A week ago, we celebrated the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The rosary is a beautiful way to think about the joys and challenges in the life of Jesus’ loving mother. It is hard to fathom how many Hail Marys have been said over the centuries. Each time we pray the rosary and meditate on the events in Mary’s and Jesus’ lives, we ask Mary to “pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.” How about a few short prayers of timely preparation before we begin to say the traditional prayers of the rosary? The following are some suggestions.
Relating to the Joyful Mysteries:
As we consider the good news of Jesus’ early life, we happily recall the blessings of our early lives and the good times with our families and friends. We call to mind young people in warring countries who are very needy or injured. We pray for creative and constructive ideas to bring a measure of joy and relief to those in need of comfort.
Relating to the Sorrowful Mysteries:
As we think about the mental and physical challenges Jesus endured, we might recall some of our own agonies, but let’s also gratefully review the ways the Lord helped us and our Blessed Mother get through the pain. We pray in a special way today for ——————-and put our trust in our all-knowing Lord.
Relating to the Glorious Mysteries:
Remembering the wonderful positivity and triumphs we celebrate in these Glorious Mysteries, we ask the Holy Spirit to help us recall the positive moments in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones. We pray we can rise above the dark moments in our lives and be crowned with jewels of God’s presence. Beautiful Mary, help us to use the gift of wisdom available to us.
Relating to the Luminous Mysteries:
May we confidently rejoice as we pray with these mysteries of light. Let us optimistically personalize our prayer journey to make positive life changes. May we draw closer to God’s kingdom as we meditate on these transformative grace-full miracles and holy examples. Especially today, we ask for direction in solving our problem of —————-. Thank you, Mary, for your prayers.
When we say prayers that we have repeated many times, we might rush through them out of familiarity or habit. Let’s slow down a bit the next time we pray the rosary. As we handle the rosary beads, let’s imagine Mary is holding our hands or putting her blessed hand on our shoulders. May we plunge into prayer with hope and trust and not just in the month of October!
🙏
Photograph by Marco Ceschi on Unsplash
Sharon Krause is a RENEW volunteer whose writing has appeared in several resources for small-group faith sharing. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother residing in Royal Palm Beach, Florida. Over the years, she has served in many parish ministries.