When we recite the Holy Rosary daily, our Blessed Mother Mary covers us 24/7 in her blue mantle, which means that we are protected by the Holy Mother of God and we receive many blessings.
IT FEEDS OUR SOULS
When a woman is pregnant, the nourishment from the food she eats is shared with the baby in her womb through the umbilical cord. In the same way, the Holy Rosary is an umbilical cord that connects us to heaven, and the virtues and graces of heaven are passed into us through this umbilical cord. Whenever we recite the Holy Rosary we are connected with Heaven.
IT DRIVES AWAY EVIL
Whips are used for scourging. When we recite the Holy Rosary, each “Hail Mary” lashes the devil. The realms of hell are shaken and shattered when we pray this prayer. The devil cannot overcome anyone who regularly recites the Holy Rosary. St. Louis de Montfort says, “When the devil wishes to make himself the master of a soul, he seeks to make it give up its devotion to Mary.” Mary’s protection really is that powerful, and the devil knows it only too well.
IT PURIFIES OUR HEARTS
Young people particularly, struggle to stay holy and keep their purity. “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 3:8) By meditating on the Holy Mysteries, we fill our hearts with the virtues of God, which are the opposite of the impurities that the devil brings into our minds. The Holy Rosary cleanses our mind through filling it with the heavenly grace of purity. Our Mother Mary will take care of our holiness and purity when we give ourselves into her hands through regularly reciting the Holy Rosary. When we speak the Word of God through the prayer, it purifies our tongues and when we meditate on the mysteries, it purifies our heart and soul, and as a result our flesh will be purified.
IT GIVES US PERSEVERANCE
I used to find the Rosary boring, before I knew about the power of Mary’s intercession. I found that repeating the same prayer over and over again was very irritating and I couldn’t wait for it to finish. I admit that it is sometimes difficult to pray the Rosary, but this difficulty is really the work of the devil, who wants to give us excuses not to spend time praying the most powerful prayer against him. After coming to know Jesus and Mary, more deeply, I decided to recite the Rosary every day. The first time that I tried, I couldn’t finish it because I wasn’t used to it. So I persevered and tried again and I was given the grace to recite it properly. Now, wherever I go, if I am on the train, on the bus or out walking, I automatically take out my Rosary and start reciting it. If I don’t say the Rosary at some time during the day, I feel a dryness within me, and I know that I will fall into sin. The Holy Rosary creates around me a barrier that helps me to resist and defeat temptations. To those who find it boring, St. Josemaria Escriva said, “Say the Holy Rosary. Blessed be that monotony of Hail Mary’s which purifies the monotony of our sins!”
IT TEACHES US HUMILITY
The Holy Rosary is a humble prayer, which requires only 15 minutes out of our 24 hour day. In the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 it was the small boy who offered to Jesus what he had for his lunch. It was a simple offering, and through his humility, Jesus performed a great miracle! In the same way, when we offer five decades of the Holy Rosary through our Mother Mary’s hands, who can say that Jesus will refuse what we ask through her? Mary was humble throughout her life, from the moment of the Annunciation until her death. St. Padre Pio says that the devil trembles in front of humble souls. Humility has great power, and we can obtain this virtue through praying the Holy Rosary. Mary is filled with heavenly virtues, and she is ready to give those virtues to us. The Holy Rosary is the perfect prayer that makes us humble before God. The more we say it, the more humble we will become.
IT STRENGTHENS US
We are not fighting against flesh and blood, but the devil and the principalities of darkness, as St. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12. Many of the Saints have encouraged us through their words to say the Holy Rosary and love Our Lady in order to fight against the rulers of darkness. The Rosary was a weapon for St. Padre Pio. Pope Leo XIII describes the Holy Rosary as a remedy for all evil and the root of all blessings. Pope Adrian VI knew that it was the whip for us to scourge the devil. St. John Vianney said that we should always carry our Rosary beads, for a soldier cannot fight without his weapon. As we are fighting against sin and temptation every day, it is essential for us to recite the Holy Rosary.
IT GIVES US PEACE
When we sin we lose our peace of mind, because we have lost the grace of God in our hearts. When we greet our loving Mother, Hail Mary, full of grace, she shows us our true state and this encourages us to go to Confession so that our peace and purity are restored. If we are angry, upset or worried for any reason, we should take the Rosary beads in our hands, and we will experience a Heavenly peace in our hearts. This is because, each time we say the Holy Rosary, Mother Mary comes and hugs us and puts her protective arms around us. St. Josemaria Escriva’s warned us, “You always leave the Rosary for later, and you end up not saying it at all because you are sleepy, if there is no other time, say it in the street without letting anybody notice it. It will, moreover, help you to have presence of God”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we ask you to fill our hearts with devotion and love towards our Blessed Mother Mary, and grant us the grace to recite the Holy Rosary daily.
Written by Joyson Joboy