I vaguely remember his name. We certainly weren’t friends. I wouldn’t even go as far as to say I liked him, but the brief interaction we had changed and continues to change my life. As I recall, it was in 1996. I was working for a small manufacturing company and was a young up and coming executive on a fast-track career with visions of a grand future. He was the newly hired head of manufacturing; perhaps a threat to my future there, but I had much bigger plans. I was head of our European business, which was soaring at the time, so I needed him to be attentive to “my” growing business. Relationships are always key, and I knew it was important that we worked well together, regardless of whether he or I “liked” one another.
I had recently returned from a 3-year expat assignment in Germany with my newborn son and wife. Big house, big job, big everything including big head. They do tend to go together, but something was wrong. Little did I know that a big change was coming. Of course, that’s how it always is once you figure out who’s really in charge. I don’t remember the context, but I do remember the conversation and somehow, we got on the topic of religion and specifically being Catholic. It’s not a topic you typically discuss at work, and certainly not one I would raise, so I will credit him on this one. Again, I don’t remember the context, but amid it he reached into his pocket and pulled out a Rosary. “Carry it with me every day,” he said. I’m sure he told me his story as to why, but I truly don’t remember. I only know that since that day, I’ve done the same, and I will try to explain my “why” in the process. I stress the word “try” because there is a part of me that really doesn’t know why.
My journey with the Rosary actually began in 6th grade. Sister Estelle, probably the best teacher I ever had, introduced our class to the Rosary. She taught us how to pray, and we did a decade regularly. I remember even praying a decade at home at night. She had a much greater impact on my education than the Rosary, but this was one thing I remember about my 6th Grade teacher. Funny how that is. I recall she had it in her hand quite often. I don’t remember ever praying the Rosary after that, but I never forgot Sister Estelle, and years later I think about that powerful prayer she taught us.
Back to 1996, this was a challenging year of transformation for me and little did I know that it was the beginning of a turning point for me in life. My fast-moving career was wobbling. I knew where I wanted to go but couldn’t seem to get there. I had always been close to Christ so praying was something I would always resort to and following my colleague’s lead I began to carry a Rosary with me every day, and now 34 years later, I still have it in my pocket. It has been with me through over 30 countries, countless airport check-ins, dozens of hotels and who knows whatever else.
Every time I put my hand in my pocket it is a reminder that Christ and Mary are with me. Those are the involuntary times. There are also those voluntary times when I purposefully put my hand in and hold tight for help. Having the Rosary with me has become the single most important thing I carry, and in those very rare occasions when it is not there, I feel like something is missing. Is it the same Rosary since 1996? Absolutely not. I’ve had several. Some have broken which I still have. Unfortunately, I probably lost one or two having only the consolation that someone else picked it up and now carries it. Then there are others which . . . well that’s another part of the story, the most important part.
Carrying a Rosary is just something I began to do. Call it a constant companion and reminder. However, little did I know that carrying the Rosary was just the beginning of my journey. I don’t remember how it happened, but as I began to carry it every day to work, something must have moved me to start using it. Seems obvious, doesn’t it? Why have it if you don’t use it? (At this point, if you have a Rosary, you should be asking yourself the same question.)
Remember, this was a particularly challenging time in my life, and I was not at all averse to prayer, but the Rosary? That’s more than a prayer. Now, I’m remembering Sister Estelle and an 11-year-old thinking, ‘Again Sister, 10 Hail Mary’s?” Fortunately, as an adult 10 didn’t seem too difficult, and so I think that’s how it began. But when? Before work with three little boys to help get ready for school, and breakfast and the morning news. Who had time? Then it occurred to me that I might be able to “carve” out time on the drive to work between my in-car concerts (I like to sing) and the morning “say nothing” radio shows. Yes, that could work and so I began a decade a day, or something like that. Perfect, 5 decades, 5 days of the week, take a break on the weekends. And so it began, my car became a place for prayer.
I think praying the Rosary is when the deeper pull of the Rosary begins, and 10 becomes 20, or maybe a decade in the morning and decade at night, and overtime you are saying a full Rosary. It’s the kind of prayer you can say with tremendous devotion, but it’s also the kind of prayer that you can do without any thinking at all. It was during these latter times that I began to realize and appreciate quiet and eventually peace. I now rarely listen to the car radio, and often just pray intermingling my thoughts about the day, about life, about everything with praying the Rosary. The building up of saying a complete Rosary took time, but it ultimately became a part of my day. But it doesn’t stop there. The pull continues.
As I prayed the Rosary, I sought more from it. At some point, I came across a card explaining how to pray the Rosary. I’m not sure when, and yes, you would have thought I already knew how, but I was 11 years old a long time ago. I think it was with this card that I began to recall the Mysteries, all 15 of them (5 Joyful, 5 Sorrowful, 5 Glorious) and now the additional 5 (Luminous). Of course, it was easy to incorporate a reflection on these to my daily Rosary. This helped a great deal in bringing even more meaning to this powerful prayer. Throughout this time, I travelled internationally, and had to be creative in making time to say my daily Rosary, and as life went on and responsibilities increased, and life’s journey seemed at times overwhelming the devotion and need grew. Where at one time the Rosary was pulling me closer, I was now pulling it closer to me and holding tight.
So, you might be still wondering what happened to those other Rosary’s. It’s very simple. I wore them out. One Rosary a day was not enough, and it has now grown to a point of four (at least) every day. It is no longer just a prayer; it is part of my Spiritual breathing. It has and continues to give me so much, and there is more. I live Christ’s and Mary’s journey from the Annunciation to the Coronation everyday through the Rosary. It allows me to prioritize what is infinitely most important, my love for God “with all my heart, soul, mind and strength,” (Mark 12:30). It is my rock in the middle of the ocean when waters begin to swell, and it is my deeper peace when all is calm and well.
Oh yes, the one million. Where does that come from? Sometime ago, I was quietly thinking about my journey with the Rosary. Something must have prompted me to think about the number of Hail Mary’s I’ve said, so I did a quick calculation: 200 a day (probably more) x 365 days a year over, I’m guessing 15 years, not counting the many years of one Rosary or even one decade. Yes, I’m sure it’s more than 1 million, but I thought that sounded like a better title. It really doesn’t matter. The real point is what it has done for me, and I only wish I started earlier and could title this “20 million Hail Mary’s” because I’ve learned, as promised, that whatever you give in this prayer you get in an unimaginable number of blessings.
But, contrary to what you might think, I won’t recommend that you pray the Rosary, but only that you start to pray the Rosary, or perhaps start to carry it with you. The Rosary will take care of the rest.
Here is some additional highly recommended reading.
- The story of the Rosary
- The 15 promises of the Rosary
- The Secret of the Rosary, Saint Louis de Montfort (recommended by Pope John Paul II)