The Rosary is a Marian prayer that depicts the Biblical life of Jesus.

Pope John Paul II calls the Rosary a "compendium of the Gospel message" in his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, published October 16, 2002. The 5 Mysteries of Light or the Luminous Mysteries were added to the traditional Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries with the publication of this Apostolic Letter. He also states that "Mary constantly sets before the faithful the mysteries of her Son, with the desire that the contemplation of those mysteries will release all their saving power. In the recitation of the Rosary, the Christian community enters into contact with the memories and the contemplative gaze of Mary."

The Rosary was once thought to originate from the ancient prayer beads of the Middle East and Asia, although those beads largely have 33 beads. Others point to the prayer beads of the monks that were used to count the 150 Psalms. But it was St. Dominic in 1208 who began to spread devotion to the Rosary.

Domingo de Guzman was a Spanish preacher who went to southern France to preserve the faith against the Albigensian heresy. In 1208 while he was praying for three days in a chapel in Prouille, Dominic saw Mary, who gave him the Rosary and taught him how to pray the Rosary. St. Dominic founded the Dominican Friars, and established monasteries all over the world. The heresy ended during his lifetime. The most famous Dominican was St. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274), one of the greatest theologians of the Catholic Church, the author of Summa Theologica.

The Blessed Mother also gave 15 reassuring promises to St. Dominic for those who faithfully recite the rosary:

(1) Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
(2)    I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary. (3)   The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat           heresies.
(4)   It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of               God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will             lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
(5)   The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
(6)   Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred               mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he           shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and             become worthy of eternal life.
(7)   Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the            Church.
(8)   Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light         of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the                 merits of the Saints in Paradise.
(9)   I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
(10) The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
(11) You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
(12) All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
(13) I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for                         intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
(14) All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ. (15) Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

In addition, the Blessed Virgin Mary, during an appearance on December 10, 1925 to Sister Lucy, one of the three Fatima children, promised the graces necessary for salvation at the hour of death to all those who, for five first Saturdays in a row, went to Confession, Mass, Communion, recited the Rosary, and kept her company for 15 minutes while meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to the Blessed Mother.


See How To Pray For Rosary

The picture above shows the image of a rosary. First are the introductory prayers located above the silver Medal: with the Cross you make the Sign of the Cross, and say the Apostles' Creed. Then one prays the Our Father (rose bead) and three Hail Marys (blue bead), followed by the Glory and Fatima prayers. Then one announces the First Mystery, and prays the Our Father.

Below the Medal are 50 blue beads in groups of ten, each bead representing the Hail Mary, separated by rose beads representing the Our Father.
One Our Father and ten Hail Marys comprise one decade of the Rosary.

There are five decades for one group of five Mysteries of the Rosary. You begin each decade reciting one of the Mysteries of the Rosary, then the Our Father, then ten Hail Marys, then the Glory and Fatima Prayers. One decade is prayed for each of the Five Joyful, Luminous (Mysteries of Light), Sorrowful, or Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.

At the end of the Rosary, there are concluding prayers that may be said, such as the Hail Holy Queen, the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, and the Memorare with a petition. One ends with the Sign of the Cross.

The Prayers of the Rosary are first listed, followed by a description of the Mysteries of the Rosary.

The Prayers of The Rosary

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.
He did not say anything to them without using a parable.
But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Gospel of Mark 4:33-34

Jesus often taught in parables, an ancient Eastern literary genre. The prophet Ezekiel, for example, wrote in parables, such as the eagles and the vine (17:1-24) and the parable of the pot (24:1-14). The word parable in Hebrew מָשָׁל - mashal - is present in both vignettes (17:2 and 24:3).

A parable is a story about a familiar subject to teach an important moral lesson. The root meaning of the word parable means a placing side by side for the sake of comparison. The Gospel writer generally identifies a narrative with a spiritual meaning by specifically calling the lesson a παραβολή or parable. At times the Gospel writer begins the story with the word like, as "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard" (Matthew 20:1). Or Jesus may give an example from everyday life to convey a spiritual truth, such as the Parable of the Good Samaritan to teach love and mercy, or the Parable of the Friend at Midnight to teach persistence in prayer.

A parable envisions the whole narrative to generate the spiritual message, whereas a proverb, metaphor, simile, or figure of speech focuses generally on a word, phrase or sentence.

The Parables of Jesus are recorded in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Some parables are common to all three Synoptic Gospels, such as the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-23, Mark 4:2-20, and Luke 8:4-15). Matthew relates ten Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven, seven of which occur in Chapter 13 and are central to his Gospel. Examples of parables unique to Matthew are the Weeds Among the Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30), the Unforgiving Servant (18:23-35), the Laborers in the Vineyard (20:1-16), the Two Sons (21:28-32), and the Ten Virgins (25:1-13). Mark has only one unique Parable, the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29). Several Parables are unique to Luke, such as the Parables of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), the Friend at Midnight (11:5-13), the Rich Fool (12:13-21), the Barren Fig Tree (13:6-9), the Invited Guests (14:7-14), the Lost Coin (15:8-10), the Prodigal Son (15:11-32), Lazarus and the Rich Man (16:19-31), the Persistent Widow (18:1-8), and the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (18:9-14).

The word parable does not appear in the Gospel of John. The related word παροιμιαν (figure of speech) appears in 10:6 and refers to the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18). Jesus, by calling himself the Good Shepherd, recalls the imagery of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd," and the Prophets (Isaiah 40:1-11, Jeremiah 23:1-8, Ezekiel 34). By doing so, he fulfills Old Testament prophecy as he identifies himself as the Messiah. The word παροιμίαν also appears in John 16:25 and provides insight into the message of Jesus: "I have spoken to you in figures of speech; the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but tell you plainly of the Father."
PARABLE                                                     MATTHEW          MARK                LUKE

The Lamp                                                              5:14-16             4:21-25                8:16-18
The Speck and The Log                                       7:1-5                                              6:37-42
New Cloth on Old Garment                                 9:16-17             2:21-22                5:36-39
The Divided Kingdom                                         12:24-30            3:23-27               11:14-23
The Sower                                                             13:1-23              4:1-20                   8:4-15
The Growing Seed                                                                          4:26-29
The Good Samaritan                                                                                                 10:29-37
The Friend at Midnight                                                                                             11:5-13
The Rich Fool                                                                                                             12:13-21
The Barren Fig Tree                                                                                                  13:6-9
The Weeds Among the Wheat                             13:24-30
The Mustard Seed                                                13:31-32            4:30-34               13:18-19
The Leaven                                                           13:33-34                                        13:20-21
Hidden Treasure                                                   13:44
Pearl of Great Price                                             13:45-46
The Net                                                                  13:47-50
The Invited Guests                                                                                                      14:7-14
The Heart of Man                                                 15:10-20             7:14-23
The Lost Sheep                                                     18:10-14                                         15:1-7
The Lost Coin                                                                                                             15:8-10
The Prodigal Son                                                                                                        15:11-32
The Rich Man and Lazarus                                                                                         16:19-31
The Persistent Widow                                                                                                 18:1-8
The Pharisee and The Publican                                                                                   18:9-14
The Unforgiving Servant                                     18:23-35
Laborers in the Vineyard                                      20:1-16
The Two Sons                                                        21:28-32
The Tenant Farmers                                              21:33-45           12:1-12                20:9-19
Marriage Feast or Great Banquet                         22:1-14                                          14:15-24
The Budding Fig Tree                                          24:32-35           13:28-33               21:29-33
The Faithful vs. The Wicked Servant                  24:45-51           13:34-37               12:35-48
The Ten Virgins                                                    25:1-13
Ten Talents or Gold Coins                                   25:14-30                                         19:11-27

The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) is a wonderful example of a narrative that provides spiritual guidance. Jesus gives the greatest commandment in Luke 10:27 - "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" He is then asked, "who is my neighbor?" Jesus answers with the parable by comparing the response of a Levite, a priest, and a Samaritan to a beaten man lying on the side of a road. The contrast is unsettling, for the Samaritans were generally despised in Jewish culture at the time. Whereas the Levite and priest were concerned about the ritual purity of the Old Covenant, ironically it was the Samaritan who was compassionate and hospitable to the injured man, extending the concept of love of neighbor for the New Covenant. The moral sense of the parable is to be loving and merciful as the Good Samaritan. Jesus instructs his listeners: "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37). The Parable of the Good Samaritan provides a sound basis for social justice.

Credit Source:jesuschristsavior

God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai to serve as principles of moral behavior for the human race. The Ten Commandments of God are the foundation of the moral code and legal system of justice for Western Christian civilization.

The architecture of the U. S. Supreme Court building reflects this biblical foundation. At the center of the sculpture over the east portico of the Supreme Court Building, there is the image of Moses holding the two tablets of the Ten Commandments; these are also engraved over the chair of the Chief Justice and on the bronze doors of the Supreme Court.

The Decalogue is recorded both in the Books of Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21, two of the five Books of Moses (also known as the Torah, Law, or Pentateuch). God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone on Mount Sinai in the Book of Exodus, which are the moral expression of the Sinai Covenant between God and his people the Israelites. Moses recounted the Ten Commandments of God to the Israelites in the Book of Deuteronomy.

This page first presents the Ten Commandments in the English translation of the Hebrew text of Exodus 20:1-17. A difference between the Hebrew text and the Greek Septuagint Old Testament is noted in Exodus 20:17. Exodus 20:17 in Hebrew reads "thou shall not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife," whereas Exodus 20:17 in Greek places "thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife" first. Of interest, the Hebrew and Greek translation of Deuteronomy 5:21 also places "thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife" first.

There are twelve phrases in red. In order to provide instruction to the faithful, the major religions of the West adopted different phrases of the first paragraph, accounting for the variation in numbering of the Ten Commandments for Judaism, Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants.

A Comparative Table follows. The first column lists the Ten Commandments in Judaism, which are given in Hebrew in the image that follows. The second column records the Ten Commandments in the order given by the Biblical scholar Origen of Alexandria circa 220 AD. The third column presents the Ten Commandments given by Augustine of Hippo circa 400 AD, who reasoned that "graven images" were an equivalent of "other gods" and considered Exodus 20:4 as part of the First Commandment; he then followed the order of Exodus 20:17 in the Greek Septuagint and Deuteronomy 5:21 for the Ninth and Tenth Commandments. While there is considerable variation, Eastern Christians, Orthodox, and the majority of Protestants follow the order given by Origen, whereas Catholics and Lutherans follow the order given by St. Augustine.

We know there are Ten Commandments, because the Bible tells us so in Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 10:4, and the following passage:

"He proclaimed to you his covenant, which he commanded you to keep: 

the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two tablets of stone." 

Deuteronomy 4:13

CREDIT: RONALD GABRIELSEN

Today as I was having my “thinking time” I was pondering upon the phrase we often meet if we read the Gospels, namely “the Kingdom of God” or “the Kingdom of Heaven”. As I was thinking upon this phrase, I noticed that repentance was a part of Jesus’ proclamation that the Kingdom of God had come near.

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
- Mark 1:14-15

Today I know many Christians with a big focus on the Kingdom, but there are also many who concentrate a lot on repentance. It’s interesting to notice that many of those who focus much on repentance don’t talk a whole lot about the Kingdom of God and those who focus on the Kingdom of God usually don't have a big emphasis on repentance - originally both repentance and the Kingdom of God were a part of the same message.

I believe there is a very good reason for Jesus to connect repentance with the proclamation of the Kingdom of God having come near. Today we might not see it so easily because we don't always know what the different words mean.

According to Strong’s Concordance, the word “repentance” comes from “metanoeó”, which means “to change one's mind or purpose”.

So why did Jesus tell people to repent and believe the good news that the Kingdom of God had come near?

When Jesus appeared on the scene, the Jews had already been in big expectation. There had been prophecies about a coming Messiah who would restore the Kingdom, the Jews had been under oppression for a long time and now John had sparked a new hope that this Messiah was right around the corner.

The people were waiting for the Kingdom of God, but the concept they had of it was that Israel would be fully restored as a nation again.

There are such prophecies and in the future they will be fulfilled. It would take a whole lot of allegorical creativity to link all the prophecies about the restoration of Israel to the church. However, when Jesus appeared on the scene, this was not His agenda.

He came with a message that the Kingdom was already here, even though Israel had not been fully restored as a nation and the church had not been instituted. His presence brought the Kingdom of God near to the people who met Him because He carried the Kingdom with Him.

The Kingdom of God was near, but the people needed to repent, or in other words, they needed to change their thinking. If they did not do that, they would miss the kingdom.

Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. He answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with a visible display. People won't be saying, "Look! Here it is!' or "There it is!' because now the kingdom of God is among you."
— Luke 17:20-21

What is the Kingdom of God?

I believe the Kingdom of God is His reign. It’s wherever God manifests His presence and His will becomes a reality.

When Jesus was walking on this earth, He was carrying the presence of God with Him and making God’s will a reality. Where there was sickness, He brought healing. Where there was oppression, He brought deliverance. He brought good news to the poor and sight to the blind (Luke 4:18-19).

When He sent out his disciples, the message of the Kingdom was what He asked them to preach, namely to confirm the message by applying God’s will to the situations they would face. Where they met sickness, they should bring healing and where they met oppression, they should bring deliverance (Luke 10:1.12 + Matthew 10:1-4).

Many are still looking for the Kingdom

I don’t believe God is finished with Israel, but I do believe that the Kingdom of God is already here and that it is our job to bring Heaven to earth wherever we go. Sometimes I also wonder if some Christians fall into the same thinking that the Jews had when Jesus was walking on this earth. They are so focused on the Kingdom of God, as Israel being fully restored, that they don’t notice that the Kingdom has already come. Maybe Jesus would also say to these: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand”.

Prayer is the opening of one's heart and soul in a conversation with God, and thus is an expression of faith in a relationship with God. Humility is the foundation of prayer, as we learn in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). Jesus teaches us to pray: "All that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours" (Mark 11:24).

Prayer at home with the family is the first place to educate children in prayer! Forms of prayer include Adoration and Praise, Petition, Intercession, and Thanksgiving. There are three kinds of prayer: Vocal, Meditative, and Contemplative. Vocal prayer is the form of prayer in groups, as in Church. Meditation is a quest to understand the Christian life, in order to respond to what the Lord is asking. One may meditate on the Bible or the Rosary or other holy pursuits. One meditates in order to discern and come to the light: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" The Carmelite St. Teresa of Avila calls contemplative prayer a "close sharing between friends," a conversation with God in our hearts. Remember to be loving and thoughtful in your prayer with the Lord!

Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and throughout the New Testament continues the tradition of prayer found in Hebrew Scripture, our Old Testament, exemplified by the Patriarchs of Israel such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David. Examples of prayer in the Bible are the Psalms, Matthew 7:7, Matthew 18:20, Luke 9:35, John 17:11, Philippians 4:6, and James 5:14.

And listen in silence after you pray - you may receive an answer! 

The ideal prayer is the one Christ Jesus taught us, the Lord's Prayer, the Our Father (Matthew 6:9-13).  All Christian faiths say the Lord's Prayer.

THE OUR FATHER

"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, 

that everything written about me in the law of Moses 

and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled." 

Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus took his disciples to the Mount of Olives, where he was lifted up into the
clouds out of their sight. While they were gazing up in bewilderment, two men in white apparel (angels) told them,

Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into
heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!

These angels weren’t saying anything new. They were merely confirming Jesus’ clear promise that he would
return someday in power, glory and judgment.

Broken Promise?

It has been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus left earth, and many wonder why he has taken so long to return. In his book, Why I Am Not a Christian, atheist Bertrand Russell accused Jesus of breaking his promise to return.

Russell argues that Jesus couldn't have been “all wise” if he broke such an important promise. He certainly couldn't have been God as he claimed so frequently (See http://y-jesus.com/more/jcg-jesus-claim-god). So is it possible that Russell is right about Jesus breaking his promise?
The Apostle Peter predicted scoffers like Russell would point to Jesus’ delay as a broken promise. He writes,

First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at the truth and do
every evil thing they desire. This will be their argument: ‘Jesus promised to come back, did he? Then
where is he? Why, as far back as anyone can remember, everything has remained exactly the same since
the world was first created!’

Perhaps Russell and other scoffers should have looked closer at Peter’s words, as well as what Jesus said about the timing of his return, and the events that would precede it. Jesus did say that, although no man would know the exact timing of his return, certain clues would tell us that it is drawing near.[

Additionally, the Old Testament prophets and Jesus’ apostles also provide insight about what the world scene will look like just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. Let’s look briefly at a few of these clues to the general timing of Jesus’ return:

What are the Signs of Jesus’ Return?

• Major earthquakes
• Worldwide famine
• Wars
• Worldwide epidemics
• Persecution of believers
• Gospel proclaimed worldwide

Earthquakes, famines, epidemics, and wars have occurred throughout human history, but Jesus said there would be a noticeable increase of such events prior to his return. Persecution of believers began with the apostles and is on the increase today. More Christians are being persecuted for their faith now than at any time in history. Jesus tells us that such persecution will continue until his return, as will the worldwide proclamation of the gospel.

According to Jesus, when all of these events capture the world scene, we are to “look up,” for his return will be soon. Although Bible scholars don’t agree on all the details regarding Jesus’ return, many believe that the time Jesus spoke of is rapidly approaching. Paul told believers to be ready and “watch for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

So we need to know if Jesus’ promise to return is still true. And if so, why is he delaying so long to fulfill his promise?

Peter explained the reason for Jesus’ delay.

But you should never lose sight of this fact, dear friends that time is not the same with the Lord as it is with us—to him a day may be a thousand years, and a thousand years only a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

Peter was writing to believers who were experiencing trials and persecution. They wanted Jesus to come sooner rather than later. However, Peter tells them that God’s first priority is to spread the gospel of Christ throughout the world, reaching as many people as possible. Jesus had already told his disciples that the gospel would be preached to all nations before he came. More Article Click PDF 

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