Praying the Rosary

Traditionally, October is the month when praying the rosary is emphasized. The Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous mysteries of the rosary shed light upon the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the key role of Mary, His mother, in the story of salvation history.

The rosary is traditionally credited to St. Dominic (1170-1221 AD). According to legend, the Blessed Mother appeared to Dominic in a vision, handed him the rosary and asked him to spread the devotion.

Historians, however, note that the rosary actually developed over a complicated, 500-year-long process. The 150 Hail Mary's that comprise the original set of 15 Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary were actually replacements for the 150 Psalms of the Old Testament.

In the first millennia, the psalms were sung or recited by the faithful at regular daily intervals. As the faith spread and the Church grew, this proved to be a very difficult practice. There were not many copies of Scripture readily available to the average person prior to the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. But even if there were, the majority of the population was illiterate! The prayers of the Rosary, however, were easily memorized, and since they are so repetitious the practice of praying them eventually replaced recital of the Psalms.

The Rosary is a wonderful vehicle for praising, thanking and petitioning the Lord by reflecting on the mysteries of the life and mission of Jesus and His Blessed Mother.

As in all things, however, there is a right way and a wrong way to pray it. The Rosary isn't a task with a deadline to be reached! It is communication with God; and so like all prayer it should never be rushed. A few moments of silence after announcing each mystery, for example, would allow for reflection on the meaning and impact of that mystery. The tempo when reciting the Our Fathers and Hail Mary's should be slowed to allow the beautiful words of the prayers, most of which are taken directly from Scripture, to echo in our minds and hearts.

With practice and some real discipline, and setting aside a good 20-30 minutes of time, this prayer can be a source of great spiritual strength and renewal.

I strongly encourage all of us to pray the Rosary throughout this month, particularly for the protection of human life from conception to natural death, as October is also "Respect Life" month.