Get started with the holy rosary this month

​“The Rosary is the weapon for these times.”- St. Padre Pio
 
“If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Holy Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you might be with many cares and labors.” - Pope Pius XI
 
These are just a couple of the thousands of quotes by saints, popes, theologians, etc. about the necessity to pray the Holy Rosary.  October 7th is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.  Additionally, the entire month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. In today’s world and with our current events, I can’t stress the importance of praying the Rosary hard enough.  The world needs our prayers.  October 7th is the day the Catholic Church has dedicated to thanking Our Blessed Mother for her multiple prayers on our behalf.
 
I have many protestant friends who believe that we worship Mary.  This is incorrect.  Catholics do not worship Mary.  We pray for her intercession; we do not pray to her.  It is the same concept as asking a friend to pray for you.  Mary is Christ’s mother and she is our mother because Christ lives within us.  The Holy Rosary is scripturally based as we meditate on Christ’s life while praying, it is essentially a Bible study surrounded in deep prayer.
 
I am always thankful to Christ for His many blessings and I am particularly thankful for our Blessed Mother’s intercession, especially when my son, Andrew was born.  Andrew was born with Trisomy 21 and Hirschsprung’s Disease.  He was transferred from one NICU to a higher level of NICU. My other two children were 5 and 7 at the time.  As students of our local catholic school, they are always learning about Mary.   One day, my daughter, who was in kindergarten, brought home a beautiful picture of Mary that she had delicately colored with bright blue crayons for the dress and yellow for Mary’s crown.  I immediately praised my daughter for her lovely work and asked if I could hang it in her baby brother’s hospital room.  The next day, the hospital chaplain (a Catholic priest) noticed my daughter’s colored picture hanging by Andrew’s NICU crib and assured us that our Blessed Mother would always be with us.  This colored picture also helped many doctors and nurses feel comfortable saying that they were praying for us. I am eternally grateful for Mary’s love, prayer and protection over my family.
 
Among the hustle and bustle of life, many people find it a challenge to find the time to pray the Holy Rosary.  I offer the following tips:
 
1. Start with just a decade at a time.  A decade is 10 prayer beads.
 
2. Focus on the mysteries to motivate you. These are the Joyful Mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries.  You can learn more about these mysteries, and the Rosary in general, by visiting www.rosarycenter.org
 
3. Pray for an intention before each Hail Mary; this adds up to 50 prayer intentions!
 
4. Build it into your routine.  Even small children can use Holy Rosaries.  There are child-safe and teething Rosaries on the market. Don’t be afraid to see your children put the Rosary in their mouth, drop it on the ground, or play with it.  It is important for them to become familiar with it.  Remember, it is never too late to begin praying the Rosary!
 
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, pray for us!