Origin of the Rosary

The traditional actual story of the rosary was that Mary herself appeared to Saint Dominic during the twelfth century. At that time, tradition states she gave him the rosary and promised Dominic that if he spread devotion to the rosary, his religious order would flourish. It is quite true that Dominic was quite dedicated to the Blessed Mother, but nobody knows for sure if Our Lady herself gave Dominic the rosary. If she did, it is quite certain that she did not give him a rosary that looks like the one we have today. Initially the rosary had 150 beads, similar quantity of psalms in the Bible.

In the twelfth century, religious orders recited together the 150 Psalms as a way to mark the hours of the day and the days of the week. Those people who didn't know how to read wished to be part of this practice, so praying on a string of 150 beads or knots began as a parallel to praying the psalms. It was a way that the illiterate could remember the Lord and his mother throughout the day. The "Divine Office"; the official prayer of the church; is the recitation of the psalms over a four week period, and is still prayed today. This very first rosary was prayed as we do today, a person would pass their hands over each bead and say a prayer, usually the "Our Father".

The "Hail Mary" as we know it wasn't even around during that time. The Hail Mary owes its beginning to the rosary. When people said the rosary in the 12th century, Gabrielle's greeting "Hail Mary, full or grace, the Lord is with thee" was often said along with the Our Father. Later, Elizabeth's greeting "blessed are you among women" was added. It was not until the sixteenth century that the words "Holy Mary., Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death" were added. Rosary means "Crown of Roses". Our Lady has revealed to several people that each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose and that each complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses. The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the rose of all devotions and it is therefore the most important one.

The Holy Rosary is considered a perfect prayer because within it lies the awesome story of our salvation. With the Rosary in fact we meditate the mysteries of joy, of sorrow and the glory of Jesus and Mary. It's a simple prayer, humble so much like Mary. It's a prayer we can all say together with Her, the Mother of God. With the Hail Mary we invite Her to pray for us. Our Lady always grants our request. She joins Her prayer to ours. Thus it becomes ever more useful, because what Mary asks She always receives, Jesus can never say no to whatever His Mother asks for. In every apparition, the heavenly Mother has invited us to say the Rosary as a powerful weapon against evil, to bring us to true peace. With your prayer made together with Your heavenly Mother, you may obtain the great gift of bringing about a change of hearts and conversion.

Every day, through prayer you can drive away from yourselves and from your homeland many dangers and many evils. It can seem a repetitive prayer but instead it is like two sweethearts who many times say one another the words: "I love you"... The whole Rosary is composed of twenty decades. Each decade is recited in honor of a mystery in Our Lord's Life and that of his Blessed Mother. It is customary to recite five decades at a time while meditating on one set of mysteries. The decades may be separated, if the entire chaplet is completed on the same day. Each Mystery may be meditate "bead by bead" for every Hail Mary of the decade. The Holy Father John Paul II with the Apostolic Letter ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE of 10/16/2002 has added 5 new mysteries of the Rosary: The Mysteries of the Light.

Marissa Meme is an article marketer for CatholicFavors.com where you can buy the finest in Catholic related items such as Key of Heaven rosaries, First Holy Communion gifts for boys and girls, and Ave Maria rosary necklaces.

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