By Patricia Hartung

This is a memory I will always treasure:
Many years ago, as my then eight and ten year old daughters and I were in a public restroom, a dispenser on the wall displaying a picture of a circle with a cross caught my daughter’s eye. Curious, she  asked her older sister what it was for. As I watched and listened, the older child seemed to grow an inch and beaming with pride she informed her younger sister that, “That’s where you can buy rosaries.”… and she believed it too.  Needless to say, I quickly headed for the door as I could not contain my laughter.

Last Faith Formation Class Session

Michael:  Hey guys! What did I miss last week?

Sarah:  Well, we had this talk about making right choices, again, and then Mrs. Smith reminded us to start practicing the Rosary.

Michael:  The what?

Sarah:  The Rosary.

Michael:  What’s the Rosary?

Sarah:  Come on.  Let me guess, you usually don’t come to the last Faith Formation class of the year do you?

Michael:  No, I’m there.

Sarah:  Then you should know about the Rosary.  We do it every year at the last Faith Formation class since Kindergarten.

Michael:  All I remember about the last class is we eat lots of brownies and cupcakes.  DE–LIC-IOUS!

Sarah:  No!  Before the party.  We meet in church and they make us pray the Rosary.

Michael:  Oh yah, that’s right.  They hold us hostage first!

Brian:  Hey, life is not just a party.  Don’t you remember what our teachers have been telling us all year long?  There is a GOD.  You have a free will to do what you want, and someday you’re going to die.  I know when I die; I want to be in heaven so I’m praying now!

Michael:  You know, that is something to think about.  BUT the Rosary?  Look at those nuns over there.  I CANNOT do that!

On the side … 2 nuns kneeling and praying in chant mode with serious faces holding their rosaries.  Along with the nuns is one monk.

Brian:  No, it doesn’t need to be like that, but that is where the Rosary did get its start, with the nuns and monks in monasteries.

Michael:  My dad made me watch that on the Catholic Cable Channel one time when nothing else was on TV.  That ancient nun with all those other ones.  Scary!

Chris W.:  That’s Mother Angelica, and she’s young compared to the Rosary!

Michael:  Then why do they want young people like us praying the Rosary?

Chris W.:  It’s really much more than just praying.

Michael:  How?

Chris W.:  You know it would really be better if we just did a decade of the Rosary but you must hang in there with me.  Okay?

Michael:  I guess I can give it a try.  How do we start?

FLASH FACT:  (Nuns pop up to explain a decade of the rosary)  A decade of the rosary contains the announcement of the mystery, an Our Father, 10 Hail Mary’s, a Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.

John:  Well, today is a Monday so we are going to pray the Joyful Mysteries. 

Michael:  Now what do you mean by that, today’s Monday, then Joyful Mysteries.

John:  Well, you see every day of the week has a different set of mysteries assigned to it to help us meditate on the life of Jesus and Mary. 

Sarah:  Monday and Saturday are the Joyful Mysteries,

Chris W:  Tuesday and Friday are the Sorrowful Mysteries,

Matt:  Sunday and Wednesday are the Glorious Mysteries,

John:  and Thursdays are the Luminous Mysteries.  As Monsignor says, you start as you should begin all things, with the sign of the cross.  You do this while holding the crucifix in your right hand.

In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

After that, we announce the intention for the Rosary we are saying.  The Rosary is a great way to pray for world peace but since this is Faith Formation, lets pray for all the students, teachers and families involved in Faith Formation. 

Michael:  So far so good.  What’s next?

John:  Since we are going to pray a decade of the rosary, we are going to skip the first four beads.  If we actually said the prayers there, they would be the Apostle’s Creed, one Our Father, three Hail Mary’s and 1 Glory Be followed by the  Fatima Prayer.  These prayers are recited for the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity.  I like to consider them a warm up for the decades.

Michael:  Whoa! You’re losing me.  What the heck is a Fatima?

John:  The Fatima Prayer is the special prayer Mary gave to the three children in Fatima Portugal.  Mary herself appeared to these children and told them to tell others to pray this prayer with the Rosary every day to help obtain world peace. 

Michael:  Okay.  How do we say this prayer.

John:  O my Jesus, forgive us our sins and save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.

Michael:  Are we done now?

John:  Nope.  We’re just getting started.  Now you move your fingers to the big bead under the center piece and recite the first Joyful Mystery – the Annunciation.  This is the start of the decade.   You say an Our Father.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Michael:  Now my fingers have no place to go.

Brian:  Yes they do, don’t worry.  Move them over the center piece and start up the right hand side of the loop.  The first bead there will be the first Hail Mary.  BUT, you are also supposed to be meditating on the Annunciation.

Michael:  How do you mediate on the Annunciation when you don’t even know what that big word means?

Brian:  Well, what other word can you see in Annunciation.

Michael:  NUN!  The nuns pop up and say/sing NUN!

Brian:  NO!  Keep the “AN” in front.

Michael:  Announc … Announce

Brian:  YES!  Now what big announcement started the whole life of Jesus?

Michael:  Oh, I think I know this one.  When that angel dude came to Mary and told her she was going to have a baby.

John:  You got it!

Michael:  But how do I “Meditate” on the annunciation when I say Hail Mary’s.

Brian:  You can get a brochure with the pictures like this one, or use your imagination.  Imagine this.  You see Mary praying.  Then you picture the Angel Gabriel going to Mary.  When Angel Gabriel comes to Mary he’s talking with her. 

As you start go get this picture in your mind, you start praying

HAIL MARY, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. 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 death. Amen.

Brian:  How are you doing?

Michael:  I think I’m getting it.

HAIL MARY, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. 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 death. Amen.

Brian:  Doing Okay?

Michael:  The picture seems like it’s fading.

John:  Then take the time to imagine more of the picture.  Listen for Angel Gabriel to say;

Angel Gabriel:  “Hail Mary, Full of Grace.  God has found favor with you”

HAIL MARY, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. 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 death. Amen.

HAIL MARY, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. 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 death. Amen.

Sarah:  Are you getting it?

Michael:  Yeah, but I think I need to imagine more.

Sarah:  Good.  Now think of Mary saying

Mary:  How can this be?  I am not married and do not know a man that way.

HAIL MARY, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. 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 death. Amen.

HAIL MARY, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. 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 death. Amen.

Michael:  Hey, lets imagine more …

Angel Gabriel:  It is through the power of the Holy Spirit you will conceive a son.

HAIL MARY, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. 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 death. Amen.

HAIL MARY, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. 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 death. Amen.

Mary:  Yes, let God’s will be done!

Angel Gabriel:  You will name your baby Immanuel which means God is with us.

HAIL MARY, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. 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 death. Amen.

HAIL MARY, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. 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 death. Amen.

Sarah:  Now we have said ten Hail Mary’s, it’s time to wrap it up with …

GLORY BE to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

Michael:  Do we say that Fatima thingy now.

Sarah:  Yes we say the Fatima PRAYER now.

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins and save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.

Michael:  That wasn’t really bad at all.  It was really kind of fast.  I often find myself daydreaming during prayers so this might be a good way for me to pray.  By the way, how did you guys know so much about the Rosary?

Brian:  Our families recite the Rosary together after Mass every Sunday.

Michael:  Really?  That’s nice.  Maybe I’ll have to get my family to do the same thing.

Brian:  That sounds like a great plan.  Now let’s go party and eat some brownies.

THE END!!!

by Jane Lebak

There’s a great and terrible battle tearing apart the heart of Catholicism, and you must choose a side.

Well, actually, there’s something I’ve noticed. Those who pray the rosary fall into two camps: “On the bead” and “between the bead.”

Allow me to demonstrate. On-the-bead looks like this:

Between-the-bead looks like this:

On-the-beaders position each bead between the pads of their thumbs and forefingers. They physically shift their fingers up the rosary whenever they finish with one bead and proceed to the next.

Between-the-beaders position each bead with the chain between the pad of the thumb and the side of the first knuckle on the forefinger. They crawl or walk up the rosary when it’s time to proceed to the next bead.

It’s my personal opinion that those who do the rosary daily will eventually shift to a between-the-bead hold because it’s more comfortable. My Patient Husband disagrees with me; he says between-the-bead is more confusing because you’re never sure if you’re on the bead before or after your thumb.

My stepfather was the one who pointed this out to me, accosting me one day with the demand that I choose sides. I’ve been a between-the-beader for as long as I can remember, and yes, sometimes I’ve gotten confused. But for the most part, it’s easier, and I’m all for easy.

I polled one group of Catholics to find OTBers by far outnumbered BTBers. And if you’ve got this far, no, there’s really no animosity. Just me being a wiseacre, and some good-natured joking around between people who have nothing worse to disagree about.

Visit Jane’s blog at:  www.philangelus.wordpress.com

Yes, ‘rosery’ should actually be spelled ‘rosary’, but sometimes a finger slips on the keyboard and you end up with something a little off from what you wanted.  We just want to make sure that whether you are searching for a ‘rosary’ or a ‘rosery’, you will still find the great resources that you were looking for here.