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Praying the rosary sets me up for a better day

Published: June 16, 2023   

By Gianni Squillace

Gianni Squillace

The life of a student significantly slows after the school year ends. While breaks from hard work are nice, idleness gives room for distractions from Christ.

In today’s time, there are many overwhelming distractions. It is so easy to disregard all of the complex but worthwhile projects and travel plans made for the summer when idleness sets in and to alternatively explore the world inside on a couch and phone.

With countless social media designed by professionals to hook users, distractions are more plentiful than ever.

In our hyper-progressive modern world, evil and distractions from God can appear more overwhelming today than ever before. I believe an engaging form of daily prayer is not optional, but a necessity when wanting to stay on the righteous path of God, especially in modern times.

The rosary is an excellent way to combat the distractions mentioned and to orient the heart back to God. There are guides online to help pray the rosary and the specific mysteries for each day of the week. I prefer YouTube videos for their auditory guides.

The blessings to come from praying the rosary are overflowing with God’s love. It is a great activity to pray the rosary as an offering for loved ones and for those who need our prayers. By offering a rosary for others, we actively push distractions out of our mind and redirect ourselves to our friends and loved ones.

I find that when my mind returns to those who care about me, the rest of my day is joyful. I still may face the same challenges I would have faced if I did not pray the rosary that day, but I now can face them without wayward distractions.

During the first two mysteries of almost any rosary, I find myself extremely tempted to disengage from prayer. My mind drifts away enough as it is, so I have yet to pray the rosary while being completely engaged with the entire prayer. One way I attempt to combat distractions while praying the rosary is actively thinking of the Lord’s Prayer when it reads, “... and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

The timing of this final line in the Lord’s Prayer is perfect as the decade of Hail Marys immediately follows. Still, sometimes I get so tempted as to stop the rosary and spend the rest of my free time doing almost anything besides praying. All of the other things I need or want to do also come to mind as excuses to quit my rosary. When adding technology to the mix, excuses to turn away from prayer seem too numerous to reject.

However, Paul’s words in Corinthians I remain true: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

I am not where I need to be with my goal, but after spending more time with the rosary, I aspire to find motivation for prayer simply through friendship with God. It is good to be moved to pray for ourselves and others, but mindfully praying to God for his own sake is acknowledging God as a friend who is good within himself and not simply for the things he provides.

Gianni Squillace completed his freshman year at the University of Dallas. St. Vincent de Paul in Rogers is his home parish.

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