ROSARY: A Prayer for PEACE!
Every year, the Catholic Church dedicates the month of October to the Holy Rosary. The day with particular significance is the 7 October. It is celebrated as the Feast of ‘Our Lady of the Rosary’. One also remembers 13 October 1917, when the Virgin Mary appeared for the sixth and final time in Fatima, Portugal, to the three shepherd children Lucia, Francis and Jacinta. She identified herself as ‘The Lady of the Rosary’ and urged that the Rosary be prayed daily for peace in the world. Thousands also witnessed an extraordinary spectacle at that time known as the ‘Miracle of the Sun.’
The word ‘rosary’ is derived from the Latin ‘Rosarium’, meaning a garland or bouquet of roses. It is today undoubtedly the most popular Catholic devotion in the world. The ‘rosary’ in its materiality is a string of praying beads. Adherents of several major religions use it as a tool for contemplation, meditation or to stay focused on something spiritual. The Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs refer to it as a ‘japamala’ or simply ‘mala’; it is used when they chant or recite their mantras. Those who follow Islam call it ‘tasbih’ or‘misbaha’. They normally consist of 99 beads (representing the 99 names of Allah) or are divided into 33 beads, which are cycled three times.
It is perhaps necessary to understand the structure and the significance of the Catholic Rosary. For Catholics, the Rosary is a set of prayer beads (totalling 59) strung together. It has five sections of ten beads (a decade) and a divider bead (totaling four) for the gap. The top section has three beads with two additional divider beads. A cross or a crucifix is the end point of a rosary. Each decade of the rosary begins with the Lord’s Prayer (The ‘Our Father’) and ends with the ‘Glory’ to the triune God. There are ten ‘Hail Marys’ in each decade. The ‘Hail Mary’ (the salutation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary) followed by the ‘Holy Mary’ (a prayer written in 1555, by the Jesuit St. Peter Canisius) is said 53 times during a set of mysteries of the Rosary)
The mysteries of the Rosary focus on the Gospel, through the life and witness of Mary. There are twenty events – five each in four segments called the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries. They are:
• Joyful Mysteries (Mondays and Saturdays): The Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity (birth of Jesus), the Presentation in the Temple, and finding Jesus in the Temple.
• Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light (Thursdays): The Baptism in the Jordan, the Wedding at Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration, and the Institution of the Eucharist. (These mysteries were added in October 200 by Pope Saint John Paul II, through his apostolic letter ‘Rosarium Virginis Maria’ to encourage contemplation of Christ through His public mystery)
• Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays): The Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion.
• Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays, Sundays): The Resurrection, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, and the Coronation of Mary.
Why then is the Rosary an important prayer? As a daily devotion, the Rosary is meant to be a family prayer: to ensure greater spiritual depth and bonding in the family through a time-tested devotional practice. There are innumerable real-life examples of how certain families, throughout the world, never missed this daily practice. One might be too tired and sleepy, but that did not matter. The family rosary was a must before one went to bed. There are still many families who rigorously pray the rosary daily. This sadly is becoming a rarity; today the idiotbox, like a particular serial or one’s personal gizmo like a smartphone or tablet, takes centre stage. Many an average family just do not seem to find the time for daily family prayer. This is a sad commentary on the fragmentation of family life. The Rosary Crusader, late Fr. Patrick Peyton, used to say, “A family that prays together, stays together!”
The rosary then is a prayer with many dimensions; these include accompanying Mary during her pilgrimage on earth; focussing on the life of Jesus from his birth up to his Ascension into heaven; meditating upon some key events of the New Testament and above all, using the time-tested method of prayer which is repetitive.
In a nutshell, ‘Rosary’ can be conveniently put into an acronym as:
Remembrance: enabling us to remember significant moments in the life of Mary and Jesus
Openness: to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives in the here and now
Synodality: as a way of proceeding, through communion, participation and mission
Availability: to understanding and responding to the context specially to the cries of the poor
Renewal: in matters of faith, so that we can come closer to God and his people
Yes: as Mary does, unconditionally to the will of God.
This year, Pope Leo XIV has called on the faithful to pray the Rosary daily throughout October for world peace, reconciliation, and an end to all global conflicts. Already on 1 October, he began the month by praying the Rosary for peace with hundreds of children and families at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens. He placed a bouquet at the feet of Our Lady to begin the prayer. That day also was the launch of the annual global campaign (October 1–7) promoted by the Aid to the Church in Need foundation, which unites children worldwide to pray for peace, especially in war-torn regions like Gaza/Palestine, Iran, Ukraine, Manipur and elsewhere.
Three years ago, on 27 October 2023, Pope Francis presided over a special Prayer for peace with the recitation of the Holy Rosary and the Eucharistic Adoration. His prayer concluded with these words, “Your faithful people call you the dawn of salvation; Mother, grant that glimmers of light may illumine the night of conflict. Dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit, inspire the leaders of nations to seek paths of peace. Queen of all peoples, reconcile your children, seduced by evil, blinded by power and hate. You, who are close to all, shorten our distances. You, who have compassion on everyone, teach us to care for one another. You, who reveal the Lord’s tender love, make us witnesses of his consolation and peace. Mother, Queen of Peace, pour forth into our hearts God’s gift of harmony. Amen.”
The Rosary is a prayer for peace! Let us pray the Rosary for peace in our families, our societies, our country and all over the world!
(Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, reconciliation and peace activist, writer and trainer. Contact: cedricprakash@gmail.com )
