The Rosary is a priceless treasure, structured, and for the most part, Biblical, preserved and handed down to us by our forefathers. It traces the Birth, the Passion and Death, the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus, and the Coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Mary. It prayerfully follows the earthly life of Mary from the Annunciation until Her Coronation in Heaven.

     The efficacy of the Rosary lies in the fact that Our Lady, through Her all-powerful intercession, unites with the individual or family praying.

     The Hail Mary – of which there are 150 in the Rosary – substitutes for each of the 150 Psalms in the Old Testament. These Hail Marys are divided into groups of ten called decades, from the Greek word meaning ten. Each decade is prefaced by Our Father and closed with the Glory Be to the Father. The decades of Hail Marys provide ample time for the individual or family praying to penetrate to the depths, the particular mystery held in focus by their minds.

     There are fifteen mysteries in the Rosary, but by tradition, only 5 are prayed daily – on Mondays and Thursdays the Joyful; on Tuesdays and Fridays the Sorrowful; on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays the Glorious; except on the Sundays of Advent and Lent when the Joyful and Sorrowful are prayed respectively.

     The Sign of the Cross, the Apostle’s Creed, the Our Father, followed by Three Hail Marys and the Glory Be to the Father are the opening prayers that lead to the Rosary proper. These prayers, few in number, but very important in purpose, serve to prepare us, condition us, and alert us to a greater a awareness of our three supernatural powers – Faith, Hope and love – that will give us the strength to fittingly, gratefully and lovingly accompany Our Savior and His Holy Mother on Their long journey from the Crib, to the Cross, to the Crown – the heart and soul of the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary.

     The body of the Rosary are its prayers; the mysteries its soul. The prayers we vocalize with our lips; the mysteries we explore with minds and hearts. The Rosary, in its prayers and mysteries, is so laden with spiritual wealth that it can be compared to a gold mine – the more we dig, the more we get.

     For those who are familiar with the Rosary, there is no need to say more. For those who are not, acquire a Rosary and a leaflet of instructions on how to pray it.

     To all I make this appeal – make the Rosary your prized possession. Pray its five decades daily; ideally with all the members of the family, if not possible, then with some, and alone if necessary. By doing so, you will come to know, love and live the truth of the statement, "The family that prays together, stays together."