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“Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.”Pope Pius IX
I would love to be able to say that I have always been close to Mary and have always found comfort in the arms of our Mother, but that has not always been the case. Up until a few years ago, Mary was somewhat of a mystery to me. Sure, I loved her and acknowledged the awesomeness of her motherhood to Jesus, but that was the extent of it. I did not have a personal relationship with our Mother, and now that I do, I do not know what was holding me back for so long. Our Mother is so wonderful and comforting. She is always waiting for us with open arms and a heart full of love. She knows our sorrows and our joys. We will never be disappointed or left alone when we flee to the arms of Mary, and in return she will bring us closer to her son, Jesus.
I feel like my relationship with Mary did not develop until I started to pray the Rosary on a regular basis. Each morning I take time to pray the Rosary because I am convinced that it is this time spent in the loving arms of Mary that will get me through each day. In fact, through the Rosary I am not simply “getting through”
each day, but thriving with each new moment with love and trust in our Lord. Through the Rosary we meditate on the joys, sorrows, light, and glory of Jesus and His mother. The Rosary gives us the opportunity and power to walk along with Jesus and Mary during their lives here on earth.
I encourage you to start to pray the Rosary if you haven’t already, or have been putting it off. My struggle with praying the Rosary in the past was that I always put it off for a later time in the day, until finally I found myself praying it right before bed and falling asleep while praying it. I now try to pray the Rosary at the start of each day, to prevent myself from putting it off until later. By doing so, I start my morning off on the right foot and do not have to stress about fitting it in later after a busy day at work or out with my family. I cannot stress enough the importance of the Rosary, and I pray that each and every one of you will make an effort to pray the Rosary.
If you don't have the time to sit and complete the Rosary, then break it up throughout the day. Pray a decade here and there and before you know it, you will have finished your Rosary! -
I will finish with these words from Archbishop Fulton Sheen. He said,
"The Rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the Rosary is beyond description.”
Reflect and Discuss: How has Mary been present in your life? Have you been praying the Rosary and if so, how has it helped you grow in relationship with Mary and her Son?
Act: Make a conscious effort if you feel called to pray the Rosary at least once per week.
