The Rosary is a traditional and popular prayer. It is a pious exercise composed of both vocal and mental prayer. It consists in the recitation of 15 deacades of Hail Mary’s each preceded by an Our Father and accompanied by a meditation called mystery.

The Mysteries are divided in to 4 sets of five , namely The Joyful Mysteries, The Sorrowful Mysteries , Glorious Mysteries, The Luminous Mysteries. It focus attention on the Incarnation, Public Life, Suffering and Glorification of Christ, a compendium of the life of Jesus and Mary.

The Rosary presents Christian truth comprehensively and possesses great power to sanctify those who pray it. A prayer to Jesus and His Mother, it leads through Mary to Jesus , the source of all grace. It ends with the recitation of the Hail Holy Queen.

Like the Apostles who gathered to pray with Mary the Mother of Jesus in the upper room in Zion, Jerusalem, we look to Mary as our Mother and model. We invite her to pray with us and to intercede for us especially by increasing our devotion to the Rosary and meditations on the life of our Lord Jesus Christ contained therein.

As we place ourselves under her tutelage , we open our minds and hearts to the marvelous work of the Holy Spirit, Who will form us in to a beautiful family of faith, a Community united in the bonds of Charity which will expand to draw others in the gravity of Love.

Fr. Joseph Mullakkara MSFS

                                                                  Woman buying a Rosary in Jerusalem Market