The Rosary My first Chatechism

Today is the feast of Saint Germain Cousin, I was reading her story and something struck me while I was reading, and that was the line that said "The Rosary was her only book". This brought me back to the days before my conversion, before I The Catholic Faith. it wasn't until recently that I realized how much the Rosary played a part in my conversion. I remember, I was just a kid (maybe about 12) with really very little interest in religion, God, and the whole gig (I was that kid that tried to sleep on my mothers lap during Sunday service). I recall that God, Jesus were people that the preachers spoke (shouted) about on Sundays and the rest of the week well they kinda just disappeared (except for prayer before bed). and than came my entrance into Catholic school in 6th grade, And so the grueling introductory to Catholic prayer, etiquette, Mass, gestures etc. began and to be completely honest, I hated it. Interestingly enough learning the Rosary was my biggest obstacle. the constant repetition, learning prayers that were foreign to me and the whole nine yards. And than that's when it all changed, My Religion Teacher at the time in an attempt to keep us all interested in what she was teaching showed us the movie The Miracle of Fatima, and I was deeply affected by the Fatima Message, and The Love of Our Lady! (for those who do not know the Fatima Story please follow this link http://www.ewtn.com/fatima/index.htm) and from that point forward my life was changed! I grew in Love for Our Lady and her Holy Rosary, and eventually the Led me to Christ and his Holy Church. so here I sit 9 years later as a member of that Church, and discerning a vocation the the priesthood (this is a very sparknoted version of my conversion story)

I say all this because, not only did I grow in Love for Our Lord and Our Lady, I grew in Understanding and knowledge of the truth! The Rosary in itself (if prayed with the right intention, and form) is theology without books, It is scripture without a Bible. through meditation of the Mysteries of our salvation we go on a mystical pilgrimage with Our Lady through the fundamental mysteries of our salvation. Our Lady gently teaches us the faith, and inspires in us a intimate loving knowing of Our Lord and herself. through the Rosary Our Lady draws us into her heart where she kept all things "And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart" Luke 2:51

SAY THE ROSARY