OUR LADY OF THE FAMILY ROSARY 
 
No home on earth is worthy of the 
 great honor of opening its doors to 
 Mary — Mary, Daughter of God the 
 Father, Mother of God the Son, 
 Spouse of God the Holy Ghost. But, 
 gracious Mother that she is, Mary 
 not only invites you, she begs you, to 
 accept this honor. Open wide, then, 
 the doors of your heart and your 
 honne to Mary. 
 
 Recite the Perfect Family Prayer 
 
 THE DAILY 
 FAMILY ROSARY! 
 
The Family Rosary 
 Albany, N. Y. 
 
Copyright, 1944, by 
 The Family Rosary 
 Albany, N. V. 
 
 Imprimt potest: 
 Thomas A. Steiner, C. S. C. 
 Provincial Superior 
 
 Kihil oh 5 tat: 
 Henry J. Zolzer 
 Censor 
 
 Imprimatur : 
 ^Thomas H. McLaughlin 
 Bishop of Paterson 
 
 September 8, 1944 
 Nativity of Our Lady 
 
 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
 BY ST. ANTHONY GUILD PRESS, PATERSON, N. J. 
 
This is a new story — the loveliest story 
 that we know of — the story of the Family 
 
 Rosary. It begins in a little 
 The Rosary house at Nazareth: there, 
 from at the message of an An- 
 
 Life gel, Our Lady conceived 
 
 her Divine Son and began 
 to live the beautiful truths of the Family 
 Rosary — the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glori- 
 ous Mysteries. 
 
 For centuries men and women who were 
 true Christians lived by these eternal truths. 
 
 But a time came in the 
 Failure thirteenth century when 
 
 To Live men forgot them. Chris- 
 
 Efernal Truths tian civilization seemed to 
 
 be dying out. All kinds of 
 disorders had sprung up among peoples and 
 nations. Anti-Christian doctrines were openly 
 oflFered as spiritual food for God's children. 
 
 Then it was that God raised up one of His 
 great saints, Dominic, a learned scholar and 
 
 devoted child of Mary. 
 Taught There seemed to be no 
 
 by 3 hope of saving a sin-op- 
 
 Mother pressed world. Dominic did 
 
 not lose courage. He had 
 
 1 
 
a Mother who would not fail him. With all 
 the fervor of his soul he called upon her. 
 Then, according to tradition, the lovely 
 Queen of Heaven and Earth appeared to 
 him holding a Rosary in her hand, taught 
 him how to pray it, and instructed him to 
 preach it to the world. These are her words 
 telling the secret of its power: "Introduce the 
 Rosary devotion everywhere; teach it to the 
 people and tell them that this devotion is 
 most pleasing to my Divine Son as well as to 
 me. By means of the Rosary devotion, virtue 
 will flourish, vice will be destroyed, heresy 
 will perish, and Divine graces will be ob- 
 tained. The Rosary will be an inexhaustible 
 fountain of every kind of blessing. I promise 
 you that I will prove by many graces how 
 pleasing this devotion is to me and how 
 profitable to the faithful." 
 
 This was what Dominic had been waiting 
 for. He did introduce the Rosary to the 
 
 people, as his Lady asked. 
 Preached but more than that, he 
 
 by a made it his life's work. The 
 
 Son people must have been 
 
 waiting for it, too, for they 
 took it from the churches to their homes. It 
 became the prayer that conquered vice, 
 caused virtue to flourish, and brought Divine 
 graces and blessings to everyone. 
 
 2 
 
For nearly two centuries the Rosary re- 
 mained the great prayer of Christians. Later, 
 when the first ardor for the 
 The Plea Rosary seemed to slacken, 
 
 of a Our Lady appeared to 
 
 Mother Blessed Alan, another of 
 
 her zealous sons. She told 
 him to revive the Rosary, adding that im- 
 mense volumes would be needed to tell of all 
 its miracles. To him, too, she made certain 
 promises. Here are four of them: "He who 
 calls on me through the Rosary shall not per- 
 ish. — The true children of the Rosary shall 
 enjoy a great glory in heaven. — Whatever 
 you ask through the Rosary shall be granted. 
 — Those who propagate my Rosary shall be 
 helped by me in all their necessities." 
 
 The events of the succeeding years proved 
 that she kept her promises. The Mohamme- 
 dans were ready to overrun 
 Salvation of Europe. Mary's Rosary 
 the Christian stopped them by two great 
 World victories, that broke their 
 
 sea power and destroyed 
 the last remnants of their land forces. Pope 
 Clement XI, to commemorate these victories, 
 along with the even greater spiritual victory 
 of St. Dominic and Blessed Alan, com- 
 manded the whole Church to celebrate the 
 Feast of the Most Holy Rosary. 
 
 3 
 
Coming closer to our own times, we have 
 further evidence of the great value of the 
 Rosary. Eighteen times at 
 Recommended Lourdes Our Immaculate 
 +o the Mother appeared to Berna- 
 
 World dette, recited the Rosary 
 
 with her, and recommended 
 the practice to the world. Again, on October 
 13 in 1917, in Fatima, Portugal, Our Lady 
 summed up the greatness of the Rosary by 
 calling herself the Lady of the Rosary. These 
 are her words: "I am the Lady of the Rosary 
 and I have come to warn the faithful to 
 amend their lives and ask pardon for their 
 sins. They must not continue to offend Our 
 Lord, already so deeply oflFended. They must 
 say the Rosary.'^ 
 
 The Rosary has had a glorious past. Our 
 Lady of the Rosary has kept all of her prom- 
 ises. She has saved indi- 
 The viduals, families, nations. 
 
 Family Rosary and the whole world 
 Today through its power. Now 
 
 the Rosary takes on a new 
 glory. It is the family that is threatened to- 
 day. It is the family that must be saved if 
 the world is to be saved. The Rosary has 
 saved the world in the past. It will save the 
 world now by saving the family. But it is 
 no longer the Rosary alone — it is the Fam- 
 
 4 
 
ily Rosary. It is the family saying the Rosary. 
 It is the Rosary saving the family through 
 the family. 
 
 The Rosary by itself has proved its power. 
 The Family Rosary has a new power all its 
 
 own. The family in itself 
 A is already a power: it is 
 
 Family Prayer one of the units upon 
 of Power which society is founded. 
 
 Its bond of unity is mutual 
 love. When such a unit lifts its voice in the 
 Family Rosary, the power of this prayer of 
 the centuries increases as the family becomes 
 one with Jesus Christ Who said, "... where 
 two or three are gathered together for My 
 sake, there am I in the midst of them." 
 
 "Where two or three are gathered to- 
 gether": how much more truly are they 
 gathered together for His sake when it is the 
 family already united by love that is so 
 gathered! How much more triply does the 
 prayer of the Family Rosary ascend as one 
 voice with that of Mary's Son! Prayer is 
 talking to God. The Rosary is Mary's way 
 for us to talk to Him, for she. His Mother, 
 gave us this way, and a mother knows best. 
 When individuals so closely united in love as 
 to form a family talk to God in Mary's way, 
 the power of the prayer is increased. The 
 most powerful prayer said by the members of 
 
 5 
 
life's most powerful social unit, the family, 
 becomes an irresistible plea to God and His 
 Mother, Mary. 
 
 The Family Rosary is a lesson in living. 
 A father and mother on their knees teach 
 
 their children dependence 
 A Family upon God. The simple 
 
 Lesson prayer of the children 
 
 in Living brings back to their 
 
 parents Christ's words, 
 "... whoever does not accept the kingdom of 
 God as a little child will not enter into it." 
 No husband and wife who learn well the les- 
 sons of the Family Rosary can be unfaithful 
 to each other, or live very long in a state 
 of mortal sin. The petty quarrels of brothers 
 and sisters will give way to true love for one 
 another. It is impossible to imagine a family 
 dedicated to the daily recitation of the Fam- 
 ily Rosary, living in enmity with one another 
 or with God. 
 
 The Family Rosary, too, is a practical way 
 to strengthen the unity of family Ufe, so 
 
 easily weakened by the 
 Builder of modern way of living. Fa- 
 
 Family ther, away from home in 
 
 Unity the office or factory most 
 
 of the day, sisters and 
 brothers at work, school, or play, come home 
 often to their own individual interests with 
 
 6 
 
little thought for one another. The Family 
 Rosary, for at least a few short moments of 
 every day, will join them in a bond of loving 
 prayer to God and His Mother. 
 
 Today more than ever there is need of a 
 powerful weapon to protect family life. 
 
 Worldliness and worldly 
 Against doctrines — the sworn ene- 
 
 Worldly mies of the Christian life 
 
 Wickedness — strike first at the family. 
 
 These are stronger forces 
 today than ever before. What hope has any 
 family against them? What hope has family 
 life against the teachings of many college 
 professors on planned parenthood, compan- 
 ionate marriage, divorce, and general immor- 
 ality? The radio, newspapers, comic sheets, 
 and magazines bring these doctrines into the 
 home itself, lay them on the table for all to 
 see, leave them ringing in everyone's ears. 
 Moving pictures with color and sound attract 
 even the wisest and wariest by scenes that 
 make a joke of family life. 
 
 Happily, God provides us with the weapon 
 we need. It is the Family Rosary. The his- 
 tory of the Rosary has 
 Protec+or of proved already how power- 
 ^ Family ful it is against the forces 
 
 Life of sin and evil, whatever 
 
 these forces be. It won the 
 
 7 
 
victories of Lepanto and Temesvar against 
 the Turks, and saved nations when they took 
 the Rosary into their hands. Now it will 
 all the more save the family if the family will 
 only take it into its hands. The Rosary has 
 accomplished great things. In the Providence 
 of God the Family Rosary will do even 
 greater things if families will only use it. 
 
 The power of the Family Rosary is not sur- 
 prising to anyone who realizes the perfection 
 
 of its very make-up. It is a 
 A Prayer living organism, so to 
 
 of Perfect speak, with a perfect body 
 
 Parts and soul. Its body (the 
 
 vocal prayers) is perfect, 
 since it is made up of the sign of our salva- 
 tion and the three greatest prayers of the 
 Catholic Faith. Its soul (the Mysteries) is 
 perfect, too, since these Mysteries are Christ's 
 life — the perfect life — relived again in the 
 mmds of the praying family. 
 
 The first act of the family is the sign of 
 the cross. They begin the perfect family 
 
 prayer in the perfect way. 
 The Sign They sign themselves with 
 
 of the sign of Redemption 
 
 Salvation and with united voice they 
 
 oflFer their Rosary in the 
 Name of the Father and of the Son and of 
 the Holy Ghost, As each member of the 
 
 8 
 
family tenderly holds the cross of salvation, 
 from their hps comes forth a firm and united 
 profession of faith for all that the cross 
 stands for. They recite the Apostles' Creed — 
 a prayer that embraces all the Christian 
 truths and mysteries of our Holy Faith. 
 
 The Our Father raises the family circle to 
 a Divine level. No longer as earthly father, 
 
 mother, son, and daughter 
 Our does the family pray but 
 
 Lord's rather as children of God, 
 
 Composition united into a higher family 
 
 circle where God is Father 
 and Mary Immaculate is Mother. No one 
 but the Son of God Himself could have com- 
 posed a prayer so full of meaning and power. 
 It is not merely a portion of the Gospel; it is 
 a summary of the Gospel — that Gospel by 
 which we must live to be true children of 
 God. 
 
 The Hail Mary is the beautiful prayer 
 that for centuries has been lovingly spoken 
 
 by old and young. Still 
 A today it is on the lips of 
 
 Divine millions — in health, m 
 
 Masterpiece sickness, m death. It is so 
 
 beautiful that it finds its 
 way into music and into song. If we ask our- 
 selves what is the secret of its beauty, the an- 
 swer is that it is God's word-picture of the 
 
 9 
 
loveliest of all creatures, His Mother and 
 ours. Never do we tire of repeating over and 
 over again His beautiful description of Mary. 
 She is full of grace. The Lord is with her. 
 She is blessed among all the women of the 
 world. She is the powerful Mother of God 
 who can help us now and at the hour of our 
 death. Most blessed in the sight of God is 
 the family that brings to life fifty-three times 
 each day this masterpiece of Divine Wisdom. 
 
 The greatest mystery of our Catholic Faith 
 is that of the Most Blessed Trinity: one God 
 in three Divine Persons. A family that says 
 the Family Rosary daily gives glory six times 
 a day to the Blessed Trinity as they raise 
 their voices in the beautiful prayer of praise: 
 "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and 
 to the Holy Ghost." 
 
 The most important part of the Family 
 Rosary is its soul — the meditations on the 
 Joyful, Sorrowful, and 
 The Soul Glorious events in the lives 
 
 of the of Our Lord and of Our 
 
 Rosary Lady. This is the part of 
 
 the Rosary which, accord- 
 ing to tradition, Our Lady took such pains to 
 explain to St. Dominic. It is easy to see why 
 she did this. She wanted, and wants, the 
 prayer of the Rosary to be more than a reci- 
 tation of memorized sentences. She wants it 
 
 10 
 
to be a way for the ordinary person of a busy 
 workaday world to think over the things she 
 and her Son have done for them. She knows 
 that no person with a human heart can ever 
 be ungrateful, forgetful, or cruel once he 
 has understood what pain sin has caused the 
 hearts of the sweetest Mother and Son. She 
 knows that there is no surer way for a per- 
 son to grow up to be worthy to be called a 
 son of God than to review with her, his 
 Mother, some part of the life of the Son of 
 God each day until one finally learns to imi- 
 tate Him so closely that she will say to Jesus: 
 '^Son — behold Thy brother." 
 
 Daily meditation is the spiritual power 
 house of the great leaders of the Church. But 
 it is not for them alone. 
 Power House Every person in the world, 
 of Spiritual no matter what his talents 
 Energy be, can draw from this 
 
 same power house by daily 
 meditation on a portion of the Mysteries of 
 the Rosary. The home that makes a daily 
 practice of the Family Rosary is strong unto 
 selflessness, meets trials courageously, faces 
 life joyously. Father, mother, brothers, and 
 sisters all sense the new feeling of power. 
 The family is not only teeming with life — 
 it is teeming with the Ufe of Christ. 
 
 11 
 
The family will find no difficulty in medi- 
 tating on the Mysteries of the Rosary. Each 
 
 of the Mysteries gives a 
 The snapshot of some event in 
 
 Mind's Eye the Ufe of Jesus and Mary. 
 Sees Meditating means looking 
 
 at that snapshot with the 
 eyes of the mind. At first, if the eyes have 
 not been used to looking at these pictures, 
 they may get a dim, hazy view. But once they 
 are in focus by a little practice, the picture 
 will become clear. Then just one thing can 
 happen — the person behind those eyes will 
 have to say: "Now I see what God and His 
 Mother have done for me. I must do some- 
 thing for them. What can I do to prove that 
 I mean what I say?" Even the seven-year- 
 olds can understand that. They learn before 
 this age to say "Thank you" for a gift. 
 
 There is no one method of meditation, 
 but for an example here is one on the 
 
 first Joyful Mystery. First, 
 An listen carefully as the 
 
 Unforgettable leader announces the Mys- 
 Picture tery. Imagine yourself right 
 
 there in Mary's own room. 
 You watch her praying. You see the Angel 
 Gabriel approach her. You notice that she 
 is frightened as she suddenly sees a strange 
 
 12 
 
person in her room. The sound of his voice 
 is Uke sweet music. She is no longer afraid. 
 You listen to what the Angel is saying: "Hail 
 Mary. ..." The words are on your lips, too. 
 
 "Full of grace " Not another person in 
 
 the world is full of grace, yet how humble 
 Mary is about it all. The Mother of God! 
 
 Such a meditation, or any other that you 
 like, can be used for each of the Joyful, Sor- 
 rowful, and Glorious Mysteries. Later we 
 shall give a short sample meditation for all 
 of them. 
 
 Just as there is no single way of meditat- 
 ing on the Mysteries, so there is no one man- 
 ner of recitation of the 
 The Family Rosary. The most 
 
 Farnily practical way, however, 
 
 Recitations seems to be this: first, at 
 
 the beginning of each dec- 
 ade, let the leader announce the proper Mys- 
 tery so that all may hear. If convenient, the 
 leader may offer a few suggestions to make 
 the meditation easier. He may read the medi- 
 tations which we have placed at the end of 
 this booklet, ot any others he may have. Per- 
 haps he may wish to compose his own. Where 
 practicable, the whole family may together 
 read aloud the meditation fot each Mystery, 
 since the vocal recitation directs the attention 
 
 13 
 
of each one more effectively to the Mystery 
 in hand, and gives all a fuller sense of par- 
 ticipation in the prayer. 
 
 The recitation of the Family Rosary should 
 be the unfailing practice every day in every 
 family, no matter what 
 A may take members of the 
 
 D^ily family away from home. 
 
 Practice As long as two members of 
 
 the family say the Rosary 
 together, they say the Family Rosary, and all 
 the added power of the Family Rosary is pres- 
 ent in their prayer. Of course the entire fam- 
 ily should try to be present. Those members 
 who are deliberately absent not only fail to 
 receive the fruits of the Family Rosary reci- 
 tation which they would receive were they 
 present, but they also weaken the power of 
 the united family plea before God. 
 
 The presence of visitors should never be 
 the occasion for letting a day go by without 
 the Family Rosary. No 
 Win guest at your home, no 
 
 the Family matter what his religion 
 
 Guest may be, would want to feel 
 
 that because of his presence 
 in your home God and Mary were put aside 
 for fear of embarrassing him. Experience has 
 shown that the recitation of the Family Ros- 
 
 14 
 
ary in the presence of visitors has been one 
 of the most fruitful means of spreading the 
 Family Rosary to others. Is it any wonder? 
 If it is a beautiful thing to do, then it is a 
 beautiful thing to see, and those who see it 
 themselves will wish to do it. 
 
 There is no determined time at which to 
 recite the Family Rosary. Different times fit 
 different families. The 
 Recife most popular, however, 
 
 at seems to be after the eve- 
 
 Any Hour ning meal — perhaps even 
 
 before the dishes are 
 washed, while everyone is at the family table. 
 Our Lady, good housekeeper though she is, 
 will not condemn the housewife who delays 
 washing the dishes for ten minutes in order 
 that she may bring to the family table 
 prayers worth an eternity. 
 
 The fruits of the Family Rosary? What 
 is there to say about them? Who can enu- 
 merate them? History tells 
 Value - its story — from Dominic 
 
 Its to Lepanto, from Lourdes 
 
 Indulgences to Fatima, and down to 
 the present day. The beauty 
 of its prayers is beyond comparison, the 
 power of its plea is irresistible. In addition 
 to these fruits the Church grants a special 
 
 15 
 
indulgence to the Family Rosary, because it 
 grants twice the amount to group recitation 
 as to recitation alone. Also, on the last Sun- 
 day of the month, the family that has been 
 faithful to the daily Family Rosary may gain 
 a plenary indulgence by going to confession, 
 receiving Holy Communion, and visiting a 
 church. 
 
 The Rosary is not a new prayer — it goes 
 far back in history. The Family Rosary goes 
 back just as far, and if to- 
 The day families do not every- 
 
 Family Rosary where say the Rosary, it is 
 Crusade not because the Rosary does 
 
 not belong to families but 
 rather because families have failed to belong 
 to the Rosary. This is the reason why, in 
 January of 1942, Father Patrick Peyton, a 
 young priest of the Congregation of Holy 
 Cross, obtained the permission of his supe- 
 riors to dedicate his life to the restoration of 
 the Family Rosary. He is not the creator 
 of the Family Rosary. He is not even the 
 first leader of the present Family Rosary Cru- 
 sade. He has only taken up the cause of 
 the Vicars of Christ. 
 
 The Popes, especially of recent years, have 
 been constant in their plea for the Family 
 
 16 
 
Rosary. Pius IX said: "If 
 Began you desire peace in your 
 
 with the hearts, in your homes, in 
 
 Popes your country, assemble ev- 
 
 ery evening to recite the 
 Rosary." The last plea of this same Father 
 of the Christian Family was: "In the whole 
 of the Vatican there is no greater treasure 
 
 than the Rosary Let the Rosary — this 
 
 simple beautiful method of prayer enriched 
 with many indulgences — be habitually re- 
 cited of an evening in every household. These 
 are my last words to you, the memorial I 
 leave behind me." 
 
 Pope Leo XIII was another great apostle 
 of the Family Rosary. He appealed for it 
 in several encyclicals. These 
 With are some of his words: "It 
 
 Repeated is therefore not only agree- 
 
 Pleas able to the devotion of pri- 
 
 vate persons, but also suit- 
 able to the public needs of the times, 
 that this kind of prayer should be restored 
 to that place of honor which it long held, 
 when each Christian family would sufiFer no 
 day to pass without the recitation of the 
 Rosary." 
 
 Again he said: "The formula of the Ro- 
 sary, too, is excellently adapted to prayer 
 
 17 
 
in common." — "It will not then seem too 
 much to say that ... in families ... in which 
 the Rosary of Mary retains its ancient honor, 
 the loss of Faith through error and vicious 
 ignorance need not be feared." 
 
 The late Pius XI carried the Family Rosary 
 Crusade directly to parents with this mes- 
 sage: "The fathers and mothers of families 
 particularly must give an example to their 
 children, especially when at sunset they gather 
 together . . . and recite the Holy Rosary on 
 bended knees. . . , This is a beautiful and 
 salutary custom, from which certainly there 
 cannot but be derived tranquillity and abun- 
 dance of heavenly gifts for the household." 
 
 And today our present Holy Father 
 preaches the Family Rosary by both word 
 and example. In an ad- 
 And dress to newly wedded 
 
 Humble groups, speaking of the re- 
 
 Example citation of the Rosary he 
 
 said: "You may be sure 
 that in doing so you are insuring the success 
 of your future family life." But to clinch 
 his words with action, each day he gathers 
 the papal household together to recite with 
 them the Family Rosary. 
 
 Father Peyton took up this Crusade of the 
 Holy Fathers in thanksgiving to the Mother 
 
 18 
 
of God for the restoration 
 Modern of his health. He made the 
 
 Rosary first plans for a world-wide 
 
 Crusade Crusade for the Family Ro- 
 
 sary at Holy Cross College, 
 Washington, D. C, in January, 1942. In 
 September of the same year he opened the 
 first Family Rosary Crusade Office in Albany, 
 N. Y. From there the Family Rosary mes- 
 sage went to every church, school, and re- 
 ligious institution in America. So great was 
 the response and enthusiasm of America to 
 this appeal that its effects soon began to be 
 felt in Canada, Cuba, Panama, Newfound- 
 land, Australia, Hawaii, Ireland, and Eng- 
 land. The American hierarchy at their an- 
 nual meeting in 1942 recommended the Fam- 
 ily Rosary to America. Requests for leaflets 
 and pledge-cards poured into the Crusade 
 Office by the thousands. Radio stations in- 
 cluded the Family Rosary on their schedule 
 of programs. Translations were made into 
 Braille and Spanish. French and Italian 
 translations were asked for, too. Personal 
 letters praising the Family Rosary came from 
 cardinals, archbishops, bishops, religious su- 
 periors, national and diocesan leaders of lay 
 organizations; from students and families. 
 The voice of America clamoring for the 
 perfect Family Prayer, is even heard beyond 
 
 19 
 
its own boundaries. Soon, please God, there 
 will be a world-wide united prayer ascending 
 to the Throne of God, the prayer of the 
 Rosary said by millions of families. 
 
 The Family Rosary is not only the family's 
 prayer — it is the family's crusade. As each 
 
 family takes up the prac- 
 The tice of the daily Family 
 
 Family's Rosary, its members become 
 
 Crusade apostles, persuading other 
 
 families of the beauty and 
 power of the Family Rosary, and of the 
 peace and love it will bring into their home. 
 
 There are many apostles and many ways 
 to be an apostle. The Family Rosary said 
 
 for the promotion of this 
 Apostles Crusade has in itself a 
 
 by world-conquering sweep; 
 
 Prayer for like true love it is never 
 
 satisfied until there are no 
 more worlds to win for the beloved. Berna- 
 dette, after she had drawn first a village, 
 then a nation, then a whole world, to Lourdes 
 to say the Rosary, quietly went to a convent 
 to be out of the reach of the world. Yet 
 she knew she had lost none of her marvelous 
 power by so doing — she still had its source, 
 for as she herself said: "I can do two things, 
 I can love Mary and I can say my beads." 
 The family that loves Mary and says the 
 
 20 
 
Family Rosary will draw families to the Fam- 
 ily Rosary as Bernadette drew crowds to 
 Lourdes. 
 
 Crusade apostles have not limited them- 
 selves to prayer alone, but have developed 
 
 methods of organized ac- 
 Aposfles tion. Bishops promote it, 
 
 by pastors make it a parish 
 
 Action project, Army and Navy 
 
 chaplains preach it. Con- 
 gregations of Religious spread it; students 
 of colleges, high schools and grade schools 
 win family pledges; the Catholic press pleads 
 for it; and the lay organizations of Amer- 
 ica have adopted it. 
 
 Great advances have been made, as you 
 see, but the end is still not in sight. There 
 
 is a world to win. Yet even 
 For when that world is won and 
 
 All the Family Rosary Crusade 
 
 Eternity is finished, the Story of the 
 
 Family Rosary will still go 
 on. For it is a living story — a story of the 
 prayer of a living family which will worship 
 God and honor Mary for all eternity. 
 
 21 
 
DIRECTIONS FOR THE 
 FAMILY ROSARY RECITATION 
 
 Vocal Prayers of the Family Rosary 
 ALL: 
 
 In the name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 
 
 LEADER: 
 
 I believe in God the Father Almighty, 
 Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus 
 Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was 
 conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of 
 the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius 
 Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried; 
 He descended into hell; the third day he 
 arose again from the dead; He ascended 
 into heaven; sitteth at the right hand of 
 God the Father Almighty; from thence 
 He shall come to judge the living and 
 the dead. 
 
 GROUP: 
 
 I believe in the Holy Ghost; the Holy 
 Catholic Church; the communion of saints; 
 the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of 
 the body; and life everlasting. Amen. 
 
 LEADER: 
 
 Our Father, Who art in heaven; hal- 
 lowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; 
 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 
 
 22 
 
GROUP: 
 
 Give us this day our daily bread; and 
 forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
 those who trespass against us, and lead us 
 not into temptation; but deliver us from 
 evil. Amen. 
 
 LEADER: 
 
 Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is 
 with thee; blessed art thou among women, 
 and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. 
 
 GROUP: 
 
 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for 
 us sinners, now and at the hour of our 
 death. Amen. 
 
 {Three Hail Marys as above) 
 
 LEADER: 
 
 Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, 
 and to the Holy Ghost. 
 
 GROUP: 
 
 As it was in the beginning, is now, and 
 ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 
 
 LEADER or ALL TOGETHER: 
 
 FIRST MYSTERY 
 
 Announce it. Then give the appropriate 
 meditation — either one suggested below, 
 
 23 
 
or any other you like. The more closely it 
 applies to the particular group the better 
 it is. 
 
 Then: One Our Father 
 Ten Hail Marys 
 One Glory be to the Father 
 
 Leader takes the first part of these pray- 
 ers, the group the last part. 
 
 After the Glory be to the Father is said, 
 announce the second Mystery, then con- 
 tinue as above, and so on for all of the 
 Mysteries, 
 
 24 
 
SAMPLE MEDITATIONS ON THE 
 MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY 
 
 THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES 
 
 Monday and Thursday 
 
 (Also Sundays from the first Sunday 
 of Advent to the first Sunday of Lent) 
 
 Setting the Scene: 
 
 Today may have been a day of sorrow 
 and pain. So many days of Ufe are. But 
 meditation on the five Joyful Mysteries 
 will help to turn sadness into true spir- 
 itual joy. 
 
 The Annuncia+ron: 
 
 An Angel came to you, dear Mother, 
 as you prayed in your home at Nazareth, 
 and told you that you were to be the 
 Mother in the Holy Family and that the 
 Son of God would be your Child. You 
 are God's Mother, but you are our Mother 
 too. God always listens to you. Mother of 
 God and of us all, listen to our prayer. 
 
 ie Visitation: 
 
 Dear Mother Mary, when you left your 
 home to visit your cousin Elizabeth, you 
 brought the Son of God into Elizabeth's 
 home. Through the Family Rosary we in- 
 vite you to bring Him into our home. 
 
 25 
 
The Nativity: 
 
 Mother of Christ, when you brought 
 your Son Jesus into the world, His first 
 home was a cave for animals, but He was 
 happy because you were there to care for 
 Him. We, too, will know real happiness 
 if you come to our home, however humble 
 it be. Come to us, then, as we recite 
 Your Rosary! 
 
 The Presentation: 
 
 In the Temple of Jerusalem, Immaculate 
 Mother, you offered your little Son to the 
 Father to Whom He belonged. Although 
 Simeon prophesied that a sword of sorrow 
 would pierce your heart, yet your joy re- 
 mained because you knew that you and 
 your beloved Son belonged to God. Let 
 us likewise remember that no sorrow can 
 drive away our family joy if we offer our- 
 selves generously to God. 
 
 The Finding in the Temple: 
 
 Dear Mother, after three days of sorrow 
 and searching, you found Jesus and your 
 soul was filled with joy. Never again can 
 you lose Him. Yet daily you seek Him in 
 the soul of each of us in this family circle. 
 May your search be ever rewarded by find- 
 ing Him in our souls when they are free 
 from mortal sin! 
 
 26 
 
THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES 
 
 Tuesday and Friday (also Sundays in Lent) 
 
 Setting the Scene: 
 
 Today you go with Our Lord and His 
 Mother over the way of the Sorrowful 
 Mysteries. There is no need to tell you of 
 sorrow. If you have lived, you have felt it. 
 But let your only sorrow in this short jour- 
 ney be sorrow for sin — yours and the 
 world's. For the rest, let peace, confidence, 
 love, and joy stirred by the thought of so 
 loving a God, be the sentiments of these 
 meditations. 
 
 The Agony In the Garden: 
 
 Dear Lord, permit us to kneel with You 
 as You pray in the Garden. We are sorry 
 because our sins caused you so much suffer- 
 ing. With this Family Rosary we will try 
 to show You that we love You very much. 
 Give us the grace to be always a comfort 
 to You and to Your Sorrowful Mother. 
 
 The Scourging at the Pillar: 
 
 The crack of the whip rings in our ears, 
 dear Lord, as they scourge You. What 
 terrible pain You suffer just for us! Help 
 all in our family to be holy in body and 
 soul. 
 
 27 
 
The Crowning with Thorns: 
 
 Your crown, dear Savior, is made of 
 cruel thorns. Many people will not have 
 You as their King. But You will always 
 be the glorious King Who rules our family. 
 
 The Carrying of the Cross: 
 
 We are walking at Your side, dear Lord. 
 We are carrying crosses, too. You told us 
 that we must. Our crosses are little ones . . . 
 Yours is the heavy cross of Calvary! 
 
 The Crucifixion: 
 
 In spirit we stand at the foot of Your 
 cross, dear Lord. You hang there for three 
 hours. Our Family Rosary takes us only a 
 few minutes, but we will remember all our 
 lives the lesson we are now learning — the 
 lesson of Your great love for us. Dear 
 Jesus, our family thanks You for all that 
 You have suffered for us. 
 
 THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES 
 
 Wednesday and Saturday (also Sundays 
 from Easter to Advent) 
 
 Setting the Scene: 
 
 In life on earth joy follows sorrow and 
 sorrow follows joy, until life ends with the 
 last great sorrow — death. Then joy alone 
 
 28 
 
waiting for us, too. wr.er r : : : 
 
 on the way of the G.cr.cus M iier es. 
 
 The Resurrection: 
 
 Dear Mother, this is a happy day for 
 yoiL Your Son has come back to Uf e, and 
 His glorious body will hve forever. Our 
 bodies, too, will rise from the dead and 
 will hve forever. Help us to live so that 
 our family will be together again in heaven. 
 
 The Ascension: 
 
 Dear Blessed Mother, we kneel beside 
 you as your Divine Son ascends into heav- 
 en. He is going to prepare a place for 
 you — you will be Queen of Heaven and 
 of Earth. Ask Him to prepare a heavenly 
 home tor our ramily. 
 
 The Descent of the Holy Ghost: 
 
 Blessed Mother, our family cannot be 
 good unless the Holy Ghost lives in it. As 
 you prayed vrixh the Apostles, the Holy 
 Spirit came upon them. Pray with us now 
 that during diis Family Rosary the Holy 
 Ghost may come and bring His wonderful 
 gifts to our family circle. 
 
 e Assumption: 
 
 You are in heaven, dearest Mother, body 
 and souL You are preparing a vl3.ce for us. 
 
 29 
 
You made a promise that the true children 
 of the Rosary would enjoy great glory in 
 heaven. We know that you will keep that 
 promise. 
 
 The Coronation: 
 
 Your Son, Jesus, dear Lady, is the King 
 in our family. You are the Queen. Our 
 Lord has promised to be with us when we 
 pray in the family group. We know that 
 you, too, are in our midst when we say your 
 favorite prayer — the Daily Family Rosary. 
 
 30 
 
AIL, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy; 
 our life, our sweefness, and our hope! 
 To thee do we cry, poor banished children 
 of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, 
 nnourning and weeping in this valley of 
 tears. Turn, then, nnost gracious advocate, 
 thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after 
 this our exile show unto us the blessed 
 fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O 
 loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. 
 
 V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. 
 R. That we may be made worthy of the 
 promises of Christ. 
 
 Let Us Pray 
 
 GOD, Whose only-begotten Son, by 
 hHis life, death, and resurrection, hath 
 purchased for us the rewards of everlasting 
 life, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who 
 meditate upon these Mysteries of the most 
 Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary 
 may both imitate what they contain and 
 attain to what they promise. Through the 
 same Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
HERE is no greater hope for 
 earth than the sight of father, 
 mother, brothers, and sisters on 
 their knees together in the quiet of 
 their home saying the Rosary. On 
 their lips, the Words of God. ... In 
 their hearts, the Love of Mary. . . . 
 Within their home, all the Special 
 Graces and Blessings God pours 
 down on those who make their home 
 a home of the Daily Family Rosary. 
 
 For additional copies of this booklet or 
 other literature on the Family Rosary, 
 address : 
 
 The Reverend Patrick Peyton, C. S. 0. 
 The Family Rosary 
 923 Madison Avenue 
 Albany 3, N. Y.