Month of the Rosary ends, but

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today is the last day of October, traditionaly designated by the Church, “The Month of the Rosary”. While the month ends, does our praying the Rosary end too? Do we pray the Rosary out of a sense of “obligation” or as a gift of love? Do we pray the Rosary at all? Do we seek God or what?

Personally, I find the apparitions at Fatima and Our Lady’s request to the children to pray the Rosary daily an important incentive. It is hard to refuse anything when someone we love asks it of us. In asking us to pray the Rosary daily, I believe the Blessed Mother is asking us to do something that is extremely important. She is asking us to pray in order to come closer to Jesus to know Him, love and serve Him better as we open ourselves to the power of His Holy Spirit teaching us the Truth of Christ.

Perhaps in some parishes it is prayed regularly as a group or some families may pray it together at home. Especially in October, maybe more effort is made. But is the Rosary truly “prayed”? Has it become a conversation with God in which we listen to His Word and in our own hearts as the Spirit inspires us, pondering the mysteries? Do we pray the Rosary prayers : Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Fatima prayer and Hail Holy Queen with attention and devotion?

Most of us will admit, it is not “easy” to pray the Rosary without distraction. The repetition can lead us “off track” but by God’s Grace, we can help ourselves, as St John Paul II suggests in his Apostolic Letter, On the Holy Rosary. St. John Paul II used pictures to help him meditate and compared pondering the mysteries to looking at a family album with one’s mother.

If you have not yet begun to find Christ growing in you, I hope you will turn to Mary and learn from her, who was first to experience Him in her life. October, the Month of the Rosary, ends today, but it can be the beginning of a new relationship for anyone who desires to seek the Lord through Mary and who begins to pray the Rosary.

 

[AKDee]

I try to pray the Rosary every night. Most of the time I really do want to, and I definitely never regret it. Sometimes my attention wanders, but many times I’m finding it does it less and less. I don’t pray the Rosary the same way all the time. Sometimes I watch Youtube videos which show scenes from “The Passion of the Christ” or “Mary of Nazareth” to help me focus on the mysteries. Sometimes I pray a scriptural Rosary. Sometimes I use a reflection guide (I have a few different ones). Sometimes I just do it completely on my own- especially the Sorrowful Mysteries which are the only ones that I’ve completely memorized the mysteries and fruits. I think the Rosary has been extremely helpful in helping me. I, too, take our Lady’s request at Fatima seriously. I have also been trying to learn how to do penance (something I’m woefully bad at) for the conversion of sinners and to pray for peace, per her request.

 

[MariaChristi]

I try to pray the Rosary every night. Most of the time I really do want to, and I definitely never regret it. Sometimes my attention wanders, but many times I’m finding it does it less and less. I don’t pray the Rosary the same way all the time. Sometimes I watch Youtube videos which show scenes from “The Passion of the Christ” or “Mary of Nazareth” to help me focus on the mysteries. Sometimes I pray a scriptural Rosary. Sometimes I use a reflection guide (I have a few different ones). Sometimes I just do it completely on my own- especially the Sorrowful Mysteries which are the only ones that I’ve completely memorized the mysteries and fruits. I think the Rosary has been extremely helpful in helping me. I, too, take our Lady’s request at Fatima seriously. I have also been trying to learn how to do penance (something I’m woefully bad at) for the conversion of sinners and to pray for peace, per her request.

Dear AKDee,

Thanks so much for your reply and for your suggestions on how to avoid or lessen distractions while praying the Rosary. As to the penance aspect, sometimes we are a “poor judge” of what we need to do. Prayer to the Holy Spirit is always a good start when it comes to spiritual matters. He is given to us to bring us into the complete Truth. Ask Him what would be good for you to offer.

He might surprise you! Today after I left confession, I realized something I need to do which will “cost” me some penance but I know that by God’s Grace it will help me to be more like Jesus and Mary. The little children at Fatima did little acts of Penance because they probably had no attachment to any venial sin or imperfection as we adults can have to “give up”. Thanks for taking our Mother’s request for the daily Rosary seriously! May many more Catholics take up their Rosaries again!!! Too many have drifted away from the Mother first, and then from the Son.

 

[Mary_Estelle]

You can pray the Rosary any way you want or as often as you wish, as long as you pray the Rosary with honor and reverence. It is a private devotional, but the very best of private devotionals. If you can pray the Rosary daily it is wonderful, but pray when you can. The Mother of God will ask her son to bless you for it. Peace and prayers.

 

[MariaChristi]

You can pray the Rosary any way you want or as often as you wish, as long as you pray the Rosary with honor and reverence. It is a private devotional, but the very best of private devotionals. If you can pray the Rosary daily it is wonderful, but pray when you can. The Mother of God will ask her son to bless you for it. Peace and prayers.

Dear Mary Estelle,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, it is so very important to pray with honor and reverence. Each person needs to find their own best time for prayer, but prayer is like oxygen, we simply cannot live a supernatural life without it. Our Lady as the “best of Mothers” knows how meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary can help us, and also how true it is when one member of the body grows spiritually, we all grow. Praying the Rosary strengthens the whole Church.

The Rosary is not “easy” but as the Catechism reminds us prayer can be a “battle”. The evil one certainly does not want us to grow in our prayer life, and he hates Our Lady. Whatever he can do to divert us from prayer, especially from the Rosary is a victory for him. By God’s Grace, let us pray always, with Mary, for all those in most need of God’s Mercy. In the end her Immaculate Heart will triumph.

 

[peter26]

I’ve been praying the Rosary more during October and my parish has been holding a weekly rosary and benediction on a Friday night. But like most things, the more you do it the more you want to do it, and I’ve found myself praying the rosary before Mass. My advice if you struggle is to pray in church, where you can focus on your prayers and there are statutes and images to help focus your mind. I’ve found praying the Rosary in front of or near a statute of Mary to be very powerful. Its made a lot of difference to me, both in giving me more clarity of belief and in my personal battle against impurity.

 

[MariaChristi]

I’ve been praying the Rosary more during October and my parish has been holding a weekly rosary and benediction on a Friday night. But like most things, the more you do it the more you want to do it, and I’ve found myself praying the rosary before Mass. My advice if you struggle is to pray in church, where you can focus on your prayers and there are statutes and images to help focus your mind. I’ve found praying the Rosary in front of or near a statute of Mary to be very powerful. Its made a lot of difference to me, both in giving me more clarity of belief and in my personal battle against impurity.

Dear Peter,

Thanks so much for your reply and good suggestions on making ourselves more attentive and devout in prayer. Today is the Feast of all Saints, and I was thinking yesterday how important praying the Rosary is in our battle against the powers of darkness (many people unaware of the increasing darkness in halloween observances, etc.). Halloween used to be far less “dark” when we dressed up in costumes as children. I remember teaching in a Catholic school and one of the little kids came dressed as an angel ( his halo was a bit crooked, but it was still a sweet sight).

In our parish school last Friday, many of the students dressed up as their favorite saints - which I think is an excellent way to encourage Oct. 31 as the vigil for the Feast of All Saints. Mary, our Mother is the Queen of All Saints and so we need to continue to pray our Rosary that we may learn from her to be true disciples of Jesus, called to be saints in our our time.

 

[liturgy96]

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!

I have to admit I am often distracted when I pray the rosary because of the many concerns I have as a student, plus this restlessness in me ever since I went through my first experience of love, but I have still strived to pray (in general), knowing how important prayer is. Personally, what makes me focus more is praying in Latin. The cadence relaxes me and makes the sacred even more present as I meditate and converse with God and His Mother I have also added the Divine Office to my prayer life to pray more in union with Holy Mother Church; this gives me more things to reflect on when I pray the Rosary

 

[MariaChristi]

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!

I have to admit I am often distracted when I pray the rosary because of the many concerns I have as a student, plus this restlessness in me ever since I went through my first experience of love, but I have still strived to pray (in general), knowing how important prayer is. Personally, what makes me focus more is praying in Latin. The cadence relaxes me and makes the sacred even more present as I meditate and converse with God and His Mother I have also added the Divine Office to my prayer life to pray more in union with Holy Mother Church; this gives me more things to reflect on when I pray the Rosary

Dear liturgy96,

How unique each soul God creates! How unrepeatable each of us is in His Design! Our prayer likewise can have a unique pattern, it seems to me. The Rosary includes the perfect prayer Jesus taught us, and often when I find myself restless – just praying the words of that prayer alone, slowly, brings a depth of peace.

The Liturgy of the Hours is a wonderful way to pray with the universal Church. My husband and I pray only the Morning Prayer, but it is a blessing to pray each morning together to begin the day.

Our life of prayer is intended to grow for it is a relationship with God and it grows in time as any relationship grows. The Rosary helps us to remain focused on Jesus coming to us through Mary beginning with the Joyful Mysteries and then helps us ponder their lives together and beyond – even to Mary’s Crowning as Queen of heaven. Our lives ultimately are intended to be like theirs. Mary is the Mother and Model of the Church.

Mary our Mother, Queen of the Rosary, pray for us, until we are home with you in heaven!