One of the greatest
blessings that I have received in becoming Catholic is the prayer of
the Rosary. To many, it may seem like some foreign rambling of
memorized words, eagerly attempting to say enough prayers to enter
into heaven or work one's way into bonus points of holiness with God.
The Rosary, however, is a treasure of wealth for us to grow deeper in
our faith, to increase our hope, and to follow the path of love.
Incarnate in this outward prayer, come to us in words and beads, is a
divine grace, reaching our hearts through supplication, meditation
and contemplation. Through the Rosary, all things can be conquered.
Firstly, the Rosary
begins with what Catholics call an “act of faith” – the
Apostle's Creed: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of
heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord...”
If we say this Creed with our whole heart and mind, we find that it
calls us back to the reality of God and his salvation; of the Christ
and his resurrection, his life in the flesh that he now lives; that
the Holy Spirit is with us; that we are one in the Church spanning
heaven and earth; that we can be forgiven; that Christ will return to
judge the deeds of all. These are weighty objects of knowledge and
faith. By renewing our mind through the Creed, we place ourselves in right
posture towards God and neighbor.
Secondly, we prayer
the Our Father. The Our Father is the greatest of all prayers, given
to us by the Lord himself. This single prayer contains all that we
will ever need in prayer, and continues our daily relationship with
God. We praise him. We glorify him. We ask pardon and peace. We ask
for his provision for our whole being, and to heal us, setting right
our paths. Through this single prayer, our whole Christian life is
summarized, and we are sustained. By this prayer, we know of the
Father's love for us, wayward children; we know his gentle and
merciful heart; we know his perfect desires for us his children.
Next, the Hail Mary
constitutes the bulk of the Rosary. This small prayer, though, is
meant to carry us through our Christian life. By it, we are called to
meditate on the life of Christ through Mary's eyes. Through it, we
take part in the voice of the Spirit and the angels of God: “Hail,
Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you,” was Archangel Gabriel's
message to her from the Lord. “Blessed are you among women, and
blessed is the fruit of your womb,” the Spirit of the Lord cried
out through St. Elizabeth, her cousin. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. He is the
all in all. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He humbled himself and
became man. The Word became flesh. This is the pinnacle of human
history, at the moment of these words of the Lord! Of course we should
repeat them again and again, just as the “Holy, holy, holy!” And
then comes the petition for our Mother's prayers – her
intercession. “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and
effective” (James 5:16). Advocata! Immaculata! Mater Dei!
We find abundance of grace
through her intercession.
Finally, we close each section of the Rosary with the exultation to the Lord in his glory: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and shall be forever.” By this prayer, we enter into the praise of the angels and saints. In this prayer, we find peace and contentment, despite whatever suffering or trial we may be going through. If we can sincerely pray this prayer in any circumstance, we will always be open to the joy of the Lord.
Finally, we close each section of the Rosary with the exultation to the Lord in his glory: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and shall be forever.” By this prayer, we enter into the praise of the angels and saints. In this prayer, we find peace and contentment, despite whatever suffering or trial we may be going through. If we can sincerely pray this prayer in any circumstance, we will always be open to the joy of the Lord.
Yet,
even after these wonderful prayers, the Rosary grows deeper and
provides so much more. The substance of the Rosary is in the life of
Christ and in his Gospel. The Rosary is broken up into fifteen
mysteries, twenty if one includes Pope St. John Paul II's Luminous
mysteries. These mysteries are the life of Christ, walking alongside
him with Mary, as we do in Scripture, through her eyes.
By
meditating on the life of Christ, we meditate on the true Word of
God. Joshua 1:8 reads, “This
book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall
meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in
accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make
your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful” (NRSVCE). If
by meditating on the law of God we become prosperous in our ways, how
much more by meditating on the fulfillment of that law in Person –
Jesus? The Word made flesh to take into our minds and our hearts, he
becomes our nourishment – a continuation of the Eucharistic feast.
For me, by praying
the Rosary, I have grown deeper and deeper in love with Jesus.
Through the Rosary, I have witnessed the wisdom of God through Mary
and the Son of God. Their perfect obedience, their purity, their
humility, their patience, their forbearance, their meekness, their endurance, their
trust, their faith, their hope, and their unfathomable love: all of
these have become pearls or sweet honey to me. Through this precious
prayer and meditation, Jesus and Mary have infused grace into my
soul, strengthening me to, like Mary says, “do whatever He tells
you” (John 2:5). They have provided a way out of temptations,
granted peace to my anxious heart, imparted wisdom to my broken mind,
gifted humility (however small it may still be), and shared the
unceasing Love, ever increasing my desire for he who is the source of
all my being and all my life, all my hope.
If you have not
prayed the Rosary, I highly recommend finding out how to pray it and
start praying. Mary will teach you how to pray by it. And you will
begin to conquer many things. If you are lacking in any part of the
Christian life, you will grow by leaps and bounds. It is a very good
thing to pray five decades each day, following the pattern given by
the Church: the Joyful Mysteries on Mondays and Saturdays, the
Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Glorious Mysteries
on Wednesdays and Sundays, and the Luminous Mysteries on Thursdays.
By praying through these mysteries, you will meditate on the entire
life of Christ, from his conception to his glorification and sharing
of his gifts with his Mother and the Church, his bride. To pray the
traditional Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries all at one
sitting or during a walk is extremely beneficial to the soul, as
well. I cannot recommend enough trying this at least once, if not as much as
daily. There really does not seem to be a better way to heed the call of St.
Paul in his epistle to the Philippians: “Finally,
beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if
there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things” (4:8
NRSVCE). Thanks be to God for such a gift, the gift of the Holy
Rosary!
