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."



Reaching the Half-way Point...

Posted by Jacob

Greetings, faithful readers! It has been 6 months since I began my ‘year of prayer,’ and as such, I am officially half-way through the year. It feels like a pretty great accomplishment—6 months of prayer and blogging—and I am looking forward to the remainder of my spiritual journey!


I keep getting questions about what will happen on January 1, 2011.

Will the blog end? What are my plans?

The short answer is: I don’t know! The longer answer is: I very much appreciate the questions, support, and interest. I imagine this ‘project’ will continue in some form, although it may look a bit different! Only time will tell, as I continue my period of discernment…


A few stats on the first 6 months of ‘a year in prayer: 365 Rosaries’:

Over 4,000 people have visited and read the blog (nearly 1,000 in June alone!)
Hundreds of prayer requests have been submitted (I lost count!)
Readers have hailed from over 75 countries on all inhabited continents!


As for the Rosary Construction Project:

560 mission-style Rosaries (Blessed Junipero Serra would be so happy!) have been constructed for distribution to overseas missionaries and armed forces personnel deployed internationally!

At this time, I have received approximately 30% of the donations required for the successful completion of the Rosary Project. If you would like to support this effort, please feel free to visit the DONATE button on the left-hand sidebar (via PayPal). It costs a bit more than one dollar for each Rosary built, and as I am aiming for 1,000 this year, I need to raise at least $1,000! Thanks in advance for your help!



All in all, this has been an amazing experience so far. I have met (at least via email) faithful Christians from all over the world. The trust and faith that you all have shown in submitting prayer requests and donations is truly humbling. This journey has been both faith-affirming and faith-deepening for me, and I sincerely thank you all!



As I turn my attention to the next six months, please offer a prayer for steadfastness for my continued journey.

Shall I despair of Your mercy, O God? Far be that from me. I am Your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. Give me grace, therefore, to await Your leisure, and patiently to bear what You require. Most assuredly I know that You will deliver me when it pleases You, for I do not doubt or mistrust You. You know what is good for me better than I do. Hear me, O merciful Father! For the sake of Your Son, whom You willed to be a sacrifice for my sins; to whom, with You and the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory. Amen.

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