The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary in the Roman Catholic Church. On October 7th, the annual feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated.

The Rosary has a rich and interesting history that could not be presented or explained in a simple blog post…

I feel it’s most important to focus on what the Rosary is and why it’s beautiful and powerful. My hope is that those who don’t already pray the Rosary will begin to; and those who already do will deepen and spread the devotion.

What

To learn or review how to pray the Rosary, please click here.

To watch a helpful video, please click here.

The Rosary is more than just reciting prayers! It’s about meditating upon the events of Jesus and Mary’s lives so that we may draw near to them and imitate them in our own lives. It’s about growing in holiness with the help of Jesus and His Mother.

“The repetition in the Rosary is meant to lead one into restful and contemplative prayer related to each Mystery. The gentle repetition of the words helps us to enter into the silence of our hearts, where Christ’s spirit dwells” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).

Why

The Fifteen Promises. Our Lady revealed the following Fifteen Promises to St. Dominic when she gave him the Rosary in the 13th century. They were also given to Blessed Alan de la Roche when he was divinely called to spread the devotion centuries later:

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful in reciting the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory, those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son, that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors, the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

Fátima. Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children in Fátima, Portugal from May 13 to October 13, 1917. She delivered numerous divine messages that were prophetic and are still crucial for us to follow today. She taught the children actions, prayers and devotions that can save souls and bring peace to the world. In every apparition, Mary asked for the Rosary to be recited daily and presented it as a remedy for individual and global woes. Our Lady also requested for a special prayer to be included at the end of each decade when praying the Rosary: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.” To learn more about this incredible event, please click here.

The Point

Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, asks us (her spiritual children) to pray the Rosary because she loves us!

Everything Mary does is in union with her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. She desires for each of us to grow closer to Him. She desires for each of us to be united with them forever in heaven. She desires to grant each of us many graces and for there to be peace in the world. Praying the Rosary is a way to say “yes” to Jesus and our Mother and to reciprocate their love for us.

If you feel intimidated, please don’t worry! I actually felt that way before beginning the devotion…

I began praying the Rosary because of a continuous, and I mean continuous, prompting by Mary. It seemed difficult to do at first, but once I started, it became part of my life. Now I pray the Rosary everyday and have been doing so for almost five years.

• Ask Our Lady and the Holy Spirit to help you
• Keep Rosary beads with you at all times (in your pocket, purse, car etc.)
• Begin by praying one decade (rather than five)
• Watch videos or listen to recordings and pray along
• Look at an image or icon of Mary and/or Jesus while praying
• Pray with your family, friend or a group in your parish

“I am the Lady of the Rosary, I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and ask for pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it every day.” ~ Our Lady to the shepherd children of Fátima (October 13, 1917)