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Hi Judy,
First, I love silly questions.
When my mother gave birth to my younger brother Mark, my question was:
Do we have to keep him? She said Yes :>
No, you don't have to be Catholic in order to pray the Rosary and there are many places you can get one with instructions on how to pray it. I can think of three places off the top of my head:
- At a Catholic or Christian book or gift store.
- You can ask for one at a Catholic rectory, the house where the priest lives, or
- You can get a free one on the web.
The Rosary is a powerful prayer to say where we meditate on the lives of Jesus and Mary. It was in the year 1214 that the Church received the Rosary in its present form and according to the method we use today.
It was given to the Church by St. Dominic, who had received it from the Blessed Virgin as a means of converting the Albigensians and other sinners. Saint Dominic, seeing that the gravity of people's sins was hindering the conversion of the Albigensians, withdrew into a forest near Toulouse, where he prayed continuously for three days and three nights. During this time he did nothing but weep and did harsh penances in order to appease the anger of God. At this point, our Lady appeared to him, accompanied by three angels, and she said:
"Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?"
"Oh, my Lady," answered Saint Dominic, "you know far better than I do, because next to your Son Jesus Christ you have always been the chief instrument of our salvation."
Then Our Lady replied:
"I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the principal weapon has always been the Angelic Psalter, which is the foundation-stone of the New Testament. Therefore, if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter." |
The Psalter Our Blessed Mother is referring to is what we know today as the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Whether you are:
- Protestant
- Muslim
- Hindu
- Shinto
- Atheist, or
- Agnostic
Everyone is welcome with open arms to get a free one on the web and see how your life changes for the better by praying it on a regular basis!
Hope this answers your question.
Mike
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