The Rosary is a unique prayer. It allows us to contemplate the life of Jesus together with the person who knows him better than anyone else: Mary. By repeating the Hail Marys, we enter the pure dimension of love, where the words are always repeated because there is only one important thing to say: “I love you!” 10, 20, 30… times. And as we make our declaration of love, the mind returns to the story behind that “I love you”: when we first met, the moments we shared, the joy of having met… This is the Rosary, the prayer that tells the love story with Jesus through Mary's eyes.

A prayer necessary for humanity

The Rosary is a prayer that draws from the Gospel and is a weapon for spiritual combat, especially in these times when we are called to choose between light and darkness.
In various apparitions, the Virgin Mary indicated the Rosary as the prayer most necessary for humanity. In the mid-19th century, the Mother of God appeared at Lourdes with a long Rosary hanging from her arm.
In 1917, she appeared at Fatima and, in each of the six apparitions, invited people to pray the holy Rosary every day. Later, Sister Lucia of Fatima, a trustworthy person, said:  “There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult, that cannot be solved by praying the holy Rosary.”

The promises to Blessed Alan de la Roche

However, the Rosary, with the characteristics we know today, achieved its greatest spread in the 15th century thanks to Blessed Alan de la Roche, who called this prayer the “Psalter of the Virgin.” This Dominican received fifteen beautiful promises directly from the Mother of God, linked to praying the Rosary:

1. Those who faithfully serve me by reciting my Rosary will receive special graces.
2. To all those who devoutly recite my Rosary, I promise my special protection and great graces.
3. The Rosary will be a most powerful weapon against Hell; it will destroy vices, dispel sin, and overthrow heresies.
4. It will make virtues and holy works flourish again, obtain abundant mercies from God for the faithful, and draw people's hearts away from love of the world and its vanities toward love of God, elevating them to desire eternal things. How many souls will be saved through this means!
5. The soul that commends itself to me through my Rosary will not perish.
6. Whoever devoutly prays the holy Rosary while contemplating the mysteries will not be abandoned by the Lord: they will not die a sudden death while in God's disfavor; rather, if a sinner, they will convert, and if righteous, they will remain in grace, and they will be made worthy of eternal life.
7. The true devotees of my Rosary will not die without the sacraments.
8. I want those who pray my Rosary to have the light and fullness of grace in life, and at death to be admitted to share in the merits of the blessed in Paradise.
9. Every day I free souls devoted to the Rosary from Purgatory.
10. The true children of my Rosary will enjoy great glory in heaven.
11. Everything you ask for through it, you will obtain.
12. Those who spread the Rosary will be aided by me in all their needs.
13. I have obtained from my Son that all supporters of the Rosary may have the entire heavenly court as their intercessors in life and in death.
14. Those who pray my Rosary are my children and brothers of Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

Let us then make the Rosary our daily personal prayer, and we will see wonders blossom in our days; and if we think we do not have time, let us learn to “fill” the many empty spaces we have throughout the day with the Rosary: while driving, when waiting for someone, in line at the post office or supermarket. Jesus and Mary will become the friends who always keep us company, and every moment will become rich in meaning!