The Mystic Christian Reader

Given up TV or movies this Lenten season? Looking for something to fill the void of time and turn your thoughts toward God? The Rosary is a perfect devotional tool for any Christians looking to deepen their relationship with God and with Jesus. It is also a beautiful way to take time out and focus our hearts and minds away from the material world, and onto the spiritual world. This "refocusing" is the true goal of Lent.

Praying the Rosary has become a practice of refreshment and joy for me. For those who were not raised in the Catholic tradition (like myself) or are unfamiliar with the prayer, it is simple in its form, but endless in its depth. In many ways, it is not unlike the practice of mantra meditation which is used by countless millions in China, Southeast Asia, and on the Indian subcontinent. In its essence, the rosary is a repetition of Divine Names: Mary, Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, and the sacred word Amen.

The Dominican Rosary (the most commonly found form) consists of a circle of 5 "decades" (sets of 10 beads) separated by 4 larger or more spaced-apart "Our Father" beads. To illustrate our deep cultural relationship between these prayers and the beads of the Rosary, it is worth noting that the very word bead is derived from the ancient Saxon word bede, which meant "prayer."

For each of fifty decade beads, the Ave Maria (Hail Mary) is recited:

Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

For each of the "Our Father" beads, the Our Father or Lord's Prayer is recited, along with the doxology:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

...and the "Fatima Decade Prayer," (also called the "Oh My Jesus") a prayer for Jesus' intercession in the lives of all people on Earth:

Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, specially those in more need of your mercy.

These prayers are repeated at their respective beads while four sets of five "mysteries" from the lives of Jesus and Mary are meditated upon.

• Here is a link to a good basic instructional site on how to pray the Rosary.
• For an even more interesting experience, try the Fatima.org creation, the "Perpetual Rosary Online"
• To hear a free recording of the rosary recited, click here (hosted by Beliefnet.com)
• To get a set of your own beads, head over to the Franciscan Rosary House or Easter's Catholic Books & Gifts

Give this amazing devotional tool a try, and I'll give some examples of ways to deepen your practice in another post.