Our Lady of the Rosary
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What is a Rosary?
A Rosary has two main meanings. One meaningrefers to the physical object, which is comprised of a Cross, a medal (M), individual beads (@), and consecutive beads (o). The other main meaning is the prayer for which his physical object is used. You don't need the object itself in order to say the prayer of the Rosary, but the beads serve as a wonderful guide. Plus, the Rosary as a physical object is a sacred object, whose presence in one's home or pocketis in a certain sense a constant prayer being said to God through Our Lady.
Where did the Rosary come from?
It was only in the year 1214, that Holy Mother Church received the Rosary in its present form and according to the method we use today. It was given to the Church by Saint Dominic who had received it from the Blessed Virgin as a powerful means of converting the Albigensians and other sinners.I will tell you the story of how he received it, which is found in the very well-known book "De Dignitate Psalterii" by Blessed Alan de la Roche [1]. Saint Dominic, seeing that the gravity of people's sins was hindering the conversion of the Albigensians, withdrew into a forest near Toulouse where he prayed unceasingly for three days and three nights. During this time he did nothing but weep and do harsh penances in order to appease the anger of Almighty God. He used his discipline so much that his body was lacerated, and finally he fell into a coma.
At this point Our Lady appeared to him, accompanied by three angels, and she said:
"Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?"
"Oh, my Lady," answered Saint Dominic, "you know far better than I do because next to your Son Jesus Christ you have always been the chief instrument of our salvation."
Then Our Lady replied:
"I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Angelic Psalter which is the foundation stone of the New Testament. Therefore if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter."
So he arose, comforted, and burning with zeal, for the conversion of the people in that district he made straight for the Cathedral. At once unseen angels rang the bells to gather the people together and Saint Dominic began to preach.
At the very beginning of his sermon an appalling storm broke, out, the earth shook, the sun was darkened, and there was so much thunder and lightning that all were very much afraid. Even greater was their fear when looking at a picture of Our Lady exposed in a prominent place they saw her raise her arms to heaven three times to call down God's vengeance upon them if they failed to be converted, to amend their lives, and seek the protection of the Holy Mother of God.
God wished, by means of these supernatural phenomena, to spread the new devotion of the Holy Rosary and to make it more widely known.
At last, at the prayer of Saint Dominic, the storm came to an end, and he went on preaching. So fervently and compellingly did he explain the importance and value of the Holy Rosary that almost all the people of Toulouse embraced it and renounced their false beliefs. In a very short time a great improvement was seen in the town; people began leading Christian lives and gave up their former bad habits.
How do you Pray the Rosary?
The basic prayer itself is simple: The Rosary consists of a Cross, a medal (M), individual beads (@), and consecutive beads (o). For the Cross, we pray the "Apostles' Creed"; for the individual beads (@), the "Our Father"; and for the consecutive beads (o), the "Hail Mary." There are also additional prayers, some of which correspond to the medal (M); these shall be discussed below.The Rosary can be divided into two parts: the Introduction, and five decades. The Introduction consists of the Cross and the four beads that follow it, which together mean the "Apostles' Creed," one "Our Father," and three "Hail Mary's." The five decades each consist of one individual bead (@) and ten consecutive beads (o), that is, of one "Our Father", and ten "Hail Mary's".
Each decade is devoted to a particular event in the life of the Virgin Mary or of Jesus. These are called the Mysteries. As you pray the decade, we should meditate on these Mysteries with a view to reaching a greater love of God.
Since there are five decades in the Rosary, and there is one Mystery corresponding to each decade, there are five corresponding Mysteries for each Rosary we pray. These five Mysteries, however, are not always the same. In fact there are three sets of five Mysteries. They are: (1) the Joyful Mysteries, (2) the Sorrowful Mysteries, and (3) the Glorious Mysteries.
Kiss the Cross and make the sign of the Cross to start. The Introduction: At the: Top of the Cross - say the "Apostles' Creed" @ - "Our Father" o - "Hail Mary for each of the three beads." The First Mystery: @ - State the First Mystery, - state prayer intention on this Mystery, - then "Our Father." o - "Hail Mary" for each of the ten beads, - after the 10th, say "Glory Be" and "O my Jesus." The Second Mystery: @ - State the Second Mystery, - state prayer intention on this Mystery, - then "Our Father." o - "Hail Mary" for each of the ten beads, - after the 10th, say "Glory Be" and "O my Jesus." Same for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th decade. At the end of the five Mysteries pray a "Hail, Holy Queen." To conclude, make the Sign of the Cross, and kiss the Cross on the Rosary.
What do you Meditate on while praying the Rosary?
I feel that the meditations are the most important part of praying the Rosary. They are my favorite part too. If you don't understand the concept of praying the rosary and you see me sitting in front of a statue of Mary saying "Hail Mary Full of Grace" over and over you would say he's worshiping that statue. Well while my mouth may be saying the same prayers over and over my brain and imagination are meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary. Click Here for Pictures of the Meditations.These Mysteries are the following: The Joyful Mysteries: 1. The Annunciation 2. The Visitation 3. The Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ 4. The Presentation at the Temple 5. The Finding at the Temple The Sorrowful Mysteries: 1. The Agony of Christ in the Garden 2. The Scourging at the Pillar 3. The Crowning with Thorns 4. The Carrying of the Cross 5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord Glorious Mysteries: 1. The Resurrection of Our Lord 2. The Ascension of Our Lord 3. The Coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles 4. The Assumption of the Virgin Mary 5. The Coronation of the Virgin Mary
What are the Prayers of the Rosary?
The Prayers are very easy and the Basic Prayers of the Catholic Church.The Apostle's Creed: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Our Father: Our Father, Who art in Heaven; hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory Be: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
O my Jesus (from Fatima): O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Your Mercy. Amen.
Hail, Holy Queen: Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us. And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
- Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
- That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray: O God, Whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech You, that meditating upon these Mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen.
What are the Promises of the Rosary?The Fifteen Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary
(Revealed to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan):
1) Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2) I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3) The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4) It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of
the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5) The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6) Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will
not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7) Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8) Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of
death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise.
9) I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10) The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11) You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12) All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13) I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the
hour of death.
14) All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
15) Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
"Say the Rosary every day, to obtain peace for the world." -- Our Lady of Fatima, 1917
Other Rosary Stuff.
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