The Rosary
The Rosary, the special prayer of the Blessed Mother, a powerful advocate for prayer. Just as you might ask others to pray for you, know that you can ask Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to pray for you as well. It is a wonderful way not only to pray, but to meditate on the major events of the Gospels. We have provided audio recordings you can pray along with. There is the Common way of praying the rosary, as well as a special way for the Dominicans , and the LaSallians.
This powerful form of prayer that has been used for centuries. Originally it was thought to be a way for people who were unable to read to join with the monks in praying the 150 psalms. This was because the rosary consisted of 150 Hail, Marys. There is too the legend that this prayer was given by the Blessed Mother to Saint Dominic, and so for Dominicans this prayer has always held a special place in the prayer life and spirituality of the Order of preachers.
The basic benefit of the holy rosary is that it provides a way to silence the mind in order to free it to focus on the mysteries primarily of the life of Jesus, but also in the life of Mary. We live in a world that is quite busy and is filled with many things that can distract us. The repetition of words and the feel of the beads in our hands can be a way that helps us to focus on these spiritual events more easily.
For the Dominicans, the roots of this prayer arise from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was another way for those who might not otherwise be able to participate in praying the Office or the Liturgy of the Hours. As such, when the rosary is prayed the way that the Dominican pray it, the rosary begins a little differently than the way many people were taught to pray it.
Over time, other religious communities adapted to rosary to suit their specific spirituality. The Christian brothers of Saint John Baptist de la Salle pray six decades of the rosary instead of five. The Franciscans pray a seven decade rosary, adding the joys and sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
However it is prayed, the rosary has been a great source of spiritual consolation for centuries. It is a reminder that we should have the same openness in our spiritual life as did the Blessed Virgin Mary. It also helps us since in every prayer we ask the Blessed Virgin to make, she leads us to her son Jesus. We grow closer to Jesus with the help, support and grace of the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary. What child does not listen carefully to the words of his mother!
October and May are special months dedicated to Mary, and the Feast of the Holy Rosary is held in October. It is also the case that in May many parishes have a special ceremony where a statue of the Blessed Mother is adorned with a crown of flowers.
Many Catholic Churches and Catholic dioceses have the Blessed Mother as their patroness, either by name, an event in Mary’s life, or under one of her many titles. The Catholic Church in the United States is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, as are many dioceses in the United States.
This page provides a link so that people can pray the rosary by listening to the rosary, to make it easy to pray when you cannot hold a rosary in your hands. Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
