The Rosary, a prayer distinctly Catholic, yet ecumenical in nature is seen throughout our Catholic culture at each level, individual, our institutions, and in our broader civilization, where devotion is global. Historically, the Rosary dates back to the early 13th century, and yet has roots going back to the 3rd century Christian prayer traditions. At Lourdes our Lady appeared with a Rosary, and at Fatima Our Lady asked for a daily Rosary. Several Popes have made the Rosary a focal point of their work: Pope Pius V to defeat the Ottoman Turks at Lepanto, Pope Leo XIII devoted twelve encyclicals to the Rosary, and Pope John Paul II instituted the Luminous Mysteries.
The Rosary more than any other prayer has been a tool for evangelization of our faith throughout the world, and yet it has fallen short of the hopes of those who have been its strongest advocates. Pope Leo XIII refers to the Rosary “as a whole badge of Christian piety,” (Encyclical on Devotion of the Rosary), while Pope JPII tells us that, “What is needed is a Christian life distinguished in the art of prayer,” and points to the Rosary as one of the “finest” paths for contemplation, (Rosarium Virginis Maria). I think here is where the Rosary has lost its orientation, between the art of prayer and contemplation.
The Rosary is widely prayed daily in parishes, organizations, and by millions of individuals, however, it has not risen to the heights in our faith that it was meant to reach. For many it is seen as repetitive, time-consuming, and somewhat cumbersome and yet those who do pray the Rosary understand it quite differently. They see the beauty and approach it each time with wonder of the mysteries they enter. They understand that the path of contemplation proposed by JPII is the way to pray the Rosary.
We might say this of any prayer, but the Rosary is quite different and along with its prayers, mysteries and methodology, it is also a tangible object that of itself represents something. There are few people who do not recognize a set of Rosary beads. The variations in design are countless expressions of artistic beauty. However, its deepest beauty is in its prayer and mysteries that if approached in wonder lead one to a deeper fulfillment through the life of Christ. Unfortunately, the Rosary too quickly becomes a process more than a prayer and experience of communion with God. What is missing in terms of “rediscovering,” in JPII’s words, and reinvigorating the Rosary? Wonder! This has always been the missing piece.
Begin in Wonder:
The Rosary takes us on a journey of our faith that begins in wonder. With the first words, “I believe in God,” we acknowledge that we are the created and that this is His world. These first words properly situate us as children. Without this orientation, the Rosary as an object, as an action, or as an artifact made with integrity will not reach a genuine truth, beauty and goodness.
As Christ said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 18:3). The child is in a state of wonder, curiosity, and amazement which is where the Rosary places us from the start, and continues repeatedly with “Our Father,” “Glory be,” and “Hail Mary.” We must not allow it to become an act of recitation, but an experience of the wonder of God and all his creation. Much like reading the Passion of our Lord, the Rosary quiets us and moves us toward internal contemplation. God wants us to experience His beauty, and He does this through His Son; and through the mysteries, where we can experience our incarnate God.
This is what the Rosary, in its true form, is meant to reveal. It is a Christocentric prayer leading one “to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depth of his love,” (JPII, Rosarium Virginis Marie). To become Imago Dei takes action, and we can live His humanity every time we pray the Rosary, thus bringing us in closer communion with our Triune God. It is here that our Christian life becomes as JPII puts it “distinguished in the art of prayer.”
Who is responsible for upholding its revelation of beauty? Anyone who prays the Rosary! However, all clergy can take the lead in inspiring the wonder of the Rosary. Several Pope’s, Our Lady of Lourdes and Fatima and others have made it clear of the importance of this prayer to our faith, but like any school, especially “the school of the Most Holy Mother,” (Pope JPII, Rosarium letter) learning must be continuous, it must be inspired and it must lead to an ever deepening connection with the subject so as to excite further learning, engagement and love. Praying the Rosary should be a daily act of love, joy and wonder for every Catholic.