The Treasure of the Rosary

The rosary has an illustrious history within the Roman Catholic Church. While it began as a simple prayer, it has evolved into a profound spiritual pratice. In the Early Christian Church, the faithful were very much attached to the Psalms which were often prayed or chanted. In the monastic tradition, all the Psalms are recited over the period of one week. That is 150 psalms.

During the Middle Ages, it became clear that for many of the laity, reciting some of the longer psalms by memory was an impossible task. This was the beginning of the rosary. The prayers of the psalms were changed to the Our Father and a simplified version of the Hail Mary. The older version of the Hail Mary was simply "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." 0ver time, the Hail Mary prayer took shape into what we know now. During the 12th and 13th century, a version of the Rosary known as Mary's psalter took shape. This consisted of the 150 psalms but read through the eyes of Mary and Jesus. This was a precursor to the mysteries of the Rosary that we now pray.

St. Dominic (1170 to 1221) was responsible for a crucial turning point in the history of the Rosary. It is said that the Virgin Mary herself gave the Rosary to St. Dominic as a weapon in order that he combat the heresy of Albigensianism. This heresy was particulary strong in the south of France. St. Dominic and the Dominicans were instrumental in ridding Europe of that heresy and spreading devotion to the Rosary. The emphasis was on meditation on the life of Christ and Mary (one could also add that it is possible to meditate on the Rosary through the eyes of the Church).

In the 15th and 16th century, the Rosary took shape with the familiar decades of ten Hail Mary prayers and the Lord's prayer. The three classical mysteries, namely the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries also took shape. Pope Pius V (a Dominican) promoted the use of the Rosary and ask that people pray the Rosary begging our Lady to interceed in the Battle of Lepanto, where the Christian naval forces were vastly outnumbered. The Christian forces were succesful, and the Turkish (Muslim) invaders were defeated and humiliated. Pope Pius V called it "Our Lady of Victory" and ordered that this day be commemorated forever as "Our Lady of Victory" later renamed as "Our Lady of the Rosary."

The Rosary today is a powerful tool for mediation but there is more.

The Rosary and Anxiety

Many people today suffer from anxiety. Anxiety leaves the sufferer in a constant state of worry and fear. They find it hard to make a decision (for fear it is wrong), and they try their best to control situations but always worry about failure or 'what if'. The standard treatment for such is either medication or cognitve behavioural therapy where one's faulty thinking is challenged and healthier thoughts put in place.

The anxious individual procrastinates and sees the 'worst case' scenarios and often will rehease what will happen in a meeting long before it actually happens. Anxious individuals live in the future, and the future never bodes well in their minds.

Using the standard understanding of anxiety, which is an automatic response triggered in the amygdala of the brain, most therapists will suggest grounding techniques, that is to remind yourself of where you are and to use your senses. I am reminded of the terrific move Gladiator, where Maximus will often reach down and hold sand in his hands, grounding himself before battles in the arena.

The rosary is many things, but it is also a tremendous tool for anxiety. Rather than grounding yourself with sand or by contemplating where you are, praying the rosary takes you out of yourself and into the realm of God and His angels. You are addressing the Virgin Mary herself! You are not thinking about your meeting, or your worries but rather you are with the Angel at the announcement, or the foot of the Cross, or at the glorious Resurrection, or the Crowning of the Virgin Mary. These scenes bring us away from our temporary and small fears. If there is one thing that is certain when we contemplate the Divine, is that we are given peace. It is in such meditation that our over reactive minds rest. Our fears are quelled and the anxiety vanquished.

The rosary is also the chief weapon against intrusive thoughts. Many people suffer in silence from thoughts that come without warning. For some it is often a memory of a tragic event which is replayed in their mind over and over again. After World War I this was referred to as 'shell shock'. This is an extreme version of intrusive thoughts but many of us suffer to some degree or another from wandering and intrusve thoughts. We may be in a meeting and our thoughts lead us far away. Sometimes they disturb us and we react with fear or anxiety or both. If we carry a rosary with us, at all times, during these times we start to pray. Like magic the anxiety and unwanted thoughts vanish.

The Rosary is far more than a collection of beads and a knotted string, It is spiritual weapon, given to us by Our Blessed Mother who implores us to pray with it. It is a spiritual weapon that enables us to be in touch with heaven. It is a sword that slices apart the obstacles of our mind that hinder our faith. In short, it is an immense treasure.