Is The Rosary A Weapon or A Tool?

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For so long I cringed whenever I heard someone call the Rosary a weapon.  I tend toward non-violence, so I insisted that the Rosary is not a weapon.  It is a tool.  The word weapon connotes violence, while the word tool connotes life building and enhancing, which is what I thought the Rosary was about.

With time, though, I have come to embrace the and-ness of the Rosary.  That is, the Rosary is not one or the other, but it is both, according to the circumstances.  It is a tool primarily, but every now and then, it must be used as a weapon. 

So, primarily, it brings Catholics and non-Catholics together, with Jesus Christ, Mary, the Saints, the whole Church, and each other, to improve our lives and afterlives.  It also brings peace in people's lives so they can be God-centered in their decisions.
Sometimes, however, the Rosary is needed as a weapon, to ward off the Devil, for example.  It is needed as such when the Devil is taunting one's soul, like oppressive leaders who slowly take away one liberty after another after another, making false promises along the way.  It is also needed as a weapon when the Devil is aggressive and suddenly attacks a soul, similar to a robber who suddenly and unexpectedly kills the home owner. Whatever tactics the Devil uses, for ultimate protection, the Rosary must become a weapon.  It is like our screwdrivers (tools) becoming daggers (weapons) when we are attacked by that robber.

Tool first; weapon second.

I pray that more people come to know, love and pray the Rosary.
Learn to pray it at http://www.angelfire.com/realm/klossg0/ros_slds.html


For Scriptural References, visit http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/rosary/scripture.htm

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PERSONAL ASIDE
On October 7, 1997, which is the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary, I returned to the Roman Catholic Church after leaving it for a Protestant sect.  Since then, the Rosary has been an (almost) daily devotion of mine. I carry the beads with me at all times. In fact, when I was hit by a car as a pedestrian in 1998, I was right outside the church where I just finished praying my Daily Rosary. Mary had to have followed me, because I'm still here.

I first learned the Rosary by doing one decade at a time, i.e. one set of 10 beads per day. I read meditations for that particular mystery, and then I prayerfully prayed it. I wanted to absorb the richness of each mystery as I worked my way up to reading five meditations and praying five sets of 10 beads per day.

I was blessed at the time to have a church within walking distance that stayed open during the day.  I eventually made it to two mysteries a day, and then three and then five. Since I try to follow the motto "Easy Does It," I encourage other newcomers to the Rosary to try the same approach.
 
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image - http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11154119/Imitation_Pearl_Beads_Rosary_Necklaces.jpg
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