Praying the Rosary in a Group

I love praying the rosary. The rosary was the lasso that made me stop short of leaving the path that was heading towards the Catholic Church. The prayers of the rosary have given me peace, strength, patience, courage and gratitude in times when I lacked these qualities. Since I love this devotion, I probably will write a lot on the subject. Today, I will focus on praying the rosary with a group of people, which can be a joy or a cross for me.

I travel around the country a lot and so I encounter how parishes prepare for mass. I do get a thrill when I am praying and someone says “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” and begins to recite the rosary. I fall into dismay if the person leading the rosary begins to recite the Hail Marys as if they were an auctioneer hawking a ware and looking for bids. I understand that the leader might be concerned about time, but if that is the concern start the rosary at least 30 minutes before mass starts. The other thing that bothers me is that this chain of prayers begins to sound like a robot reciting the square root of pi. “Hail Mary...mumble, mumble, mumble. Hail Mary...mumble, mumble, mumble.” A prayer (even a group prayer) is a time with God. A conversation with God! It should not be wrapped in theatricality but at the same time it should be directed to God, who loves us so much. I pray that you talk lovingly to those of your family and use a bit of inflection so that they can hear even in your words your love for them. So should not your prayers, even the recitation of the rosary carry with it your reciprocation of God's love. In case we should forget that God love us most Catholic Churches have a crucifix near the altar as a reminder of His love.

So, dear readers, I hope you do pray the prayer of the rosary and when you do pray it, pray it as little Valentines to God for He sent us the greatest Valentine of all Jesus Christ, His Son, who died for us. That is Love!!!