The Holy Rosary

The blessed Virgin Mary shall be called blessed today as much as she was called blessed in the days that followed the glorious birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When Catholics pray the Holy Rosary, they do not pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the same way as when they pray to God. Seeking the intercession of the Virgin Mary through the Marian Sacramental of the Holy Rosary and the miraculous medal, they pray to God through Mary.

Tradition teaches us that the Feast of the Holy Rosary had its beginning when the Albigensian heresy was destroying the country of Toulouse. Shortly after September 12, 1213, St. Dominic turned to the Blessed Virgin Mary for the triumph of Catholic arms. As St. Dominic was kneeling before the Sacred Altar in the Church of St. Jacques, Our Lady appeared to him and instructed him to preach the Rosary among the people as a cure for heresy and sin.

During the fifteenth century, the Rosary was divided into three Chaplets of 50 Hail Marys each, at which time five mysteries were added to each Chaplet. By the sixteenth century, the fifteen mysteries had become accepted by all as the proper way of reciting the Rosary. During that period of time, the second half of the Hail Mary was added and the "Glory be to the Father" was used to close each decade of the Rosary.

In 1569, Pope Pius V officially approved the Rosary as it is known throughout the world today.

Four years later, Pope Pius V established the Feast of the Rosary in thanksgiving to Our Lady.

Although the history of the Rosary is controversial, over the centuries, different Supreme Pontiffs, in their apostolic letters, have accredited St. Dominic with the origin of the Rosary. In 1883, Pope Leo XIII issued an encyclical in which he commended to the faithful the devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary, attributing its origin to St. Dominic.

It was not until Our Lady of Fatima appeared to the three children on May 13, 1917 that she revealed herself to be Our Lady of the Rosary. Recognizing the apparitions of Fatima as being worthy of belief, on October 13, 1930, the bishop of Fatima authorized devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima.

The "Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary" is closely associated with the titles of "Our Lady of Fatima" and the "Immaculate Heart of Mary." In summary, it began as a most beautiful spiritual prayer in recognition of the salutation of the angel of God to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Then, it progressed to meditating upon the lives of Jesus and Mary, each mystery requiring reflection upon a biblical passage or an inspired truth that the Church has proclaimed as a Dogma of faith.

The Holy Rosary breakdown is as follows: It has 20 decades. Each decade consist of 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys 1 Glory Be

To pray an entire Rosary, you must pray: - 20 times the "Our Father," - 20 times the 10 "Hail Mary's" and - 20 times the "Glory Be" in that order.

The Rosary is divided into 4 parts of 5 decades each. Each of the four parts are called a Chaplet. When you will have prayed an entire Chaplet, you will have said: - 5 times the "Our Father," - 5 times the 10 "Hail Mary's" and - 5 times "Glory Be" in that order.

Most Catholics who are committed to this Marian devotion, limit themselves to one Chaplet per day. The praying of one Chaplet per day requires from 15 to 20 minutes.

As a Catholic devotion, the Rosary involves meditating on the twenty mysteries surrounding the lives of Our Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Rosary engages our thoughts, our imagination, our emotions, and our desire.

While praying a decade, you reflect on a mystery. There are specific mysteries for each day of praying the Holy Rosary. On a Monday or Saturday, you meditate on the Joyful Mysteries.

Joyful Mysteries Monday and Saturday: The Annunciation (Lk. 1:28) For humility. The Visitation (Lk. 1:41-2) For charity. The Nativity (Lk. 2:7) For poverty. The Presentation (Lk. 2:22) For obedience. The Finding in the Temple (Lk. 2:46) For piety.

Sorrowful Mysteries Tuesday and Friday: The Agony in the Garden (Lk. 22:44- 45) For contrition. The Scourging at the Pillar (Jn. 19:1) For purity. The Crowning with Thorns (Mt. 27:28- 29) For courage. The Carrying of the Cross (Jn. 19:17) For patience. The Crucifixion (Lk. 23:46) For self- denial.

Glorious Mysteries Wednesday and Sunday: The Resurrection (Mk. 16:6) For faith. The Ascension (Mk. 16:19) For hope. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2) For love. The Assumption (Judith 15:10-11) For eternal happiness. The Crowning of Mary (Apoc. 12:1) For devotion to Mary.

Luminous Mysteries Thursday: The Baptism in the Jordan (Mt. 3:16-17) For submission to God. The wedding of Cana (Jn. 2:4-6) For trust in God. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God (Mk. 1:14-15) Commissioned by God to evangelize. The Transfiguration (Lk. 9:29) For Divine knowledge. The institution of the Eucharist (Lk. 22:19-20) For intimate Communion with God.

After the completion of each decade, you say the "Fatima Prayer": "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy."

Those who have adopted the devotion of the Holy Rosary, have grown in a special relationship with the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Having achieved this, they have consequently grown closer to Jesus. Through Mary, they have come to know Jesus in a very special way.