The Rosary: Obtaining Its Promises
“O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech thee, that while meditating on these mysteries of the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.”
- The Rosary Prayer
The Rosary is a longtime church tradition. It began in the 9th century in various forms, until it was revealed to St. Dominic in 1221 A.D. by Mother Mary herself. From then on, through his religious order of the Dominicans, the Rosary was promoted and encouraged for all Christians.
Contrary to popular belief in most Protestant circles, the Rosary does not take focus away from Christ, but rather leads us to focus on Christ as we:
Recite verses from Luke 1-2.
Meditate on five mysteries rooted in Scripture and tradition.
Rely on Mother Mary and the Saints for prayer as we do our friends and family.
A common critique about the Rosary is that despite citing scripture, it is seen as “repeating empty words.” This is far from the truth. As anyone can imagine, reciting prayers is more than the action itself. It is believing in what we are saying and then living it out afterwards. This is the way of the Rosary, and that is what I have experienced and known.
When I first began to pray the Rosary in 2022, it took some time to get used to it. From my evangelical upbringing, it felt unnatural. Like any sport or artistic endeavor, it takes time. With the help of the clergy at St. Matthew’s, I bought my first Rosary, got it blessed, and began to pray. The more I prayed, the more perplexed I became, specifically with the last part of the prayer: “Grant that we, by meditating on the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through Christ our Lord.” I didn’t really understand this until May 19th, 2023.
On that day, I served as the thurifer for the requiem of Richard Crews, Fr. John’s father. While I didn’t know him personally, my heart deeply ached during the mass. Here, I saw Fr. John lead mass as a priest while grieving as a son. The requiem stayed on my mind that day to where I couldn’t get any work done.
A few hours later, I received a FaceTime call from my friends Gary and Katie of St. Matthew’s. They asked if I would like to meet their new firstborn son, Felix. He was a chubby little newborn of the beloved friends who had introduced me to the Anglican Catholic tradition the year prior. They then asked if I would like to be his godfather. I was so caught off guard and taken aback by the innocence of this new child into the world. Less than two hours prior, I was dealing with the grief of death; next thing you know, I was stunned by the joy of new life. I willingly said yes as I cried.
A few hours later, I got a text that told me the date had been moved up of when I would be able to ask (my now fiancé) Hope’s father for his blessing on our marriage. What I assumed would be roughly a month away was now a week away. I was completely caught off guard and found myself both full of joy and anxiety to the point of tears. I had never been in this position before, let alone one so close all of a sudden. I almost didn’t know what to feel.
The following day, I told one of our priests, Fr. Hayden, about what had happened. In just one day, I experienced grief and joy in multiple areas. I tied it back to the Rosary where I began to understand what it meant to imitate and obtain its promises. The irony was that, on May 19th, I forgot to pray the Rosary and felt bad about it. Fr. Hayden then responded, “I don’t think you forgot to pray the Rosary; I think you lived it out.”
Developing a life of prayer takes time and practice. Once the rhythm sets in, we then maintain that rhythm. Since that day, the Rosary has been integrated into my life of prayer. Even in the midst of all the uncertainty and trials I’ve been facing lately, the Rosary has been a comfort.
I have come to realize and accept that when I pray the Rosary, Mother Mary is with me in her prayers, as are the Saints of Heaven and people in my life. This isn’t an ignoring of circumstances, but recognizing and accepting the joy that is in front of me: the ability to pray.
This Holy Week, we reflect much on the final days of Christ while also preparing for Eastertide, especially in our prayers and reflections. I don’t think it was a coincidence how the Rosary was structured, given how we process Holy Week each year. Thursdays are the Luminous Mysteries, which end with Christ instituting the Holy Eucharist (Maundy Thursday); Fridays are the Sorrowful Mysteries, focusing on Christ’s crucifixion (Good Friday); Saturdays are the Joyful Mysteries, focusing on Christ’s coming into the world, which sets us up for his conquering of death (Easter Vigil); and Sundays are the Glorious Mysteries, which focus on His resurrection and ascension (Easter Sunday).
As we prepare for both grief and joy this Holy Week, may we take this time to observe it through the Rosary, as we experience what Mother Mary and the Disciples witnessed and experienced. And in that, may we imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise.
“By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord’s life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are disclosed.”
- Pope John Paul II