Rosary: “the recitation of identical formulas, repeated so many times, rather than rendering the prayer sterile and boring, has on the contrary the admirable quality of infusing confidence in him who prays, and causes a sweet compulsion towards the maternal heart of Mary.”

THE BODY AND SOUL OF THE ROSARY

In order for us to appreciate the Rosary, and overcome its obstacles, it will be helpful if we examine its body and soul, especially if we want to share with others its powerful help for our lives, whether we be very spiritual persons, or have a touch of the rascal within us.

After World War I, shell-shocked soldiers were introduced into a therapy that helped them deal with tensions. Doctors discovered that the art of knitting greatly relieved tensions. Somehow the fingers are the little avenues relieving anxieties for restoring natural calm. Perhaps one of the reasons why people love to smoke comes down to the pleasantness of touching the cigarette or pipe.

In a similar manner, the purpose of beads in any religion that uses them, is to boost the art of concentration. The mere fingering of the beads has an effect of calming the mind, while the frequent repetition of the Hail Marys is an attempt to further increase the attention span, helping to shut out distractions, something like the soft murmur of a river which helps to drown out competing noises.

As we have already indicated, the fingering of the beads while repeating the angelic salutation and the Lord’s Prayer is the body of the Rosary; but it is a body that needs a soul, and its soul is the reflection successively on the 20 mysteries which for many centuries have been fixed on five Joyful, five Sorrowful, five Glorious, and the five Luminous (added in 2002 by Pope St. John Paul II) events or mysteries in the life of Our Lord and His Mother.

ROSARY MEDITATION – LIMITLESS IN SCOPE

Nineteen of the twenty mysteries are taken directly from the New Testament, while one (the Assumption) comes from Tradition. The 5th glorious mystery, the Queenship of Mary, many think has its basis in the book of Revelation (Ch. 12). The woman of the Apocalypse, according to most scholars, seems to refer to the universal Church. However, as it is customarily thought in the Church today, whatever perfections are attributed to the whole Church, reside in their perfection in Mary and are attributed to her, the one individual member of the Church (other than Christ) without stain.

These mysteries of the Rosary are like high points of the New Testament that contain explicitly or implicitly all the fundamentals of our faith. For that reason, the more we are familiar with the content of these mysteries, the more profound will be our use of the Rosary. Our meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary might bring us to reflect on a wide variety of themes, such as: God the Father, His will, His love, His wisdom, the Holy Spirit, eternal life, the Incarnation of His divine Son, our Redemption through his death on the Cross, and the major events in the life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and so on.

SCHOOL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

All of us can reflect on the various virtues of Jesus, Mary and Joseph that we contemplate in the Gospel story, and strive to apply these lessons to our own lives. Pope Pius XII stated how efficacious this can be. “From the frequent meditation on the mysteries,” he said, “the soul draws and imperceptibly absorbs the virtues they contain, and becomes strongly and easily impelled to follow the path which Christ Himself and His Mother have followed.” For this reason, he declares, “the Holy Rosary will form the most efficacious school of Christian life.”

Pope St. John XXIII spoke in similar terms: “In reciting the Rosary, the thing that matters is devoutly meditating on each of the mysteries as we move our lips. Therefore, we are sure that our children and all of their brethren throughout the world will turn it into a school for learning true perfection, as with a deep spirit of recollection, they contemplate the teachings that shine forth from the life of Christ and of Mary most holy.”

ANTIDOTE FOR THE ILLS OF LIFE

It was yet another Pope, Leo XIII, the “Rosary Pope” of the 19th Century, who wrote nine encyclicals on devotion to Mary through the Rosary, who expressed the theology of this prayer so simply. He spoke of the Joyful Mysteries as an antidote for the boredom and tedium of ordinary life; the Sorrowful Mysteries as an antidote for those who feel suffering has no meaning; and the Glorious Mysteries as an antidote for those who forget their real homeland.

“Come, let us wonder at the Virgin most pure, wondrous in herself, unique in creation. She gave birth, yet knew no man; her pure soul with wonder was filled, daily her mind gave praise in joy at the twofold wonder: her virginity preserved, her child most dear. Blessed is He who shone forth from her!”

– St. Ephraim the Syrian

LOOKING AT A MYSTERY IN DEPTH

One can pray the Rosary privately, or in common with others. When praying it privately one can determine his own pace, spending up to a half hour on one decade, or if one’s time is limited he can skip along at about four minutes a decade, which is equally legitimate, as long as one lovingly considers the mystery under some aspect.

If one is praying alone and time permits, it can be helpful to pause a bit after declaring the mystery under consideration. Let us take, for example, the mystery of the Annunciation. As you announce this mystery, you can pause as long as you wish, putting yourself and your problems into the meaning of the mystery. Since there are many different types of prayer, from petition to thanksgiving, from praise to sorrow, or from submission to simple love, we can begin to look at the Annunciation from any of these angles.

We can, for instance, pray for the gift of faith and confidence, as Mary consented to a most difficult assignment from Heaven with faith and confidence in God. Or we can thank Mary for having consented to be the Mother of God on our behalf, welcoming the Savior of the world. We can also praise the work of the Holy Spirit for creating in the womb of Mary the human body and soul of the Word. We might simply express to God the Father, or to the Son, or to Mary, our sorrow for those who refuse the gift of human life and have aborted it; or for those who refuse the gift of divine life, or have doubted it.

Then again, we might be rebelling against some necessary decision either for ourselves, our family, or our work – that will entail personal pain or difficulty. We reflect on this in the light of Mary’s trusting and total surrender. Or we may be fascinated with the Angel Gabriel, and we think of the many times we have either listened to or rejected the suggestions of our guardian angel. Or we might just be wrapped up in loving wonder of he Trinity, that the Divine Persons would plan such a mystery of love, the Word becoming flesh through the love of the Holy Spirit. For some, these considerations might hold their attention for a considerable time, and while they finger the beads their whole personality could experience a deep and trusting surrender to the divine Trinity.

From all this, we can see there is no limit to the extent of the depth and breadth to which one’s Rosary meditation can lead. Its freedom within the consideration of the mysteries gives a structure to our meditation, and yet will let the inspiration of the Holy Spirit lead one towards those meanings which are more helpful for stirring up love and devotion to the Holy Trinity. In each mystery we are considering lovingly a different aspect of the merciful love of God. Thus, through it all, while fingering the beads, we are trying to imitate Mary’s spirit of reflection, of which St. Luke says: “His Mother meanwhile kept all these things in her heart.” _{(Luke 2:51)}

DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU

So, what we are doing in the Rosary is recalling the chief mysteries of our faith, in a manner taught us by a loving Mother, Mary the Mother of Jesus and of us all. And the love of this Mother does not stop with her, for her role is to lead us to her Son. Mary’s last words recorded in Scripture – at the marriage feast of Cana – summarize well her whole concern in our regard: “Do whatever He tells you.” _{(John 2:5)} She leads us to her Son, not only by her words, but especially by her example, for more perfectly than all others she mirrors his virtues.

May the Rosary see an increase in the contemplative life of each one who takes up his beads seeking union with the Divine Trinity through the perspective of Jesus and Mary. When we reflect on these mysteries, we ask that Mary help us to “imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise.” She not only reflected on those mysteries in the past, and had an intimate part in them, but she prays along with us now, and helps us to understand them, and to live them.