Unpacking the Rosary: A 30-Day Journey into the Heart of the Rosary

Although I was born to a Catholic mother and baptized at the age of 3 months, I didn’t encounter the Rosary until my first – and only – year of Catholic School at the age of fourteen. It was not my religious education teacher who introduced it to me, but Dr. Elizabeth Barnes, my English teacher. I will never forget her name or what she did for me in introducing me to it, for that encounter changed my life. Someday, I hope to be able to thank her in person.

Attracted to the Promises, Transformed by the Fruit

While my initial interest in the Rosary was selfish, I wanted the 15 promises given to those who devote themselves to the Rosary, that early devotion led me to form a Rosary group in 9th grade.

A year later, when I stopped praying the Rosary, I ended up falling away from the faith but despite my best efforts could not shake a firm belief in God. At the age of 27, when crisis struck, it led me back to the Rosary and back into the Church.

As I began to pray it more often, and to develop a greater understanding of its mysteries, my heart transformed along with it. My devotion to it deepened and it became more than a set of prayers. I found in it a stead and reliable source of answers to life’s greatest challenges when it comes to how to live out Christ’s call to “Love one another.”

Writing a Children’s Book on the Rosary

To help my fifth-grade catechism students better appreciate the Rosary, I developed a choose-your-path adventure book entitled The Secret of the Lantern to illuminate the guidance to be found in those mysteries. I worked hard to get an imprimatur on that book so that it could be an able guide to parents as well as their children.

I dearly love the Rosary and wish that everyone understood what it contains. I think the world would be a lot better place if we fought our battles with it instead of physical weapons that damage bodies and destroy lives. But that is another article for another day.

I never did sell many copies of that book, for all the work that I put into it. My heart, I think, wasn’t in the right place at the time. I was too focused on selling it and not focused enough on serving others with my content.

Putting the Lessons to Work for Others

Fortunately, though, I do not need to allow that work to go to waste. The lessons each mystery offers are mine to share. I’ve got all necessary permissions to share what I wrote and so I bring it here, to offer to those who are interested, free of charge.

5 Gifts the Rosary Offers

To those who are not devoted to the Rosary and question its value as a tool for growing in faith, I present to you five gifts that praying the Rosary regularly offers to anyone who will begin to do so.

1.   Help Remembering Key Points of Scripture

What we meditate on through the Rosary is rooted in Scripture. It becomes easier to call key passages to mind, passages that demonstrate the journey of Christ entering the world all the way through to that moment when He crowned the very first Saint in Heaven.

2.   Assistance in Cutting Through the Decision-Making Noise

We all know that, as Christians, we are called to “Love one another,” but what decisions are the right ones to make in living out that call isn’t always clear. How do we handle the various challenges that living in community with other people presents? The Rosary provides clear examples and insights into how Christ handled it so we can follow His example.

3.   Greater Confidence in the Value of Following Christ

Every which way we turn in society, there are programs and offerings that promise to deliver happiness without requiring of us the sacrifices Christ demands. It’s easy to begin to doubt that Christ’s ways are the right ways. Praying the Rosary, though, reminds us – especially those Glorious Mysteries – of what’s waiting for us at the end if we are faithful in this present moment.

4.   Encouragement to Live a Sacramental Life

While the Luminous Mysteries are newer and some reject them because of that, I find the Luminous Mysteries to be a beautiful reminder of the value of the Sacraments and how each one contributes to us striving to live out our vocation in life. It reminds us to keep our cup filled with Christ’s love so that we, in turn, can pour out His love onto those around Him.

5.   Support in Forgiving Even the Worst Sins Against Us

As Charlie Kirk's wife, Erika, well knows - one of the hardest calls that we receive as Christians is to forgive the trespasses of others as we desire for God to forgive our own. Walking with Christ through the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary is a great opportunity to reflect on His forgiveness for us, and to seek His guidance in how we can begin to forgive the person who has hurt us the most.

My Commitment: A 30-Day Set of Meditations on the Rosary

Each day for the next 30 days, leading up to October 13th and for 9 days beyond that, I will be providing a selection of meditations from my book to help you dive into and unpack the Rosary, its mysteries, and how to apply them to your every day life.

If you find value in them, I encourage you to share them with others. If you’ve got questions about them, I encourage you to ask those. There are no stupid questions except the ones we don’t ask.

Plan to Join Me?

Please leave a comment below and let me know!