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Introduction

When I was a small child and would have difficulty going to sleep, I inevitably reached for my white rosary, given to me by my parents for my first Communion. Fingering the beads and reciting the repetitious prayers was soothing and calmed the thoughts that always seemed to swirl in my head at that time of night. When I contemplate the questions “Why the Rosary, why now?” I think of those moments that call out to us to reach to Mary for comfort, peace, and consolation. When we turn to her, she quiets our minds, calms our hearts, and focuses our thoughts where they should be more often: on her son.

Even as adults, there is much to be intimidated by in today’s world: growing secularism and the disappearance of faith from the public square; the spread of evil and terrorism; war and violence; broken families; abounding distractions; a general lack of drive for holiness. But we know how to get to overcome these challenges today, just as people did one hundred years ago when Mary spoke to three shepherd children in Fátima, Portugal. In a series of apparitions, the Blessed Mother warned Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia of trials to come, and she strongly encouraged praying the Rosary for peace to reign in the world and in our hearts. This is not because the Rosary possesses magical powers, or because it is a talisman against evil. Rather, as the late Cardinal Francis E. George said at the conclusion of the Year of the Rosary in October 2003, the Rosary “brings us to the heart of the Gospel,” to Jesus who is peace.

It’s hard to believe that this one prayer can be the key to so many problems of such great magnitude. But indeed it is. The Rosary is our most secret of secret weapons, ready to be wielded against any challenge we face. Unfortunately, many Catholics take the Rosary for granted. We tend to purchase the strings of beads as souvenirs, stashing them here and there. Sometimes, when it is fashionable, we even wear them. Not nearly enough do we pray with them! But when we do, we discover that the Rosary is both the sword and the shield that helps us through the trials of everyday life.

Receiving the gifts of the Rosary to the fullest requires great perseverance and patience. We must enter into praying the Rosary with the same commitment and attention as we would enter into a conversation with a loved one. As Cardinal George said, “Relationships grow with familiarity, and praying the Rosary makes us familiar with the various dimensions of Christ’s life.” In order to get as much as possible from it, we must put as much as we can into it. Otherwise, our commitment will waver, indifference can take root, and our best efforts and intentions eventually will fade.

To that end, we must develop a strategy. Praying the Rosary daily should be planned, not left to chance. Make a routine out of it, whether undertaken while commuting, during a daily walk or run, or kneeling every night before bedtime. If you’re feeling particularly motivated, make time to visit your parish’s Blessed Sacrament chapel once a day to pray your Rosary in the presence of Jesus. Where you pray doesn’t matter as much as consistency does. A routine will help trigger your brain, making you less likely to forget your commitment. The most important thing is to simply pray.

A commitment to praying a daily Rosary will put you in good company. The texts in this book were composed by men and women who experienced the power and many benefits of the Rosary in their own lifetimes. It is my hope that by reading the words of such wise and holy people, the reasons for praying the Rosary every day become not only undeniable but compelling.

World events may change, but one thing never does: the great grace available to us when we reach for our rosary beads and give our hearts to our Blessed Mother in prayer. So, Why the Rosary? Why Now? Because the Rosary is a pathway that leads us to the truth of Jesus Christ—a path that, as we will see in the following pages, has been trod steadily and faithfully by so many men and women of faith over the centuries.