The Rosary

The rosary a great prayer made of a collection of smaller prayers.  The rosary can be prayed on rosary beads like the ones shown below.

This is what you say when praying the rosary:

• Start by making the sign of the cross
• On the cross (1) say the Apostle's Creed
• Then, on the next bead (2) say one Our Father
• On the next three beads (3) say one Hail Mary on each bead
• Then, on the next bead (4) say one Glory Be
• Now we start a decade on the next bead (5) by saying one Our Father
• On the next ten beads (6) say one Hail Mary for each bead
• And on the next bead (7) say one Glory Be to finish the first decade
• Use the same bead (7) to start the next decade by saying one Our Father
• Continue as you did for the first decade all the way around the rosary (five decades)
• Afteive decades you should be back at the beginning bead (5)
• Say one Hail Holy Queen
• And one Rosary Concluding Prayer 
• Finish by making the sign of the cross

Praying the Rosary

There is no wrong way to pray a rosary. Some people like to focus on the words of the prayers they are saying.

Personally, I like to meditate on the mysteries of Christ. There are four sets of mysteries.  Each set contains five mysteries to correspond to the five decades of the rosary.  The four sets of mysteries are:

• The Joyful Mysteries
• Focusing on Christ's birth
• The Luminous Mysteries
• Focusing on Christ's life
• The Sorrowful Mysteries
• Focusing on Christ's death
• The Glorious Mysteries 
• Focusing on Christ's resurrection

(If you go to the links above, you will see that each mystery has 10 "thoughts" associated with it that can be meditated upon while saying the 10 Hail Mary prayers in each decade.  These are not required, but are a nice addition.)

The mysteries are said on a schedule according to the day of the week.  The schedule is:

• Sunday: Glorious
• Monday: Joyful
• Tuesday: Sorrowful
• Wednesday: Glorious
• Thursday: Luminous
• Friday: Sorrowful
• Saturday: Joyful

The Origins of the Rosary

The origins of the Rosary are not confirmed, but it is believed the practice started around 800 AD in the efforts of lay people to imitate the practices of local monks.  

The monks were widely respected for being holy and sang all 150 Psalms each day.  The lay people wanted to imitate the practice, but most of them could not read and the Psalms were too long to memorize.  So the lay people began saying the Our Father 150 times.  

In order to avoid losing count, the lay people filled a leather pouch with 150 small stones and would throw one out each time they completed an Our Father.  

Eventually, a knotted rope with 150 knots replaced the bag of stones as it was much easier to carry around. Soon, the rope was simplified to 50 knots, to be repeated 3 times a day.  

When the monks began travelling and evangelizing, they took the practice of praying on these knots with them.  Soon, praying on knotted ropes was a common practice although the prayers said were not uniform.

Eventually, the prayers were recorded in three sets of five mysteries.  The initial three mysteries were the Glorious, Joyful, and Sorrowful.  Each mystery corresponded to one set of ten Hail Mary prayers, or one decade.  Thus, saying all three sets of mysteries resulted in 150 prayers!

Later, in 2002, Pope John Paul II added a fourth set of mysteries focusing on the public life of Christ, the Luminous mysteries.

Keep Pursuing

Additional Resources

This wonderful site is the most concise and ordered explanation of the rosary I have found:

http://www.rosary-center.org/howto.htm

It is the resource I used when learning the mysteries.

The Sermons We See

 "Sermons We See" by Edgar A. Guest:

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day,
I'd rather one should walk with me than merely show the way.
The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear;
Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear;
And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,
For to see the good in actions is what everybody needs.
I can soon learn how to do it if you'll let me see it done.
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.
And the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true;
But I'd rather get my lesson by observing what you do.
For I may understand you and the high advice you give,
But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

This poem is from the book, "The Light of Faith," by Edgar A. Guest,
copyright 1926 by The Reilly & Lee Co., Chicago.

Keep Pursuing,

Tithing

Tithing is an important aspect of everyone's faith journey, yet it is woefully misunderstood.  Let's fix that!

What is tithing?

Tithing is a sacrificial gift of one's time, talent, and treasure to God.


Where did tithing come from?

Tithing is first mentioned in Genesis 14:18-20.  Abram attributes a victory in battle to God and offers a tenth of the spoils to the high priest Melchizedek in thanksgiving.

After that, tithing becomes frequent.  We see it in Jacob's promise in Genesis 28, in a command from God in Leviticus 27, in Mosaic Law in Deuteronomy 14 and many more times throughout the Old Testament.


Why should you tithe?

First and foremost, you should tithe because it is right and just to give thanks to God for the blessings he has bestowed upon you.

Second, you should tithe because you are required to by the precepts of the Catholic Church.

Third, you should tithe because it is good for you! Tithing accomplishes all of the following:

• SANCTIFIES you because "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
• FULFILLS you by investing you in Christ's mission on Earth to save souls
• WISENS you by preventing you from being overly attached to material things
• HUMBLES you by acknowledging that everything you have came from God
• CHEERS you up because science shows gratitude makes you happy

How should you tithe?

It really is different for every person.  This is  evidenced by stories like "The Widow's Mite" in Luke 21:1-4.  However, I do have four universal guidelines that I believe will help you.

1. You should give of your TIME, TALENT, and TREASURE. (Not just treasure.) God gave you all three, so offer all three up.
2. You should give 'til it hurts. I don't mean agony, but it should affect your life. You should be aware of how much you are giving.  
3. God desires mercy more than sacrifice. (Matthew 9:13) The pain of the sacrifice is not what is important. It is the love behind the giving that really matters.
4. On a logistical note, when planning financials set aside your tithe first. And set aside savings second. Then take care of everything else.  If it isn't a priority it won't happen.

Follow those guidelines and you can't go wrong!  (And if you really need more concrete direction, see the bottom of the Additional Resources below.)

Conclusion

As with all things, God reveals His wisdom and love in tithing.
For it is in sacrificing that we better understand Christ's sacrifice.
And it is in giving what we have, that we receive more than we could ask for.


Keep Pursuing

Additional Resources

Below are three articles by Father Rocky at Relevant Radio saying it better than I ever could:

What does the Church believe about tithing? 

Stewardship and the Three T's  

Thou shalt give ten percent?

And here is Catholic Answers, again, doing a better job than I:

What is the Church's position on tithing?

Here is a link to the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the need to tithe:

"The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities."

Here is a link to what Canon Law has to say about tithing:

"The Christian faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for the works of the apostolate and of charity, and for the decent support of ministers. They are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the precept of the Lord, to assist the poor from their own resources." ~ Can 222_1

There are TONS of Bible verses on tithing.  Check out a lot of them at this link.

Seriously though, how much?

Are you still reading this?!

Well, I meant what I said, it depends on the person.  God gave everyone different blessings to use accordingly. However, if you need some concrete help starting out, consider the following:

Tithing is almost universally understood to mean 10% because that is how much the patriarchs of the Old Testament gave.  Most people should try and start at tithing 10%.

And of that 10%, you don't have to give it all to the Church. I believe a good approach is to give half of your tithe to the Church and the other half to charitable organizations and people in need.

That being said, don't get comfortable!  I have friends whose goal in life is to achieve a "reverse tithe"...giving 90% of their income to charity and only keeping 10% to live on!

Lastly, if Catholics gave just 1% of their income to the Church, the Church would be able to resolve all of its debts and achieve financial freedom.

It may be difficult at first.  It may cause pain re-prioritizing your financials.  But at the end of the day, if Christ's mission (the Church) isn't worth 1% of your time, talent, and treasure.  Can you really say it's important to you?

Are you storing up treasure on Earth?  Or in Heaven?

Bible Verses on Tithing

This is a growing list of Bible verses about tithing:

"Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words: 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand.' Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything." ~ Genesis 14:18-20 

"All tithes of the land, whether in grain from the fields or in fruit from the trees, belong to the LORD, as sacred to him. ~ Leviticus 29:30 

The tithes of the herd and the flock shall be determined by ceding to the LORD as sacred every tenth animal as they are counted by the herdsman's rod." ~ Leviticus 29:32 

"Honor the LORD with your wealth, with first fruits of all your produce" ~ Proverbs 3:9 

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.  But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." ~ Matthew 6:19-21

(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.  When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. ~ Matthew 6:1-4

"Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.  For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." ~ Luke 12:33-34

When he looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood." ~ Luke 21:1-4

There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. ~ Acts 4:34-35 

"We want you to know, brothers, of the grace of God that has been given to the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their profound poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For according to their means, I can testify, and beyond their means, spontaneously," ~ 2 Corinthians 8:1-3

"Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." ~ 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Keep Pursuing

Additional Resources

This is part of a mini-series on tithing