A Catholic Land

The Rosary

The Rosary

The Rosary is about meditating on the gospels and has been in the Church since the very early centuries. A great treasure, it is said to have been given by the Blessed Virgin to Saint Dominic Guzman [1170-1221.] Tradition tells us that he was given the Rosary to preach with whilst he was trying to counteract the Albigensian heresy (an offshoot of Manicheanism that taught that all matter is evil and that there is no heaven or hell.) The actual prayers that make up the Rosary; The Our Father, The Hail Mary and the Glory Be have, of course, always been in the Church.

Popes have extolled the Rosary down through the centuries. Pope Leo XIII wrote no less than eleven encyclicals on the Rosary, and through which he became known as the "Rosary Pope;" he explained the Rosary as being of "the one road to God."

St Louis Marie de Montfort writes of how important the Rosary is for attaining Eternal Wisdom; he writes:

"To vocal prayer we must add mental prayer, which enlightens
the mind, inflames the heart and disposes the soul to listen to
the voice of Wisdom......for myself, I know of no better way
of establishing the Kingdom of God, Eternal Wisdom, than
to unite vocal and mental prayer by praying the holy Rosary
and meditating on its fifteen mysteries."[LEW193]

Notice how St Louis Marie relates Eternal Wisdom (knowledge, understanding and enactment of eternal values; that which is of the eternal) to the Kingdom of Heaven and we are in this reminded, of course, of Our Lord's words that the Kingdom of God is within you [Lk 17:20-21.] A true focus on developing, through grace, a strong interior life orientated towards God, and on nurturing the soul with the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As well as praying the Rosary individually and in Church groups, the Rosary is also well known as a great family prayer and the Church has always encouraged families to pray the Rosary together.
It chains us to heaven, as they say. It is a most powerful way of praying.

Traditionally each mystery is said on certain days of the week (see below.)

The Joyful Mysteries: The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Birth of Jesus, The Presentation, Finding of The Lord Jesus in The Temple. (Mondays and Thursdays.)

The Sorrowful Mysteries: The Agony in the Garden, The scourging at the Pillar, Crowning with Thorns, Carrying of The Cross,The Crucifixion. (Fridays and Tuesdays.) And Sunday during Lent.

The Glorious Mysteries: The Resurrection, The Ascension, Descent of The Holy Spirit, The Assumption, The Coronation. (Sundays, Wednesdays, Saturdays.) During Advent, Joyful Mysteries on Sundays. During Lent, Sorrowful Mysteries on a Sunday.

St Louis Marie de Montfort.

Our Lady of The Rosary and Saint Dominic of The Rosary.