By Kathy Schley
I often hear the Rosary should not be used in our worship to God because the use of the Rosary and its prayers are not in the Scriptures. But what exactly is the Rosary to the Catholic? I carry my Rosary all the time. To me it is a pocket Bible that contains the life of Christ that we as Christians should reflect on. It's also a meditating tool. On the Rosary we meditate on the life of Christ of which are the mysteries...His Birth (The Annunciation, The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, The Birth of Jesus, The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, The Finding of Jesus in the Temple), Death (Jesus' Agony in the Garden, Jesus' scourging, Jesus' Crowing with Thorns, Jesus' carrying the Cross, Jesus' Crucifixion) and Resurrection (Jesus' Resurrection, Jesus' Ascension, The Descent of the Holy Spirit, The Assumption of Mary into Heaven, and The Crowning of Mary in Heaven). Catholics refer Jesus' Birth as The Joyful Mysteries...Jesus' Death as The Sorrowful Mysteries...and Jesus' Resurrection as The Glorious Mysteries. As we reflect on the life of Christ we repeat Scripture and ask His Mother to pray for us.
Hail Mary, full of Grace,
The Lord is with you.
Blessed art thou among women,
And Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
The first half of the prayer is Scriptural. (Luke 1:28, 42-43) The second half is asking the Mother of God to pray for us. The Rosary also includes the Our Father prayer that Jesus gave us Himself that is Scriptural. (Matthew 6:9-13) Other prayers include "Glory to Be," "The Apostle's Creed," "Oh My Jesus," and a closing prayer to the Virgin Mary called, "Hail Holy Queen."
The rejection of the Rosary by non-Catholic Christians is asking the Virgin Mary (the Mother of Christ) to intercede for us. When non-Catholic Christians hear the Rosary they think the Rosary is another way for Catholics to worship the Virgin Mary. Catholics do NOT worship the Virgin Mary, but give Her HONOR because God commands us to give honor to whom honor is due. (Romans 13:7) Catholics ask for the Virgin Mary to intercede for us in prayer because St. Paul taught intercessory prayer when he said, "I urge that supplications, prayers, INTERCESSIONS, and thanksgivings be made for all men..." (1Timothy 2:1-4) St. James tells us "The prayer of the righteous man has great power in its effects." (James 5:16) Those in Heaven who have been made righteous, and who remain in the Church and attached to the Vine Jesus as a branch, also pray for us. We see in the Book of Revelation the saints bringing our prayers to the Lamb (Jesus). (Revelation 5:8 and Revelation 8:3) So when Catholics pray the Rosary they are meditating on the life of Christ at the same time they are asking His Mother, the Virgin Mary who, as a branch, remains attached to Her Vine Jesus, to pray for us. Catholics also pray to God, such as the Our Father prayer given to us by Jesus Christ Himself for our other needs.