Our Lady of the Rosary
A homily at DuBois Central Catholic
Editor’s Note: This is a summary of a homily that Fr. Ben Daghir preached on October 7, 2024 at DuBois Central Catholic during an All-School Mass on the feast of “Our Lady of the Rosary.”
Today, we celebrate “Our Lady of the Rosary.” Of course, we are talking about the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
Mary is the model disciple. If someone were to ask, “What does it look like to be a Christian?” The answer would be clear: “The Virgin Mary.”
Mary follows Christ as a remarkable disciple. She has profound prayer, remarkable service, and an incredible heart devoted to the Gospel.
Most importantly, the Virgin Mary is the one who receives Jesus Christ and shares Him. Those two things are of utmost importance: receiving Christ and sharing Him with others.
I want to focus specifically on the rosary as we celebrate “Our Lady of the Rosary.” What does the word “rosary” mean?
It means garden. The Latin word is “rosarium” - a garden. Now, why would we call the rosary “the rosary?” What would a garden have to do with this prayer?
Of course, Jesus is always the answer. What does a garden have? A garden has flowers, fruits, vegetation, beauty, and more.
Often, Christian art depicts Jesus with flowers, fruits, and vegetation growing near Him. The message could not be clearer: “There is life and growth wherever Jesus is.”
Notice that the rosary consists of simple, consistent, and repetitive prayers. The Our Father. The Hail Mary. The Glory be. Again. Again. Again.
Our minds and hearts should follow as our fingers move along these beads. As we pray the rosary, we consider Jesus Christ's life. One day, we consider the Joyful Mysteries, such as the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of Jesus, the Presentation, and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple.
As our fingers move from bead to bead, our minds and hearts should be moved by Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.
The next day, we consider Jesus’s baptism, the Wedding Feast at Cana, the Kingdom of God, the Transfiguration, and the Last Supper. As our fingers move from bead to bead, our minds and hearts should be moved by Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.
The next day, we consider the Agony of the Lord, the Scourging at the pillar, the Crown of Thorns, Jesus carrying his Cross, and the Crucifixion. As our fingers move from bead to bead, our minds and hearts should be moved by Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.
The next day, we consider Jesus’s Resurrection, Ascension, the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. As our fingers move from bead to bead, our minds and hearts should be moved by Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.
We call each of these moments “Mysteries.” Some are Joyful moments, others are Luminous, others are Sorrowful, and others are Glorious.
What’s important is that each moment is with Jesus. Remember, the rosary means a garden. A garden has fruit and nourishment. Jesus Christ is the one who brings this life.
Each moment during the rosary is an adventure with Jesus.
As we hold the rosary, we are really holding onto the hands of Mary and Jesus.
Now, I’m well aware that repetitive prayer can sometimes be frustrating. I remember thinking, “Why do we need to say the Hail Mary prayer over fifty times during this rosary?”
As I’ve grown, I’ve learned the beauty of repetition and simplicity. It’s beautiful to pray to God without having to come up with creative, fancy, well-articulated words. It’s beautiful to simply pray the rosary.
Sometimes, in life, we are exhausted, confused, stressed out, filled with anxiety, and much more. Holding the rosary during these challenging times is beautiful because it provides spiritual strength. This means we are holding onto the hands of Jesus and Mary. There are moments in life when we need to hold their hands and pray with them.
Because we know these prayers so well, our minds can focus on something other than coming up with the next word. Instead, we can focus on the mysteries of Jesus Christ. We can consider His life, words, and actions.
There’s beauty to the rosary. There’s beauty to each finger moving from bead to bead. There’s beauty in our minds and hearts considering one moment with Jesus, the next, and so forth. There’s beauty to the rhythm of the rosary.
There’s beauty in simply holding the hands of Jesus and Mary.
Lastly, since I know so many of you are like me, sitting still and praying the rosary can be difficult. We like technology, noise, distractions, and something constantly new and different. Therefore, the rosary can seem daunting. Believe me, I understand entirely.
Personally, I’ve found praying the rosary in my car very fruitful. I have downloaded a few podcasts that have different forms of the rosary. Some have beautiful music with them. Some are slow. Some are fast. I can play them in my car. It has really helped me.
I use my fingers for the rosary while I’m driving. I simply tap one of my fingers, then the next, as I follow along with each rosary prayer. There’s something therapeutic and beautiful about it. I’ve come to love it while I’m driving.
I share that thought with many of you. Driving has become one of my go-to prayer places.
May the rosary become what it really is: a garden where we can encounter Jesus Christ and be nourished, strengthened, and renewed.
Fr. Ben Daghir
