Religious Education and Social Justice

Our Lady of the Rosary 

October is traditionally the month of the Rosary. The Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on 7th October, inviting us all to rediscover the beauty of this ancient prayer. 

Why pray the Rosary?

At heart, the Rosary is a Christ-centered prayer, in which we sit with Mary and contemplate Jesus. Through the rhythmic meditation of the Rosary, we are led to reflect on the events of his life.

Mary is the model of how to love Jesus. She lived her life with her eyes fixed on him. By reflecting on how she loved her son, we can learn how we also can love him and know him.

Praying the Rosary is a wonderful way to communicate with our spiritual parents – our Heavenly Father and our Mother Mary. When we pray the Rosary, we are calling on our spiritual parents to comfort, guide and inspire us. So when family relationships get tense, the Rosary is a powerful way to unite with our heavenly family.

Simple ways to pray the Rosary with Children

The Rosary need not be boring if you bring some creativity to your prayer. Try these ideas to engage your children:

• Give children their own set of Rosary beads
• Create a sense of reverence and mystery when you pray as a family, by lighting candles or dimming the lights.
• Use visual props, such as pictures of scenes from Jesus’ life, icons or images.
• Have some members of the family lead the prayers, saying only the first half of each of the prayers, with the other members saying the second part.
• When your child feels helpless or frustrated about a situation, get him/her to offer a Rosary. Intentions for the sick and troubled help us to connect with those in distress and alleviate our sense of helplessness.
• Integrate the Rosary into your everyday life – say it together in the car on the way to school, while you wait for the train, or when doing dishes.
• Don’t just race through the prayers, think about the words. The Hail Mary is based on the words spoken to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel and her cousin Elizabeth. These words express the wonder of heaven on earth – God becomes human in Jesus. Ponder the name of Jesus when you say this prayer.

May God bless us all and keep us safe.

Jane Wilkinson

Religious Education Leader