October is the month of the
Rosary, with the feast of our Lady of the Rosary occurring on October 7th
(which also happens to be the first Sunday of the month this year). This coming
month is a precious time to grown in our devotion to Mary as the Queen of the
Rosary and, through the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary, to come to know and
love Christ our Savior.
During the month of May, a
number of individuals joined together (through this blog, and that of Stacy
Trasancos, Accepting Abundance [here]) in a campaign for the Family
Rosary. To promote the Family Rosary, we began by dedicating May as a month of
prayer. Every day during May, we offered prayers for the renewal of the Family
Rosary and in preparation for an active Family Rosary Campaign in which we will
now engage during the month of October.
Now that October is nearly upon
us, I will offer a little reminder of some of the active works we may perform
to promote the Family Rosary.
Two
must-read articles on how to pray the Family Rosary
First, I offer two excellent
articles which give insights in how to pray the Family Rosary successfully: By
Lila Lawler [here],
and (especially for Catholic dads) by Taylor Marshall [here].
Some
works we could perform throughout October
Since October is the month of
the Rosary, we could all find various ways of promoting the Rosary (and
especially the family Rosary) in our homes, parishes, and communities.
First and foremost, we should
all strive to pray the Rosary daily as a family. Perhaps all five decades is
too much at the start for some families, but maybe they can begin with one
decade every day? And then five on Saturday and Sunday?
What might we do to promote the
Family Rosary beyond our own family? (below are some general ideas)
1) During October, provide a weekly (or even daily) Family
Rosary at the parish – perhaps in the evening, so that families could come.
2) During October, invite two or three other families (who
maybe do not often pray the Family Rosary) to join our family once a week for
an “inter-family” Rosary. This can be a great way of witnessing to others and
of encouraging them in the practice.
2) Pass out pamphlets on the Family Rosary after Sunday
Masses during October and in the weeks leading up to the month of the Rosary
3) Promote the family Rosary through the local Knights of
Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Council of Catholic Women, etc.
4) Join with others at the parish to purchase rosaries to
give away after Masses (before and during October), with the special request
that families pray at least some portion of the Rosary together every day.
5) Purchase and distribute St. Louis de Montfort’s classic
Marian works, like: “The Secret of the Rosary” or “The Secret of Mary”. Give
them away for free, if people will agree to pray some portion of the Rosary
every day of October (especially as a family).
[clearly, anything at the
parish would have to be approved first by the parish priest]
There are innumerable other
ways of promoting the family Rosary: Speaking with our own relatives and
friends, coming together as families to pray the Rosary before the exposed
Blessed Sacrament, promoting the plenary indulgence attached to the family
Rosary, etc.
October
7th, Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
The first Sunday of October is
the feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. This would be an excellent
opportunity to promote the Rosary, and especially the Family Rosary. With the
support of the local parish priest, perhaps a Rosary could be organized after
the Sunday Mass(es), or even later in the day.
Even if nothing is organized at
the parish level, why not gather a number of families together for a Family
Rosary? But be sure to invite not only those who are already zealous, but also
those families who might need a bit more encouragement. Let us strengthen one
another in our resolve to pray the Rosary daily!
Bl.
John Paul II and the call to the Family Rosary
Blessed John Paul II once stated,
“The Rosary belongs among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of
Christian contemplation.” (Rosarium
Virginis Mariae, n. 5)
In this same Apostolic Letter,
the Venerable Pontiff called for a renewal of the family Rosary in particular:
“As a prayer for peace, the Rosary is also, and always has been, a prayer of and for the family. […] We need to return to the practice of
family prayer and prayer for families, including the Rosary. […] The Holy
Rosary, by age-old tradition, has shown itself particularly effective as a
prayer which brings the family together. […] The family that recites the Rosary
together reproduces something of the atmosphere of the household of Nazareth.”
(n. 41)
Through
the patronage of the Mother of God and of St. Louis de Montfort
Let us consecrate this campaign
for the Family Rosary to the good Jesus through is most holy Mother, under the
patronage of their faithful slave, St. Louis Marie de Montfort.
Mary,
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Pray for us!
St.
Louis Marie de Montfort, Pray for us!
Welcome back to blogging, Father. Have you any thoughts on how to keep a family saying the Family Rosary? When my children were growing up we said the rosary together every night (minus non-Catholic father). Unfortunately, as they grew into their teens, they decided they didn't have time. Suggestions to just say one decade with us were refused. I did have rosary booklets for them and during Advent we lit the candles. We also have a lovely statue of the Blessed Mother in our living room. Still, I failed to keep them interested. I never insisted on the rosary because it is not mandatory (missing Mass, however, was never permitted). It is too late for my family, but do you have any suggestions for young families?
ReplyDeleteI am curious, Father, what is your opinion of the new, 4th set of mysteries that Bl. Pope John Paul II put forth in the above mentioned Rosarium Virginis Mariae, and our devotion to those myseries in conjunction with and equaly to the previously used mysteries?
ReplyDeleteDear Father,
ReplyDeleteFor those of us who are learning to make rosaries, do you have any insights? Especially the kinds of homemade rosaries parish priests prefer to have on hand? Thank you and God bless you in your new assignment.