Have you talked to your mother in decades?

I’ve been impressed with how many people here pray the rosary.  It can be a daunting devotion because it’s a big block of time to which to commit.  If we pray a five decade rosary, it takes about 15 minutes. Many of us add intentions to our daily rosary, so it can get over 20 minutes. Almost every day, I break it up into two parts.  It’s because of the busyness of the day but also because it’s less daunting than doing it all at once. So, it’s okay to divide it up as much as you have to.  The main point is to pray (at least part of) the rosary every day.

I first heard this from the Fatima messages of our Lady. Mary said there that we should pray the rosary every day for the salvation of sinners. When I heard it, I thought to myself that’s just what Catholics are supposed to do.  I had started praying the rosary a year or two before that but don’t know if I was praying it every day. What spurred on my devotion to the rosary in late college was hearing from my friends how powerful a devotion it was.  And, I needed all the power I could get!

But what stands out from that time was the line from the Crucifixion scene about John and Mary: “from that hour the disciple took her into his home”. That was the case for me and anyone who has committed to praying the rosary daily. We take Mary into our homes, families, cars, vacations, careers, decisions, fears, hopes, struggles, and doubts. We pray the Hail Mary’s on the beads repeatedly to foster meditation on the scenes of the mysteries (Annunciation, e.g.). The scenes from the lives of Jesus and Mary inspire us and lead us to holiness and trust in God. And, the graces of praying the rosary are powerful indeed! Take your intentions to Mary who will take them to Jesus. He never refuses His mother!