Why pray the Rosary every day for a year?
Each time the Blessed Virgin has appeared-- whether it be to Saint Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes; to Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco at Fatima; or to Mariette Beco at Banneux-- she has asserted the importance, saving grace, and power of praying the Holy Rosary on a daily basis. Based upon her words, the Rosary is penance and conversion for sinners, a pathway to peace, an end to war, and a powerful act of faith in Jesus Christ. Pope Paul VI presented the Rosary as a powerful means to reach Christ "not merely with Mary but indeed, insofar as this is possible to us, in the same way as Mary, who is certainly the one who thought about Him more than anyone else has ever done."
To show us how this is done, perhaps no one has been more eloquent than the great Cardinal Newman, who wrote: "The great power of the Rosary consists in the fact that it translates the Creed into Prayer. Of course, the Creed is already in a certain sense a prayer and a great act of homage towards God, but the Rosary brings us to meditate again on the great truth of His life and death, and brings this truth close to our hearts. Even Christians, although they know God, usually fear rather than love Him. The strength of the Rosary lies in the particular manner in which it considers these mysteries, since all our thinking about Christ is intertwined with the thought of His Mother, in the relations between Mother and Son; the Holy Family is presented to us, the home in which God lived His infinite love."
As Mary said at Fatima, "Jesus wants to use you to make Me known and loved. He wishes to establish the devotion to My Immaculate Heart throughout the world. I promise salvation to whoever embraces it; these souls will be dear to God, like flowers put by Me to adorn his throne."
Immaculate Mary, thy praises we sing,
who reignest in splendor with Jesus our King.
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria, Ave, Ave Maria.
In heaven, the blessed thy glory proclaim;
On earth, we thy children invoke thy fair name.
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria, Ave, Ave Maria.
Thy name is our power, thy virtues our light,
Thy love is our comfort, thy pleading our might.
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria, Ave, Ave Maria.
We pray for our mother, the Church upon earth;
And bless, dearest Lady, the land of our birth.
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria, Ave, Ave Maria.
The Solemnity of Mary Mother of God is the perfect day to begin a full year of Marian prayer. The Solemnity falls exactly one week after Christmas, the end of the octave of Christmas. It is fitting to honor Mary as Mother of Jesus, at this time, following the birth of Christ. When we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God ,we are not only honoring Mary, who was chosen among all women throughout history to bear God incarnate, but we are also honoring our Lord, who is fully God and fully human. Calling Mary "mother of God" is the highest honor we can give Mary. Just as Christmas honors Jesus as the "Prince of Peace," the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God honors Mary as the "Queen of Peace"
The Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, falling on New Year's Day, is also designated the World Day of Peace. To that end, today's Rosary intentions will focus on peace throughout the world, through the intercessions of the Blessed Mother.
Day 1 of 365
Prayer Intention: Peace throughout the world
Hey there...
'just checking in...
leaving a comment to see if I can this time. :)
sK