Spiritual Reflections at, TX US - Devotion of the Holy Rosary

Celebrate Mary's Month--with the daily Rosary; Go to CONTACTS and email us for your personal Rosary & Guide. St. Padre Pio called the Rosary, the "WEAPON" against evil. Get your Rosary today! The Rosary as a prayer form--a circle of beads with a short prayer that is repeated, is found in all major religions of the world. In the Catholic Church this form of prayer/meditation has always focused on the Blessed Virgin Mary and the mysteries in the life of her Son, Jesus. The Holy Rosary is the easiest school of meditation because it draws body, mind and spirit into an inner place where one can pray even when surrounded by distractions. St. Dominic, who received the Rosary from the Blessed Virgin calls the rosary a 'weapon'when he says: "If the rosary is prayed with fervor, it can defeat armies, destroy heresies and convict hearts in their evil ways." "The rosary is a fortress against evil. It is a sign to Satan that you belong to Our Lady; therefore, you should always carry it on your person. With the rosary you can overcome disease, conquer famine and unseat dictators. All of these things have been accomplished with the rosary in the past in various parts of the world. Continue, then, to pray and have faith in the humble prayer of the rosary." Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, CFR, says: "It is a school where one learns the basic teaching of the Christian faith. It is a little retreat, enabling and challenging us to think about what we must do for God in return for what He has done for us." "The Rosary is the Gospel transformed to prayer; it is the life of Jesus as seen through the eyes of Mary, his Mother. When we say the Rosary, we have the words of heaven on our lips, the love of Mary in our hearts, the life of Christ in our thoughts--of these three strands is woven the precious fabric of the Rosary; in these three elements lies its most precious charm. The Rosary has a special effectiveness in fostering family unity and love. Every family will follow the pattern of the family of Nazareth--years of intimacy and joy, of responsibility and sorrow, the inevitability of separation and death, a time of reunion when God will wipe away all tears. The joyful, sorrowful, glorious {and luminous} mysteries have taught them this, almost without their realizing it." --Apostleship of Prayer: 9/81 Father Joseph Kentenich, founder of the Schoenstatt Movememnt, writing from the Dachau Concentration Camp said of the Rosary: "Let us immerse ourselves into the ocean of love which the Rosary allows us to drink in richly; and let the glowing love of Christ and his Mother inflame our weak sacrificial spirit. Then our lives will soon become a mirror of Christ's being and living here on earth. In him we will go through the world with strength and kindness as an image of Mary bringing blessings to all. The Manner of Reciting the Rosary: On the crucifix say: The Creed: "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the commiunion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting, Amen." On the first bead: the Lord's Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen. And on the three smaller beads: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, JESUS. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Then conclude with: 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. MEDITATION: While reciting the rosary, one meditates on the mysteries of the redemption of the human race by Jesus, as told in scripture. (See Mystery Meditations in separate section on HOME) THE MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY: Joyful Mysteries: (Monday & Saturday) 1. The Annunciation of Jesus' Birth: Begin with the Lord's Paryer: Our Father..and then say 10 Hail Mary's on the ten beads. Continue this pattern with each of the other mysteries: 2. Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth: Our Father & 10 Hail Mary's 3. The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem: Our Father & 10 Hail Mary's 4. Mary and Joseph Present Jesus in the Temple: Our Father & 10 Hail Mary's 5. Jesus, lost and found in the Temple: Our Father & 10 Hail Mary's THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES (Thursday) 1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan 2. The Wedding Feast at Cana 3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God 4. The Transfiguration of Jesus 5. The Institution of the Holy Eucharist SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: (Tuesdays & Fridays) 1. Jesus Agonizes in the Garden. 2. Jesus is Scourged at the Pillar. 3. Jesus is Crowned with Thorns. 4. Jesus Carries his Cross. 5. Jesus is Crucified on Mt. Calvary. THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: (Sunday, Wednesday) 1. Jesus Rises from the Dead. 2. Jesus Ascends into Heaven. 3. The Holy Spirit Descends on Mary, the Apostles and Disciples. 4. Mary is Assumed, Body and Soul into Heaven. 5. Mary is Crowned Queen of Heaven. (Further Help: See DEVOTIONALS-Daily Prayers; Meditation on the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary on HOME page) WHEN THE YEAR OF THE ROSARY CAME TO A CLOSE...VATICAN CITY, OCT 29, 2003 (VIS) John Paul II affirmed: "I am so grateful to God for this time of grace in which the entire Church community has been able to explore the value and importance of the rosary, which is a Christological and contemplative prayer." After recalling the "motto" of the Year of the Rosary, "Contemplating the face of Christ with Mary," John Paul II said that these words, taken from the apostolic letter "'Rosarium Virginis Mariae', concisely express the authentic meaning of this prayer, both simple and profound. At the same time, they highlight the continuity between the proposal of the rosary and the path indicated to the People of God in my previous apostolic letter 'Novo millennio ineunte'." "If at the beginning of the third millennium, Christians are called to grow as 'contemplators of Christ's face', and the ecclesiastical communities are called to become 'genuine schools of prayer', the rosary is the privileged 'Marian way,' in order to reach this dual objective." The Pope recalled that during this year he wanted "to entrust two great prayer intentions to the People of God: peace and the family. The 21st century, born under the sign of the great jubilee year reconciliation, has unfortunately inherited from the past numerous and enduring acts of war and violence. The disconcerting attacks of September 11, 2001 and the events that followed in the world have peaked tensions on a global level. Despite these alarming situations, praying the rosary is not a retreat inside oneself, but a decision of responsible faith, a conscious choice of faith: contemplating the face of Christ, our peace and our reconciliation, we want to implore God for the gift of peace through the intercession of Mary, Most Holy. We ask her for the necessary strength to be builders of peace, beginning in our daily family life." Referring to the family, the Holy Father emphasized that it should be "the first environment in which Christ's peace is embraced, cultivated and fostered. In our time, however, without prayer it becomes more and more difficult for the family to realize this vocation. This is why it would be very useful to take up again the beautiful custom of praying the rosary at home, as it was done in past generations. 'The family that prays together, stays together'." "I entrust these intentions," he concluded, "to the Virgin, so that she may protect the family and obtain peace for each person and the world. I hope that all believers, accompanied by Our Lady, set out decisively on the path of sanctity, their gaze fixed on Jesus while they meditate, with the rosary, the mysteries of salvation. This will be the most precious fruit of this year dedicated to the rosary." AG/YEAR OF THE ROSARY/... VIS 031029 (520)

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