THE ROSARY... It's Not Just for Little Old Catholic Ladies Anymore

by Angie Ledbetter

Granny Get Your Beads

When most people think of the word "rosary", they picture sweet grandma ladies clad in black, sitting in the front pews of church, clutching a string of beads. Like many other religious misconceptions, this stereotype is changing.

Several protestant friends have taken up this ancient devotion, as well as some much younger members of the Catholic Faith. As these Christians from various faiths learn of the many spiritual benefits derived from praying the rosary, the prayer form is picking up new fans.

Say What? Says Who?

"I never knew what this was all about before."
"My family seems happier, more at peace, less stressed."
"I always thought saying the rosary was just a bunch of brainless mumbo jumbo."
"I'd never been taught the real story behind this prayer before, and not being a Catholic, I was taught that the rosary was an evil and wrong thing."

These are some of the comments heard recently from friends who've discovered the rosary.

The history of the rosary devotion can be traced back to Nineveh and beyond. An ancient sculpture has been discovered depicting two females standing before the sacred tree in prayer. Each holds a garland or rosary. Among the Mohammedans, the Tasbih (or bead-string) is used for counting devotionally the names of Allah for many centuries.

Marco Polo, visiting the King of Malabar in the thirteenth century found that the monarch used a rosary of precious stones to count his prayers. St. Francis Xavier was also surprised to learn that rosaries were universally familiar to the Buddhists of Japan.

Greeks with knotted cord rosaries, Egyptian mummies of the fourth century entombed with prayer counting apparatus, ancient ascetics using pebbles to count their prayers have all been found. It is generally believed that these ancestors used the counted prayers to honor their deceased family members and to pray for God's blessings. (Information from "The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. XIII." http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13184b.htm)

And the Point Is?

Taken from the word "rosarius", meaning "a garland or bouquet of roses", devotees view their prayer time spent with the rosary as a way of presenting a small gift of love to Our Lord through the helping hands of His mother. What good son would not be pleased when others honor his beloved mom?

However, Rosary pray-ers are not giving prayer time to the Virgin Mary instead of to Jesus, but are adding to it. They strive by modeling themselves in the ways and attitudes of Her humility and love, to become more pleasing in the eyes of the Father.

Breaking through the mind-set that the rosary is just a mindless repetition of rote prayers, people are beginning to realize that nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the rosary is deeply rooted in Scripture. The four "mysteries" or categories of the rosary (Joyful, Glorious, Sorrowful, and new Luminous) follow closely the life and times of Jesus' life.

What's In It for Me?

Saying a long string of prayers, we show our devotion to the Lord and our dedication to achieving help with our intentions. Praying the rosary is similar to attending weekly church services, having a designated quiet prayer/meditation time, or reading daily Scripture. All of these devotions add depth to our faith life.

Once we have grasped the larger meaning of these Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be prayers, the devotion blossoms into more meditative benefits. Repetition of these familiar prayers allows us to block out the noises and distractions of life, and helps us to concentrate more fully on Jesus' path to the Cross.

The rosary gives us clues and insights on how to mold our lives to Jesus' ways. The mental or oral repetitions are like soothing background music, the sound of a mountain stream running over smooth rocks -- music to the soul. As the story of each mystery of the rosary unfolds, bead-by-bead, the inspired writings of the New and Old Testament are revealed. Especially popular is the "Scriptural Rosary" which is derived directly from the Bible.

Many report receiving crystal clear direction on being better parents, better children, better stewards, and better Christians as their understanding and practice grows. If we sincerely pray for guidance and illumination about this wonderful prayer form, the Lord will answer His faithful servants. As with everything else in life, we get from an activity exactly what we put into it.

If you are interested, or even slightly curious about the rosary, you will find a wealth of information on the Internet. Putting in a search for the word "Rosary" will bring up well over a thousand different websites. (Some of our favorites are below.)

May the Lord direct you on your journey, and should you ever need an extra "life line", pick up a rosary, do a little research into the promised benefits of its use, and give it a whirl. You may just be surprised!

Life Applications:

Have you ever introduced someone of another faith to the rosary?
Do you know the history of the rosary devotion and can you defend the devotion if questioned by someone with preconceived notions?
Pray for guidance and say a rosary every day for a week. Did you receive gifts of grace?

Copyright 2002 by Angie Ledbetter
All rights reserved.