The Rosary is both a weapon and a rose

The Rosary is both a weapon for spiritual warfare and a rose presented as a gift to the Virgin Mary, said a TOR (Third Order Regular) friar during a talk on the importance of the prayer...

Brother Daniel Klimek, TOR, who holds a doctorate in spirituality from the Catholic University of America, said that the Rosary is a unique gift which allows Catholics to both defend themselves in spiritual warfare and honor the Virgin Mary by presenting her with spiritual roses… “Wars and bloody crimes have been stopped through the spiritual weapon of the Rosary,” Klimek said. “If you’re facing a spiritual enemy, then you better be using a spiritual weapon.”

… However, the Rosary is not just a spiritual sword, said Klimek. He said that praying the Rosary is also an act of intimacy with the Virgin Mary; each Hail Mary prayed is like presenting her with a rose to show love for her.

“If each Hail Mary is a rose, then what an act of intimacy of prayer the Rosary is,” Klimek said. “The Rosary is grace in action.”

… Junior nursing major Anna Brewer said the talk was a “beautiful reflection” on how the Rosary is both a spiritual weapon and a source of consolation: “Seeing the Rosary as a spiritual rose reminded me of being a little girl and gathering flowers for my mother,” she said. “I can remember the smile on her face when I would give the flowers to her so I can only imagine what it’s like for the Virgin Mary when I pray the Rosary.”

By Elisha Valledares-Cormier