My name is Emma. I’m 45, married and have 3 children. I was feeling anxious and helpless in the face of events all over the world. I often thought about the war threatening to spread, the epidemics in the news, the unstable climate… I was worried about my children’s future in this world that has lost all its bearings.

I shared my concerns with a priest during confession. He said to me:

« There is a simple and very effective remedy that the Virgin Mary gives us: praying the Rosary. »

I wasn’t at all convinced, as this repetitive form of prayer never appealed to me and seemed very boring.

Shortly afterwards, I met a friend I hadn’t seen for a long time. I was surprised by her joy and serenity. She explained that she had made a pilgrimage to Lourdes a few months ago. On her return, she commited to pray her Rosary every day, which brought her a certain inner joy.

After a few days’ reflection, I got back in touch with this friend to tell her how difficult it was for me to recite the Rosary, because I couldn’t see the point of it. For her, the Rosary is a way of immersing oneself in important moments in the lives of Jesus and Mary, meditating on each mystery:

“For the mystery of Jesus’ birth, I enter the scene: I’m present in the crib, surrounded by Mary and Joseph, and I adore the Infant Jesus. For the mystery of the crucifixion, I’m at the foot of the Cross, sharing the sufferings of Mary and John before the crucified Christ. The Hail Mary prayer is a support for meditation.”

When I heard my friend speak, something clicked and I realized that praying the Rosary was much richer and more interesting than I had imagined.

From that day on, I started praying the Rosary every morning. I found a way to enter more easily into the scene of the mystery: it’s to add, in the Hail Mary, one or a few words that summarize the mystery; for example, “and Jesus, your child born in a manger, is blessed…” or “and Jesus, your crucified child, is blessed...”. And so I began to really appreciate this prayer of the Rosary, entering more and more into each highlight of Jesus’ life.

Gradually, I felt moments of peace: I was less stressed, less anxious, I slept better. I was also more confident and therefore “cooler” with my children.

One day, while listening to the Rosary on Maria Radio in my car, I discovered that you could add intentions for each decade of Hail Marys. I thought it was great to be able to offer these prayers either for the world, or for the sick, or for my family, for priests, and above all for Peace!

I’ve come to understand that my prayer, together with that of others, has the power to change the course of events. It gives me a boost and helps me to stick to it every day.

Now I feel calm and serene. I leave all my worries in the hands of the Lord.
I bless Mary for the journey I’ve made with her thanks to this new way of praying the Rosary that I’ve discovered!

I pray that you too will be able to taste the fruits of this beautiful prayer!