The Rosary was introduced to me by my dad. Dad prayed the Rosary every morning. When walking by his bedroom, I often saw him kneeling at his bedside holding the beads his godmother had given him. In later years, each morning he would sit in his chair, eyes closed, as he slowly moved his hand along each of his ten fingers.
On long car drives, my parents would take turns leading family Rosaries. For a while, Dad also led one decade at the breakfast table before we left for school. I followed along reverently (and admittedly, often distractedly) during these prayer times. From Dad’s example, I knew the Rosary was important, but it seemed like more of a checklist than a fruitful spiritual practice for me.
As a young adult, my grandfather gave me a booklet on the Mysteries of the Rosary. This enlightened me on more of what the prayer was built upon. Praying it in my university residence drew varying comments from my Protestant peers. One caught me dozing off one evening while praying and joked about the effectiveness of my efforts. Another told me that she felt it was a bit “creepy” to see me counting rote prayers.
Another person I admire very much made the comment that they wouldn’t have a relationship with one friend through another, so they did not embrace the idea of the Rosary. “Why would I talk to Jesus through Mary when I can talk to Him myself?” she asked. Sadly, as a result of these interactions, my own devotion to the Rosary began to slide to the backburner, as I told myself I was seeking ways to become more “spiritual” and in touch with my relationship with God.
Several years later when my children were very young, my Rosary beads were dusted off as I was invited to join a Mother’s Rosary Group. This brought the Rosary into my life more frequently and, since January 2025, I have gained a powerful addition to my personal morning routine through the “Rosary in a Year” podcast from Ascension. Each day for almost two years now, I have followed Father Mary-Mary Ames’ instruction, insight, and guided meditation for each Mystery of the Rosary. Furthermore, through Visio Divina (“Divine Seeing”), Father directs listeners to beautiful pieces of art to enhance our ability to truly “enter” Mary’s experience, as she journeyed with Jesus from the Annunciation right through to her own Coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth.
I also really enjoy the narration and artwork provided by Bishop Robert Barron, as he leads the Rosary on Youtube. During Advent and Lent, these have been wonderful personal meditations for me. The resources have also been powerful in my classroom.
This fall, I was blessed to read Word on Fire’s publication, Bell and the Joyful Mysteries, written by Sally Read and illustrated by Doris Shermadhi. The book is intended for an age range of 6-13 years, so I purchased it with my students in mind. I loved the book and shared it with my mom and a friend. Since October is the month of the Rosary, I am currently reading it to my class.
Bell, the book’s ten-year-old protagonist, is sent to Italy to stay with her grandmother. “Nonna” prays the Rosary daily and Bell is bored by it, until Nonna provides her with a card bearing an artist’s rendition of the First Joyful Mystery. Bell is captivated by this image in a very powerful way. Without spoiling the story, I will simply say that Bell overcomes her boredom and becomes devoted to Mary and Jesus through the Rosary. My twelve-year-old students (who admit that they, too, can become bored and distracted during the Rosary) love this beautiful book.
All in all, I have become more like my dad in my devotion to the Rosary. Instead of kneeling or counting on my fingers, though, my kids see me sitting on the couch with Airpods in my ears, praying along with Father Mark-Mary’s guidance. As my days begin with thoughts of Mary and her journey with Christ, I often think of my friend who said that she didn’t want to talk to Jesus through Mary. I now find myself asking, “How can we not go through Mary, at times, to augment our relationships with Jesus?”
As the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary remind us, it was through Mary that God Incarnate was introduced to humanity in the first place. From her heavenly throne, she continues to pray for us, as we grow more intimate with her Son.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.
