History
The Rosary was probably introduced by laypeople in imitation of the Liturgy of the Hours (the Breviary), the prayer of religious communities in which monks prayed the 150 Psalms each day. Laypeople replaced the Psalms with fifty, or even one hundred and fifty, Hail Marys. At least its first half is deeply rooted in the Bible, and ancient images found in Christian gathering places indicate that this prayer dates back at least to the beginning of the second century. In time, a cord with knots (a chaplet) began to be used to count the exact number of prayers.
Although historical records mention the early use of a “prayer cord” while saying the Hail Mary, the first reference to the “Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary” appeared in 1213 in connection with the victory over the Albigensians. Since the fifteenth century, this event has also been linked to the account of Our Lady giving the Rosary to St Dominic.
The Rosary replaced a popular prayer practice consisting of reciting 150 Psalms in three groups, or fifty at a time. Instead of the Psalms, the Lord’s Prayer (the “Our Father”) was recited 150 times; during the Middle Ages it was replaced by the Angelic Salutation (the “Hail Mary”). The form of the prayer was established at the end of the sixteenth century and remained unchanged until the beginning of the twentieth century, when the Fatima Prayer was added. Pope John Paul II expanded the Rosary by introducing a fourth set of mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries. He did so in the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, published on 16 October 2002, the twenty-fourth anniversary of his pontificate. The use of this fourth set is offered as an option, and praying the traditional three sets of mysteries remains fully valid.
The purpose of the Living Rosary is prayer and meditation on the mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary, as well as living out these mysteries in daily life through Mary’s intercession and together with her, so that our whole life may become a Rosary. The Rosary aims to strengthen faith, heal moral infirmity, resist Satan, spread peace and foster Christian virtues.
The Name
One theory holds that the name, meaning a “rose garden,” dates from the Middle Ages. Saying this prayer was compared to offering or planting roses for the Mother of God. For this reason, the prayer was also called a “crown of roses,” or simply the Rosary.
In 1883 Pope Leo XIII established the October Rosary devotion throughout the Church. More than three hundred years earlier, in 1571, Pope St Pius V had established the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and ordered it to be celebrated each year on 7 October “in memory of the victory at Lepanto and in honour of the Blessed Virgin” (Apostolic Constitution Salvatoris Domini, 1 September 1571). The Living Rosary owes its origin to Pauline Jaricot (1799–1862). Convinced that good works are of little value unless founded on prayer, Pauline devised the “Living Rosary” in 1825 as a practical initiative suited to the spirit of the age. Jaricot founded groups of fifteen people, each of whom prayed one of the fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary every day. Pauline wrote to her brother Phileas, a priest, that it would be “an army of the forces of good.” The Living Rosary soon became very popular throughout France. One bishop, astonished by the religious renewal in his diocese, wrote: “I attribute it to the work of the Living Rosary.” The movement continued to grow. Two years after its foundation, 150 groups already existed, and many bishops had adopted the idea of the Living Rosary in their dioceses. Pope Leo XII blessed the work in 1827, and Pope Gregory XVI issued a document approving the activity of the Living Rosary. Within a few years, more than three million faithful in France alone belonged to it. Rosary circles, also called “roses,” are prayer groups. Each consists of twenty people who together pray the entire Rosary every day. A circle is led by a promoter, who is responsible for assigning the Mysteries, keeping the group complete and ensuring that the whole circle prays the entire Rosary regularly. The circles pray each day for common intentions, usually monthly intentions concerning the whole Church, a parish, the missions or a diocese, as well as for personal intentions: for members of the circle, for those who have asked for prayer and for matters entrusted to the group’s prayers.
Duties of the members of the Living Rosary:
The fundamental duty is to pray one Mystery of the Rosary every day.
Take part in the monthly reassignment of the Mysteries of the Rosary.
Receive the Sacraments frequently.
Promote devotion to Mary through the example of one’s life and apostolic activity.
Courageously defend the faith and the Church, following the example of St Dominic.
Anyone who prays the Rosary frequently will notice that this prayer brings peace into one’s life. Meditation on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary is a source of countless graces and blessings; it also helps us to love our neighbours and serve them more fully. In our personal, family and social life, prayer to the Mother of God through the Rosary is indispensable amid our many and varied needs. If you wish to help yourself, entrust yourself to the Mother. If you find yourself in a difficult situation that seems humanly hopeless, entrust yourself to the Mother.
If you wish to help your neighbour, entrust that person to the Mother. Amid the daily concerns of home, work and school, do not forget the prayer of the Holy Rosary.
Based on materials from: http://www.nicolasparish.org.ua/