Hello Rosary Lovers! In this post we will look at the 15 promises of Mary for praying the Rosary.
Introducing the 15 Promises Mary Gave
It is a pious belief amongst many Catholics that a number of centuries ago, Mary imparted 15 promises to St Dominic and later to Blessed Alan de Rupe. These promises were for all who devote themselves to the most holy Rosary.
Here’s what Dominican Friars Foundation website has to say on this:
‘According to the tradition, Alanus de Rupe received the following 15 promises to those who pray the Rosary devoutly from the Blessed Virgin Mary herself through a private revelation.’
So it seems that these 15 promises came especially from Blessed Alan in the 15th century. They likely have some kind of a foundation with St Dominic also.
Wherever they come from, many of us Catholics believe them to be true, or at least a great encouragement to give ourselves more and more to the Rosary.
Catholics do not have to believe in these promises. They were given in private revelation, and therefore Catholics are free to discount them if they so choose.
However, these promises are so rich and so filled with the graces of Mary that many of us really want these promises to be true and therefore take them as trustworthy.
We are going to present these promises, with a bit of explanation underneath each one. My explanations are not infallible and do not constitute the actual promises, but if you find my explanations helpful then great!
The 15 Promises Mary Gave
1. Those who faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
There is diversity of opinion on what ‘signal graces’ means. Some think it means that we will have Mary’s leading and guidance. Others think it means we will be filled with extraordinary graces.
Perhaps it means both! But whatever it means, obviously it’s got everything to do with receiving a lot of grace, whatever way that comes to us. Whether by Mary’s direction in our lives or Mary filling us with her Holy Spirit.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
Mary’s own special protection! And ‘the greatest graces’.
There is hardly a devotion in the entire Church which measures up to the Rosary in terms of the graces we get from devoting ourselves to it. ‘The greatest graces’.
This is all the more reason to be thoroughly devoted to the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
It has been said that it is impossible to continue to pray the Rosary and continue in sin. One will have to give way to the other: either sin or the Rosary. Which one wins is up to us.
But the Rosary also helps protect our loves ones from hell. All whom we offer the Rosary for shall be protected against Satan.
The Rosary even destroys sin and heresy on a global and national scale, especially if we offer it to this end.
The Rosary brings about tremendous results, far beyond our own immediate lives and circumstances.
Let us offer the Rosary for ourselves, but also for those we love, those we work with, those we hear about, and even for our nations and our world.
One person praying the Rosary can change the world.
4. The recitation of the Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish. It will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God. It will withdraw the hearts of men 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.
Again, the Rosary causes goodness to flourish not just in our own lives, but in the lives of those all around us.
One person praying the Rosary is enough for God to begin to bring that person’s entire nation back to God.
The Rosary attracts Divine Mercy.
Those who give themselves to the Rosary find that they love the world less. The world and the things and pleasures of the world begin to seem less and less attractive.
The Rosary helps us to set our minds on things above, thus fulfilling the Scripture: ‘Set your minds on things above, where Christ is, not on things of the earth’, Colossians 3:1-4.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
This is an amazing promise for each individual. In that, if we give ourselves to Mary by reciting her Rosary regularly, we will not perish.
This is a promise that works well with wearing the Brown Scapular. For Mary said in another private revelation that all who die wearing her Scapular shall not perish in hell.
The Scapular and Rosary compliment each other. Both save us from hell.
6. Those who recite my Rosary devoutly, applying themselves to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. In His justice, God will not chastise them; nor shall they perish by an unprovided death, i.e., be unprepared for heaven. Sinners shall convert. The just shall persevere in grace and become worthy of eternal life.
This promises reminds us that praying the Rosary devoutly is equivalent to considering the mysteries.
We should not pray the Rosary without meditating on the mysteries, since these are of the essence of the Rosary and this is how to pray it devoutly.
If we do this, we will ‘never’ be taken down by misfortune. All sorts of blessings will fill our lives: material, health, internal and spiritual, and so on.
And when misfortune of whatever kind does come, Mary will sustain us so that we will not be ‘conquered’.
Those who pray the Rosary properly (by meditating on the mysteries) will find that at the time of their death they will be prepared for meeting God. God will ensure that the sacraments will be provided for us.
The Rosary ensures that someone will constantly remain firmly in the Church, and in obedience to the Church and her teachings. Not only will they not be lost, but they will become saints: go to heaven.
7. Those who have a true devotion to the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
True devotion to the Rosary. What is this? I think it means that we give ourselves to the Rosary regularly. We pray the mysteries and meditate on the mysteries often.
If we do this, we will not die without the Church’s sacraments.
The Rosary is the vehicle for dying in God’s grace.
8. Those who faithfully recite the Rosary shall have, during their life and at their death, the light of God and the plenitude of His graces. At the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
‘Faithfully recite’ – this perhaps means that we recite the Rosary often, daily even. We are faithful to this devotion. We don’t give up with it.
Again we are promised great graces in life and at death.
We are even told that if we give ourselves to the Rosary faithfully, when it comes the time for our death, we will each ‘participate in the merits of the saints in paradise’.
I’m not entirely sure what this means, but it perhaps means that we will share in the merits of the saints who are already in heaven.
Or it means we will join the saints in paradise and thereby share in their merits.
Does it mean we will go straight to heaven? I’m not sure, but whatever it means, it sounds really, really good.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
So here we are told that those of us who pray the Rosary often will be saved from purgatory by Mary.
Does this mean some the children of the Rosary will go to purgatory? Perhaps. But it also means they will be saved from it.
Perhaps it means that those who have often recited the Rosary will be delivered from purgatory, i.e., they shall not go to purgatory.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
This I think is the best and most awesome promise. Here we are told that if we faithfully give ourselves to the Rosary, we will not only go to heaven, but ‘merit a high degree of glory in heaven’.
This seems to mean that the children of the Rosary will be great in the kingdom of heaven. They will be amongst the greatest saints in heaven!
11. By the recitation of the Rosary you shall obtain all that you ask of me.
Mary refuses nothing to those who recite the Rosary intending to receive something specific for themselves or others, or even for nations, the world or the holy souls in purgatory.
12. Those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
This refers to those who publish the glory of the Rosary. They tell others of the blessings of the Rosary and teach others how to pray it.
All who do this will always find Mary’s help in all of their difficulties.
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 their death.
Those who recite and defend the Rosary, advocating for it and holding it up before all as a wonderful gift to the Church, shall have the prayers of all the angels and saints.
Every saint and angel shall pray for them constantly.
All the angels and saints shall pray for such individuals their entire lives and at the time of their deaths.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my beloved children and the brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
The best way to consecrate oneself to Mary is by reciting her Rosary often. Such people are called her ‘beloved children’.
This is also one of the best ways to become a real brother or sister of Jesus.
15. Devotion for my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
Those who are devoted to the Rosary are very likely to find eternal glory.
There are a number of ways that people can have assurance that they are on the road to heaven: good works, God’s wisdom, a love for the Scriptures and the Church, etc.
But one of the best evidences that a soul has been predestined for eternal glory and is destined for heaven is that they love the Rosary. This is ‘a great sign of predestination’.
If you wish to learn more about the Rosary, enjoy all the many posts on this site about it.
If you wish to purchase a Rosary, check out this post which will direct you to a wonderful company which sells amazing rosaries.
God bless you all, and hopefully I’ll see you on the other side!