Throughout my life, I’ve gone through phases where I’ve LOVED praying the Rosary, I’ve dreaded praying the Rosary, and where I didn’t pray it at all.

During the times I dreaded it or avoided it altogether, it was usually because I told myself I “didn’t have time” or I couldn’t concentrate on the mysteries without getting hopelessly distracted.  A friend of mine summed it up nicely when she told me her Hail Marys usually sounded like this – “Hail Mary, full of grace, I forgot to turn on the dishwasher and where is your homework and someone let the dog out…”  Boy, could I identify with that!  

Several years back, I solved the distraction problem with this little gem.  The Scriptural Rosary book helps me meditate on a tiny nugget of each mystery, so that I don’t lose focus during each decade.  I love that even with my abysmally short attention span, this little prayer aid does wonders to draw me into each mystery.

Once I began using this book, and truly being mesmerized by the mysteries of the Rosary, my only excuse was that I didn’t “have time” to say it.  This is interesting, since the average Rosary only takes about 17 minutes to complete. Not only that, but it might just be the most 17 relaxing minutes of our day!  Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote:

“The Rosary is psychologically one of the greatest prayers, because it draws all our scattered human energies, mind, lips, and fingertips, into a single, unifying purpose. To those who find prayer difficult, the rhythmic movement of the fingers induces spiritual thoughts. To those who are used to mental prayer, the spiritual gains a new dimension when it spills over into the body and comes out on the tips of the fingers.”

How poetic is that?

So, at the suggestion of the Internet (can’t remember where I read it first, though it seems like it was in several places within a short period of time), I started out slowly.  Just a decade a day was my initial goal.  I did this for a week or two, then gradually added a decade here and there throughout the day.  Truth be told, once I became more determined to pray the Rosary more often, the longer my attention span has started to grow.  Now, I’m able to pray a complete Rosary between 3-5 times a week.  My ultimate goal is to pray the Rosary daily.

How do I keep track of what decade, or prayer, I am on if I get interrupted by a phone call, staff meeting, or bathtime?  I’m glad you asked!  I have this beautiful, unique Rosary bracelet to help me.

One of the vendors (and incidentally, my roomie!) at Edel, the bubbly Shannon of Organic Mama’s Shop, has created a lovely, functional Rosary bracelet.  I have had my bracelet since July, and have gotten countless compliments on its beauty!  I love it SO much, and here’s why: it’s made of memory wire, for a fully-custom, wrap-around fit; the stone color choices are breathtaking; and my favorite feature is that there is a removable medal that you can clip onto the bracelet, saving your place when your Rosary is interrupted.  No more struggling all day to remember where you left off!  Best of all, Shannon offers free repairs of her items if needed (you pay shipping.)  Can’t beat that customer service!

And now, for the SUPER exciting part: for OeLeM readers, Shannon has graciously offered a whopping 20% off of your entire order from now through November 30th!  Just use the coupon code CAJUN at checkout to see your discount applied.  While you’re shopping, be sure to check out her other offerings, like her jewelry for nursing moms, lightweight earrings, and new novena bracelets!  Don’t forget that Christmas is around the corner!  Get your shopping done early…and from the comfort of your comfy couch and PJ’s!

Whatever small baby steps you need to take to make the Rosary a part of your daily routine, start today.  If you need some extra motivation to get started, The Fifteen Promises of the Rosary as given to St. Dominic are listed over at EWTN.