The Significance Of The Rosary

By Author: Brother Michael Diamond
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There is much confusion about the Rosary, as there is about many traditional practices that have suffered under Vatican II misrule. Although scholars of many types, some not even Catholic, try to limit the history of the Rosary's introduction, tradition tells us that the Rosary was presented by the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Dominic at the church of Prouille in 1214. The title of Our Lady of the Rosary was given at this Marian apparition, the story of which spread over the subsequent centuries. The Blessed Alanus de Rupe, also known as Alain de la Roche or St. Alan of the Rock, was a Dominican theologian and man of letters and who Blessed Virgin Mary chose to reveal 15 promises that would be given to those who recite the Rosary.

In 1569, Dominican Pope Pius V issued the papal bull, "Consueverunt Romani Pontifices," establishing an official devotion to the Rosary for the Catholic Church. For the next 400 years, the Rosary changed little. There were the 15 mysteries, paired with the 15 decades. Outside of the current common practice of adding the Fatima Prayer to the end of the decades, no top-down post-Vatican II changes ...
... were made to the Rosary until John Paul II attempted to change the Rosary by adding five new "Luminous Mysteries" in 2002.

Rosary beads

The design of the Rosary offers a simple, physical way to keep track of what is said. As prayers are recited, the fingers move along the beads. Because the mental process of counting is eliminated, the mind can mediate on the various mysteries. A five-decade Rosary has five sections of ten beads each, called a decade, and large additional beads before each decade. The Hail Mary is recited on the ten beads in each decade, and the Our Father on the large bead before a decade, at which time a new mystery is also brought to mind for meditation. Rosaries used by religious orders have 15 decades, owing to the traditional 15 mysteries.

Counting prayers and devotions with beads is customary, but some claim that Rosary prayers do not require them, that the Rosary can be said with the use of any counting method. Modern 21st century people are using the iPod and iPhone applications to pray the Rosary, rather than meditating upon the mysteries in solitude, or in person with other true Catholics. By considering it acceptable to watch videos of Rosary meditations on YouTube and other Web sites, they often fail to internalize the mysteries. As a result, their efforts to achieve the personal prayer and meditation intended by the Rosary are unsuccessful.

Mysteries

The traditional manner of praying of the Rosary is to enunciate one of three sets of "mysteries" sequentially, one each day. There are the Joyful (or Joyous) Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Glorious Mysteries. All of the sets of mysteries have within them the five different themes on which to meditate, one for each decade of ten Hail Marys. Traditional Catholics believe that the 15 original mysteries of the Rosary is Mary's Psalter, with 150 Hail Marys corresponding to 150 Psalms.

Traditional Catholic Church teaching encourages Catholics to pray the whole 15-decade Rosary every day. At three different times of day, meditating on one set of mysteries is a simple, easy way to accomplish that daily regimen. This, in fact, is the recommendation of the 18th century theologian, St. Louis De Montfort, as a good way to get that accomplished. Even Catholics who spend most of the day at home, and have plenty of time, are not accomplishing the full Rosary, although they could do so quite easily. By not taking the time to pray as they should, they will miss out on the tremendous graces available from God and the Blessed Virgin through the Rosary. Perhaps the greatest loss is of the opportunity to save so many other souls who need the assistance rendered by the faithful praying of the Rosary.
About Author:
Every wanted to know about the apocalypse? The Most Holy Family Monestery is dedicated to defending and spreading the teachings of the Catholic Faith. Brother Michael Dimond has many years of experience with the church, as taught and defined by the authoritative teachings of the popes throughout history. It is also dedicated to exposing in great detail the post-Vatican II pseudo-"Church" and the New Mass. Visit us online today.