The Holy Rosary
In the spiritual tradition of the Church, the month of October is a time of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. On October 7 each year, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, which highlights this popular form of Marian devotion that is recommended by the Magisterium of the Church. While some Catholics might think of the Rosary as “that long, boring, and monotonous prayer,” others have come to cherish it as a way to stay tethered to God through Mary’s intercession. It’s always good to recall why the Church recommends the prayer of the Holy Rosary.
Pope St. John Paul II wrote a beautiful letter explaining the value and benefits of the Rosary, to which he had a strong devotion (cf. Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 2002). John Paul II explained that the Rosary, “though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer,” because it invites the soul to contemplate, with Mary’s help, the mysteries of Christ’s life. Each decade of the
Rosary is marked by the commemoration of one of the joyful, luminous, sorrowful, or glorious mysteries of the life of Christ. John Paul II explained that the repetition of the 10 Hail Marys of each decade provides a peaceful rhythm for the soul to contemplate Christ. Without such contemplation, he warned, the Rosary could easily become a “mechanical repetition,” which Jesus warned
us to avoid (cf. Mt 6:7). …….continued……….