OCTOBER: AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW WHILST WALKING THE DOG
October is the month of the Holy Rosary. Perhaps now is the time for us all to redis-cover this beautiful prayer – where we say a “decade” of an Our Father and Ten Hail Mary’s whilst reflecting upon a particular moment of “mystery” of Our Lord’s life, death and resurrection, using beads to count, usually repeating such a decade five times.
Some of us may not know it. Some of us may not have figured out what it is all about.
In the Rosary we contemplate the life of Jesus. We ask Our Blessed Mother to help us to truly see her Son. She is Our Mother, there is no other hand which guides us so well to Jesus. By repeating the Hail Mary we enter into a meditation where our minds and our hearts are open to God.
For instance when we think of the Transfiguration of Our Lord on Mount Tabor (one of the “Luminous Mysteries”) do we see it as a dry bible story which has little meaning or will we allow Our Blessed Mother to break open the mystery and show it to us.
Pope John Paul II spoke about the great treasure of the rosary in the Apostolic letter he wrote on the rosary in 2002; “It is not just a question of learning what he taught but of ‘learning him’. In this regard could we have any better teacher than Mary?” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae no.14)
It is tradition to pray five decades each day. But some people find this too hard. Why don’t we try and pray one decade each day (1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory be) and make this part of our daily prayer in this month. Perhaps even slipping the rosary into our pocket and praying it as we are on the tube or out walking the dog. Who would have thought that walking the dog could have such a great effect on our spiritual lives?!
Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for us.
Some of us may not know it. Some of us may not have figured out what it is all about.
In the Rosary we contemplate the life of Jesus. We ask Our Blessed Mother to help us to truly see her Son. She is Our Mother, there is no other hand which guides us so well to Jesus. By repeating the Hail Mary we enter into a meditation where our minds and our hearts are open to God.
For instance when we think of the Transfiguration of Our Lord on Mount Tabor (one of the “Luminous Mysteries”) do we see it as a dry bible story which has little meaning or will we allow Our Blessed Mother to break open the mystery and show it to us.
Pope John Paul II spoke about the great treasure of the rosary in the Apostolic letter he wrote on the rosary in 2002; “It is not just a question of learning what he taught but of ‘learning him’. In this regard could we have any better teacher than Mary?” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae no.14)
It is tradition to pray five decades each day. But some people find this too hard. Why don’t we try and pray one decade each day (1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory be) and make this part of our daily prayer in this month. Perhaps even slipping the rosary into our pocket and praying it as we are on the tube or out walking the dog. Who would have thought that walking the dog could have such a great effect on our spiritual lives?!
Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for us.
posted by Sinead Reekie at 9:45 am