The Holy Rosary, Sweet Chain of Love

“The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, the unique contemplative prayer through which, guided by the Lord's Heavenly Mother, we fix our gaze on the face of the Redeemer in order to be conformed to his joyful, light-filled, sorrowful and glorious mysteries” (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, Oct. 2, 2005).

Among our treasury of prayers, the Holy Rosary is par excellence. Through it, we can reflect on the truths of our faith in the Apostles’ Creed, petition Our Father, contemplate the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ from his incarnation, through his public ministry, his passion, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, and give glory to the Blessed Trinity. Rightly is the Holy Rosary described as the epitome or compendium of the Gospel (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 971).

The Rosary is unique because we pray it in the company of the Blessed Mother. She is the model of worship that consists in making one's life an offering to God, because she heard the word of God and acted on it, fully accepting the will of God. She is worthy of imitation because she was the first and the most perfect of Christ's disciples (Pope Paul VI, Marialis Cultus, 21, 35).

The Rosary is an essential prayer in our struggle for holiness. The fullness of our life demands that we follow in Christ’s footsteps, to be conformed to his image, and do the will of the Father in everything. “Christ calls each and everyone to holiness; he asks each and everyone to love him: young and old, single and married, healthy and seek, learned and unlearned, no matter where they work, or where they are. The secret of holiness is to follow Christ, to accompany him so closely that we come to live with him, become identified with him, that his life is reflected in our behavior, as in a mirror. To follow Christ one does not have to step aside from the ordinary pattern of everyday life, and the holiness which God expects of us is to be found here and now in the little things of each day” (St. Josemaria Escriva, Friends of God, 294, 299, 312).

Honoring the Blessed Mother in the Rosary brings us closer to Christ. Hand in hand with Mary, we contemplate the face of Christ, remember his life, learn from him, pray to him and proclaim his teaching. The beads of the Rosary converge upon the Crucifix, which opens and closes the unfolding sequence of prayer. The prayer is centered on Christ, everything begins from him and everything leads towards him. (Pope John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 10, 13-17, 36). “Mary remains ever the path that leads to Christ. Every encounter with her can only result in an encounter with Christ himself. For what other reason do we continually turn to Mary than to seek for the Christ she holds in her arms?” (Pope Paul VI, Mense Maio).
Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI tells us: “Being in God, who is close to us, actually, ‘within’ all of us, Mary shares in this closeness of God. Being in God and with God, she is close to each one of us, knows our hearts, can hear our prayers, can help us with her motherly kindness and has been given to us, as the Lord said, precisely as a ‘mother’ to whom we can turn at every moment. She always listens to us, she is always close to us, and being Mother of the Son, participates in the power of the Son and in his goodness. We can always entrust the whole of our lives to this Mother, who is not far from any one of us (Homily, Aug. 15, 2005).
It is necessary to pray the Rosary in a spirit of contemplation and reflection. “Without this the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation is in danger of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas and of going counter to the warning of Christ: ‘And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words’ (Mt. 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. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are unfolded” (Marialis Cultus, 47). “If you say the Holy Rosary every day, with a spirit of faith and love, Our Lady will make sure she leads you very far along her Son's path (St. Josemaria Escriva, Furrow, 691).

The cadence of Hail Marys imitates the rhythmic beating of the heart which impels the soul contemplating the mysteries to higher levels of ardor and love. “From the frequent meditation on the mysteries, the soul little by little draws and absorbs the virtues they contain,” says Pope Pius XII (Ingruentium Malorum, 9). Pope Leo XIII, the Pope of the Rosary, assures that no man can meditate upon the mysteries without feeling a new awakening in his heart of confidence that he will certainly obtain through Mary the fullness of the mercies of God (Iucunda Semper Expectatione, 5).

But there, too, are moments when the mind could not stay focused. Even saints experienced these difficulties. St. Therese of Liseux lamented the times she said the Rosary “so badly” when she could not fix her mind to meditate on the mysteries (On Prayer, The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom, 653). Yet there is no reason to get fazed, for God looks at the sincerity of the heart, and a persevering prayer does not go unrewarded. “Blessed be that monotony of Hail Marys which purifies the monotony of your sins!” (Furrow, 475).

Pope John Paul II exhorted the faithful to put out into the deep (Duc in altum!) and proclaim Christ, who is to be known, loved and imitated, so that in him we may live the life of the Trinity (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 29). Everyone is called to work in the Lord’s vineyard. It is not permissible for anyone to remain idle (Christifideles Laici, 3). “The purpose of our lives,” says our new Pope in his inaugural homily, “is to reveal God to human beings,” and “there is nothing more beautiful than to know him and to speak to others of our friendship with him” (Apr. 24, 2005). He challenges the people to go forward with Christ (Homily, Aug. 21, 2005).

One concrete way of proclaiming Christ in this Month of the Holy Rosary is to spread the devotion to this Marian prayer. Within the family, especially among couples with young children, the Rosary is an efficacious means of developing a vibrant prayer life. For truly a family that prays together stays together. Or, one can start a group prayer with friends at home, in school, office or the neighborhood. There are many other ways. When to begin? “Nunc coepi! — now I begin!” (Furrow, 161)

Nothing will please Our Lady more than apostolic initiatives from each of us which, like the beads of the Rosary, form a sweet chain of love that links us to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

So rise, let us be on our way (Jn 14:31).