Introduction to the Rosary

Many of us struggle with prayer. We often “do not know how to pray as we ought” (Rom 8:26) and like the disciples, ask Jesus “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk 11:1). Jesus offers us the Lord’s Prayer in his own words, addressing our Father in heaven with confidence. The Church has also given Christians many powerful prayers to voice our deepest longings, to praise and thank God, and to ask him to meet our daily needs. We make these ‘formal’ prayers our own by using them frequently as we lift our hearts to God. Through these prayers we become caught up in a divine dialogue of love.

The Rosary is such a prayer; composed of formal prayers with which we gaze upon the face of Christ in intimate love and friendship. Through it we draw closer to Christ with Mary, the blessed Mother of God, who invites us to share in the infinite love of Jesus. When we pray the Rosary, we use the words of the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be, which direct our meditation on Christ to the Father, in the company of Mary, with the promise of entering the very life of the Trinity.

Learning the Mystery of Christ

Through the Rosary we ponder in our hearts the mysteries of Christ, such as the birth of Jesus, the Kingdom he proclaimed, his carrying of the Cross, and his Resurrection. All the mysteries are centered on Christ, whom Mary reveals to us.

The Richness of the Rosary

The Rosary is a prayer for all seasons. The mysteries take us through the whole range of human experiences in the light of Christ, from joy to sorrow, darkness to light, and death to risen life. Biblical in its words and in our meditation, the Rosary is a simple prayer but invites us to deep contemplation. It uses both vocalized words and the tactile feel of beads. The Rosary is ancient yet always fresh, to be said alone or together with our families or in a group, a prayer to be said at the church, in the home, or on the road. It is truly a prayer for everyone who wishes to grow closer to Christ to learn Christ from Mary.

As Saint Pope John Paul II described it;

“the Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium. It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.”

How to Pray the Rosary

The Rosary is a simple prayer structured to guide our attention to the mysteries of Christ in the Company of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Rosary is divided up into mysteries, which we introduce with the Lord’s Prayer, meditate on in succession as we repeat the prayer “Hail Mary,” and complete our meditation with the “Glory Be.”

Radio Family Rosary invites you to join us with Mary as we contemplate the face of Christ through the Rosary. If you’re not familiar with the Rosary, Radio Family Rosary is a great place to learn. It may take a couple of times to get used to the form and structure of the prayer, but soon you will be guided by Mary on a mini pilgrimage through the life of Christ. “The Rosary is the Bible on a String.” – Fr. Ronan Murphy

Catholic leaders, including numerous Popes, have encouraged the faithful to embrace this devotion as a way to strengthen their relationship with Christ and His mother.

Today, many resources like Radio Family Rosary help Catholics around the world pray this beautiful devotion together as a community of faith.