By Colleen Pressprich
Sometimes our Lent needs a reboot.
I’ve been there, and I’m guessing I’m not alone.
If you’re one of them this Lent, might I suggest a fool-proof practice guaranteed to boost your spiritual life?
The Rosary.
The Rosary is the perfect prayer tool this Lent, especially for busy parents. Here are three reasons why:
Lent is by nature, a very Marian season.
During Lent we prepare ourselves for the Passion, an event that Mary had been preparing for almost since Christ’s birth. At the Presentation, when Jesus was just months old, Mary was warned by Simeon that a sword would pierce her heart. Lent is a time when we unite ourselves to our suffering Savior, and in doing so it’s helpful to remember that Mary lived that union more fully than anyone.
In addition, Mary was one of the few people to be present at the Passion. She stood by her Son along the way of the Cross and was the one who held His body after death. Just as Mary journeyed with Jesus throughout His life, death, and resurrection, she is the perfect person to journey with us through Lent.
The Rosary is kid-friendly.
Comprised of only a handful of prayers, the Rosary is a devotion that is very kid-friendly. Most children know the prayers of the Rosary (and as a bonus- the repetition makes it the perfect devotion for children who are trying to memorize them).
The mysteries of the Rosary (the moments in the life of Jesus and Mary that we meditate on for each decade) are wonderful learning tools for helping children become more familiar with Scripture. Think of praying the Rosary as an opportunity to teach your children five stories of the faith you want them to know.
It’s a powerful prayer.
Pope Saint John Paul II once said that the Rosary was his favorite prayer. He wasn’t alone in that. Among saints throughout the centuries, the Rosary has been held up as one of the most powerful weapons in our prayer arsenal.
Dominican tradition has long held that praying the Rosary will bestow upon the faithful 15 promises, including the increase of virtues and the destruction of vice, two things that we are meant to be focusing on during Lent.
Three Tips for making the Rosary work for you this Lent.
If you’d like to make the Rosary part of your Lenten sacrifices this year, here are my three tips for getting the most out of the practice
- Focus on the sorrowful mysteries: Though each day of the week has its own set of mysteries, focusing on the sorrowful mysteries every day during Lent can help you to grow in your devotion to the Suffering Christ.
- Use that car time well: The Rosary takes about 20 minutes to pray, making it the perfect devotion for all that driving we do as parents. Plus, when you’re in the car, there are fewer distractions for everyone.
- Invite your kids in with prayer tools: I have found, in my years as both a teacher and a parent, that making prayer time concrete for children through the use of images and objects can help them to engage with prayer time and internalize the graces. To that end, we have kid-friendly rosaries on hand for those children who want to keep track of the prayers alongside us. I also love this collaboration between Brother Francis and Saintly Heart- the wooden figures for each set of mysteries are perfect for allowing my kids to “play along” as they pray along.
I hope this helps you and your family to dive deeper this Lent!
Colleen Pressprich is a homeschooling mom of five and the author of Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children, The Women Doctors of the Church, and The Jesse Tree For Families. You can learn more about her, order her books, and read more of her writing at elevatortoheaven.com.
