The Holy Rosary
"Praying the rosary is like sitting down with the mother of Jesus and browsing through the family album" - Fr Hugh Thwaite SJ
”If you own a rosary, ideally it should be blessed by a Catholic priest, who, using Holy Water and prayers approved by the Church, has invoked the protection of Our Blessed Lord and His Holy Mother upon it and those who use it. A blessing withdraws an object from profane use and sets it apart for sacred use.
The rosary is a prayer endorsed by Heaven. When the Mother of Jesus appeared to the three children at Fatima on the 13 July 1917, she said, “Pray the Rosary every day in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace in the world . . . for she alone can save it.”
The Holy Rosary and the Battle of Lepanto
The Most Important Sea Battles in European History
By the 16th century, Muslims had conquered most of Eastern Europe, reaching as far north as Budapest and the Crimea. A massive Muslim fleet of 275 galleons was assembled in the Bay of Lepanto in southern Greece, east of the toe of Italy, set to invade Western Europe and sack Rome. Several Catholic powers united to raise a fleet to defend Europe. John of Austria was appointed supreme commander. Pope Pius V appealed to all Catholics to pray the Rosary for victory. On the 7th of October 1571, the smaller Christian fleet, consisting of 242 ships, with some support vessels, and around 30,000 men, celebrated Mass on the decks of their ships. They then attacked.
Brothers of the brave defender of Cyprus who had been skinned alive by Muslims commanded the two lead ships. The Christian gunners wrecked havoc on the Muslim vessels, while the 75-year-old commander of the Venetian fleet, Sebastiano Venier, picked of Turks with his crossbow. John of Austria rammed his ship into the lead boat of the Muslims and Catholic infantrymen stormed onto the decks of the Muslim fleet. The last straw for the Turks was their Christian galley slaves mutinied and fell upon their slave masters with anything they could lay their hands on.
By the end of the day, 80 Muslim vessels were sunk and 117 captured, some 30,000 Muslim soldiers perished and 12,000 Christian slaves had been freed. The Catholics lost 750 men and just 12 ships. It was a spectacular victory, and never again would Muslims try to conquer Europe by sea.
Late that afternoon, Pope Pius V rose from a meeting and throwing open the window, exclaimed, “Gentleman, this is no time for business, we have just won a great victory.” - It was six weeks before he received official notification. The Church has ever since celebrated the 7th of October as the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Praying the Rosary
There are fifteen episodes (sub-divided into five joyful mysteries, five sorrowful mysteries and five glorious mysteries) from the life of Christ on which Christians meditate when praying the rosary. These are as follows:
Joyful Mysteries (Used on Mondays and Thursdays)
1. An angel of God asks the Virgin Mary to consent to become the mother of Jesus.
2. Mary walks about 100 miles to help her elderly cousin Elizabeth with her pregnancy.
3. Jesus is born in a manger, in a stable in Bethlehem.
4. The Virgin Mary and St Joseph present the Christ Child to God in the Temple.
5. Jesus as a mere 12-year-old boy is found in the Temple answering the questions of the scribes.
Sorrowful Mysteries - Christ suffers and dies for our sins (Used on Tuesdays and Fridays)
6. Christ suffers mental anguish to the point of sweating blood.
7. Christ is secured to a pillar and brutally whipped.
8. A crown made of large thorns is plaited and forced on Christ’s head.
9. Christ drags His heavy cross to Calvary.
10. Christ is nailed to the Cross, is crucified and dies.
Glorious Mysteries - Christ triumphs over death (Used on Wednesdays and weekends)
11. Christ rises from the dead.
12. Christ ascends into Heaven in the sight of His Apostles.
13. The Holy Ghost descends upon the Virgin Mary and the Apostles.
14. The mother of Jesus is taken up into Heaven, body and soul, by her Son.
15. Christ crowns His mother Queen of Heaven and earth, men and angels.
By focusing our minds on these events in Jesus's life, we seek to deepen our personal relationship with Him, while the prayers become like background music to our meditations.
The Bible teaches us that Jesus changed water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana at the request of His mother. Mary continues to gain many graces from her Son for those who devoutly pray the Rosary.
How to Pray the Rosary
-
While holding the crucifix make the Sign of the Cross, and then recite the Apostles’ Creed.
-
Recite the Our Father on the first large bead.
-
Recite a Hail Mary for an increase of faith, hope and charity on each of the following three small beads.
-
Recite the Glory Be on the next large bead.
-
On the same large bead, or, if your Rosary has a medallion after this large bead, on the medallion, announce the first Mystery you plan to meditate upon (see table above) and then recite the Our Father.
-
On each of the next ten small beads, recite a Hail Mary while reflecting on the mystery.
-
On the next large bead, recite the Glory Be to the Father and the Fatima prayer.
-
Use the same large bead to start the next mystery. Each succeeding decade is prayed similarly by recalling the appropriate mystery, reciting the Our Father, ten Hail Marys while reflecting on the mystery and finishing with the Glory Be to the Father and the Fatima prayer.
-
When the fifth mystery is completed, it is customary to say five concluding prayers. The usual closing prayers are set out below.
The Assumption of Our Lady and Her Coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth, and men and angels
The Assumption of Our Lady means that Jesus took his mother, Mary, into Heaven, both body and soul, after her earthly life ended. The Church has always taught this. At the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, for example, St Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, told St Pulcheria (Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire) and her husband Marcian, who had enquired about the body of Mary, that Mary died in the presence of the Apostles. However, when St Thomas asked to see her body, they found her tomb empty. The Apostles then believed her body had been taken to Heaven.
From the earliest ages of the Church, the faithful have venerated the remains of the Saints. The relics of the Apostles and thousands of martyrs are preserved in richly adorned shrines and caskets worldwide. It is hugely significant, therefore, that at no time in history have Christians venerated a grave or tomb of the Blessed Virgin. No relic of the Virgin Mary’s body exists, nor has any person or city ever claimed possession of such a relic.
The idea that the sacred remains of Mary could have been lost or neglected is a hypothesis that is too silly to entertain. Indeed, until the sixteenth century, so universal was this belief among Christians, that no school of theology or reputable theologian ever questioned the truth of the Assumption.
The Prayers of the Rosary
The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Apostles’ 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. On the third day, He rose again; He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From there, He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
The Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name: Thy kingdom come: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
The Glory be
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.
The Fatima Prayer
(This prayer was taught to the three children by Our Lady at Fatima, 13th July 1917)
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Your Mercy
CONCLUDING PRAYERS
The Hail Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley, of tears. Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus; O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us O Holy Mother of God
Pray for us O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
O God
O God whose only begotten Son by His Life, death and resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, Grant that we beseech Thee while meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord Amen.
Prayer to St Michael the Archangel
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defence against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Notwithstanding the fact that Martin Luther, regarded as the founder of modern Protestantism, prayed the Rosary, many Protestants are uncomfortable with the title “Mother of God”. The Church confirmed this title on the Virgin Mary in the fifth century to combat a heresy that denied that Christ was God. Christ, who was the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, took form in the womb of the Virgin Mary; “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us …” John 1:14.
Mary is thus the only mother in history to have been chosen by her own son. It is in this sense that she is the Mother of God, not in the sense that she pre-existed or created God.