Pray the Rosary
October 10, 1993
Brother John Raymond
October is the month of the Holy Rosary. It is a good time to
talk about the importance of praying the Rosary.
First let me say that the Holy Rosary has been recommended by the
Popes of our century. In recent times one need only recall the great
worldwide Rosary led by Pope John Paul II at the beginning of the
Marian Year to see the importance he places on it. Also the Church
encourages the praying of it by making the Rosary one of the few
prayers to which a Plenary Indulgence is attached. (Conditions for
the indulgence are: 1. The recitation of the Holy Rosary in a
church, public oratory, family group, religious Community or pious
Association 2. Reception of Holy Communion 3. Prayers for the Holy
Father's intentions of at least one Our Father and Hail Mary 4. A
Sacramental Confession within eight days 5. No attachment to venial
sin) Second the direct request of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the
Holy Rosary adds tremendous weight to what the Church has been
telling us all along. The Rosary has been a consistent theme of the
Church and Our Lady for our century.
To talk about the importance of praying the Holy Rosary only on
an intellectual level is not enough. Throughout my teenage years and
into my early twenties I knew about the Rosary. I witnessed its
strong intercessory value, at least, on one occasion. Yet throughout
this period of over ten years I can only recall praying it once.
Why? There are many reasons but the most important one is that the
Holy Rosary is something one just has to do to love it. It's almost
like the circular question of which came first__the chicken or the
egg. One has to pray the Rosary to love it and one has to love it to
pray it. I find the Holy Rosary is like that. One has to give it
time. If it is said sporadically one may never grow to love it. One
can't just pray it once a week. No, it has to become part of one's
everyday prayerlife. That is what happened to me. I began praying
the Rosary after Holy Mass with a group every day and I haven't
stopped praying it since. I fell in love with it, the Rosary, and
through it more so with My Heavenly Mother. Now I look back and
wonder how I survived so many years without praying it.
I recently heard of a man that has a wonderful apostolate. This
man happens to be the type of person that other people like to tell
their problems to. Now he does more than just listen. He gives them
a Rosary. This man doesn't tell them to pray it. He just puts a
Rosary in their hand. These people some time later see him and thank
him profusely for the Rosary. It was the best solution to their
problem. Miracles through the instrumentality of the Rosary are
boundless. I would like to relate the following true story.
A family in Florida I know was on their way back from a long
trip. While driving it began to rain so hard that the driver could
not see. So the family began to pray the Rosary. As they prayed the
water hitting the windshield miraculously parted enabling the driver
to see. After some time they stopped praying the Rosary. The rain
resumed its normal pattern on the windshield blinding the driver. So
they resumed praying the Rosary. The water parted again. Finally
they arrived safely home. But wait, this story becomes more amazing.
Later the father of the family drove over the same route they took
while praying. To his surprise it took him twice as long to cover
the same distance. What happened while they were praying the Rosary?
Only God knows but certainly another Rosary miracle had taken place
that day.
I hope and pray this little article will inspire you to say the
Rosary. It has helped me so very very much and I want it to help you
too!