Prayers and Promises

The Rosary is a sweet, easy, and accessible prayer. We can pray the Rosary whenever we want—while waiting in traffic, standing on line, walking through a park, at home or in Church, alone or in community. Praying the Rosary keeps us connected to Heaven.

When we open our hearts to the Rosary, we open ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In prayer, Our Lady gently guides us into a loving bond with her Son Jesus Christ for our redemption and salvation. Yet for many of us, praying the Rosary is difficult.

The reasons are plenty. I forget. I’m too busy. The repetitive prayers are monotonous. I get distracted. I’m tired. Sound familiar? If we let these reasons stop our prayers, we miss out on the promises that come with praying the Rosary.

Promises of the Rosary

According to tradition, Mary revealed 15 promises of the Rosary to St. Dominic and later to Blessed Alan de la Roche. Much has been written about these promises in books and on the internet. Whether or not we believe in the promises is up to each of us.

If we truly believe, then through our devotion to the Rosary, we shall receive the graces and protections we need for the sake of our daily living and our eternal life. The Rosary is our armor against hell; it destroys vice, decreases sin, and defeats heresies. Our misfortunes will not conquer us and our souls will not perish.

Virtue and good works will flourish. We shall obtain what we ask of Mary. Our Lady will help us in all our necessities. Praying the Rosary faithfully, we are Mary’s beloved children, brothers and sisters of Jesus.

The Rosary obtains for us abundant mercy from God our Father and lifts our hearts to the desire of eternal things. We shall have the light of God and become worthy of eternal life. We shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during our lifetime and at the hour of our death.

We shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church and we will be delivered promptly from purgatory. Faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven. Devotion to the Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

Our Choice

Whether we persevere in prayer and devote ourselves to the Rosary is up to each of us. That is our God-given free will. While we may have reasons for not praying, our Blessed Mother gives us reasons and more for praying the Rosary daily! Our prayers can help spread the dew of divine grace. The choice is ours to make.

Although praying can feel like a chore, contemplating the mysteries of the Rosary can help us through our spiritual funks and failings. The mysteries convey the depth of the Gospel message and teach us how to live! And when we pray the Rosary we ask God to help us imitate what the mysteries contain and obtain what they promise through Christ our Lord. As long as we are sincere in our prayers, with Mary’s intercession, God’s graces and blessings will enter our hearts, minds, and souls to guide us every day so we may have eternal life in Heaven. That’s a promise! So be it.