Living beyond the Rosary Beads
2024 marks the centennial anniversary of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary.
This significant milestone is not only a celebration of the congregation’s rich history but also an invitation to deepen our understanding and practice of the virtues embodied in the Rosary from which it gets its name.
The month of October is known among Catholic Christians as ‘the Month of the Rosary’, it is therefore our wish to reawaken the necessity of living beyond its beads and making the virtues embedded in them part of our Christian life.
Some years ago, a Presbyterian friend who had been married for 10 years and was childless approached me. She had been advised to pray the Rosary and seek the intercession of our Blessed Mother for a baby.
In her clan, childless married women are disregarded and excluded from women’s groups. This left her feeling sad and isolated. I directed her to a sacramental shop and provided a leaflet titled ‘How to pray the Rosary’.
Equipped with a blessed rosary, she immersed herself in prayer. Three months later, she returned, not to announce a miraculous conception, but to share that she had not conceived due to a congenital reproductive challenge discovered after marriage.
Despite this, she testified that praying the Rosary had brought her inner healing and peace, she stopped blaming herself and developed a deep relationship with Mary.
Her shame and pain transformed into acceptance of God’s will and this message she shared with many other people. She lived beyond the beads.
The Rosary is a profound prayer through which we honour the Blessed Virgin Mary and reflect on the significant events in the life of Jesus Christ; his birth, public ministry, suffering, death and resurrection.
This meditative prayer involves the repetition of the Hail Mary, Our Father, and Glory Be prayers while reflecting on its mysteries. The Rosary has a rich history, traditionally believed to have been given to St Dominic by the Blessed Virgin Mary in the 13th century.
Over time, the Rosary evolved from three mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious) of 15 decades to four mysteries with 20 decades and the addition of the Luminous Mysteries by Pope Saint John Paul II in 2002.
The Rosary should not be perceived merely as a string of beads but as a call to embody and live out the virtues it represents. The following are some practical ways this can be done:
- Trusting in God’s plan and providence, even in difficult times. - Maintaining a positive outlook and confidence in God’s promises. - Showing love and compassion to others, especially the marginalized and needy. - Recognising one’s limitations and relying on God’s grace. - Following God’s will and the teachings of the Church with an open heart.
Living beyond the beads is a call to be people who live out the rosary instead of people of only the beads so that all who encounter us will be influenced by our way of life. It challenges us to move from mere recitation to a transformative way of living that reflects the love and teachings of Jesus Christ.
The centenary celebration of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary is an opportune moment to renew this commitment and to inspire others to do the same. This may be a difficult journey, but it is worth making, because ‘the Lady behind the Beads’ is a faithful companion on the journey.