The Rosary

Today we're going to learn about a very special prayer called the Rosary, or المسبحة الوردية. Long ago, there lived a holy man named Saint Dominic who loved to pray to God and to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. One day, while Saint Dominic was praying very hard about helping people learn about God's love, something wonderful happened! The Blessed Virgin Mary, our Theotokos, appeared to him in a beautiful vision. She was surrounded by heavenly light and held something special in her hands - a string of beads that would help people pray. Mary told Saint Dominic that this special prayer, the Rosary, would be like giving her a bouquet of beautiful roses every time someone prayed it. Can anyone tell me what your favorite flower is? Just like we give flowers to people we love, the Rosary is like giving spiritual flowers to Mary! Mary taught Saint Dominic that when we pray the Rosary, we think about the most important moments in the life of Jesus - when He was born, when He died on the cross for us, and when He rose from the dead. She explained that each Hail Mary is like a beautiful rose, and when we put them all together, we make a spiritual bouquet. In our Maronite tradition, we love to honor Mary as Theotokos, which means 'God-bearer' because she carried Jesus in her womb. What do you think Mary felt when she held baby Jesus? The Rosary helps us remember how much Mary loves us and wants to bring us closer to her Son, Jesus. When we pray the Rosary, Mary intercedes for us, which means she talks to Jesus on our behalf, just like a loving mother would do.