What is a Rosary? It is both an object and a set of prayers and meditations. In short, the Rosary is an ancient .beautiful and powerful powerful prayer of devotion to God through devotion to God through devotion to Mary by means of a series of prayers and meditations on the life of Jesus and Mary. It can help relieve stress and anxiety . It is a prayer of hope .
The first clear historical reference to the rosary ,however, is from the life of St.Dominic(+1221),the founder of the Order of Preachers or Dominicans.
During the fifteenth century, the Rosary structure formed, Fifty Hai Mary¡¯s were recited and were linked with verses of psalms. The prayer was called rosarim meaning rose garden. Later, the name became the Rosary. The Rosary became popular in the 1500¡¯s. There were many wars, and people turned to the Rosary for comfort. On October 7,1572,Pope St. Pius V established the Feast of the Holy Rosary. Rosary means a crown of roses, a spiritual bouquet given to the Blessed Mother.
In Roman catholic practice, the rosary is a string of beads made in the form of a circle , with a pendent crucifix.
A standard set of Rosary beads contains 50 beads in groups of ten (a decade) ,with an additional large bead before each decade. There has a resurgence of interest the rosary in recent years. The rosary beads today can be made with lampwork beads, semiprecious stones, crystal beads etc.
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