October is Mary’s month and so the Catholic Church is particularly interested in spreading knowledge of the holy rosary. Since this is a Catholic blog site, I want to do my part and share with you some thoughts on the importance and power of the rosary. But why listen to me when you can read about the rosary from people who understand it infinitely better.
On October 6, Pope Benedict, in his general audience, said that the rosary was a “simple but efficient prayer” and “a spiritual weapon for each of us.” Upon reading this I couldn’t help but think of my article on the Hail Mary as our spiritual push up. Like the push up, the rosary is an incredibly simple prayer in its design. However, its simplicity is what makes it so powerful in that anyone can pray it. Since anyone can pray it, anyone can communicate with God and receive His graces.
The rosary is also a weapon in that praying it defends us and others from the evils of satan. Think about it. When you are praying the rosary earnestly, you are communicating with God and not engaging in any sinful behavior even if it is just for a short time. For many, it is about as close to God as we can possibly get throughout the day as we are distracted or busy in so many other ways (work, home, family, friends, etc.). But even a precious few minutes spent praying the rosary can give you enough strength to resist evil and live according to God’s plan for us.
On October 8, Bishop Jorge Luis Lona of San Luis, Argentina praised rosary prayer because of its “repetitive rhythm of praise and supplication, like a sort of spiritual breathing.” This really drives home the idea that praying the rosary gets us into a spiritual state similar to how an athletes “get into the zone” and enter a deeper state of focus and concentration. Breathing is something we do without thinking — it is just something that comes naturally to us. Similarly, once we really dive into praying the rosary regularly, living in a constant state of prayer, like the Good Samaritan, becomes second nature to us. It takes practice to get the most out of the rosary. You may not feel its benefits the first few times you pray it, but every saint in Heaven will tell you just how powerful the rosary is and how it can help bring you into God’s grace.
The bishop went on to say, “God gives us an immense aid. In order to be able to recognize and receive His gifts, He teaches us to practice praise and supplication.” Let’s take the bishop’s words to heart and take advantage of this great tool. We have about half of October left. If you haven’t done so already, give daily rosary prayer a try. Priests, bishops, popes, and saints all say that it is one of our best tools in achieving holiness. How many other endorsements do you need?
Related articles
- Rosaries on parade.. (thecrescat.blogspot.com)
- How to pray the Rosary well (newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com)
- 12 Tips for Praying the Family Rosary daily (Attention Catholic Dads) (cantuar.blogspot.com)
- Letter: Rosary is more than jewelry (commercialappeal.com)
- Holy Father prays that rosary might fortify faithful in theological virtues (catholicnewsagency.com)
