Days 1-3: "If people know why they pray, do they pray with more fervor?"
WHY ASK "WHY"? + PRAYERFUL invitation to be part of the School of Our Lady of the Rosary as we begin the first 12 days of reflection to combat the Spirit of the World
ON BEING IN THE SCHOOL OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY
"If people know why they pray, do they pray with more fervor?"
(Fr. Chris Alar's initial essential question of listeners to the Rosary Hour Podcast from his introductory episode on Sept. 11, 2022 from his desk at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy, USA).
Our RHP ANSWER to our readers back on APRIL 28, 2024:
For the purposes of this post, the answer is "yes". We can, with empirical data and evidence from our interviews, argue that "when we know why we pray the Rosary, we actually start to pray with more fervor." (RHP OTerço.Substack.com)
In fact, the very words of the prayers for our team have begun to come alive such that this process of wanting to understand the "Why" behind our prayers has, for all of us, in some way, caused us to pray the Rosary more often, with more conviction, and with the "True Devotion" that St. Louis Marie de Montfort attempts to describe in his books.As we remembered back on April 28th, the great preacher of the Rosary, which Fr. Afonso reminds "puts us in communion with Mary" when we "meditate on the Mysteries of the life of Christ", we have come also to the conclusion -- after much Spiritual Direction, asking questions, applicative, prayer, sacrifice, and contemplation since March 2022 -- that the task of striving to help our readers and listeners and viewers understand the "Why" behind their prayers can be enhanced with the question of how the Rosary in Portugal can offer a unique starting point for increasing our devotion to Our Lady's psalter.
For this round of the Consecration Journey in 2024, pilgrims coming to Portugal on retreat / vacation this summer to can learn how-to-pray the Rosary in Portuguese, and to learn to pray the Rosary with Our Lady's essential instructions in mind:
To Pray the Rosary Every Day. 
IDEAS FOR INSPIRING THE PRAYER OF THE ROSARY: DAYS 1, 2, 3 of 12 day period of reflection that St. Louis Marie de Montfort explores in his book "True Devotion"
DAY 1: Read St. Matthew, Chapter 5: 1-19
DAY 2: Read St. Matthew, Chapters 5: 48 and 6: 1-15
DAY 3: Read St. Matthew, Chapter 7: 1-14
#1: Combat the Spirit of the world with a CANDLELIGHT PROCESSION FOR FEAST OF OUR LADY OF FÁTIMA:
One way to inspire the prayer of the Rosary is to conduct a procession using candles. Tonight, adults can easily help children gather candles to process and pray the Rosary together from station to station, outside / inside the Church, or even from outside the home / inside the home. 
HOW TO INVITE OTHERS TO JOIN IN THIS PROCESSION & UNITE IN PRAYER
1. Pick and sing Marian Hymns for every decade this night; you can have an opening and closing hymn as well, including the Hymn that will be Sung in Fátima at 21h00 tonight (May 12) and in other parts of Portugal. Tomorrow, you can also try this with your Home School Classrooms and/or in your schools. Use the following link with prayers of the Rosary:
2. Create little stations for each Mystery of the Rosary (this can be done quickly with a printer, or just colouring pencils) and these can be set up in the Church or around the Church; you can even create Stations of the Mysteries of the Rosary in your home using pictures, in your backyard, or even in one room that has tiles.
3. Craft Corner -- watch the DIY video to make a Candle Holder if you cannot find plastic ones. Ensure an adult is present to support this project and help prepare for the Procession. 4. Recite the Decades of the Rosary on a microphone / loudspeaker / PA system so everyone present can hear and rotate every decade with a new leader.
Get a platform to carry a statue of Our Lady of Fátima, add flowers.
Or draw some pictures.
You can also use any statue of Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, etc. Read about her in our post here:
THE PRAYERS FOR DAYS 1-12 from SATURDAY MAY 11 to JUNE 13, 2024 are listed in 10 steps for varying levels. (Scroll to learn / recite) the BASIC CONSECRATION PRAYERS.
STEP 1: Make the “Sign of the Cross”
STEP 2: Pray the “Angel of God” (prayer to the Guardian Angel)
i.e. every morning / every night.
STEP 3: Pray the “Veni Creator Spiritus”
STEP 4: SING w/ Bishop Keenan : “Ave Maria, Gratia Plena” (listen to the previous post's video)
STEP 5: Pray “The Magnificat”, Evening Prayer
STEP 6: Prayer to St. Joseph 
STEP 7: Open your Bible and read something from the Gospel of Matthew 5, 6, 7
STEP 8: See Fr. Amorth’s notes on Marian Consecration. You can for Days 2 & 3 read/re-read the mass for the 8th of December.
"No sin would touch her, so that she would be a fitting and worthy vessel of the Son of God. The Immaculate Conception does not refer to the virginal conception and the birth of Christ, but rather to Mary's being conceived without inheriting Original Sin." (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, 142-143)
Fr. Amorth notes that we can read Genesis 3: 9-15; 20; as well as the Gospel of Luke 1: 26-33 (The Annunication). We can reflect on our identities as children of God.
STEP 9: Learn in Portuguese, to recite the “Meu Deus” and the “Santíssima Trindade" with Pe. Nuno.
STEP 10: Finally, try to make an effort today to pray a decade of the Rosary starting tonight, May 12, 2024, the Vigil of Our Lady of Fátima who taught the children to pray many Terços. Tomorrow is the anniversary of her First Apparition in the Cova da Iria:
SOU DO CÉU, “Rezar muitos terços”
"Sobre uma carrasqueira, uma Senhora, vestida toda de branco, mais brilhante que o Sol, espargindo luz, mais clara e intensa que um copo de cristal, cheio d’água cristalina, atravessado pelos raios do sol mais ardente. Parámos surpreendidos pela aparição. Estávamos tão perto, que ficávamos dentro da luz que A cercava"
(Memórias da Irmã Lúcia)
Below, you can insert your own intention when you pray a decade of the Rosary with Fr. Peter and Amelia.
Try praying ONE decade during these remaining preliminary days!
How? Try to find some activity that you can shorten so you will have more time to pray the Rosary and bookmark this link on your device and share it with others. 
FINALLY - OPTIONAL MUSIC
Above is a verse of a Popular Marian hymn in Portuguese. You can listen to it on YouTube here:
LEARN THE ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARYFinally, recite the Consecration in Portuguese with Fr. Nuno:
Here is the consecration in English, which Fr. Elias will read on a future post:
My Queen and my Mother,
I give myself entirely to you;
and to show my devotion,
I consecrate to you this day,
my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart,
my whole being without reserve.
Wherefore, good mother,
as I am your own,
keep me, guard me,
as your own property and possession.
Your own devoted child. Amen.
MEDITATION ON THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES on SUNDAYSIf time, review the Scriptural notes for the Glorious Mysteries:
THE GIFT OF MOTHERHOOD on MOTHER'S DAYThat special power of loving that belongs to a woman is seen most clearly when she becomes a mother. Motherhood is the gift of God to women. How grateful we must be to God for this wonderful gift that brings such joy to the whole world, women and men alike!”
St. Teresa of Calcutta
VISIT: rosaryhourpodcast.substack.com