Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

The Rosary

Not on the lute, nor harp of many strings

Shall all men praise the Master of all song.

Our life is brief, one saith, and art is long;

And skilled must be the laureates of kings.

Silent, O lips that utter foolish things!

Rest, awkward fingers striking all notes wrong!

How from your toil shall issue, white and strong,

Music like that God's chosen poet sings?

*

There is one harp that any hand can play,

And from its strings what harmonies arise!

There is one song that any mouth can say,

--A song that lingers when all singing dies.

When on their beads our Mother's children pray

Immortal music charms the grateful skies.

~ Joyce Kilmer

Things to do on the Feast of the Holy Rosary:

* Check out the Fisheaters website has a most complete catalogue about everything rosary-related.

* Read aloud G.K. Chesteron's epic poem The Battle of Lepanto, which describes Christianity's defeat over Islam by the power of the holy rosary. (The boys love this one!)

* For the crayon set, Jennifer at Family in Feast and Feria has the most beautiful online Holy Rosary devotion and coloring book to print out. We're enjoying it through the month of October.

* And here are some more beautiful rosary illustrations to color, and here are some more. Oh! And here is another beautiful one! We're going to have busy crayons around here this month!

* Now, if you're interested in the craft of rosary making, run over to Charlotte's at Waltzing Matilda for a unique approach! We've made rosaries out of all kinds of beads and string, but never have we made a paper bead rosary. We'll be trying this one today, though!

But, most importantly, pray the holy rosary! Love it and teach your children to love it. If it's like taking medicine to you, then, by all means, take the medicine! Don't put it off. Don't make excuses. Every soul needs the balm of this most important of prayers. Every heart needs its loving Heavenly mother. Our families need our prayers, our world needs our prayers! And there are few prayers more powerful than Our Lady's Psalter.