18th Week of Ordinary Time

With the tune of 'My favorite things' in mind I say... These are a few of my favorite Saints!

On July 31 we remember St. Ignatius of Loyola, on August 1 St. Alphonsus Ligouri, on August 4 St. John Vianney and August 8th its St. Dominic! What a great few days of Saintly celebrations and inspirations!  No less than 3 of those Saints became founders of Religious Orders; St. Ignatius Loyola founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits); St. Alphonsus de Ligouri, Doctor of the Church and founder of the Redemptorists; St. Dominic founder of the Dominicans.  

These three Religious Orders have been profoundly influential among both believers and non believers and their apostolic missions changed the societies of their times and the world for the centuries to come.  For those who might doubt the impact and influence that one person of faith can have, despite challenges and opposition, I highly recommend studying or reviewing the history of these men and those men and women who joined with them in response to God’s call on their lives.  You are one person, but God can do considerably more in, with and through you than you could possibly imagine!
 
One of the legacies that is attributed to Saint Dominic (1221 ad), is the invention of the Rosary, at least in a form similar to what we have now. There is a pious tradition based on ‘word of mouth’ and the more than a dozen instances of Pope’s referring to the connection between the Rosary and St. Dominic. What seems to be indisputable is that St. Dominic promoted praying the Rosary as part of his preaching ministry, work with the poor, and for those who struggled, strayed and were fallen in the faith.  

​Speaking of the history of the Rosary, Father William Saunders wrote, “the structure of the rosary gradually evolved between the 12th and 15th centuries. Eventually 50 Hail Marys were recited and linked with verses of psalms or other phrases evoking the lives of Jesus and Mary. During this time, this prayer form became known as the rosarium ("rose garden"), actually a common term to designate a collection of similar material, such as an anthology of stories on the same subject or theme. During the 16th century, the structure of the five-decade rosary based on the three sets of mysteries prevailed.”

How to Pray the Rosary
Father Patrick Peyton - The Rosary Priest
The Family Rosary Facebook Page