I went from sneaking out to get high, to sneaking out to pray the Rosary. How has the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary affected or changed

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Carmelite1983

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It’s hard for me to believe that a year ago, I was sneaking out of work and sneaking away from my family to get high 5 times a day.
I would make sure to set time aside every day to keep up my habit, and I never thought I was hurting anyone.
One day, I was really down on myself. My anxieties were getting the best of me, and I felt totally useless and immovable. I decided to take a stand and asked Mary for her prayers through the Holy Rosary.
Each mystery was so vivid in my mind that I was almost able to put myself in the different scenes of Jesus’ life.
After finishing the first set of mysteries, I was immediately compelled to pray the other three sets.
When I finished, all my troubles, anxieties, worries, and doubts became so apparent and manageable, that I was laughing with tears in my eyes in my car where I was praying.
Every trouble I had melted away. They didn’t disappear, I still had challenges, but our Holy Mother immediately helped me realize how manageable my problems can be if I just give them up to God.
Other effects happened as well.
I soon became hungry for the Eucharist, and wanted to run to confession as often as possible. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, if I’m not at work, I’m in Adoration.
After joining the confraternity of the Carmelites and constantly wearing my brown scapular, the number of bad habits I’ve dropped is staggering.
My attitude and anxieties are radically changed.
Nowadays, I find myself planning out time each day to pray the full Rosary. I’ll sneak away from other areas of my life to make sure I get those decades in, and I thank God every day for Mary and her intercessions.
I don’t want to toot my own horn or brag, but I just wanted to share my story of my call to holiness.

How has the Rosary affected or changed your life?
 
Around Easter, I was trying to get over a really awful sin that had basically become an addiction. I wanted to try to stop before Easter and being confirmed, but it was tough. At best I could go 2-3 days without, but the amount of effort required was draining, and it was hard to stay focused.

One night I gave in and was feeling awful. I was starting to learn the Rosary, but I was feeling so bad that I didn’t want to do it. However, I had a very strong urge to pray it. I did, and during the Fourth Mystery (Jesus Carrying the Cross), I broke down weeping as I thought about a lot of stuff in my life that contributed to the problem. I spent a lot of time talking to Jesus about it and asking for His help with those issues, either taking them away or giving me the ability to deal with them.

When I finished, I started the next Hail Mary. Once I said “Hail Mary”, I realized that it had earlier been Mary encouraging me to pray her Rosary. Further, since that Rosary, the sin had stopped holding so much power over me. I did give in a few times after that, but that was due to me struggling to fully embrace living without it, as the incredible drive to do it was gone.

More recently, I started praying the Rosary daily for a job that I had been trying to get for months, but constant delays kept making the wait longer. I knew Jesus had told us to keep persevering in prayer, so I made asking for it the intention of the Rosaries I prayed, minus a few days for timely intentions. It actually became an endurance test, since I wasn’t used to persisting in prayer for so long.

Anyways, about six months into the whole process and maybe 1-2 months of prayer, I reached a day where I should have gotten news about the job but didn’t. In my mind, that was a sign that I probably didn’t get it, but I decided to pray anyways. The second night that I got no news, the stress made me tired, so I decided to go to bed early. I prayed the Rosary as usual and laid out that I felt foolish for doing so. Well, right after I finished the first decade, the phone rang, and it was the news that I had gotten the job. I don’t think I’ve ever been so amazed in my life.

Both of the above occurred this year, and both have helped a lot in getting me to realize how much Mary loves us and looks out for us. That’s something I really needed as a convert from Protestantism.
 
I started out saying just one decade and I did that for probably eighteen months and then I had a strong feeling that I should extend my efforts to help me with problems I was experiencing and have done the full five decades ever since. I find it helpful spiritually and psychologically.

I have had help from Our Lady and it was unmistakeable and very powerful in many ways, but private I’m sorry to say. However I can say categorically that She is an amazing help, as you would expect from the Mother of God, Hail Mary!
 
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@Carmelita: Thank you for reminding me!😃

And may God continue to bless you richly.
 
I went to confession with a multitude of sins on more than one occasion. The priest said, “please say a rosary at home” twice. Without the holy rosary there would have been no extreme suggestion for my repentance of those sins.

I was absolved and feel like a new person every single day!
 
Thanks for sharing. God works in mysterious ways. The Rosary is a great companion. May your life be filled with peace and joy.
 
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