Beloved Family:
There is surely more than one way to pray the rosary! On Tuesday of this week ending, I was heading out to my garage, to make my way to a home visit, when students and teachers from St. Mary School appeared, making their way to the Fatima shrine for a communal praying of a rosary. As I pulled out onto Beall Avenue, looking to the right and seeing the assembly of young people lifting up their voices—and hearts—in this crown of Marian prayer, my heart was lifted.
October is long-established within our Tradition as the month of the Holy Rosary. Tuesday, October 7, is the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. Many of us likely have experienced variations in our “relationship” with the rosary as a form of prayer. The following appears on the Diocese of Tyler website:
If you’ve ever been discouraged because you cannot focus your mind on the mysteries of the rosary, take heart! A Doctor of the Church struggled too. Therese recognized this challenge in her prayer life and instead of giving up, she chose to put her trust in the Blessed Mother. Here is what Therese says:
“For a long time I was desolate about this lack of devotion that astonished me, for I love the Blessed Virgin so much that it should be easy for me to recite in her honor prayers which are so pleasing to her. Now I am less desolate; I think that the Queen of heaven, since she is my MOTHER, must see my good will and she is satisfied with it.
[excerpt from Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Liseiux,
Third Edition, by John Clarke, O.C.D., 243-244]
When I say there is more than one way to pray a rosary, obviously this includes an individual or group recitation. Every Sunday, immediately following the 8 o’clock morning Mass, parishioners share a rosary. I realize that schedules may vary from week to week. However, I particularly encourage us to consider joining in this prayer time at least occasionally. As Saint Loius de Montfort wrote, “In union, there is strength.”
Beyond this, there are written resources for adding reflections to the praying of the rosary. One such book is Learning to Trust from Mary: Meditations on the Rosary (2021). Another approach is to add a phrase related to a particular mystery in the praying of each Hail Mary. For example, during the third Sorrowful Mystery: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,, etc. I have found this quite beneficial to maintaining focus.
As to when to pray a rosary, the possibilities are plenteous. It is accounted that Saint Pio would pray up to 35 full 15-decade rosaries in one day (remember, the Luminous Mysteries were not yet given in his lifetime). Granted, this may sound totally overwhelming. However, keep in mind how most habits build. Fr. David ran the Akron Marathon last weekend, but there were many shorter runs that preceded that to prepare him for the challenge. And he even shared a story of joining in with two young ladies—fellow runners— whom he overheard start the prayer. That’s really praying on the run! Praise God!
Let His Peace be with you,
Fr. Stephen
