a SIMILAR MYSTERY OF OUR OWN

Some may know the history of the Rosary while others may not, but why do we pray the Rosary? Its significance to a Catholic’s life is more than plenty, especially once we dig deeper into what each mystery means in our own lives. 

#RosaryMonth

Written by Aira Lao

October 29, 2022 | 10:45 A.M.

October is celebrated as the Month of the Holy Rosary for Catholics. Each year, people bring out rosaries, kids learn and memorize prayers, and people gather as one to devote their time to praying the sacred mysteries. Some may know the history of the Rosary while others may not, but why do we pray the Rosary? Its significance to a Catholic’s life is more than plenty, especially once we dig deeper into what each mystery means in our own lives. 

The term “Rosary,” which comes from the Latin word “Rasarium,” translates to “A garden of roses” or “Garland of roses.” The practice of praying the Rosary does not really have a specific start in time, but it is recorded to date back to the 12th century. The Rosary was first mentioned during the Blessed Mother’s apparition to St. Dominic, wherein she instructed him to start praying the Hail Mary, Our Father, and Glory Be—prayers that we still pray in the Rosary today.

The Rosary Month started when Pope Leo XIII declared the month of October as a Rosary Month—most importantly, October 7th marked as the anniversary of Our Lady of the Rosary. The 7th of October signifies the Battle of Lepanto, an important event for Catholics everywhere. The Catholics—The Holy League, and Muslims—Turkish Ottomans (who densely outnumbered Catholics), had waged war over who would have authority over the Mediterranean. During their time of need, Pope Pius V invited as many people as he could to turn to Mary. During those times, they used rope with knots to keep track of their repetitive prayers instead of the rosary we know today. As if it were a miracle, The Holy League won the battle that same day and the battle ended. This victory was miraculous and attributed to the aid the Virgin Mary gave the Catholics.  

Even before Christ, repetitive prayers and psalms were usually kept in track with pebbles, rocks, or knots on a piece of rope or thread. The repetition of prayers was intentional to promote meditation and clarity of mind while praying. The main function of the rosary beads is to keep track of the ten Hail Mary’s that follow after stating the mystery and praying the Lord’s Prayer. Although the Rosary encompass the events that took place in Jesus’ life, it is generally a prayer of devotion for Mary; we ask for her intercession and aid through the Rosary.

The Rosary contains 4 mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous. Each mystery talks about an important event in Christ’s life that is attributed to His teachings and journey on Earth. 

The Joyful Mysteries encompass the moments of Jesus' childhood. As one’s childhood is innocent and pure, this is where people learn, grow, and are taught by their parents the morals and beliefs they’ll grow up to practice. The Annunciation was when the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear the Son of God. This announcement is a symbol that someone will be added to the big Family of God and His children. A symbol of love and happiness to the parents as their matrimony also resulted in the birth and life of a new soul on earth. The Visitation is when Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist. As Mary approaches the pregnant Elizabeth, her child jumps with joy and here it is we hear “Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” a line we state in Hail Mary. The Nativity and The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple are the events where Jesus was born and purified to present him to the Lord. Parents also take precautionary measures for their children once they are born, such as having check-ups to monitor the condition of the mother after birth and checking the vitals of the child seeing to it that it’ll grow up healthy. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple was an event where Jesus had wandered off from Mary and Joseph as they were on their way to celebrate the Passover. They found him in the Temple conversing with the scholars who were astounded with the young Jesus’ profound knowledge and understanding. Similar to that moment in every family’s life where parents guide their curious children in finding themselves throughout childhood.

In life, we face struggles, something that is inevitable for our growth. The Sorrowful Mysteries, as they suggest, are the moments of Christ’s suffering. They are prayed every Tuesday and Friday. The Agony in the Garden was when Jesus was praying to God discussing His fate that would soon come true. He knew He was to suffer, and in those moments He wholeheartedly accepted it. Just like Christ, we too face moments where we ask and question why we experience these events. When we’re feeling stressed, frustrated or depressed, we start doubting God. It may look like our relationship with Him has been strained, but in these moments, we realize that God only wants us to be the best version of ourselves. Just like Jesus, we learn to accept it whether it's good or bad for we know that with each event God makes us experience, He has His own reasons for it. The Scourging at the Pillar, this refers to the moment that Jesus was captured and tortured. In our lives, we have moments where we’re captured and tortured as well. It may not be in a brutal and literal sense like the one experienced by Jesus, but it may be in moments where we sin and feel guilty of it. Our conscience “captures” the true essence of our actions and we’re “tortured” by the guilt we feel about our wrongdoings. The Crowning of Thorns was an act of mockery to Christ and His authority. Following it, The Carrying of the Cross is when Jesus carried a big wooden cross on His back. Each and every day, we carry crosses just like Christ. Everyone’s crosses are different but they all have the same significance, they help us grow and be better people. Their significance is only yet to be revealed in our lives. Last among the sorrowful mysteries is The Crucifixion of Christ, one of the most significant events in the Bible. Jesus died at 3 P.M, hence the 3 o’ clock prayer we pray today. These sorrowful mysteries are to remind us that the sufferings we endure in life aren’t meant to make us suffer but are meant to shape us into better people. Christ’s crucifixion was a sacrifice for our salvation and this mystery reminds us that it isn’t something we should take for granted. Let us make the sacrifice of Christ worth it in our lives through living a good Catholic life with God’s guidance.

 The Glorious Mysteries give emphasis on His resurrection and the events that follow. The Resurrection occurred 3 days after Jesus passed away on the cross. We too resurrect in a figurative sense when we learn from our mistakes and become better people. The Ascension of Christ follows the resurrection, He ascends into Heaven after giving the Apostles their mission. The Descent of the Holy Spirit occurs where the Holy Spirit descends upon the Apostles who were praying in hiding. With this occurrence, they were able to speak with tongues of fire and proclaim the Word of God in various languages (Pentecost). In modern times, the Holy Spirit still guides us in making morally good decisions while fighting the temptations of sin. The Blessed Virgin followed Jesus with The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. Mary ascends to Heaven and is crowned the Queen of Heaven and Earth in The Coronation of Our Lady in Heaven. All of our lives will come to an end and we will also be taken up into Heaven for judgment of the deeds we’ve done on earth. It’s important to know that everything we experience on Earth is temporary and that eternal happiness will be experienced once we reunite with God.

The final mystery among the four are the Luminous or Light Mysteries, which are prayed every Thursday. These mysteries were only recently added in the year 2002; the moments that weren’t given much mind to but are very significant events in the life of Jesus. They signify the miracles He performed while on Earth. The first mystery was the Baptism of Jesus. This marks the beginning of His miracles and mission on Earth. Similar to baptism, we are given the same mission Christ received. The second mystery, The Wedding at Cana was where Jesus performed his first miracle revealing His divinity. This reminds us that miracles do happen and are possible, Jesus performed miracles to establish His authority and to emphasize His capabilities as God and man. Following the second mystery, The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, we are given insight of our purpose on this Earth and the goals we should strive for in our lives: to fulfill God’s mission by spreading His word. The Transfiguration of Our Lord, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, His victory of light over darkness. Sparking hope to people today, we hold onto this hope despite sin seemingly overtaking the world. Last among the Luminous mysteries is The Institution of the Eucharist declaring the humanity of God’s eternal love for all of us. In moments where we feel that all is lost, God will be there for us as He is always there for His people. 

The Holy Rosary has always been part of every generation’s lives, and will continue to do so. Not only is it a devotional prayer, but a healing and meditative prayer that allows the Blessed Mother to reach her children. One doesn’t meed to have any extravagant preparations to pray the Rosary, all we need is our heart, mind, and body as it holds significance from its origin to its role in our lives today. With the different situations we go through in our lives, it is hard to digest that Christ thought, felt, suffered, and understood humanity as well. The Rosary doesn’t only remind us of Christ’s life but mirrors that of ours too. Let us be like Jesus Christ.