Since Our Blessed Lady asked in 1917 for the Rosary to be said daily we all struggle to comply. This morning I was in our local garage collecting my car. The secretary there is a very good Catholic women and we discussed the godless state of the world.
Then to uplift the conversation which was fast depressing both of us we changed the subject to the need for prayer.
The Rosary was the main topic. We complained how hard it is to “get it said” every day. On the other hand I know people who can rattle off over seven Rosaries every day. I mean every day.
My own problem and peeve is staying focused. I am painfully aware of St Teresa’s admonishment to her “daughters”. She was shocked at those who said their prayers while allowing their minds to wander adding “I hope dear daughters that you would never be guilty of this”. OH NO!!! 
Worse still is when I manage to stay really focused, in tune and dedicated to each mystery – my pride goes through the roof and I imagine I have at last arrived on the same level as a saint. I head into the next Rosary with twinkling eyes and wings fluttering…… ahhhhh…. what ever saint was holding me up drops me like a heavy stone and once again, stuck to the earth, holy thoughts flee from my arrogance.
I try mostly to use my book “Rosary Warfare”. Its a grand wee book with a number of ways of keeping your attention glued to the mysteries. The book is divided into chapters as follows:
Rosary with Preceding/Accompanying Meditations. Extended Hail Mary Rosary. Latin Scriptural Rosary. Gregorian chant Rosary.
There are 160 pages. 97 beautiful full colour pictures to hold the mind steady on the mystery. Each mystery in each part has text that draws the mind nearer to God.
Of course the Rosary itself is always the same. The book is focusing on giving us a way to focus on the life of Jesus Christ.
It makes it just that more difficult to think of what wee Jimmy needs for school next week. Or what’s for dinner tonight. Or even how could that person have been so rude to me last week.
Of course there are off days when our mind is wholly and inclined to be fogged with no thoughts at all! But the book does so much to remedy all these prayer troubles that it is worth while to have it.
Rosary Warfare is a book that keeps your mind totally focused on your Rosary.
It’s a God-send. With a picture on one side and text on the other one’s eye travels to each keeping your thoughts on track. The book begins with an introduction on how to pray the Rosary.
The First Section shows each of the 15 mysteries. Using the Douay-Rheims Bible Scriptural Rosary each Hail Mary is accompanied with a piece of Scripture relevant to the Mystery.
