When and Where does one pray the Rosary?

We are creatures of habit. We like what we like when we like it, and if things change abruptly it is calming to get back to a normal day with no surprises. 

In my series of blogs on W’s I’d love to share with you more about the Rosary: Why, when, what, where, who and how to pray the Rosary. Today, I’d like to answer the questions: When and where to pray the Rosary because they kind of go together. In the words of Father Dan, “Don’t be weird about it, just do it. Be super disciplined and do it.” If you want fall to be amazing, dive into a new routine with theRrosary! Cheerful fall leaves, optimistic pumpkins (I don't think pumpkins could be grumpy), glorious Mother Mary, decadent apple pie, crisp air, round rolling Rosary beads in your fingers...ahhhh so nice!

Leaves fall and go away. God doesn't.

When:

It’s tricky if it’s not part of your day to start a new thing. I know for me, habits are very hard to break but starting something new is even more challenging. Take a minute and think about your day, even if you are not an organized person or like to plan things out, there is a high chance you do the same thing close to the same time nearly each day: Sleep, eat, scroll on the phone, coffee, walk, answer or ignore emails, cook, clean… You might change things up a bit depending on what is going on but generally speaking, your days have some pattern to them. 

When thinking of praying the Rosary, the best thing is to see when your mind is most open, relaxed and not cluttered by internal noise. You know what I mean: noise from the news, worries, emails to answer, family obligations etc. The "internal noise" is never totally gone, but for me is quieter in the morning. And if you know me personally: I am not a morning person. However, I have observed myself praying the Rosary in different settings and realize that I focus better in prayer before I start the day. If you are a person who plans, like me, write it down on your calendar “Rosary: 30 minutes” and stick to it. I “schedule” my prayer times for the day at the beginning of the week just like I do with work projects and creative projects. Praying the Rosary is a priority in my day. Sister Clare Crocket, killed in an earthquake, inspires me when I think I am too busy to pray. She said, "All or nothing for God. He will take care of my things when I take care of His things." And that's the truth. Providence at work.

Nevertheless, there are days where things go a little differently than I plan, or I want to bake an extra Rosary into the pie of my activity, a "prayer pie" if you will. So there are plenty of alternatives on when to pray the Rosary.

Where to pray the Rosary:

1.     Song: have you heard a Rosary chant? It is amazing. It takes about an hour to listen to and is great background music while you work. It is like offering your work as a prayer for someone / something. YouTube has several.

2.     Cleaning: Who said you had to hold onto a Rosary while you pray? Ten tiles in the bathroom or 10 window panes while you do dishes will do just fine, thank you very much! My ten kitchen window panes secretly know they are prayers. My bathroom floor tiles do too, but they don’t mind. If you don’t have those around guess what else comes in units of 10? Bingo! Fingers!

Do you see what I see?! The Rosary is calling as you clean!
 Your tiles just got cleaner in so many ways.

3.     Driving: I used to pray the Rosary on my commute to work in days of old when we had horseless carriages to sit in clouds of exhaust fumes in pre-Covid times… Nonetheless, the car is an excellent place to pray the Rosary. Use your fingers as your “beads.” When I have a big drive ahead I am excited to pray the Rosary. Mother Mary is in my car and big guardian angel flying closeby. I pray for people in cars while we wait for the stoplight, for people at bus stops, and for anyone walking by.

It's not a "Good luck" charm to dangle. It's a prayer to be prayed.

There we go!

4.     Prayer in church in Adoration: For me, the sweetest and most indulgent way to pray the Rosary is inside a chapel or church with just me, my Rosary and Jesus. If I am alone I bust a tune and sing to Mary and to Jesus, then get back to my Rosary. It is like the ice-cream with hot fudge and whipped cream way for me to pray the Rosary.

The best place to sing your heart out with choirs of angels and Mary smiling.

5.     Walking: Did you know that most all the mysteries of the Rosary take place outdoors? They do!  And that tells me that Jesus and Mary loved the outdoors so it makes perfect sense to pray the perfect prayer while you walk. A friend of mine introduced me to walking and praying and I couldn’t be more grateful to her. It has changed the way I meditate while I walk.

6.     Family Rosary: praying the Rosary with your family members is sometimes like being in a 3 legged race: you don’t step at the same beat and feel like you are falling. But, when you get your rhythm it is fantastic. We shoot for a weekly family Rosary in the evening after dinner and try to stay focused on Christ.

The family Rosary is something like a three legged race trying to stay focused while moving.

7.     Bed: the cozy, warm, comforting and soft bed is the last place to devote to being your first spot to pray the Rosary. Why? Well, what are beds for: to sleep. But, praying the Rosary in bed is better than not praying it at all. It is actually a great thing to do if you can’t sleep in the middle of the night or for the last words from your mind to be lifted to heaven.

Can't sleep? Start chatting with Mary. She'll gladly listen!

In conclusion, here is scary but good bedtime story on a college girl who promised her mom to pray the Rosary before she went to bed:

 

True story:  In 1978 Ted Bundy (serial killer) went in a sorority house in Florida State University. He violently attacked four girls and killing two girls and when he entered the room of a fifth girl he didn’t kill her, rather dropped his weapon, turned around and fled running away. The girl he wanted to kill had fallen asleep praying her Rosary. She was in shock and wouldn’t speak to police until a Catholic Priest arrived. The girl spoke to Father William Kerr, believing that the Rosary saved her life. Years later, before he was executed, Ted Bundy asked for a Catholic priest and the same priest, Father Kerr, went to him and asked him why he didn’t kill the fifth victim or hurt her in any way? Ted Bundy told Fr. Kerr that when he entered the room of the surviving girl that a force stopped him from passing further. That force was Mother Mary present stepping on the head of the snake…