Caroline Godin shares 6 tips for praying the Rosary anytime, anywhere.
When Mary appeared to the shepherd children at Fatima, she asked that we pray the Rosary daily. For tips on how to make this possible in your busy life, read on.
We all want to be holy, but this world doesn't always make that easy, so it's a challenge. I certainly find it challenging while working, raising three kids, managing a house, and doing other assignments.
I created a lovely habit years ago in which I would pray the Rosary every day on the way to work. I didn't use beads because I was driving; I used my fingers, although I could have used a finger rosary. During Lent, I would pray both on the way to work and on the way home. The flaw here was that I didn't tend to pray the Rosary any other time—not on weekends or days off. I just didn't make the time.
Last October, things changed. I no longer had a job to drive to. Amidst all kinds of stress and uncertainty, I started a new, far better habit. I prayed the Rosary every night while putting my littlest one to bed. Sometimes I grabbed a set of beads from my oldest son. He has a collection, and rosaries hang all over his room that the little one now shares. Sometimes I use my hands if I'm too spent to walk across the room—it happens.
On the nights I go to martial arts with my daughter or teach a religious education class, my husband puts the little guy to bed. In that case, I need to make another time to pray the Rosary. To be honest, sometimes it's happened in the shower. I've been faithful to this every day since being home. There have been times I've done my Rosary late at night in my bed, as quietly as possible, not to wake my husband because I'd nearly forgotten that day! I've even done my Rosary, been interrupted by something or someone, held my place with my fingers or on a bead while completing a task for someone, then resuming. Nope, you didn't interrupt; I just like holding my fingers together!
We lead busy lives, especially as parents, and we must adapt. Putting prayers first helps to center us, getting our minds back on God. It's like a sigh of relief or a breath between craziness. It is possible to say a daily Rosary, which only takes about 15 minutes. It's true I lose track sometimes and say some extra Hail Marys. Sometimes I add an extra Hail Mary at the end just for good measure because—me! In this case, if some are good, more is better, right?
Apparently, I'm doing something right because my middle kiddo is now praying the Rosary. He's agreed to pray it on the 13th of every month, but it's good to start somewhere! My motherly goal is to get the whole family into it. We're getting better. I'm grateful for one thing: Mary told the children at Fatima that if we pray the Rosary daily, she will make every one of them as devoted as the most devoted. I'm still working on that perfect Rosary, but that tidbit helps me not get discouraged when I know a Rosary isn't prayed as "holy" as it ought to be.
Try these six ways to pray the blessed Rosary when your hands are busy:
- No beads? Use your knuckles! Use both hands or just one. When using one hand, count going out (thumb to pinky), then count back in (pinky, again, to thumb) on a different bend.
- Driving (Yes, with two hands on the wheel this is still possible!). Use one hand to count through a decade by lifting a finger (I start with my thumb) for each Hail Mary. I put them down for the second half of the decade or use the other hand for the other half.
- Folding laundry. Hands busy? Use your feet! Former ballet dancer here so I use the five feet positions on the right, then the left. Yes, first and second positions are the same on both sides, but I just remember it’s the second set.
- Sitting down. Use your feet this way too! Tuck one foot under the chair and use the other to point to the four corners of an imaginary square below. Do the other side too. That’s eight. Now, do both out, then both in—ten!
- Preparing food. Grab 10 grapes, nuts, blueberries, or anything small and easily countable. Move it from one small bowl or side of the counter to the other as you go.
- Make up your own. If you can find a visual, tactile, or mental (envisioning) way of keeping track of 10, you can do this with anything, anywhere, any time!
Copyright 2022 Caroline Godin
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