About the Rosary
 | The word rosary comes from Latin and means a garland of roses, the rose being one of the flowers used to symbolize the Virgin Mary. If you were to ask what object is most emblematic of Catholics, people would probably say, "The rosary, of course." We’re familiar with the images: the silently moving lips of the old woman with her beads; the rosary hanging from the rearview mirror. After Vatican II the rosary fell into relative disuse. The same is true for Marian devotions as a whole. But in recent years the rosary has made a comeback, and not just among Catholics. Many from the Church of England now say the rosary, recognizing it as a truly biblical form of prayer—after all, the prayers that comprise it come mainly from the Bible. The rosary is a devotion in honor of the Virgin Mary. It consists of a set number of specific prayers. First are the introductory prayers: one Apostles’ Creed (Credo), one Our Father (the Pater Noster or the Lord’s Prayer), three Hail Mary’s (Ave’s), one Glory Be (Gloria Patri). |
He prayed the Rosary
"Sir, do you still believe in such outdated things?" asked the student of the old man."
"Yes, I do. Do you not?" asked the man.
The student burst out into a laughter and said, "I do not believe in such silly things. Take my advice. Throw the rosary out through this window, and learn what science has to say about it".
"Science? I do not understand this science? Perhaps you can explain it to me.", the man said humbly with some tears in his eyes.
The student saw that the man was deeply moved. So to avoid further hurting the feelings of the man, he said: "Please give me your address and I will send you some literature to help you on the matter."
The man fumbled in the inside pocket of his coat and gave the boy his visiting card. On glancing at the card, the student, lowered his head in shame and became silent. On the card he read:
"Louis Pasteur, Director of the Institute of Scientific Research, Paris."