The Miracles of the Holy Rosary

This brochure of the Marian Movement of Priests and Laity tells the story of the holy Rosary: from the apparition of the Mother of God to St. Dominic, through his great apostles, to the messages of Fatima. In addition, it offers meditations on the joyful, sorrowful, glorious and luminous mysteries, as well as instructions and all the prayers of the Rosary.

The Mother of God never tires of calling her straying lambs. And especially when hell attacks most powerfully to destroy souls, heaven multiplies its offers of grace, as is shown for example at Fatima. There Mary urgently asks her children for penance, sacrifice and prayer, above all for the prayer of the Rosary.

Wholly penetrated by the spirit of Mary, Sister Lúcia of Fatima explains: In these last times in which we live, the most blessed Virgin has given the Rosary a new efficacy. There is therefore not a single problem, however grave, that we cannot solve through the Rosary … The Rosary is the chain that raises us up to God and binds us to Him.

The mighty events at Fatima triggered a great storm of prayer. But this too did not last as long as Mary wished. In September 1961 the postulator of the beatification process of Jacinta and Francisco brought an important message from Sister Lúcia, whom he visited in the Carmel of Coimbra with the permission of the Holy Father. Sister Lúcia was very saddened and spoke of the deep sorrow of the Mother of God, because so few concern themselves with her message of 1917. Even the faithful pay too little attention to her instructions, and the wicked continue on the path of ruin. Father, tell everyone what the Mother of God has often said to me: Many nations will disappear from the face of the earth. Russia will be the scourge that God chooses to punish mankind, if we do not obtain the grace of conversion through our prayer and the sacraments. Further, the Mother of God told Sister Lúcia that the last means of help given to the world are the Rosary and the veneration of her Immaculate Heart. In these words of the Mother of God the core message of Fatima shines forth anew for us: People should no longer offend God, our Lord, who has already been so greatly offended. (October 13, 1917)

The Rosary is the most beautiful family prayer, through which the individual family members are bound together with an inseparable spiritual bond. Therefore praying the Rosary together should be the heart of every family.⁵

In his Apostolic Letter “Rosarium Virginis Mariae” Pope John Paul II explains: The family that prays together stays together.

Now some will surely object that their spouse or children are not willing to pray together, because they have distanced themselves from faith and the sacraments. In this situation it is sensible simply to begin alone, and to offer the prayer to the Mother of God on behalf of the family members.

If we do this persistently, we will experience “miracles of transformation” not only in our own hearts, but also in the hearts of our loved ones. How much has the prayer of a believing mother, a believing father, or the prayer of believing grandparents already accomplished in the hearts of children and grandchildren! For every Hail Mary that we send confidently to heaven will return upon us and upon all for whom we pray, transformed into grace. St. Bonaventure assures us of this when he says: Mary greets us with grace when we greet her with the Hail Mary. And St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori says: One Hail Mary is worth more than the whole creation.

⁵ In a letter to Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, Sister Lúcia of Fatima wrote the striking words: The final battle between the Lord and the reign of Satan will be fought over marriage and the family. Therefore it is no wonder that the evil enemy, with all his followers, does everything to destroy unity and faith in families.

To gain time and space for prayer, it is important to renounce the excessive use of the many means of communication, especially television and the internet. We may rejoice immensely, already now and all the more in eternity, over the great blessing and the spiritual fruits that we reap in this way.

Praying the Rosary at home becomes more solemn and recollected when we pray before an image or statue of Mary and, if possible, light a candle.

Sick and frail people will be uplifted and strengthened by the Rosary prayer in their sufferings.

It is a very special grace when we have the opportunity to pray the Rosary in church before the Blessed Sacrament.

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta urges us: When we pray the Rosary before the Blessed Sacrament, we love Jesus with the heart of Mary. We give Jesus the perfect adoration of Mary. We unite our love for Jesus with the praise and the perfect love of Mary. Jesus accepts our hour of adoration as if Mary herself had prayed. The weakness of our faith or the poverty of our love are of no importance; Mary takes us into her heart, and Jesus receives our adoration as if it came directly from the heart of Mary, His Mother. The Immaculate Heart of Mary makes up for what is lacking in our heart.

And when we are on foot, in the car, on the train or the bus, or performing work that does not require special concentration, we can likewise cultivate the prayer of the Rosary, and we will experience how much blessing and spiritual joy springs from it.

In this way our small life, in the midst of the bustle of the world, becomes a hidden spring that flows into the great stream of grace of so many sacrifices and prayers, which are privileged to cooperate in the triumph of the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

The Mother of God spoke about the Rosary psalter to Blessed Alan de la Roche: It is a very useful prayer, a service which is very pleasing to me, to pray the Angelic Salutation one hundred fifty times. It is even more pleasing to me, and it is much better for one to pray it while contemplating the life, suffering and glory of Jesus Christ, for the contemplation is the soul of these prayers.

On the following pages there are first the traditional 15 mysteries, each with a short meditation text. Then follow, in brief form, the luminous mysteries. These were added by Pope John Paul II to the Rosary psalter as a precious pearl, with a view to glorifying the public life of Jesus.

Opening

In the name of the + Father, and of the + Son, and of the + Holy Spirit. Amen. (Sign of the Cross)⁶

I believe in God … (see page 20)

Then follow 1 Our Father (see page 20) and 3 Hail Marys (Ave Maria; see page 21). After the name Jesus, the three divine virtues are inserted:

… who may increase our faith
… who may strengthen our hope
… who may kindle our love

This opening is concluded with the Glory Be to the Father (see page 21).

If several Rosaries are prayed on one day, the opening is omitted for each further Rosary.

For the individual Rosary mysteries (see pages 23 – 51), first 1 Our Father is prayed. Then follow 10 Hail Marys with the respective mystery of the Rosary, which is inserted after the name Jesus, e.g. Hail Mary, … Jesus, whom Thou, O Virgin, didst conceive of the Holy Spirit.⁷

This is followed by the Glory Be to the Father and the Fatima Prayer. (see page 21)

⁶ Many people cherish the beautiful gesture of kissing the crucifix of the Rosary before beginning the prayer. This kiss is a special act of love, through which we thank our Redeemer that He died personally for each one of us. Already through this kiss the Savior impresses upon our soul an indelible mark of His redeeming love.

⁷ “The words we speak in prayer are words of the Angel, words of the Holy Spirit … in which the whole history of Israel, the history of God with mankind, is gathered. What is new about the Rosary is really only that we linger over these words; that we repeat them, because great things do not become boring through repetition. Only the trivial needs variety … The great becomes greater as we repeat it, and we ourselves become richer thereby …” (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, at the German Catholic Day 1984)

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

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.

Hail Mary

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 our death. Amen.

Glory Be to the Father

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.

Fatima Prayer

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy.⁸

⁸ On July 13, 1917, the Mother of God said to the three shepherd children at Fatima: “When you pray the Rosary, say after each decade: O my Jesus …”