The Holy Rosary is Often Misunderstood

The Holy Rosary is often misunderstood by Christians outside the Catholic faith as a prayer focusing primarily on Mary, the reason for this is because more often than not they have heard it said quite quickly and the only words they have heard clearly is 'Hail Mary.' The reason for it said quickly was that originally the rosary was prayed directly after Mass and therefore not enough time for contemplative meditation.

In reality the Holy Rosary is a contemplative prayer, in which the devotee meditates on the life of Christ from birth to eternal life, now with the 'Light Mysteries,' added this includes Jesus ministery. Therefore each Mystery should be meditated on so the devotee can hold the image in their mind as they pray each decade.

The Holy Rosary's Meditative Power

If the Rosary is prayed daily it helps the devotee to draw closer to Jesus by meditating on his life which helps to strengthen ones relationship with him. In coming to know Christ better we can grow to love him more which can help the individual gradually take on the values of Christ and leaves the values of the secular world behind, in this way the individual begins to carry the living presence of Christ in their heart. This is why the Holy Rosary is seen an the weapon against Satan as the individual becomes more spiritual and less open to secular values.

Things to consider in praying the Holy Rosary

The devotion begins with the sign of the cross followed by the'Apostles Creed' some people leave this out and substitute this for another prayer. The 'Apostles Creed,' is very important since it outlines the basis of our faith and invites the devotee to reaffirmin their faith in Christ and the Church. Satan hates this affirmation especially when the prayer is said slowly with thought and an open heart.

Through praying the 'Hail Mary,' the devotee is giving honour to Our Lady and also asking her to intercede for them, yes that's right, Mary is then present in your 'prayer space' and interceding for you, in return the devotee receives 'Graces' from God. One must remember that the first part of the 'Hail Mary,'is taken directly from the Gospel according to St. Luke and is therefore as much a scriptural based prayer as is the 'Our Father.' It is also very Christ centred since the name of Jesus is recalled in it. This is why it is sad that some Christians from other denominations who pray the rosary and substitute the 'Hail Mary' with the 'Glory Be.'

Always pray the Holy Rosary with meaning and slowly so that every word of each prayer is heard after all you would not talk to your friend or loved one at speed so why talk to Our Lady and Our Father in that way. Prayed at an even pace one finds after time that each word becomes a prayer in itself and that opens up the door to feeling spiritual joy.

Food For Thought

Today people often talk of wanting world peace and look to the governments of the world to put things right, yet true peace begins in the hearts of us all through developing our relationship with Christ.

It is believed that Our Lady originally gave the Holy Rosary to St. Dominic and has continued over the centuries to promote this devotion in many of her visitations around the world. Our Lady continues to invite all Christians, not just Catholics to pray the Holy Rosary, so Satan can be defeated and the world converted.

The Rosary Solves All Problems

The following text is taken from an interview with Sister Lucia, (one of the Fatima visionaries), by Father Fuentes in December 26, 1957

"Look, Father, the Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given new efficacy in the recitation of the Holy Rosary. She has given this efficacy to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, of the families in the world, or of the religious communities, or even of the life of peoples and nations that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot solve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. With the Holy Rosary, we will save ourselves.

To see some messages regarding the importance of the Holy Rosary visit Aokpe Messages