Holy Rosary Story PDF

St. Dominic, the holy founder of the Dominican priests, brothers, and sisters, is considered to be the author or institutor of the Rosary in its present form. The custom of counting repeated prayers by the use of a string of beads, knots, or pebbles was prevalent long before the time of St. Dominic...

St. Dominic, the holy founder of the Dominican priests, brothers, and sisters, is considered to be the author or institutor of the Rosary in its present form. The custom of counting repeated prayers by the use of a string of beads, knots, or pebbles was prevalent long before the time of St. Dominic, dating back to at least the 9th century. Monks were reciting all 150 Psalms daily, but later reduced it to every week as part of their prayers and devotions. To keep track, they would count 150 pebbles, placing one in a container or pouch for each Psalm said. People near the monks wanted to mimic this devotion but, due to lack of education, couldn't memorize all the Psalms. Printed copies were not available, as the printing press was centuries away. So, Christians began to pray 50 or 150 Our Fathers (also called *Pater Noster*) each week instead of the Psalms. They often used string with knots to count the prayers, which eventually evolved into the use of beads. By the 12th century in Europe, they were reciting Hail Marys and counting them on beads, just as they had done with the Our Fathers. The 150-bead Rosary is sometimes called the *Psalter of Our Lady* or the *Layman's Psalter*, since the 150 Hail Marys took the place of 150 Psalms. The division of the 150 Hail Marys into 15 decades or groups of 10, separated by large Our Father beads, was first indicated by Mary to St. Dominic in 12th-13th century France. At that time, a group of heretics known as the Albigensians was spreading erroneous ideas, including that all material creation was evil. This heresy made alarming inroads among the population in France and other countries, even encouraging self-inflicted starvation to liberate the soul from the body. Dominic fought against Albigensianism by traveling to different regions, living simply, and setting an example of poverty, humility, and virtue. However, he had little success. One night, tired and weary, he implored Mother Mary to show him how to bring the misguided people back to the Church. Tradition says that Mary appeared to him and revealed the Rosary. Mary explained that people could only overcome the enemies of Christ by meditating on the life, death, and glory of her Son while reciting the Hail Mary. She promised Dominic that this devotion would be a powerful tool for overcoming vice, destroying heresy, encouraging virtue, and obtaining protection. Through the recitation of the Rosary, the faithful would always find aid in their needs. Mary divided the 150 beads into 15 decades, each representing one of the most important events in her Son's life. She asked that people meditate on these events, or *mysteries*, while praying. The first five mysteries are called *Joyful*, focusing on the joyful beginnings of God's work of redemption. The next five are the *Sorrowful Mysteries*, reminding us of Christ's suffering and death. The final five are the *Glorious Mysteries*, recalling Christ's resurrection and triumph over death. Dominic used the Rosary, as directed by Mary, to convert thousands of heretics, and devotion to the Rosary spread quickly. However, like many things dependent on human free will, its fervor waned after about 100 years. During a time of great plague, a Dominican priest named Alan de la Roche helped re-establish the devotion to the Rosary, which continues to this day. Dominic used this simple and powerful weapon as directed by Mother Mary to convert so many thousands of heretics that the heresy disappeared. Devotion to the Rosary spread throughout the world very quickly. All things, even the holiest, are subject to change, especially when they are dependent on man\'s free will. It is hardly to be wondered at then that the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary only retained its first fervor for about a hundred years after it was instituted by Saint Dominic. People soon forgot about the Rosary, and after a while, it was like a thing buried and forgotten. In a few years, the whole of Europe succumbed to the most terrible plague that had ever been known. Starting in the east, it spread throughout Italy, Germany, France, Poland, and Hungary, bringing desolation wherever it went. For out of a hundred men, hardly one lived to tell the tale. Big cities, towns, villages, and monasteries were almost completely deserted during the three years that the epidemic lasted. It was during this time that a Dominican priest named Alan de la Roche helped re-establish the devotion of the Rosary. Blessed Alan, also known as Alan the Rock, was a Dominican priest who lived in 15th-century France. He was an eminent theologian and a famous preacher. One day, when he was saying Mass, Jesus spoke to him in the Sacred Host, asking, "How can you crucify me again so soon?" Alan was horrified to hear the voice. "What did you say, Lord?" he asked. "You crucified me once before by your sins, and I would willingly be crucified again rather than have my Father offended by the sins you used to commit. You are crucifying me again now because you have all the learning and understanding that you need to preach my mother's Rosary, and you are not doing so. If you only did this, you could teach many souls the right path and lead them away from sin, but you are not doing it." This terrible reproach made Blessed Alan solemnly resolve to preach the Rosary unceasingly. Our Lady also said to him one day to inspire him to preach the Rosary more and more: "You were a great sinner in your youth, but I obtained the grace of your conversion from my Son. Had such a thing been possible, I would have liked to have gone through all kinds of suffering to save you because converted sinners are a glory to me, and I would have done this also to make you worthy of preaching the Rosary far and wide." Saint Dominic appeared to Blessed Alan as well and told him of the great results of his ministry. "See what wonderful results I\'ve had through preaching the Rosary. You and all who love our Lady ought to do the same so that by means of this holy practice of the Rosary, you may draw all people to the real science of the virtues." After experiencing these visions, Blessed Alan made the renewal of the Rosary devotion his mission in life. He now understood the power of the Rosary as a means not only to renew the Dominican Order but to renew the world. This is how Blessed Alan de la Roche helped restore the Holy Rosary. In 1570, Christian Europe was weak and divided, with frequent religious wars and persecution. The Turks were the biggest enemy of Europe during those times, and they were planning an attack. The Turkish army camped at the Greek city of Lepanto, ready to attack at any moment. Saintly Pope Pius V was the only leader who realized the danger. "There is nothing to worry about," said the rulers and the politicians. Without losing heart, he urged the regions and kingdoms to put aside their temporal squabbles and form a holy league so that the Turkish plan could never be realized. On October 7, 1570, Don Juan led a force of 250 ships, also called the Holy League, and met the Turks outside the harbor of Lepanto. At home, Pope Pius V ordered the churches of Rome opened for prayer day and night, encouraging the faithful to petition the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary through the recitation of the Rosary. At sea, the fighters also said the Rosary every day. The whole fleet was dedicated to Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary. In the final tense moments before combat, the fighters prayed the Rosary once again. The October 7th battle lasted some five hours, with the ships fighting in close proximity. The Turks had the edge in numbers, but the tactics and divine providence won the day for the Christians. Stories are told that Pope Pius was conducting business in the Vatican while the battle raged. At one point, he dispensed with what he was doing and announced that the Holy League had won a great victory. The official announcement of the battle results did not arrive in Rome until many days later. People were jubilant; church bells rang, and joyful praise was given to the Blessed Mother for her intercession with our Lord Jesus. Soon, the Pope added a feast day, Our Lady of Victory, as an obligatory memorial to the Church calendar, celebrated every October 7th. The victory at Lepanto and the intercession of the Blessed Mother, garnered from the faithful praying the Rosary, would thus be perpetuated in Catholic memory. Pope Pius's successor, Gregory XIII, would change the name of this day to the Feast of the Holy Rosary. Throughout the history of the Catholic Church, many popes and saints have encouraged praying the Rosary. As we begin to understand and appreciate the Rosary and pray it more frequently, we come to see the true meaning of its meditations. We begin to appreciate how its prayers are reminders not only of Mary, the Mother of God, but of Christ Himself.