What if you’re not a fan of the Rosary?
In a blink of an eye, we have reached the final quarter of the year, and amidst the chaos of what the year has been, soon the chaos of the Christmas season will ensue.
Oct 04, 2024
On the Fence - Jacelyn Johnson
In a blink of an eye, we have reached the final quarter of the year, and amidst the chaos of what the year has been, soon the chaos of the Christmas season will ensue. October is indeed a great time to spend in quiet reflection of the many blessings the year has brought, and a silent prayer for what is yet to come. The Catholic version of Octoberfest is centred around the Rosary as we celebrate World Rosary Day on October 7.
I, for one, am honestly not a fan of reciting the Rosary as I always found it long and boring, a mindless repetition of three different prayers we were made to memorise from the time we were conceived in the womb. I often find my mind wondering during these Rosary sessions, unless of course I am to recite a decade in the midst of a gathering, then of course, my mind would always be focused on ensuring I say the ten Hail Mary, not one more or one less, so I don’t get the judgemental Catholic stares that we are all so accustomed to.
My favourite memories of Rosary recitals were in my younger days when BECs were more active, or rather, when I was more active in my BEC, and as children, we always participated in all BEC activities. I remember often looking forward to the months of May and October, where we went for daily Rosary sessions at our neighbours’ houses, and had people come over to our house for the Rosary. As a child, it was a great deal if you could recite a decade, or get to read those mysteries. But, more importantly, it was that gathering of people that got you closer to BEC members, who until now, are akin to your extended family because of the years spent growing with them. I do not have that any longer.
I do know as a Catholic, I’m supposed to be devoted to praying the Rosary on my own, or with my family ever so often, but I just haven’t got round to appreciating the beauty of it. In fact, truth be told, sometimes, I would use those Rosary hours before Mass to read the HERALD. Terrible, I know!
This got me researching on why the Rosary is such a quintessential part of the Catholic faith. The Rosary is widely believed to have been promulgated by St Dominic in 1214, where he had a vision of Mary who presented him with a Rosary, both the beads and prayers to be recited, and this got St Dominic to promote praying the Rosary in small groups and communities wherever he travelled to preach.
Interestingly, the name ‘Rosary’ was derived from the rose being a symbol of Our Lady, as Mary was associated with roses and rose gardens in the medieval period. The Church officially recognised the Rosary in 1571, when Pope Pius V asked all Christians to pray the Rosary for the help of Christians defending Christian Europe from Muslim invasion at the great sea Battle of Lepanto. On October 7, the smaller Christian fleet triumphed, and ever since, that day, has been celebrated as the Feast of the Holy Rosary.
The first three mysteries of the Rosary were introduced to give each decade of the Rosary significant meaning as each mystery leads us to ponder very specific events in the lives of Jesus and Mary and the lessons they hold for our own lives today. In 2002, it was Pope John Paul II who introduced the fourth set, the luminous mysteries.
However, did you know that prayer beads are generally used in various faiths including in Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam? They may take different types of beads and vary in the number of beads used, but essentially they all have a similar focal point, to help centre a person as part of a meditative prayer. Prayers or mantras are repeated with the aim of deepening or strengthening one’s faith through keeping track of the number of prayers and maintaining one’s focus on prayer. In fact, even yoga these days are practised using beads as a way to maintain focus or deviate from distractions.
Perhaps, there is a better appreciation of the Rosary once people are beyond a certain age group, as I do tend to associate praying the Rosary with a different generation. It could simply be because the older generation tend to have more time on their hands, or perhaps as they get older they have a better appreciation of meditative prayer rituals. I say this because it is a rarity for me to come across young people with a set of beads in their h a n d s , completely devoted to half an hour of prayer meditating upon the Rosary. Distractions are manifold in this day and age.
That said, I am not sure if I will progress in my faith to being a Rosary enthusiast, despite owning various fancy rosaries — the Swarowski type, the famous pink rosewood rosary from Rome, olive wood, random crystals. You name it, I have it, but they are simply placed in various places like under the pillow, in my handbag, on the altar, because clearly, my mom made me do so. But I do intend to try to approach the Rosary in a way that I feel comfortable, perhaps starting with the Our Father, and a couple of Hail Mary’s as I end each day, and with the family. After all, the Rosary was meant as a collective prayer ritual.
And my favourite quote on the Rosary is one on the criticism of the Rosary as a vain repetition of prayer — to which, one Archbishop Sheen commented, “Do you ever tire of hearing someone you love say ‘I love you’?”
(Jacelyn Johnson enjoys the occasional religious discourse and says it as it is, in an attempt to diffuse stereotypical observations.)
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