Image: The Holy Rosary – Marian Devotional Movement
The word “Rosary” means “a chain of roses and the roses are prayers. The Rosary Prayer tells us about the life of Jesus and his Mother, Mary. In the Church, the month of October is, by custom, the month of the Rosary but people do use this prayer all the year round.
When we pray the rosary in its ideal setting, doing a whole set of mysteries, the prayer can slow us down, calm our hearts, and enable us to rest in God’s presence. It draws out the deepest desires in our souls, desires for God and God alone. The rhythm of the repetitious prayers can have a profound spiritual effect.
The Rosary-Beloved Prayer of the Church. The pope describes the Rosary as a prayer of great significance, (Pope Leo XIII), formed under the guidance of the Spirit of God and loved by countless Saints. His predecessors, including Leo XIII (the Pope of the Rosary), John XXIII, and Paul VI spoke of its importance.
On October 16th 2002, almost 600 years after the original Mysteries of the Rosary were established, Pope John Paul II proposed adding a new set of mysteries called the Luminous Mysteries, (the Mysteries of Light).
The Joyful Mysteries – on Mondays & Saturdays
The Sorrowful Mysteries – on Tuesdays & Fridays
The Glorious Mysteries on Wednesdays & Sundays
The Luminous Mysteries (The mysteries of Light) – on Thursdays