RosaryMart blog

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.

The Glory Be is a very simple prayer, which is said at the end of each decade of the Rosary to bring a close to the particular Rosary Mystery being observed.

This prayer honors the individual three Persons in God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is meant to be prayed with reflection for it deliberately emphasizes the name of each Person. Glory to God yes, but in particular to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. more...

While St. Dominic is known for spreading the devotion of the Rosary throughout the world (as we know it in its present form), it would erroneous to solely give him the title of the “Rosary Saint.” So many Saints have illustrated by their words and actions the beauty and depth of the Rosary. In their own generation and environments, they encouraged the fervor for the “Divine Garland of Roses”. In fact, it is because of the countless witnesses of the communion of Saints, that we can have confidence that the Rosary is a powerful tool of healing, conversion, and for discerning God’s Will. There is no greater testimony than how they lived; we can trust their words and we should follow their example. Below is but a sample of thoughts from a selection of the Saints: more...

For many people, taking the time to say the Rosary is a chore.  The Rosary is very repetitive, and can be boring or tedious; it is hard to find the time, since saying one Mystery can take anywhere between 10-30 minutes.  Also, others believe that saying formal prayers is not relevant anymore asking: “isn’t the Rosary an archaic medieval practice for the uneducated? God likes prayers from the heart, spontaneous and not lengthy. He doesn’t want us to pray the same prayers day after day. In fact, Jesus condemns vain repetition: "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.”  (Matthew 6:7)

If we can work through these difficulties and any excuse that we find ourselves reverting to, then we will see that taking the time to pray the Rosary daily will actually influence our lives in a very positive way.  We will find that our discipline will improve; the vices that we struggle with will fall away from us; we will be more at peace with ourselves and those around us; and lastly, we will be confident that we are walking with God—not just making our own way alone. more...

Rosary booklets are not necessary for praying the Rosary, but they are a helpful aid as they provide explanatory and even meditation points on the Rosary and Rosary Mysteries.  They have a twofold purpose: they are educational, and they help keep the focus on what is being prayed. more...

The Our Father Prayer, also known as the Lord’s Prayer, is the prayer said at the beginning of the Rosary directly after The Apostles’ Creed, and is right before the three Hail Marys.  It is also the prayer that begins each decade.

Catholics, and even non-catholic Christians, claim that the Our Father is the most beloved of prayers in the Catholic Church’s treasury; it was taught to the Apostles by the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. (Matt 6:9-13)  Since the Our Father is the response to the Apostles’: “teach us to pray, ” we can be assured that it is powerful and is the most perfect of prayers. There is so much depth to this prayer that The Catechism of the Catholic Church devotes one of its four parts to examining it.  Many argue that it is the summary of the gospels. St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas praise it: more...

A pectoral cross is a cross hanging on a chain that religious officials (such as the Pope and bishops) wear resting on their chest to represent their ecclesiastical power. Its name comes from the Latin, “pectoralis” meaning “of the chest”.  The tradition may have arisen as early as the fifth century, but its commonly agreed that its popularity heightened in the eighteenth century. This cross is often made out of platinum, gold, or silver.

Pope Francis’ pectoral cross is the one that he wore as Archbishop of Argentina; it is silver and is not made by a goldsmith from the Vatican, but it is a work of a small artisan master craftsmen, Giuseppe Albrizzi, an Italian from Vidigulfo Manenti. However, as Albrizzi explains himself, the design of the cross was made by his teacher, the sculptor, Antonio Vedele. "The cross was made by me, but it was drawn by my teacher, Antonio Veldele, for whom I worked until 1978. I am grateful for everything he had taught me, the teacher who created the cross of Pope Francis"

Giuseppe claims that the cross that Pope Francis adorns was made in his workshop: "I recognized it immediately as soon as the Pope came out on the balcony. Around his neck he wore my silver cross. more...

The Hail Mary prayer is mostly known for being the main prayer in the Rosary, though it is often prayed as an individual prayer. It appears in each decade ten times, and at the beginning, three times, for an increase in the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

Besides this, the Hail Mary is a testimony of faith—being the most recognized “Catholic” prayer.  No other religion honors Mary to the extent that the Catholics do.  Unfortunately, this love for her is often understood wrongly. Catholics don’t worship Mary; she is not God, but they do recognize her role in salvation.  It is because of her Fiat, her yes to God, that the Incarnation took place.  In other words, she is a key player in redemption.  In particular, she is the new Eve, the woman prophesied in Genesis, and the one spoken of in Revelation. more...

The Apostles’ Creed is the first prayer of the Rosary.  It is an important prayer in the life of the Catholic Church.  Not only is it a summary of the life of Jesus Christ, but an acceptance of the mysteries expressed.  It details the core beliefs of Catholics since the first century; the doctrines are fulfillments of the ancient Jewish prophecies. Each word is key and nothing in it is superfluous.  In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has an entire part devoted to examining the Creed’s depths. 

This article is a brief glance at the prayer, which includes key Scripture verses, and cursory explanations.  The hope here is to inspire further research. more...

Most people recognize a rosary when they see one. It is a popular Catholic symbol, but many may not be aware of what a rosary really is for, and why it is important to Catholics.

The word, rosary, comes from the Latin, rosarium, which means crown of roses. It is a bouquet that Catholics give to Mary as they participate in her life with a focus on her Son, Jesus Christ. The Rosary is a prayer, more specifically, a meditation, where Catholics get to know the Son by loving the Mother.

“The Rosary is essentially a contemplative prayer, which requires "tranquillity of rhythm or even a mental lingering which encourages the faithful to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life”.” more...