51 reasons to pray the rosary

Leo XIV has made an appeal to pray the rosary for peace throughout the month of October, which begins today. This Pope's request alone, in the midst of the warlike atmosphere that the world is breathing in this 2025, should be enough for us to join the call, but there are many more reasons. 

The main one is that of its effectiveness. How many battles has the prayer of the Rosary won! Not only that of Lepanto, on October 7, 1571, for which the Virgin of the Rosary is commemorated on that day and, by extension, the month of the idem; but because anyone who has clung to the 50 beads in moments of danger, trial or special need, can surely count several victories achieved by this simple prayer. And here is another of its greatest virtues: that of simplicity. Also known as "the psalter of the poor", the rosary was in its beginnings a tool to facilitate prayer for the unlettered people. While monks and nuns recited the 150 psalms that make up the Liturgy of the Hours, simple people repeated by heart 50 Hail Marys for the three groups of mysteries (joyful, sorrowful and glorious - the luminous ones were not added until this century), meditating on different moments in the life of Christ and the Virgin. The rosary can be prayed anywhere; it is cheap and, if you do not have one, you can use your 10 fingers as beads; there are models for all tastes and all sizes; it is discreet if you want to go unnoticed while praying it, but striking at times when it may be interesting to show it, it adapts very well to the time you have; the structure is easy to memorize and, for the more clumsy, there are apps and videos at Youtube to guide us.

Along with these first ten practical reasons, we also find powerful spiritual reasons, such as the fact that its exercise helps us to enter into the presence of God, immerses us in the contemplation of the life of Jesus, invites us to imitate the virtues of Mary, increases our faith, leads us to peace of spirit, strengthens our hope, accompanies us in discerning the will of God, brings us closer to the sacraments, moves us to charity and urges us to walk on the right path. 

By praying the rosary we fulfill the Lord's command to "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mt 26:41); also that of "Pray like this..." (Mt 6:9) because we recite the Our Father several times; and, by its daily repetition, that of St. Paul to "Be constant in prayer" (1 Thess 5:17). It is also an approach to Sacred Scripture because each mystery is a little Gospel; and it even helps us to meditate on Marian dogmas such as the Assumption.

There are many spiritual and even physical benefits of praying the rosary. It is a weapon against temptations, it keeps away the influence of evil, it is a defense in moments of spiritual crisis, Mary promises protection and graces to those who pray it and, in several apparitions -as in Lourdes and Fatima-, Our Lady recommends it to overcome divisions and discord. Stopping to pray the rosary in our world where everything is urgent, helps us to overcome stress, trains us for patience and perseverance, is a remedy against sadness, unites the family that prays it in common and puts in tune the community, parish or movement that gathers to recite it together.

But repeating the 50 Hail Marys while meditating on the Word of God is not a selfish act; on the contrary, it leads us to love our brothers and sisters. By praying the rosary we remember those who suffer, we pray for those who do not know God, we pray for the conversion of sinners, we unite ourselves spiritually to the praying Church in heaven and on earth, and it helps us to recognize our faults when we have failed our neighbor. 

If we pray it with children, it is a habit that helps them grow in faith and gives them confidence, knowing that their parents are supported by someone even older. The little ones discover that it is possible to be calm and without screens for a while a day, it gives them biblical culture and makes them feel that they can participate, as one more, in the community prayer and they can even lead their own prayer.

Finally, praying the rosary is like praying for heaven where we will be, together with all our loved ones and in the company of Jesus and Mary, in the presence of God. It can also be offered for the souls in purgatory and for those loved ones or friends who have asked us to pray for a specific cause. Introducing its prayer in our daily routine allows us a moment of contemplation and rest in the middle of the tasks to focus on what is important and, for me, one of the most rewarding things is that it fills you with joy and inner calm. 

If to these 50 ideas we add, once again, that it is a special petition with which the Pope wanted to continue the tradition of his predecessors asking for the intercession of Our Lady to obtain the gift of peace, we make the inexcusable 51 reasons to pray the rosary, do you think it is not enough? Hail Mary Most Pure!