March 6, 2022

​As we enter this season of Lent, we usually have decided by now what we are going to “give up”. This is a very noble idea and a great way to offer a small sacrifice for all that Jesus did for us on the Cross. This year, however, I’d like you to consider doing something rather than giving up something. The activity I’d like for you to consider (if you’re not already doing so) is to pray the Rosary daily.
This prayer for many is too repetitious, too long and too boring. Others believe because of the structure of the Rosary prayer and a tendency for our minds to wander that it cannot be an effective prayer. Yet, countless saints and even the Virgin Mary herself in many of her apparitions asks those she appears to that they pray the Rosary. If that is the case, there must be something very powerful about this prayer!
The Rosary has also been described as a “weapon” like anything that comes to mind when we hear that word. How can prayer, and especially repetitive prayer like the Rosary be a weapon? Pope Francis has asked us to pray the Rosary for peace in Ukraine. We pray the Rosary for an end to Covid-19, and for healing for ourselves and others.
The Rosary was instituted back in early 13th Century by St. Dominic, who saw the Virgin Mary in a vision and was taught by her how to pray. It is the one symbol that reminds almost anyone of a person’s Catholic faith. If you have never prayed the Rosary, we have materials to get you started. Even if you’ve prayed it in the past, try to make it a daily part of your Lenten observance. There is something special about this prayer and the more it is prayed, the more it will become a part of your life!

- Deacon Jeff