The word rosary itself comes from the Latin “rosarium,” meaning a garden or garland of roses. During the Middle Ages, agriculture metaphor was common. Writing often drew comparisons to plowing a field, and collecting prayers was seen as growing a garden or arranging a bouquet.
After the full development of the Hail Mary prayer, the term “rosary” was finally given in 1597. For 320 years, from 1597 until 1917, the form of both the Hail Mary and the rosary remained the same.
According to Catholic tradition, the rosary was instituted by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself. In the 13th century, she is said to have appeared to St. Dominic (founder of the Dominicans), given him a rosary, and asked that Christians pray the Hail Mary, Our Father and Glory Be prayers instead of the Psalms.
The word rosary comes from Latin and means a garland of roses, the rose being one of the flowers used to symbolize the Virgin Mary. If you were to ask what object is most emblematic of Catholics, people would probably say, “The rosary, of course.”
Consider blessing the Rosary before wearing it, if desired. The Rosary is a holy item and should be handled with reverence. Wear the Rosary with pride and reverence, knowing it reminds you of your Catholic faith.
The Rosary is sometimes prayed by other Christians, especially in Lutheranism, the Anglican Communion, and the Old Catholic Church. Another example of Rosary-based prayers includes the non-denominational Ecumenical Miracle Rosary, "a set of prayers and meditations which covers key moments in the New Testament."
Independently from this historical reason, there is a symbolic reason. Ten has the meaning of totality and unity, meaning that each one of Christ's mysteries is part of his total person and work and expresses its unity and totality, as well as its thorough contemplation by the person who says this decade of the rosary.
According to one tradition, the rosary's defining moment came during an apparition of Mary to Saint Dominic around the year 1221. Dominic was combating a popular heresy in France called Albigensianism.
A popular German religious manual of the fifteenth century ("Der Selen Troïst", 1474) even divides the Hail Mary into four portions, and declares that the first part was composed by the Angel Gabriel, the second by St. Elizabeth, the third, consisting only of the Sacred Name.
A: As you know the bible does "not" tell us to pray the Rosary because this form of prayer originated only during the middle ages. However, important elements of the Rosary are biblical and/or belong to the common Christian beliefs.
In fact, there's an old tradition that Mary herself appeared to St. Dominic (1170-1221) and gave him the rosary as an aid in his preaching against the Albigensian heresy, which denied the Incarnation of Christ. While praying each decade, Catholics meditate on key moments in Christ's life.
Catholics do not pray to Mary as if she were God. Prayer to Mary is memory of the great mysteries of our faith (Incarnation, Redemption through Christ in the rosary), praise to God for the wonderful things he has done in and through one of his creatures (Hail Mary) and intercession (second half of the Hail Mary).
It is known as the "Three Hail Mary Devotion," and consists of saying three times each day the Hail Mary with the invocation "O my Mother, preserve me this day (or night) from mortal sin." The prayer is said three times to honor the Most Blessed Trinity, Who is the source of all of Our Lady's greatness.
The Hail Mary is a prayer of praise for and of petition to Mary, regarded as the Theotokos (Mother of God). Since the 16th century, the version of the prayer used in the Catholic Church closes with an appeal for her intercession.
The Hail Mary is a Scripture-based prayer in which we meditate on words from the Gospel of Luke. In the second half of the prayer, we ask Mary to intercede for us and bring us closer to her Son, Jesus.
In 1569, the papal bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices by the Dominican Pope Pius V officially established the devotion to the rosary in the Catholic Church.
The "rosarium" or rosary indeed has pre-Christian origins. Ancient Rome celebrated the "rosalia," a spring festival commemorating the dead. In Greek tradition, the rose was Aphrodite's flower. It reminded one of the blood of the gods.
Rosary bead color is linked to personal preferences, saints or occupations. Colors are also linked to seasons in the liturgical year. Consider that cream, ivory and gold are the colors for “glory” and are used during the Christmas and Easter seasons.
That would be “vain repetition.” We Catholics repeat the prayers and the rosary in order to keep our focus while we meditate upon the most important mysteries of the Faith. Each decade has at its end meditation on a different and central mystery in the life of Jesus Christ for our salvation.
A rosary has 59 beads: 54 tiny beads divided into three sections of 18 beads each and five larger beads. The 54 small beads represent the 54 Mysteries of the Rosary, which contemplates critical events in Jesus Christ's and His Blessed Mother Mary's lives.
The Rosary is divided into five decades. Each decade represents a mystery or event in the life of Jesus. There are four sets of “Mysteries of the Rosary” (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious).
Many people argue that if you wear a rosary around your neck, you are treating it more like a fashion accessory than a sacramental and are thus distorting its intended purpose. On the other hand, many Catholics buy and wear rosary bracelets, which are like a decade of the rosary worn around the wrist.
Almost everyone has heard of the Catholic rosary, which is a vital element of Catholic worship. What many don't realize is that Protestants also have prayer beads in the form of the Anglican rosary.
The word “rosary” refers to a set of prayers in the Catholic Church as well as a physical object. While praying the rosary, Catholics use a set of beads or knots to count and keep track of the prayers.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.