The Rosary is a time-tested, “hands-on” way of meditating on the life of Jesus through the eyes of his Mother, Mary. She remembers the joyful times, the sad times, the important events in his ministry, and the times that gloriously revealed his true nature. The Rosary is a meditative, repetitive prayer, often prayed on rosary beads that help us keep count. It is rooted in the repetition of 150 Hail Marys while thinking about the Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous and Glorious Mysteries—moments from the life of Jesus and Mary that we read about in Scripture. In medieval times, all 150 Psalms were prayed weekly by the monks. The Rosary became a simple prayer style—in imitation of the monks—praying while meditating on Scripture. I love all this, but some people have told me they find the Rosary boring and they can’t “get into it.” So, here’s my suggestion to help.
My favorite way to pray the Rosary is my “rosary walk.” Praying while walking can be done anywhere, but my walk is usually just around my neighborhood. Most of us have a long list of people and intentions than we are praying for on any given day. I just start right in with the first intention that comes to mind. Perhaps it was something I heard on the news about war or other events, or a friend has asked me to pray for his or her upcoming surgery. Very often when I do the walk with my husband, we pray a decade for each of our four adult children, and the fifth decade is for us. I have five grandchildren and it works perfectly to bring each to mind as I pray through the decades. I not only think of Mary along on my walk, but also St. Anne and St. Joachim who guide me in my “Grandma ways.”
I met a priest once who loved to sing! He also did a rosary walk, and before starting a new decade he sang a Marian hymn (“Immaculate Mary”) or a song that went with the mystery of the particular decade (“Were You There When they Crucified My Lord?”). Using a visual such as a holy card of the Blessed Virgin carried in your pocket might personalize your walk.
Jesus gave his own mother to us, to be our mother. Praying the rosary is like a conversation with her, and nothing helps you more than a heart-to-heart with your mom, who will always listen to your every little thing. I always feel listened to and consoled when I return from my walk.
Some people think the Rosary takes too much time or requires a level of self-discipline too rigorous for a busy day. Don’t fret about praying the Rosary perfectly. You might not remember the mysteries or what day they are prayed on. You may want to start with one decade, one intention, one short “chat” with Our Lady. Or, you may start with simply carrying your rosary in your pocket or sleeping with it under you pillow, or fingering the beads without words.
Padre Pio who was very devoted to Mary and loved his Rosary said, “…to have patience in the perseverance of the holy exercise…to be content to begin by making little steps until you have legs to run with, or rather, wings to fly with.”
