Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
(Galatians 2:1-2.7-14; Luke 11:1-4)
What makes a Catholic Christian? In St. Paul’s day this question involved
whether a Greek had to be circumcised like Jesus of Nazareth. The Church authorities then decided that
circumcision was not necessary but care for the poor was. Could we say the same today about the
rosary? Do we have to say the rosary to
be Catholic?
The rosary is identified with the Catholic faith. Probably Catholics are the only Christians who
use it regularly in devotion. Democratic
Presidential nominee Joe Biden, who is Catholic, is said to carry a rosary in his
pocket. Besides the Mass Catholics are more likely to recite the rosary when
they gather than use any other prayer form.
Its focus on a sequential part of Christ’s life, its brevity, and its
physicality all contribute to its popularity.
Our Blessed Mother is usually associated with the
rosary. The mental reflections prescribed
for each decade of the rosary consider her second to Jesus. Indeed, the decade
itself is the recitation of a prayer to her repeated ten times. There are also legends of her exhorting the
praying of the rosary. Although praying
the rosary is not essential to being Catholic, honoring Mary is. And she is especially honored precisely in
saying the rosary.
