A Joyful Mystery – The Annunciation of our Lord
posted by praytherosary @ 9:48 AM
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Today, March 25, is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. On that day, nine months before December 25th, we celebrate Mary’s great “YES” to God. When the angel Gabriel revealed to her that she would bear a Son, and that He would be conceived in her by the power of the Holy Spirit, her response was, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:39) She was so perfectly open to God and accepting of His will that she could become a perfect vessel through which the Son of God would come into this world.
Of course she said, “YES”! And because she did Christ was born – the Nativity of Jesus Christ – another Joyful Mystery! He lived and died and rose from the dead, defeating the forces of evil and winning us back from slavery to sin and to Satan.
Today is celebrated as a Solemnity. This raises it above all of the many feasts that are celebrated each year and proclaims that it is one of the most important events in the story of our salvation and that it is one of the most imporatant days in our liturgical year.
Source: Immaculate Heart of Mary Bulletin – March 20, 2011
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I was recently reading the book The Eucharist and The Rosary by Matt Swaim. At the end of the book he makes a great point to dispel any myths that the rosary is meant to be some sort of “lucky charm” that Catholics carry around so that they won’t be hit by a car or so their plane won’t crash. The rosary is anything but such a “lucky charm”. The rosary is not a mere security blanket, fashion accessory or Catholic identification card. The Rosary is instead one of the most important aids to Catholic prayer. The rosary is not a self-sustaining device but a way of prayer.
One might accurately state that wearing a rosary comes close to being a useless practice if praying the rosary is not part of the life of the wearer. It’s not as though God checks your pockets at the gates of heaven to see who has a rosary and who doesn’t before letting people in. Knowing all, seeing all, and hearing all, our Almighty Father understands who carries a rosary out of a desire to connect with Him on a deeper level and who carries one because it looks good with a certain belt.
The reasons for carrying the rosary on our person sould be neither fashion nor mere identification. If we go to the trouble to put a rosary in our pocket or purse along with our keys when we go to work, it should be because we have the intention of praying the rosary before we arrive home that evening.
Source: The Eucharist and The Rosary, Matt Swaim, 2010, p. 114-115.
The Rosary is a simple, uncomplicated, nonliturgical way to pray when conscious thought and words may fail you, no matter what your feelings or emotions may be at the moment. If you are depressed, the Rosary works. If you are happy or sad, the Rosary works. If you are anxious or worried, the Rosary works. If you are sick or just plain sick and tired, the Rosary works. No matter how you’re feeling, the Rosary is a way to be physically and intentionally in the presence of the triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – in the company of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of the risen Christ and, therefore – through the Sacrament of Baptism in Christ – our mother too.
The Rosary has something to offer just about everyone because the Rosary is simple and the Rosary is deep. It is so simple that the humblest believers love the Rosary. It is so deep that many of the greatest thinkers and mystics down through the centuries have loved the Rosary. The simplicity and depth of the Rosary are the simplicity and depth of the gospel itself, the good news of God’s love and forgiveness for all in Christ. The combination of traditional prayers and meditation on sacred events makes the Rosary a particularly personal prayer that can be as uncomplicated or as complicated as you want to make it. It suits just about anyone’s spirituality. Chances are that the Rosary is a perfect match for you, no matter what the shape or characteristics of your personal piety.
Source: The Rosary Handbook, Mitch Finley, 2007; p. 12.
One of the many great things about practicing the Christian faith (or any other religion for that matter) is that prayer can be done at any time and any place. Whether you’re on the road, at work, out to dinner with friends or on an airplane, you can take the meditation and healing powers of prayer with you no matter where you go.
And, with the blessings of today’s technology, you can even pray the rosary online. This is a great resource for the days you’re not able to attend church; maybe you’re sick or on vacation, whatever the reason the internet has your back. Not only can you find tips to pray the rosary online, but you can also find video prayers to follow.
Today’s gospel message tells of us Jesus’ Transfiguration. The Transfiguration is also the Fourth Luminous Mystery.
The Transfiguration of Jesus occurs when He takes Peter, James and John up a mountain. And before their very eyes, “Jesus is transfigured; His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light.” (Matthew 17:1-3). And not only do they witness Jesus’ transfiguration, the apostles also heard God the Father say, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” (Matthew 17:5). They also see Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the Prophets. Their presence is telling us that what Jesus is saying is in line with the Law and the Prophets. And God the Father is telling us to “Listen to Him”.
Jesus’ disciples are worried because Jesus has told them that he will be handed over, and killed. The disciples are confused about this because they thought the Messiah could not die. They are having a crisis of faith. This Transfiguration was to strengthen their faith so that they would believe what Jesus is telling them. We too must also Listen to Him, Trust that what He is telling us is the Truth and Obey what He is telling us to do.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a Special Rosary!
posted by praytherosary @ 8:45 AM
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today is a day when everyone feels Irish – and wears something green!!
St. Patrick preached for 40 years and converted many people. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461.
This year pray the rosary with a special rosary dedicated to St. Patrick. Of course, they are made of beautiful green rosary beads and show the Irish traditions with shamrocks or an Irish Claddagh.
In today’s gospel reading we learn how we are to pray. And we have no better teacher than Jesus. In the gospel, Jesus teaches us the Lord’s Prayer, or the Our Father prayer (Matthew 6:9). This is a foundational prayer and one that connects each decade of the rosary.
But where did this prayer come from? Did it drop from heaven and just come out of Jesus’ mouth one day? Not exactly. As with everything else that Jesus said and did, this prayer passed through His humanity. It was the result of His experiences in the world, coupled with His pure uninterrupted union with His Father. You might say, that this is the only prayer that could come from the heart of Someone who lived fully in this world and fully in the presence of God. On the human level, we can imagine the influence that Mary and Joseph had in the development of this prayer. Who better to teach Jesus to pray, “Thy will be done” than the woman who said, “May it be done unto me according to your word.” (Luke1:38) Who better to teach Jesus to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” than the carpenter who trusted in God’s provision enough to uproot his family to flee to Egypt and then to settle in Nazareth?
God wants us to see that just as Jesus’ prayer was rooted in His daily life, so can our prayer come from our daily lives and from our hearts. God the Father wants to show us His love and presence in our everyday lives so that we will spontaneously cry out the same words of petition and praise that Jesus said. So the next time that you are praying your rosary and you come to the Our Father, remember that God wants to hear your prayers from your heart!
Source: The Word Among Us; Daily Meditations for Catholics, March 15, 2010, p. 34.
Use your Catholic Rosary for Prayer and Fasting during Lent
posted by praytherosary @ 9:20 PM
Saturday, March 12, 2011
As you continue on your journey this Lent, try to combine 2 of the traditional disciplines – prayer and fasting. If you usually watch a regular TV program, try fasting from that program to pray your rosary. This can be done individually or as a family. Instead of watching TV or playing video games or surfing on the internet, fast from technology to pray the Catholic Rosary for a special intention.
This may even bring you other benefits as well. As Pope Pius XII said, “There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessings upon the family…than the daily recitation of the Rosary.” And Father Peyton says,”If families will give Our Lady ten minutes of their twenty-four hour day by reciting the daily Family Rosary, I assure them that their homes will become, by God’s grace, peaceful, prayerful places – little heavens, which God the Author of homelife has intended they should be!”
Source: The Secret of the Rosary, St. Louis De Montfort, inside front cover.
Contemplating the Works of Contemplative Prayer
posted by RosaryDevotions @ 5:37 PM
Friday, March 11, 2011
The concept of contemplative prayer may seem pretty self-explanatory when you choose to interpret the words for their literal meaning. But when you study the meaning and the practice of contemplative prayer, you’ll discover that the action and belief that goes with such a practice is more involved than you might think. In fact, in terms of Christian mysticism, it’s a form of prayer distinct from vocal prayer and meditation.
Although there have been many interpretations of the meaning of contemplative prayer, I like to reference the Catholic Church who quotes St. Teresa who said “Contemplative prayer in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” Have you ever asked yourself what contemplative prayer means to you?
Use your Catholic Rosary for Prayer during Lent
posted by praytherosary @ 9:19 PM
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Today, Wednesday, March 9th, Ash Wednesday, begins the holy season of Lent this year. As we start this Lenten journey, we need to consider the three traditional disciplines of Lent: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.
Prayer – this year, let us focus our prayer on using a Catholic Rosary for our prayer routine. Just take 15 minutes to begin praying the rosary.
Fasting – most of us associate Lent with “giving something up.” Try to give up your recreational time for more time to pray your rosary.
Almsgiving – this refers to giving money to the needy. Within the spirituality of Lent, this is extended to include all acts of kindness that we do for the sake of Christ. Why not give a rosary to a special person who may be in need of special prayers. Perhaps a rosary in the month of their birthstone.