The Rosary is the most efficacious prayer for the increase in the hearts of the faithful of devotion toward the Mother of God. LEO XIII.

This entire month especially the first Sunday is devoted to honour the mysteries of the Holy Rosary.

The universal popularity of this devotion, and the wonderful graces obtained by its practice, are the best guarantees of its excellence.The prayers of which it is made up were the favorite prayers of the Church in all ages. The mysteries commemorated make a review of what our Divine Redeemer did and suffered for us. In them we find incitement to practise the virtues most necessary for procuring eternal happiness.

It is easy to see, then, what a powerful means we have to persevere in the love of God, hatred of sin, and control of our passions. Besides, the example of Jesus and Mary encourages us, in our trials, to imitate them.

How many times has the remembrance of the nightly family Rosary of earlier years served as an anchor to a storm-tossed soul, or a shield to defend the youth forced by circumstances to face the dangers of bad example or wily seductions?  Those in charge of others ought to establish the recitation of the Rosary in common every night before retiring to rest. No matter how humble the home may be, or how scant its comforts, the incense of family prayer will make it dear to God, and attract the protection of the Queen of Heaven. Every home thus blessed becomes a cradle of faith, a school of virtue, and a citadel of the Church against the assaults of immorality and infidelity.

How oft, when trouble filled my breast,

Or sin my conscience pained,

Through thee I sought for peace and rest,

Through thee I peace obtained!

Then hence, in all my pain and cares,

I’ll seek for help in thee,

E’er trusting, through thy powerful prayers,

To gain eternity.

 

 Example- GLUCK

 Gluck, the celebrated composer, was the delicate son of very poor parents in Vienna. He had a beautiful voice, but when singing in the choir of the cathedral he took care that his singing was praying, and not an attempt to attract the attention of the audience.

One day when he had sung an anthem to Mary, in better style than usual, a monk went up to him, and said with emotion, Oh, my son, you made me shed the most delicious tears of my life to-day. I have nothing to give you in token of my admiration but this Rosary Beads. Keep it in memory of me. Say at least a part of it every day; and if you are faithful to this practice, you will be as dear to God as you will someday be great amongst men.

Gluck was faithful to his Rosary. His family was too poor to allow him to continue his studies.  It happened one evening that he was visited by a celebrated choir-master, who was commissioned to go to Italy to collect the works of Palestrina. As a result of the visit, he took the boy with him, promising to complete his instruction. Thence forth, Gluck walked with giant strides on the path to fame, but was always faithful to his practices of piety.

At the Court of Vienna, in the midst of the evening’s amusement, he now the illustrious maestro would disappear, and, like a priest for his Office, seek solitude to say his Rosary.

When death, after a glorious life, came to strike him down, it found him prepared. He held in his hand the Beads presented to him in his youthful days by the pious monk.