Sunday Snippets -- A Catholic Carnival

Cord Rosary blessed by the Master General of the Dominicans

The Rosary is what we're discussing over at R'Ann's This And That And The Other Thing blog.  This is a blog we link up to on Sundays.  If you click on one of the blogs, you'll read about their doings during the week, and hopefully learn a thing or two about the rosary.

Since I'm a Lay Dominican, I pray a rosary every day.  The Rosary is not my kind of prayer.  If it were not in my Rule, I wouldn't do it.  However, I am happy now that I am required to do it.  I love the rosary, even though I still push myself to do it.

That being said up front, I have tried all methods of praying the rosary.  I am constantly trying to find a way to keep the prayer a conscious connection to God.  A new way will be good until it's not new anymore.  But I'll give you some examples of rosary methods.

CD's  --  There are a plethora of people praying the rosary.  This is good when you are driving alone.  I even have one of John Paul II praying it in Latin.

TV  --  I know that the Rosary is on Boston Catholic at 6:30 PM.  If I'm home I'll watch it and pray.

Radio -- I know it's on station 99.1 Boston, at 5:30 AM.   If I'm awake I'll pray it with them.

Scriptural --  This method is to read a bit of scripture, relating to the mystery, you're on.

Before daily Mass --  If you go to daily Mass, some parishes have a group whom pray the rosary before Mass, or go 15 minutes early to Mass, yourself, and pray it.

This last one works the best, but it takes the longest, so I rarely use it.  Every time I pray a Hail Mary, I put a person's name in.  So that 150 times!  "...Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for Richard, now, and at the hour of his death."

Also, I love to use a beautiful rosary: some smell of roses, some feel nice and pearly smooth, some are tiny, some have personally meaningful medals attached to them, some have holy water inside the medallion, some have been blessed by someone special, and some are just unique.  I know a friar who uses a belt rosary that a nephew made in summer camp--made out of a watch band.  There are rosaries made out of cord and macrame knots.

I like to feel a rosary in my pocket.  It's a constant reminder to pray, and who I am.  I've also taken up the habit of always carrying two rosaries with me.  One to give away and the one I was intending to use personally.

Today, I'm pretty busy.  So I think I'll break up the rosary by only praying a decade, here and there.  A decade going, a decade leaving, and I'll get a rosary prayed going to Mass, then a Chapter meeting, afterwards, my son-in-law's birthday party, and finally home.

If you're serious about the rosary, keep at it.  I've been at it for 14 years, now, and still push myself, but happy that I do.  I encourage you to try.

Now, about my week.

Monday  --  Whom is Jesus talking to?

Tuesday --  email meditation

Wednesday  --  It's been staring me right in the face since 1980!

Thursday -- How to explain indulgences.

Friday  --  Faith Counts!

Saturday --  a poem

Have a good week.