Meeting the Rosary

May I introduce you? You have heard of the Rosary. It used to be regarded as the Catholic "thing"; one of the defining features, a trademark of Catholic gatherings and individuals. It turned up on many special family occasions, whether public or private. Processions, funerals, Our Lady's feasts, Sunday devotions with Benediction and the like were all events with the Rosary in attendance. Then too there were the family prayers after the evening meal, or occasions when the beads made an appearance in the event of threatened or actual tragedy. Rosary beads in pockets have been treasured as a sort of safety net, even if rarely used for prayer. And what about those Catholic shops and shrines displaying their Rosary wares in a range of sizes and colours? So you may have some idea about the Rosary and what it looks like.

If you would like to actually meet and, as it were, shake hands with this mysterious Catholic "family feature" and get to know more about it…Here goes! There may be some surprises. Had you heard that it is an old custom, past its prime and little more than a relic of bygone days in our less formal more flexible post Vatican II days? That it is for Catholics who are past their prime?

The first real surprise could be the discovery that this 500 year old devotion is ever ready to flower afresh in a way that is youthful, vibrant, modern and helpful, while still remaining grandma's spiritual standby. Will it take you backwards into a mindset now largely abandoned? I don't think so. Nor do you have to find yourself becoming fascinated with religiously extraordinary events and experiences.

Counting and Contemplating

While one can meet the Rosary without actually shaking hands, its beads are for holding and fingering and counting. The basic sense of touch is central to the mechanics of actually praying the prayer. This widens options. Darkness, isolation, crowds, illness, walking or travelling are no barrier. Children can easily manage the counting and so can the elderly and those who need extra help with their concentration.

But there is more to the Rosary than counting the Hail Marys. The beads are the boundary markers for the play of mind and heart surging and resting in the mysteries of Our Lord's life, death and resurrection. The Rosary is like a musical keyboard with fixed prayers and mysteries. As with the piano, its standard structure of vocal prayers (notably the Our Father, the Hail Marys and the Glory be) and three sets of five mysteries allows great exploration and creativity.

The First Step

Examine the vocal prayers for meaning and content. Look into their origins. Do they have a liturgical setting? Compare them with each other.

The Second Step

Become familiar with the mysteries. How is it that there are three sets? Consider how the mysteries in each set relate to one another. Is it just that one event follows another? Does the preceding mystery carry over and have an influence in the one that follows it? Are there wider connections between the mysteries (and the people involved) in each of the three sets of joyful sorrowful and glorious? And are there still wider connections between the sets of mysteries themselves?

The Third Step

Make use of all appropriate resources, especially the Scriptures (Old and New Testaments), the official teaching of the Church, and the writings of her Fathers and theologians. Poetry, history, sciences, literature, the arts and music can all help.

The Fourth Step

Try to link any special needs intentions or petitions you may have to something within the vocal prayers or mysteries in your thought before you begin. Adding extra aspirations tends to clutter the Rosary and weaken its focus on meditation upon the mysteries.