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J A N U A R Y
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The Rosary of the Virgin Mary
Pope John Paul II's Apostolic
The rosary of the Virgin Mary, which gradually took form in the second millennium under the guidance of the Spirit of God, is a prayer loved by countless saints and encouraged by the magisterium. Simple yet profound, it still remains, at the dawn of this third millennium, a prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness. It blends easily into the spiritual journey of the Christian life, which, after 2,000 years, has lost none of the freshness of its beginnings. The rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christ-centered prayer. It has all the depth of the gospel message in its entirety. It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. The rosary is my favorite prayer, marvelous in its simplicity and its depth. It can be said that the rosary is, in some sense, a prayer-commentary on the final chapter of the Vatican II Constitution Lumen Gentium, a chapter that discusses the wondrous presence of the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and the Church. An age seeking prayer—
The West is now experiencing a renewed demand for meditation, which at times leads to a keen interest in aspects of other religions. Some Christians, limited in their knowledge of the Christian contemplative tradition, are attracted by those forms of prayer. The rosary is distinguished by its specifically Christian characteristics. This is a methodology, moreover, which corresponds to the inner logic of the Incarnation: In Jesus, God wanted to take on human features. It is through his bodily reality that we are led into contact with the mystery of his divinity. Against the background of the words Hail Mary the principal events of the life of Jesus Christ pass before the eyes of the soul. They take shape in the complete series of the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries, and they put us in living communion with Jesus through—we might say—the heart of his Mother. At the same time our heart can embrace in the decades of the rosary all the events that make up the lives of individuals, families, nations, the Church, and all mankind; our personal concerns and those of our neighbor, especially those who are closest to us. Thus the simple prayer of the rosary marks the rhythm of human life. Not outdated, not against Vatican II There are some who think that the centrality of the Liturgy, rightly stressed by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, necessarily entails giving less importance to the rosary. Yet, as Pope Paul VI made clear, not only does this prayer not conflict with the liturgy, it sustains it, since it serves as an excellent introduction and a faithful echo of the liturgy, enabling people to participate fully and interiorly in it and to reap its fruits in their daily lives. If properly revitalized, the rosary is an aid and certainly not a hindrance to ecumenism! But the most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the rosary is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery as a genuine —training in holiness.— It is more urgent than ever that our Christian communities should become —genuine schools of prayer.— Meditation on the mysteries of Christ in the rosary is a method based on repetition. This applies above all to the Hail Mary, repeated 10 times in each mystery. If this repetition is considered superficially, there could be a temptation to see the rosary as a dry and boring exercise. One thing is clear: Although the repeated Hail Mary is addressed directly to Mary, it is to Jesus that the act of love is ultimately directed, with her and through her. The repetition is nourished by the desire to be conformed ever more completely to Christ, the true program of the Christian life. St. Paul expressed this project with words of fire: —For me to live is Christ and to die is gain— (Phil 1:21). And again: —It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me— (Gal 2:20). The rosary helps us to be conformed ever more closely to Christ until we attain true holiness. The rosary remembers Jesus Mary lived with her eyes fixed on Christ, treasuring his every word: —She kept all these things, pondering them in her heart— (Lk 2:19; see 2:51). The memories of Jesus, impressed upon her heart, were always with her, leading her to reflect on the various moments of her life at her son—s side. In a way those memories were to be the —rosary— which she recited uninterruptedly throughout her earthly life. Even now, Mary constantly sets before the faithful the —mysteries— of her Son, with the desire that the contemplation of those mysteries will release all their saving power. In the recitation of the rosary, the Christian community enters into contact with the memories and the contemplative gaze of Mary. The rosary, precisely because it starts with Mary—s own experience, is an exquisitely contemplative prayer. Mary—s contemplation is above all a remembering. We need to understand this word in the biblical sense of remembrance (zakar) as a making present of the works brought about by God in the history of salvation. The Bible is an account of saving events culminating in Christ himself. These events not only belong to —yesterday—; they are also part of the —today— of salvation. This making present comes about above all in the liturgy: What God accomplished centuries ago did not only affect the direct witnesses of those events; it continues to affect people in every age with its gift of grace. Christians, while they are called to prayer in common, must also go to their own rooms to pray to their Father in secret (see Mt 6:6); indeed, according to the teaching of the Apostle they must pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17). The rosary, in its own particular way, is part of this varied panorama of —ceaseless— prayer. By immersing us in the mysteries of the Redeemer—s life, it ensures that what he has done and what the liturgy makes present are profoundly assimilated and shape our existence. Learning Christ from Mary Christ is the supreme Teacher, the revealer and the one revealed. It is not just a question of learning what he taught but of —learning him.— From the divine standpoint, the Spirit is the interior teacher who leads us to the full truth of Christ (see Jn 14:26; 15:26; 16:13). But among creatures no one knows Christ better than Mary; no one can introduce us to a profound knowledge of his mystery better than his Mother. Contemplating the scenes of the rosary in union with Mary is a means of learning from her to —read— Christ, to discover his secrets and to understand his message. As we contemplate each mystery of her Son—s life, she invites us to do as she did at the Annunciation: to ask humbly the questions which open us to the light, in order to end with the obedience of faith: —Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word— (Lk 1:38). Never as in the rosary do the life of Jesus and that of Mary appear so deeply joined. Mary lives only in Christ and for Christ! If Jesus, the one Mediator, is the Way of our prayer, then Mary, his purest and most transparent reflection, shows us the Way. The rosary is both meditation and supplication. Insistent prayer to the Mother of God is based on confidence that her maternal intercession can obtain all things from the heart of her Son. The rosary is also a path of proclamation and increasing knowledge, in which the mystery of Christ is presented again and again at different levels of the Christian experience. —Come unto me—— To pray the rosary is to hand over our burdens to the merciful hearts of Christ and his Mother. It is natural to bring to this encounter with the sacred humanity of the Redeemer all the problems, anxieties, labors and endeavors which go to make up our lives. —Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you— (Ps 55:23). I look to all of you, brothers and sisters of every state of life, to you, Christian families, to you, the sick and elderly, and to you, young people: Confidently take up the rosary once again. Rediscover the rosary in the light of Scripture, in harmony with the liturgy, and in the context of your daily lives.
Next: Lent, Day by Day — Creating Peace (by Karen Berry, O.S.F.)
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