The Rosary is a form of prayer closely connected to Christ through Mary, as each decade is dedicated to a particular event or “mystery” in the life of Jesus and Mary. Although some find this form of prayer scandalous, Catholics find it indispensable to our relationship with Christ, and a growing number of Protestants do too. St. John Paul II notes:
“Perhaps too, there are some who fear that the Rosary is somehow unecumenical because of its distinctly Marian character. Yet the Rosary clearly belongs to the kind of veneration of the Mother of God described by the Council: a devotion directed to the Christological center of the Christian faith, in such a way that ‘when the Mother is honored, the Son… is duly known, loved and glorified.’ If properly revitalized, the Rosary is an aid and certainly not a hindrance to ecumenism!” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 4).
When praying the Rosary, we begin each decade by announcing the mystery. This is an invitation to contemplate key salvific events of our Lord’s life, death, and resurrection, and of the Virgin Mary. The Rosary is primarily a prayerful meditation on God’s marvels, the mysteries of our salvation, based on Scripture. By reflecting on these mysteries one can accompany Christ, from his conception and birth… through his public life… during his Passion… and to his resurrection and ascension into heaven… Thus, following this ideal, the Rosary becomes a compendium of the Gospel.
Contemplating the Joyful Mysteries, we encounter Christ as Mary conceives him in her womb, as he blesses John the Baptist in his mother’s womb; we also encounter Him in the manger at Bethlehem and in the temple—as an infant and a 12-year-old boy. We encounter Christ in the Luminous Mysteries as John baptizes him, as he works his first miracle by turning water into wine at Cana, as he preaches, as he is transfigured, and as he institutes the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
The Sorrowful Mysteries allow us to encounter the suffering Christ, from his agony in garden, scourging, crowning with thorns, carrying the Cross, to his ultimate sacrifice by crucifixion. Finally, we encounter Christ in the Glorious Mysteries as Jesus rises from the dead, ascends into heaven, as he sends the Holy Spirit to the apostles, as he assumes his mother into heaven to be his helper and crowns her as his Queen-Mother.
“Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ: ‘In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words’ (Matthew 6:7). By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord’s life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 12).
When people criticize the Rosary and the recitation of the same prayers over and over, they do not see that the prayers are more than words. Prayers are not just words; they are united with our love, motivations, struggles, distractions, thoughts, and even our particular personality. All these elements are part of our actual prayer and they individualize it, making each and every recitation a unique encounter with Christ and his Mother. “When prayed well in a truly meditative way, the Rosary leads to an encounter with Christ in his mysteries” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 40). So, let’s grow in our faith through a better use of the Rosary.
Pope Leo asks us to pray this powerful prayer for peace!