The Catholic Church has only known the Rosary for about 800 years. The fifteen mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary were given by Our Lady to Saint Dominic.

[Please read my article: “How Our Lady Gave the Rosary to Saint Dominic”]

Since then the Catholic Church has encouraged all the faithful to pray the Rosary.

Padre Pio once said:

Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.”

And only two weeks after his election to the See of Peter, Pope John Paul II frankly admitted:

 The Rosary is my favorite prayer. A marvelous prayer! Marvelous in its simplicity and its depth.”

Now consider this: Saint Francis of Assisi did not have the Rosary. Neither did Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, nor Saint Anselm, nor Saint Bede, nor Saint Gregory, nor Saint Benedict, nor Saint Augustine, nor Irenaeus, and not even the Holy Apostles.

The Holy Rosary is relatively new. And yet I am convinced that it is absolutely essential for our time. The “newness” of the Rosary reveals that the last 800 years of Church History has required a new weapon.

The Blessed Virgin Mary gave us a Scriptural weapon. She asked Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan that there be 150 Hail Mary’s said in honor of the 150 Psalms. Also, she provided 15 biblical mysteries from the life of Christ for us to meditate upon. The whole arrangement is Our Lady’s homage to Sacred Scripture. The 150 Hail Mary’s were broken up into 15 “decades” of ten Hail Mary’s. In this way, we can experience the biblical mysteries of her Son’s life.

But why? Why did Heaven come up with this plan with beads and mysteries? In many ways, the 1200s were the high point of Christian civilization. It was the era of Saint Thomas Aquinas and King Saint Louis of France. Since then, it’s been a bumpy ride. The Rosary has been the chain or the seat belt that we need in these times of turbulence.

We need Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Rosary is a tangible sign that we are connected to Him. When I touch my Rosary, I know that Mary is connecting me to her Son. Jesus became human through Mary and that human connection is found there with her.

I’d really encourage you to pray the Rosary every day for the rest of your life. Make it part of your daily routine. It should be more important than brushing your teeth or checking your email.

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Praying the Rosary only takes 2% of your day. 15-20 minutes. Be a 2-percenter! Pray the Rosary daily. It will give your soul peace. You’ll learn more about yourself and about God. You will got lost in the rhythm of the prayer and discover yourself with Jesus. It’s truly beautiful!

ad Jesum per Mariam,
Taylor

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Also, please check out my brand new book The Eternal City: Rome & the Origins of Catholicism at amazon.com by clicking here.

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