The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-10-10
THE HOLY ROSARY.
Bishop Cotton Writes on the Best of
Daily Prayers.


Daily Prayers.
IT it were asked which is the hes
form Of prayer for daily use. we woul'
uDhesitatingly answer, the Rosary
Tor, by its very comprehensiveness am
torm, it is made for everyday use. /
is meditation. and that is its highes
recommendation. 1t permits one L
pray and mediate at the same time
Meditation we are told. is the neces
sary daily practice to insure religious
perfection. We must think, and thinl
deeply, if we are to profit by prayer
God will not take lip service for /
s,N,as on account of this that our Lore
Seiected the prayers of the Pharisees
These adore me with their lips" h.
said of them but their hearts are fal
from me-" We must feel what we say
and this we easily do when We medi
tate.
Now, meditation is a most Difficult
thing to do we'll because of the nois!
world about US. 1t is difficult for tn,
long tried religious man or woman who
IS consecrated to the service of God
How much more difficult then is meGi
tation for the one who must live in n,
world? Still, even such a one mus
mediate to some degree. if stability in
Gods service is TO be acquired. ''for
with desolation is the world madf
uesolate," says the Ps;lmist because
no one thinketh in his heart" The
rosary might well be called the daily
meditation for the people, for, in pious-
ly considering its different mysteries
Gay after day one. viii have most useful
subjects for meditation which, united
With the prescribed Our Fathers and
Hall Marys, make up an easy and most
effective exercise Of prayerful union
with God.
The rosary was instituted by the
Blessed Virgin herself, who taught it
- ST. Dominick and bade him to teach
81 TO the people. 1t is sometimes
called the PsaIter of Mary. for in the
$50 Hail Marys which are said there
is a correspondence to the $50 Psalms
The very repetition of the Hail Marys
gives renewed strength To the prayer
Il is a humble perseverance which God
appreciates and responds 20 his injunc-
ton. that we are to keep asking and
asking that we may receive. When
. we think of it said daily the world over
by all the religious and by countless
holy souls living in the world. we see
what a wonderful offering it is going
up to God every morning through the
hands of his Blessed Mother. which
overjoys his heart and causes him to
shower down his choicest blessings
upon those saying their rosaries. The
very name rosary suggests the sweet
ness of the prayer. 1t tells us that
every bead is like a beautiful rose
springing from the virgin soil of Sim
pie and an innocent heart. We give
the chaplet to Our Blessed Lady and
she gratefully lays it at the feet Of her
divine son.
Our late glorious pontiff, Leo XIII.
was called the Apostle of the Rosary.
for he ordered that it be said daily In
every cathedral and recommended that
the same be the rule in all the churches.
He prescribed that in the month OF
October it be said unitedly by the
priests and the people in the churches
and chapels and that it should close
With bened!ction of the most blessed
sacrament when said in the evenings.
lie well knew the value Of the rosary
rs a prayer and hence his desire to
! cap great fruit through it-fruit for
Gods glory in bringing souls into hOiy
union with him-and fruit for the
church in spiritualizing her children,
md making them examples of piety
md holiness that may influence for It's
betterment all the world around them.
1t is easy to say the rosary we'll A
determination to be recollected during
it is all that is required to make il a
most acceptable offering to God. 1t is
easy also to say the rosary by reason
of the short time in which one may
say it-say, ten to twelve minutes-and |
it may be said kneeling. standing or
sitting. as one desires. Yes. walking |
10 and from business or our daily avo. /
cation "a person NAV say the rosary 1
well. and this should induce everyone /
to say it, and to never omit it. What |
4 power for good il will be TO the one
who viii recite The beads daily Great /
Slaces viii attend that soul. the special /
love Of God and that Of his Blessed |
Mother VIII ever be his to keep him IN
the right path. and he will he brought
close to both one day in heaven. after
he has been so closely united with
them on earth. Let us al carry with
Us a rosary and recite it daily recite
t earnestly every dav of our lives
'athelic Union and Times.