Saying the Rosary

Those who know me well know I say the rosary. A lot. But I didn't always...

I started saying the rosary so frequently when my micropreemie daughter was born. You see, I was terrified, sleep-deprived, and feeling utterly lost much of the time. I was also incredibly focused on my little girl's health and still trying to parent a ten-month old. I wanted to pray. No, I needed to pray. I just couldn't seem to pull two thoughts together.

And so I turned to the sequence of prayers I learned as a child in the Catholic church. I found peace and comfort in those strings of beads and repeated Hail Marys. I found an ability to slow down and focus on the meaning behind the prayers as the words swept through my mind.

The Catholic church is often criticized for its "repetitive nature" or the "robotic responses" one can see during a Mass. I'm really not looking to push my faith on anyone or even to formulate a strong defense against those criticisms. But I will tell you this- there is great comfort in that unity, great contentment to be found in that consistency. It could be because I've always felt a part of it that I feel this way, but there you have it.

I get the same feeling from saying the rosary. It calms my soul. It soothes my heart. It fills my mind with peace.

And so... whether I be actively praying for a friend in surgery or sitting by my dozing child's bedside... whether I'm driving on an unfamiliar road or waiting in a doctor's office... whether I'm speaking out loud (with my 3-year old sweetly following along) or hearing the words in my head... you will often find me saying the rosary.

Quite simply, it works for me.

To see what things work for other people, check out Works For Me Wednesday, hosted at Rocks in My Dryer.

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I realize this giveaway will not appeal to everyone. But, since saying the rosary has brought me such joy, I'd like to pass some on to one of my readers! Simply leave a comment, any comment (well, nothing offensive obviously...), and I will draw a name randomly next Wednesday, October 15th. The winner will receive this rosary, lovingly hand-strung by my three-year old son:


The medal you see is of St. Nicholas, patron saint of children.

Please make sure your name is "clickable" or that you leave an email where I can contact you! If you don't feel comfortable leaving a comment, feel free to email me at: micropreemies (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll be sure to include you in the drawing.

Thanks and good luck!