The Rosary: Weapon For Our Times

[s.cono]

Saint Michael has his sword, I have my rosary.

 

[MAS79]

They say The Holy Rosary is the highest form of personal prayer there is

I tend to agree given personal experience as it completely removed a sin from my life that I thought was impossible to escape as that was clear proof to me that The Holy Rosary really does work. but praying it regularly is key and when I say regularly I mean daily as daily is key! ; so even if your praying and nothing seems to be happening, keep on doing it anyways and have faith in God as try not to see prayer as something with immediate effects (even though I suspect in some cases it can be immediate, although that’s not typical) but look at prayer in terms of months/years/decades for it’s effects to take effect.

either way, regular prayer (as in at least some daily prayer) is not optional but required if one is going to avoid sin and grow closer to Jesus Christ. but sadly, I think a lot of Christians in today’s world seem to brush off prayer is something that’s not that important but they are removing from themselves one of the critical things to help avoid the world’s sinful ways etc and they are basically trying to do things on their own, which won’t end well.

 

[Zaccheus]

I am very happy to have read this thread. It gave me a much-needed reminder.

 

[nightshade]

Since we are talking about the Rosary, I am a bit confused about the season of Lent. Do we pray the sorrowful mysteries every day of Lent or just the Sundays?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The traditional days for mysteries are:

If doing 15:
Joyful: Monday, Thursday, and Sundays in Advent
Sorrowful: Tuesday, Friday, and Sundays in Lent
Glorious: Wednesday, Saturday, and all other Sundays not in Advent or Lent

If doing 20:
Joyful: Monday, and Sundays in Advent
Luminous: Thursday
Sorrowful: Tuesday, Friday, and Sundays in Lent
Glorious: Wednesday, Saturday, and all other Sundays not in Advent or Lent

Some people do Joyful on First Saturdays, or on all Saturdays in place of Glorious.

It really doesn’t matter what mysteries you use though, just pray the Rosary. You could conceivably just pick any five mysteries you like out of the 20, or do the whole Rosary meditating on one Mystery, whatever works for you.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I was taught to do them the way I wrote about 40 years ago out of an old rosary book, except the Luminous weren’t included.

 

[anon48198893]

Do any post-Vatican II saints or major clerics, to include the Pope, allude to weaponry?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I have a quote from a statement from Pope Francis in the thread.

St. Pope JPII alluded to it as well. He makes a point in Rosarium Virginis Mariae that “worthy of special note” is Pope Leo XIII calling the rosary an “effective spiritual weapon”.

https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-...ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae.html

And here’s Pope Benedict quoting Pope JPII on the same point:

When we see, in the famous painting of Our Lady of Pompeii, the Virgin Mother and the Child Jesus giving the Rosary beads to St Catherine of Siena and St Dominic respectively, we immediately understand that this prayer leads us through Mary to Jesus, as Pope John Paul II taught us in his Letter Rosarium virginis Mariae, in which he explicitly mentions Bl. Bartolo Longo and the charism of Pompeii. The Rosary is a spiritual “weapon” in the battle against evil, against all violence, for peace in hearts, in families, in society and in the world.

http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedi...documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20081019_pompei.html

Also, I don’t know what you mean by “post-Vatican II saint” but Padre Pio was only canonized in 2002, and he’s the first picture posted in this thread.

St. Josemaria Escriva, the second picture in this thread, died in 1975, post-Vatican II, and was also canonized in 2002.

Fr. Calloway’s book “Champions of the Rosary” contains a story about Mother Teresa (died 1997, canonized 2016, both dates long after Vatican II) going through an airport security checkpoint:

As Mother Teresa passed through the airport security checkpoint, she had to endure that embarrassing procedure that is part and parcel of our troubled times: “Any weapons on your person?” Unexpectedly, the childlike yet remarkably bold sari-clad woman replied in the affirmative! She did have a weapon. She then indicated the Rosary beads dangling from her hand.

 

[godisgood77]

The cross and turning the other cheek are the gospel. Weapons are for the enemy

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

I don’t think you understand how the concept works.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Weapons are for the enemy

Weapons in this sense are spiritual weapons for fighting our greatest enemy, Satan and the forces of evil.

 

[godisgood77]

If by spiritual weapons you mean hope for conversion of the other - good… if you mean assaulting another being, no so good.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

if you mean assaulting another being, no so good.

No, we don’t mean that.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Some more “post-Vatican II” holy people:

Venerable Fr. Patrick Peyton, the Rosary Priest and the leader of the Family Rosary Crusade, who died in 1992 long after Vatican II and is currently a Venerable on the path to sainthood, said:

When combined with the pure contemplative prayer of the rosary meditations, the Hail Mary becomes the most powerful weapon ever placed in the hands of man — a weapon which, through God and his most blessed Mother, will someday change the face of the earth.

Venerable Patrick Peyton: the Rosary Priest - Catholic Exchange

Venerable Patrick Peyton (1909-1992) was born into a poor family in Ireland. At the age of 19, he immigrated to the United States to find employment. He found

catholicexchange.com

Here’s Bishop OImsted, the current Bishop of Phoenix, referring to the Rosary as a “spiritual weapon” in 2017:

The Rosary — Mary’s Weapon for Peace - The Catholic Sun

God sent the Blessed Virgin Mary to little children in central Portugal with a plan that could convert hearts and thereby stop the bloodshed.

www.catholicsun.org

 

[Zaccheus]

Since we are talking about the Rosary, I am a bit confused about the season of Lent. Do we pray the sorrowful mysteries every day of Lent or just the Sundays?

It’s entirely your choice. There are traditional patterns but those are only suggestions: you’re not required to use them.
Do as you like so long as you actually pray.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

If by spiritual weapons you mean hope for conversion of the other - good… if you mean assaulting another being, no so good.

Have you actually read any of the writings of anyone quoted in this thread about the rosary?

Why would you think Catholic saints and recent Popes would be advocating assaulting people?

“Spiritual Warfare” is about assaulting the devil and the evils of this world. No humans are harmed by a person praying a rosary. It’s not a black magic zap spell.

 

[godisgood77]

Why would you think Catholic saints and recent Popes would be advocating assaulting people?

I didn’t say assaulting humans… I said beings - spirits, demons, what ever… acts of aggression spiritual or otherwise… no thanks.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

I didn’t say assaulting humans… I said beings - spirits, demons, what ever… acts of aggression spiritual or otherwise… no thanks.

That’s not how spiritual warfare works.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’m afraid you’re just not getting it.

If you’re really interested in the subject, I’d suggest reading up on the people in the thread.