'The Rosary is my favourite prayer, said Pope John Paul II.' He saw the Rosary 'as a way for Catholics not only to meet Christ but also to strengthen families and to spread peace' John Paul II thought so highly of the Rosary that he wrote an entire Apostolic Letter (Rosarium Virginis Mariae) on the power of the Rosary as a prayer. He said that at every point of suffering in his life, he found comfort in the Rosary.
The Supreme Chaplain of the Knights, Bishop Thomas V. Daily believes that the Rosary is the cornerstone on which the 'Knights' was built. Encouraging the Knights to pray the Rosary with their families, Bishop Daily says, 'From it (the Rosary) comes the spirit of true prayer; courage to do the work; the willingness to obey the Church's magisterium; the inspiration to patience, even suffering; the desire to succeed in the name of Mary for the glory of God's kingdom. It is basic to our very lives. It is basic to our Order.'
Mari-Lynne Sinnott, student of 18 at Memorial University, St. John's, Nfld., speaks out in last week's Catholic Register (Youth Speak News) about how she made it through a period of extreme stress, with the help of the Rosary. '...I thought I was going to explode. Nothing could calm me down. Rifling through my bags, I came across my rosary beads. I pondered the amount of time which had passed since I last used the beadsand figured, since I'm going to be stuck on this bus for a while, why not? Ignoring the odd looks that I was receiving and clutching these beads as the bus clunked on, I sank into meditation and prayer. I could feel my blood pressure descending, my headache fading, and my mind clearing. When I was finally finished and looked up, the bus was pulling into...and I was finally home, relaxed and refreshed, despite my tedious travels. Now I understood why the Rosary is known as one of the world's most powerful prayers.'
Prepared with excerpts from Columbia of May 2005. Strong Links by Michael O'Brien, and The Catholic Register of May 1, 2005 Coming up Rosaries by Mari-Lynne Sinnot
Contributation by Bro. Sunil Mudalige