An Eternal Circle of Prayer

Over the years, the rosary has become one of my most favorite forms of prayer. It has had a profound impact on my life. My coffee with God usually involves praying the rosary. It gives me a space to contemplate the life of Jesus and how He demonstrated obedience, love, and humility. I learn from Jesus’ example how to cherish the people surrounding our family and, in our lives, how to show love to those in need and how to grow in obedience to God’s will. It is a gentle reminder for me to continually strive to be more like Jesus while deepening my faith and relationship with God.

The rosary is known as an eternal circle of prayers, a reminder of the power of faith and of our connection to God. The repetitive prayers help ground and center me, reminds me of my own need to come to Him. I didn’t always understand how the mysteries could do that for me, but I do now.

It was astonishing to me to learn that the rosary has been used by people of all backgrounds and cultures for centuries, and yet it still has a power and relevance today. It is a way to connect with God in a very real and tangible way, allowing people to pray in a circle of eternity, with the same set of prayers and meditations. The two main prayers of the rosary, the Our Father and the Hail Mary, come straight from the bible and is a form of prayer familiar to both old and new Christians. It is full of rich symbolism, and a beautiful way to uncover peace, strength, and guidance in the Lord for all backgrounds and all cultures. The same way our Lord teaches us to love.

Our family has also been united in faith through the rosary, not as often as I would like but always exactly when we needed it. We have had zoom rosary times together, rosaries after dinner or on the way to the airport, traveling in the car, celebrating good times, getting through hard times, in church or just because. Yesterday, one of my children was having a hard day and called to ask if I had a free 15 minutes and if we could pray the rosary. I dropped everything and we hit the prayer. What they didn’t realize is that their longing for that rosary gave me guidance into a situation I didn’t realize I needed deeper prayer on. Only in God’s world does that happen. When we are open to it, God will lead us unexpectedly to a place of peace, prayer, and answers but always in His perfect way.

My prayer for you today is that you find that form of prayer that brings you to the space your heart is yearning for and along the way you realize the gift you truly are in other’s lives. May you feel your worth today, may your heart be open and may you celebrate the unexpected perfection of God’s peace, prayer, and answers.

Together in prayer. Hand in hand.

References

The Hail Mary prayer is is based on two passages from the Gospel of Luke (1:28 and 1:42).

The Lord's Prayer (also known as Our Father) is found in Matthew 6:9-13 and in Luke 11:2-4.