October, The Month of the Rosary
- by Craig McLellen
- 06 Oct 2024 09:55
The month of October each year is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. This is primarily due to the fact that the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated annually on October 7.
According to an account by fifteenth-century Dominican, Alan de la Roch, Mary appeared to St. Dominic in 1206 after he had been praying and doing severe penances because of his lack of success in combating the Albigensian heresy. Mary praised him for his valiant fight against the heretics and then gave him the Rosary as a mighty weapon, explained its uses and efficacy, and told him to preach it to others.
Since the prayers of the Rosary come from such excellent sources - from Our Lord Himself, from inspired Scripture, and from the Church - it is not surprising that the Rosary is so dear to our Blessed Mother and so powerful with heaven. In the twelfth century, religious orders recited together the 150 Psalms as a way to mark the hours of the day and the days of the week. Those people who didn't know how to read wanted to share in this practice, so praying on a string of 150 beads or knots began as a parallel to praying the psalms. It was a way that the illiterate could remember the Lord and his mother throughout the day.
Saying the rosary involves prayers and meditation on specific mysteries of the Catholic faith. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
What You'll Need:
- A rosary (a string of beads with a crucifix and five sets of ten beads)
- A quiet place for prayer
Steps to Pray the Rosary:
- Start with the Sign of the Cross:
Hold the crucifix and say: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." - Apostles' Creed:
Recite the Apostles' Creed, which summarizes the Christian faith. - Our Father:
On the first large bead, say the Our Father. - Hail Marys:
On each of the next three small beads, say a Hail Mary (for faith, hope, and charity). - Glory Be:
After the three Hail Marys, say the Glory Be. - Announce the First Mystery:
Announce the first mystery (there are Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous mysteries), then say the Our Father. - Ten Hail Marys:
On the ten small beads that follow, say a Hail Mary for each bead while meditating on the mystery. - Glory Be and Fatima Prayer:
After the ten Hail Marys, say the Glory Be, and optionally, the Fatima Prayer: “O my Jesus…” - Repeat for Remaining Mysteries:
Move to the next large bead, announce the next mystery, and repeat the process for the remaining decades (5 sets). - Conclude:
After completing all five decades, say the Hail Holy Queen and any other concluding prayers you prefer.
Optional Additional Prayers:
- You can include the Rosary's special prayers at the end, such as the St. Michael prayer or others.