Praying the Scriptures through the rosary

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Oct. 25, 2007

Praying the rosary is the "living experience of the Gospels and the life of Christ," said Mark Thomason, director of catechesis, evangelization and RCIA for the Diocese of Sioux City.

"It is not an opposition. It is how we pray Scripture," he said. "It is prayed Scripture at its best. It is meditation at its best. It is a great tool. For me the rosary is God's mercy. You don't have to be literate to pray the rosary. It is the basic, simple way to heaven. It forms us."

Thomason said the rosary is the "Eight minute Abs" of spiritual life.

"If I don't have time to pray the Divine Office or make it to Mass, I can always pray a decade of the rosary or the whole rosary," he said. "A ton of people talk about praying the rosary with their family. It is formative. The surest and shortest way to Jesus is through his mother and her most effective tool is the rosary, especially family rosaries."

Some people ask why Catholics pray the rosary all the time.

"If I could do one perfect crunch and get perfect abs, I would. You can't. You have to do lots of crunches to get perfect abs," he said. "That is what the rosary is. It is not that God is pleased by our many repetitions. It is that we need to repeat it. If I could pray one perfect Hail Mary, it would be awesome."

He added that only one person has said a perfect Hail Mary and that is when Gabriel proclaimed it to Mary herself and when Elizabeth said her part. The words of the Hail Mary are all in the Gospel of Luke.

According to historical references, the rosary and method of praying was given to St. Dominic from Our Lady her self. He was the founder of the Order of Preachers or Dominicans and died in 1221. He also promoted the rosary.

"The Eastern Church and many of the monastic churches have been praying with beads since the beginning," said Thomason. "Sometimes it is called the Byzantine Rosary - a string of beads where you pray, 'Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner.' You pray a simple thought over and over again."

Prayer beads are universal - Japanese, Chinese, Islam. The rosary became a new version of the "ancient tool" of praying with beads.

"This simplistic way of praying was a gift," said Thomason. "Throughout the centuries, Our Lady has always said, 'Pray the rosary,' because it works. That is what I think is fascinating about it."

On Monday and Saturday, the Joyful Mysteries are recited. The Sorrowful Mysteries are recited on Tuesday and Friday. On Wednesday and Sunday, the Glorious Mysteries are recited. The Luminous Mysteries are said on Thursday. He mentioned that having the mysteries on different days gives them order.

"The Luminous Mysteries were written and promulgated (put into effect) by Pope John Paul II," said Thomason. "These mysteries help unfold the life of Christ even more."

The main prayers of the rosary are the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be.

There are many different kinds of rosaries. The Franciscan Rosary has seven decades, two joyful, two sorrowful and three glorious mysteries. The Servite Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady is another type. There are also several chaplets and apostolates.

"There are an infinite number of ways to pray on those beads," said Thomason.

People pray the rosary to grow in holiness and in their prayer life. The following are a few reasons why the rosary should be prayed often, even daily:

- "Among all the devotions approved by the church none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary" (Pope Pius IX).

- "Say the rosary every day to obtain peace for the world" (Our Lady of Fatima).

- "There is no surer means of calling down God's blessings upon the family . . . than the daily recitation of the rosary" (Pope Pius XII).

- "The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world" (Pope John XXIII).

- "Meditation on the mysteries of the rosary . . . can be an excellent preparation for the celebration of those same mysteries in the liturgical actions [i.e. the Mass] and can also become a continuing echo thereof" (Pope Paul VI).

- "How beautiful is the family that recites the rosary every evening" (Pope John Paul II).

- Pope John Paul II called the Rosary his "favorite prayer," after the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.

Over the centuries the saints and popes have highly recommended the rosary, the greatest prayer in the church after the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours.

"The rosary is ancient prayers strung together for benefit," said Thomason. "I would like to give people the 30-day challenge, with Advent coming up, to try praying the rosary. This costs nothing. Give it a shot for 30 days and if you don't feel better, then try something different. At least try it."

He added that with the rosary if there is only time for a person to pray one decade it is okay.

"Mary is not mad at me if I only pray a decade," said Thomason. "Work up to saying a whole rosary. It is peace in a busy world. I love being able to grab my rosary in my pocket and pray. The rosary can be a way to have a consistent prayer life. If we do it, it becomes a comfort."

Anyone interested in learning how to pray the rosary and what prayers to say on which beads, should visit www.newadvent.org/images/rosary.pdf.