The most popular personal prayer in Christianity is Rosary. Even though we recite the rosary every time, most of us are unaware of the history of the rosary.
The beginning of the Rosary is unknown. The use of beads as an aid in prayer has a long history in the Catholic Church. The chain of beads establishes a framework, a setting, a pace for the prayer, and the repetition provides a background for meditation.
Even though the origin of the Rosary is unknown, the popularity of the rosary grew significantly through the preaching of Saint Dominic, who died in 1221. Dominic encouraged the Rosary as a remedy to heresy. Rosary is revealed by Holy Mary herself to Saint Dominic. The meditation on the mysteries developed a foundation of the truths of the faith. This saint also saw the prayer as an antidote to sin. As Dominic and his followers preached throughout Europe, they encouraged the laity to regularly pray the Rosary.
Many Popes have also encouraged this devotion in various eras. One notable example comes from the reign of Pope Pius V (1566–1572). At that time the Turkish Muslims were actively seeking to conquer Christian Europe and were having significant success in their endeavors. Europe was in real peril.
Pope Pius V asked all the faithful to pray and ask for Mary’s intercession that the Turkish threat would be halted. In particular, Pius encouraged the praying of the Rosary. In the famous Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, the Christian forces defeated the Turkish fleet and effectively ended the threat of conquest by the Muslims.
Pius established The Feast of the Holy Rosary to be celebrated each October. This is established by Pope Pius for acknowledging the effectiveness of praying the Rosary and to thank the Blessed Mother for her intercession.
The word rosary comes from the Latin rosarius, which means “garland” or “bouquet of flowers.” It is an apt word for a bouquet of prayers offered to God. The word bead is an Old English term that originally meant “a prayer.”
The Rosary is a tremendous aid in drawing closer to God with any sacramental, prayer, or devotion. The structure and flow of the prayer are meant to aid the individual in meditation. The rhythm of the prayer can quiet the spirit and help a person be more receptive to hearing God, and thus be formed spiritually.