Pray the Rosary
Date: 4/2/2009
From:
phnugglycow 
It's such an easy thing to do!
As we approach the end of Lent, how are you doing in your Lenten penitential practices? Are you keeping the promises you've made to increase your spiritual fervor? Why don't you pray the Rosary and sit with Mary for a while, pondering the events that will be occurring over the next week?
For the image: "I can't help but feel Mary gets a little tired of repeating herself. :o) She encouraged people to say the Rosary in so many apparitions like Lourdes and Fátima, I think she's trying to make a point. Our Lady and her Rosary pretty much rock my socks, so I wanted to make an image about it!"
Amen! I was letting myself lapse before Lent. Now I've added back in the chaplet of Divine Mercy after the rosary each day. It just feels right and is so calming in these rather scary times.
You said it. I have been praying the rosary online w/ video (www.comepraytherosary.org). No excuse not to pray the rosary now that it's available 24/7!! Thanks for the encouragement.
@ Berni: Awesome! I'm glad you find it helpful... as many, many other Catholics do, too.
@ Mark A: Cool site - thanks for sharing! There are so many ways you can pray the Rosary; sometimes I play back a recorded Rosary on my iPhone while I'm in the car and pray along.
Would someone be able to explain the rosary to me? I've never understood it.
@ in_a_box: Here's one of the best Rosary explanations I know of (though there are many others), by Catholic Answers:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Rosary.asp
Thanks for that anonymous person! It certainly explained the "how" of the rosary. Can someone explain the why to me?
Why pray the rosary? Well an indepth discussion would need a book (Scoot Hahn did a really good one). But a sparknotes explaination:
1) She told us to (in multiple apparitions)
2) Nothing is stronger than the prayer of a just man (or woman). Being that Mary is sinless, nothing is stronger than her prayers for us.
3) God honored her. Why shouldn't we?
4) She's my Mom. and a Queen. She's cool like that.
5) It works.....
As a reluctant rosary sayer myself, I sometimes wonder "why" as well.
But it DOES take you through the Mysteries. If the repetition of the Hail Mary makes you feel all blabbery, like I feel sometimes, you can say the Jesus Prayer for parts of the Rosary, or say the "Glory Be" or any short prayer or phrase that catches your heart up in worship. Each decade could be a different set of ten prayers!
I don't think there's anything wrong with changing the method. I do think it's important to pray the Mysteries until you have spent a long time with them. You can put yourself in the scene and think about how you would have reacted, you can speak to Jesus in your meditation and tell Him how you're feeling about each Mystery.....
Therese Z
Bouncing off what she said, it focuses on the Mysteries. A priest once explained it to me like this: How can one claim to know Christ but not know the key points of his life? The rosary is the 20 Key points of Christ's mission of Salvation. With every mystery, go to that passage in scripture and read it. pretty soon, you will know like half of the new testament. 18 out of the 20 mysteries focus directly on Christ, the other 2 (Assumption of Mary and Coronation of Mary) are indirectly involved with Christ. (He ASSUMED Mary and he CORRINATED her)
God Bless
Blaze
i iz thankful!
ur blogpost juz reminded me to sez me rosary!!!11
We luvz u, Ma! =)
Pray for us!
Would someone be able to explain the rosary to me? I've never understood it.
@ Anonymous
The rosary is a beautiful prayer (sometimes called the most powerful weapon against evil!) that helps us to pray the Gospel. The 20 mysteries cover the important events of Jesus' life and mission while here on earth.
Saying the 10 Hail Marys of each decade gives one time to meditate, study, reflect upon or just be amazed at each mystery. They are called mysteries because the full meaning of each event will not be fully revealed until we are in the presence of God (though the Church acquires a fuller and deeper meaning of each mystery throughout time.
Many different people have written beautiful and varied meditations on each mystery. Reading a short meditation before the decade can help one keep focused and give our meditation a direction.
Personally, I find it helpful to read one line of scripture pertaining to the mystery before each Hail Mary because I have a short attention span. Some people find themselves naturally drawn to the rosary and others, like myself, realize the value and power of the prayer, but must make a greater effort to keep up this devotion.
Hope this helps! Anyone else have anything to add?