How to Choose the Right Rosary for You : A guest post

Hello friends!  As I am still unable to post something today, I decided to post something from a friend I met online, Megan Dahle.  She's a fellow Catholic from Harrisburg, South Dakota.

How to Choose the Right Rosary for You

For millions, the rosary is something so much more than a decoration inside the home.

If you’re one of those millions, choosing that special rosary that is just right for you is an extremely important selection to make.

Praying the Rosary

The rosary is a set of prayers designed to venerate the Holy Mother. Use of a set of rosary beads when praying the rosary provides a physical means of keeping count of the prayers as they’re recited. Your fingers move along the string of beads as you recite the prayers. This leaves your mind free to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary.

Rosary beads are physical objects that represent a part of our faith. This makes them highly personal. While all the faithful basically perform the ritual of praying the rosary in the same manner, the special connection the rosary brings to our faith holds specific meaning to each of us individually.

Choosing Your Rosary

Rosary beads are a string of beads formed into a closed circle. Each of us has the choice of purchasing a pre-made rosary for our personal use or creating a customized string of beads that symbolizes our private faith. Whichever you prefer, the rosary you choose is important because picking the rosary that is right for you will increase the likelihood that you will actually use it.

Not only do you need a rosary that is visually appealing to you, it needs to feel good in your hands.

When you find the rosary beads that are just right for you, your rosary becomes a motivator that calls you to prayer instead of a fashion accessory or keychain that gets forgotten in a drawer.

Length of Your Rosary

The length of the string of rosary beads can make a difference. Shorter rosaries are commonly adorned with wooden beads linked together with a cord instead of a metal chain. The beads are usually close together with little free space between. Longer rosaries tend to have the beads spaced out a bit more, with links of metal chain providing the space between them.

A shorter rosary may make it more difficult for your fingers to slide along the string. Without a definite space between the beads, your fingers may accidently skip a bead. This will throw off your count of the prayers you’re reciting. Shorter rosaries are easier to tuck into a pocket or purse when you’ve completed your prayers.

The longer rosaries make it easier to count your prayers with confidence because the spaces make it easier to slide your fingers from bead to bead. The space between the beads lets you count without having to look down at the beads. Longer strings can tangle more easily, however, and will require more space to store when not being used. One way to safely store a long rosary is to keep it in a soft pouch.

The Feel of the Beads

How the beads feel when you touch them makes a difference. They should feel comfortable to your touch so as not to distract you from your meditation and prayers. Beads with a smooth surface will flow through your fingers easily. Faceted beads with a jewelry-like structure are usually more visually appealing but won’t move as smoothly through your hands.

Beads with a multifaceted cut will reflect the light, creating a cascade of sparkly points of colored light that may dance around a room. Rosaries made with each bead resembling a precious stone, or glass birthstone rosaries, make gorgeous strings of prayer beads. While looking great, remember that they will not glide effortlessly through your fingers.

The bottom line comes down to this: Do you want a rosary that is pleasing to your hands, or to your eyes?

Basic Design or Fancy Customization?

If you’re thinking of giving a rosary to a new Catholic, a selection that is rather plain and basic may be your best bet. Super-fancy rosaries may be overwhelming to a budding Catholic or a child. A plain rosary is usually characterized by round beads, generally wood or plastic, strung on a slender cord-like rope. These are usually inexpensive, so you haven’t lost a big investment if a child loses his or her rosary.

Remember that the rosary beads are designed to call to you and to encourage you to pray. You’ll need to ask yourself if the inexpensive, plain rosaries will do this for you. Would a more elaborate or decorative rosary provide you more motivation to pray the rosary? If you know that a visually beautiful, ornate rosary will encourage you to use it more often, then your choice becomes fairly obvious.

Special Devotion Rosary

Special devotion rosaries generally have a centerpiece that is associated with a specific saint or a particular devotion. These rosaries hold a special meaning to those holding them. The beads will usually fall in line with the theme of the centerpiece.

An example would be the Divine Mercy rosary that has a centerpiece of the Divine Mercy image of Jesus. The beads in this rosary will usually have red and white swirls to signify the red and white rays that radiate from Jesus’s heart.

If you have a specific devotion that is important to you, a special devotion rosary may help you to focus on these intentions when you pray the rosary.

Men vs. Women

When you’re choosing a rosary for yourself, or looking to give one as a gift, make certain you choose one that fits the person who will be using it. For a man, don’t pick one that is strung with jewelry-like, fancy decorative beads. A man’s rosary is usually made with larger beads in a dark brown or black color. A man’s bigger hands can manage the larger beads better, and the darker shades of beads project masculinity.

For women, consider the age of the recipient. If you’re choosing one for your mother or another adult female, choose a beautiful color that you know she will love. A classic, timeless rosary with an ornate crucifix as a centerpiece is generally a sure hit. A carefully chosen rosary can become a treasured heirloom that she passes down to the next generation.

Visit Megan at her blog today.