There is no greater devotion outside of The Blessed Sacrament aside from the Holy Rosary. The rosary has been given to us by none other than the greatest saint, our Blessed Mother Mary. At first sight, The Holy Rosary may seem cliché to those unlearned in this mode of warfare, but it’s the most underrated and powerful weapon in our spiritual arsenal.
I can certainly attest to its power. I wasn’t raised Catholic, my father was a drug addict and the world I was raised in was far from any sense of faith. This resulted in atheism for most of my life. I didn’t know any other way until one day I hit rock bottom. Out of pure desperation, I picked up a rosary and googled how to pray it. This rosary quickly took me on the most exhilarating ride of my life. I started going to mass (although I didn’t know what was happening or what to do for a while), I signed up for RCIA, got my sacraments, went through a Life In The Spirit Seminar, made a 33-day Consecration to Mary, and read a ton of Catholic books. One could say I had a profound conversion. I will forever be grateful for this encounter and for the conversion that has changed my life forever.
It still boggles me how after so many years of praying the rosary is still new and special, as though I am saying it for the first time. It’s comparable to sitting down for your favorite meal, time after time, rosary after rosary. That being said, there are times when Our Lord calls us to persevere in prayer and takes away our consolations for a short time to strengthen us. In these times it can be a challenge to focus and it is true that a rosary well said is a powerful devotion in one’s life. However, a rosary said is better than no rosary said. Sometimes I like to pray a rosary on the way to work or other times while driving. This is a great thing to do and I would highly encourage you to say the rosary any opportunity you can, but nothing beats a rosary being said when that is your only focus.
The full-fledged power of this weapon comes through meditating on our dear Lord’s life with Mary His Mother. She is the one who knows Him most intimately after The Father. It’s like a pocket guide to the Catholic Faith, a mini-catechism or bible if you will. There’s always some new glimpse or perspective in the life of Jesus that comes about in meditating upon these mysteries. The other day, for example, when I had gotten to the fifth glorious mystery, The Coronation of Mary, Mary made it clear to me how much I am loved by her. She showed me how present she is in all the intricate details of my life, at a church, at work, and anywhere else I may find myself. Mary showed me by praying this mystery that she’ll never abandon me. She knows us so intimately and personally. It was certainly something I needed to hear amidst my daily struggles that refreshed me. What she reveals, especially through the rosary, is something we can ponder in our hearts throughout our day, week, and even our whole lives.
Many saints have been, are being, and will be made through the rosary. To those praying the rosary already, I encourage you to persevere. To those of you who don’t yet know the beauty of the rosary, give it a try. You will better understand why Mary keeps calling her children to pray the rosary in almost every approved Marian apparition and why so many popes and holy men and women keep calling us to do the same.
