The rosary is a traditional and I feel essential part of the Catholic Faith. October is traditionally the Month of the Rosary. It began in the 13th century when the first apparition of our lady appeared to Saint Dominic. She presented him with a rosary--- beaded as we have it today along with the prayers to be said. He was very saddened and heavy of heart because he was not converting the Albigensian Cather heretics. So, he went into the forest to be alone. For three days he fasted, wept and prayed over it hoping for God's help. It is here at this time Dominic experienced an apparition of the Blessed Mother with three angels around her. She explained that the Blessed Trinity wanted to use this (the rosary) to reform the world. She further explained that in the warfare of souls it is the greatest weapon to reach these hardened people and convert their souls over to God. Shortly after the apparition he preached the Holy Rosary in compliance to Our Lady's instructions. Soon he saw many souls converted and the spread of saying the Holy Rosary among these converts began. The most recent apparition of the Blessed Mother came on Fatima Portugal in 1917. There she appeared to three children, Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia. She appeared several times to them sometimes amidst crowds of eyewitnesses.
Her message to them was to pray the Holy Rosary daily to bring peace and end the war. (World War I) One of our most beloved saints, Padre Pio favored this form of prayer. He prayed it many times of day, decade after decade. He also always had a rosary wrapped around his arm, as it was a jewel or shield. He had other rosaries under his pillow and on his nightstand. He called the rosary his "weapon." He felt it was the true weapon against the evil facing our world---just as Our Lady had told Saint Dominic.
I have a great devotion to the rosary. Truthfully it was not something my family focused on as a child. But as I got older, and life became more complex I found the rosary to be a very centering and meaningful way to be with God...and Our Lady. When I have been at my most stressful times it has brought me peace and solace. I think because after you have done it for so long the familiarity brings the possibility of a deeper level of spirituality. When I was in the hospital and my father was dying, I was numb and really could not pray and felt far away from God. After a couple of days, I took my rosary out and just began to recite it. There was a peace and comfort that I can't explain that let me know I was not alone... It can also with today's technology be very portable way to pray. There are many apps that put the rosary as well as The Devine Mercy Chaplet on your phone...some even for free. So, in your busy life when you find yourself just waiting you can pull out your phone and maybe say a decade---no beads required. With your family, the rosary can be done together (just a decade a day) before or after dinner, at bedtime etc. It's doesn't have to be perfect but the consistency of doing it may help make another connection to our Catholic Faith as a family. If you were at our St. Rose Parish Event over the summer, Justin Fatica, the founder of the ministry, Hard as Nails, and his wife had a very honest discussion about having a Family Prayer Time using the rosary. I think they were honest about it not always being convenient and easy but the changes they have seen in their family over time and their kids makes it worth it. I have included this week a video from Catholic Link done by another young family about praying the rosary as a family. I also have the intro to Brother Francis's episode on FORMED about the rosary. (If you need a refresher on how to get on to FORMED, please see last week's blog entry.) I have also included a basic Pray the ROsary Coloring Sheets.
If you would like basic instruction on how to say the rosary or do not have a rosary, please help yourself to one of the many we have out this month in the Kennedy Room on the opposite side of the Welcome Desk. May you have a great week and find some of God's Blessings along the way.
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