“He
called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change
and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the
lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’” (Matthew 18:2-4)
I had a
dream once in which Our Blessed Mother reached out and took my hand. Then she said, “Come on a journey with me,
child.” As we walked along a path of
roses, she told me a story beginning with the Angel Gabriel appearing to a
young woman to announce the birth of a Savior to all nations and ending with
the young woman being crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth. It was a story filled with love & hatred,
joy & sorrow, and awe at the power of God and the love He has for His
creation. Of course, in my dream
we—Mother Mary and I—were praying the Rosary.
I love the
Rosary. It doesn’t matter what else is
happening in my life, when I pray the Rosary as it is meant to be prayed it has
a way of clearing my thoughts and putting my focus on Who and what is important
above all else. The Rosary has the power
to teach the uninformed, convert hardened hearts, and to strengthen faith with
the help of the Blessed Mother. I’ve
experienced all three over the years in my recitations of the prayer.
I owe my
love of the Rosary to my mother. Her
persistence and devotion in praying the prayer of the Blessed Mother of Jesus
was an example I can only hope to attain.
I am sure it is through her prayers and sacrifices that I have received
so many blessings in my life!
Although it
has always been my “go to” prayer in times of crisis or distress, I didn’t know
what the Rosary is intended to be—that is, a meditative prayer on the life and
message of Jesus Christ—until I heard it from the Mother of Jesus herself in
that dream so many years ago. And I’m
not alone:
“When you
say your Rosary, the angels rejoice, the Blessed Trinity delights in it, my Son
finds joy in it too, and I myself am happier than you can possibly guess. After
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, there is nothing in the Church that I love as
much as the Rosary.”-Our
Lady to Blessed Alan de la Roche
“Hail
Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!’ No creature has ever said anything
that was more pleasing to me, nor will anyone ever be able to find or say to me
anything that pleases me more.”-Our Lady to Saint Mechtilde
“If you
want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Rosary.”-Our Lady to St. Dominic
“When you
give a sermon, urge people to say my Rosary, and in this way your words will
bear much fruit for souls.”-Our Lady to St. Dominic
“The
Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself
from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your
country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass
without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and
labors.”-Pope Pius
XI
“If you
say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the
gravity of your sins, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory. For even
if you are now on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in hell,
even if you have sold your soul to the devil…sooner or later you will be
converted and will amend your life and save your soul. If–you say the Rosary
devoutly every day of your life.”-St. Louis de Montfort
“The
Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of
attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our
blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.”-Pope Leo XIII
“The
Rosary is the Weapon.”-St. Pio of Pietrelcina
“The
Rosary is my favorite prayer.”-Pope St. John Paul II
“The
greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary.”-Saint Francis de Sales
“When the
Holy Rosary is said well, it gives Jesus and Mary more glory and is more
meritorious than any other prayer.”-Saint Louis de Montfort
“The Holy
Rosary is the storehouse of countless blessing.”-Blessed Alan de la Roche
“One day,
through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world.”-Saint Dominic
“Never
will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement
that I would gladly sign with my blood.”-Saint Louis de Montfort
“The
Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is
the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God…and if you wish
peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.”-Pope Saint Pius X
“It was
not courage, not arms, not leaders, but Mary of the Rosary that made us
victors.”-Venetian
Senators after Battle of Lepanto (1571)
“How
beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening!”-Pope St. John Paul II
“The
Rosary is a prayer both so humble and simple and a theologically rich in
Biblical content. I beg you to pray it.”-Pope St. John Paul II
“If you
wish to convert anyone to the fullness of the knowledge of Our Lord and of His
Mystical Body, then teach him the Rosary. One of two things will happen. Either
he will stop saying the Rosary — or he will get the gift of faith.”-Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen
"The
holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you'll be amazed
at the results."
-St. Josemaria Escriva
"If
you say the Holy Rosary every day, with a spirit of faith and love, our Lady
will make sure she leads you very far along her Son's path."-St. Josemaria Escriva
"Say
the Holy Rosary. Blessed be that monotony of Hail Mary's which purifies the
monotony of your sins!"-St. Josemaria Escriva
"You
always leave the Rosary for later, and you end up not saying it at all because
you are sleepy. If there is no other time, say it in the street without letting
anybody notice it. It will, moreover, help you to have presence of God."-St. Josemaria Escriva
"Give
me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world."-Saint Pope Pius IX
"There
is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot solve
by the prayer of the Holy Rosary."-Sister Lucia, of the seers of Fatima
One day, St.
Dominic prayed to Our Lady that she would force the devils who possessed a man
to reveal the truth about devotion to her. She granted that request. Here is what the devils said: “Now that we
are forced to speak we must also tell you this; Nobody who perseveres in saying
the Rosary will be damned, because she obtains for her servants the grace of
true contrition for their sins and by means of this they obtain God’s
forgiveness and mercy.”
“Praying
the Rosary has given me so much comfort throughout my life. It’s my refuge from the troubles of the
world.”-Mom
What more needs to be said?
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