In this post, I would like to share with you my experience of praying with a Rosary. If you’re thinking about taking up the Rosary, or praying it more, please have a read and I hope you are blessed!

Praying the Rosary was Once a Burden

I can’t think of much in my life that has had the tremendous impact that praying the Rosary has had upon me.

I began praying the Rosary before I became Catholic. But it never meant much to me. I didn’t do it often.

When I became Catholic, I would pray it from time to time. I bought a rosary and got it blessed. But I wouldn’t say it meant much to me.

Praying the Rosary was more of a burden than anything. I didn’t gravitate towards it much. I looked for other devotions.

Praying the Rosary only became enjoyable when I gave up sin

This is something that I think is important to take notice of. You see, I was bound by addictions to certain sins. I was enslaved. And I hated being that way, but I didn’t know how to escape.

You can read all about how God set me free in my About Me page.

When I was released from my sins, I began praying the Rosary again. It was so enjoyable! I couldn’t believe how easy the Catholic life was when we simply find the grace to obey what the Church teaches.

I would pray one Rosary a day and that would be it. That was the sum total of my prayers for the day.

I would spread that Rosary throughout the day. I used to love it. One Rosary! And it kept my new-found faith alive nicely.

Two Rosaries a Day

It wasn’t too long (few months perhaps) before I began giving myself more to the Rosary. I began praying 2 Rosaries a day.

By this point I had fully consecrated myself to Mary. I figured that there wasn’t a better way to live out this consecration than to give myself to Mary’s Rosary.

Nothing pleases Mary more than the Rosary. She says this herself:

‘When you say your Rosary, the angels rejoice, the Blessed Trinity delights in it, my Son finds joy in it too, and I myself am happier than you can possibly guess. After the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, there is nothing in the Church that I love as much as the Rosary.’ – Our Lady to Blessed Alan de la Roche

‘”Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!” No creature has ever said anything that was more pleasing to me, nor will anyone ever be able to find or say to me anything that pleases me more.’ – Our Lady to Saint Mechtilde

Praying 2 Rosaries a day had a huge effect on my life. It was a challenge and was not easy. But it helped me a great deal.

3 Rosaries a day

Soon, I needed more help. I was struggling immensely with issues in my life (not sins so much, thank God), and I just needed as much of Mary as possible.

I had come across this video on YouTube. This greatly inspired me to think seriously about taking up reciting the entire traditional Rosary everyday (3 Rosaries).

As soon as I began doing this, I felt the change. I still had certain sins I couldn’t conquer, such as anger, frustration and discontent. The 3 Rosaries a day sorted this out, and calmed me a lot. It gave me the breakthrough I needed.

4 Rosaries a day

It wasn’t long before I had managed to come to grips with praying 3 rosaries a day. Spread throughout the day, it’s not very hard. It was quite managable.

I was busy looking after my two children, and so being at home all the time gave me plenty of time to do this.

One night it was about 8pm and I had finished the 3 rosaries. I thought, ‘I bet I could do another rosary.’

So I began praying 4 rosaries on Thursdays, the day the Church recites the Luminous mysteries. I figured, ‘I’ll do 3 rosaries on all the other days and on Thursdays I’ll do 4.’

This didn’t last long. Soon I was doing 4 rosaries a day.

It’s impossible to put into words what this had meant to me. Everyday I go through the entire Gospel and life of Christ with Mary.

I journey through each day with the Rosary, with Mary, with the Gospel and with faith.

Life is easier, simpler. I’m more content. I sin less than I used to (as far as I’m aware!).

I never have doubts anymore. If I don’t pray the Rosary, my faith has taken a nosedive within half a day or so.

Nothing has kept my faith alive so much as praying 4 rosaries a day. It’s really easy to trust God doing this practice.

And I’ve never been so happy as this year that I’ve begun praying 4 rosaries.

Is it hard?

Not really, no. Not once you get used to it, and if you spread the prayers throughout the day.

There is no reason to pray 5 decades in one hit. I often only pray 2 decades together and leave the next one or two until a time which is more convenient.

Do what works for you.

There aren’t really many rules when it comes to reciting the Rosary. It’s pretty simple really if you know the prayers and the mysteries.

If you think about it, each day contains a LOT of time.

Say you wake at 7am. And go to sleep at 11pm or 12am. That’s 16-17 hours you’re awake.

It takes 15-20 minutes to pray a Rosary. To pray two rosaries it’s 30-40 minutes.

To pray 3 rosaries, it’s 45-60 minutes. To pray 4 rosaries, it’s 60-80 minutes.

Out of 16-17 hours a day, that’s not very much. Especially if you pray much of the Rosary doing other things, like tasks which don’t require much brain effort (doing the washing up or taking a shower, for instance).

This is the best investment

I’ve been studying a lot recently about investing money and finances. It’s been great!

But do you know what the best investment is?

‘Don’t lay up treasure on earth, where rust sets in and where thieves break in and steal what you have. Lay up treasure in heaven!’ (Jesus).

The Rosary is just about the finest thing you can possibly invest in. It is laying up treasure in heaven, one decade, one Hail Mary at a time.

Can you imagine the number of Hail Marys you’ll have prayed throughout your life if you do this? The numbers will shock you.

4 rosaries a day = 200 Hail Marys, 20 Our Fathers a day.

Each week this is 200 x 7 Hail Marys = 1400 Hail Marys every week, and 140 Our Fathers.

In 52 weeks (one year) this is:

1400 x 52 = 72,800 Hail Marys!

140 x 52 = 7,280 Our Fathers!

Now THAT is a LOT of Our Fathers, and a HUGE amount of Hail Marys.

THAT is most certainly laying up a LOT of treasure in heaven!

I couldn’t live without the Rosary now. What started as a by-and-by devotion became something I enjoyed that was straightforward.

What was something that was straightforward has become something that I give my life and time to everyday.

I encourage you to do the same.

‘The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you’ll be amazed at the results.’ 

– St. Josemaria Escriva

If you have any questions or wish to add any comments, please leave them below and I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as I can!

God bless you, rosary lovers!