Memorial of Our
Lady of the Rosary
(Jonah 1-2:1-2.11; Luke 10:25-37)
What makes the rosary the Church’s most popular way of
praying? Perhaps it is its simplicity. The rosary does not require any reading at
all but only the recitation of prayers learned in childhood. Perhaps, also, it is its relation to the
gospel. While repeatedly saying the “Our
Father” and “Hail Mary,” we reflect on well-known episodes – called “mysteries”
since in one way or another they attest to God’s presence among humans -- from
the lives of Jesus and Mary. Maybe its popularity
has to do with its use of a sacramental, a physical substance that rotate with our
hand as it guides us through prayer. Finally,
its popularity may stem from its capacity for being recited by individuals or
in groups. Many pray the rosary as the
heart of their personal prayer but do not feel any reluctance to pray it again
at a vigil service or in front of an abortion clinic.
It is said that the Blessed Mother gave the rosary to St.
Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers (usually just called “Dominicans”). However, no historical record of this
exchange exists. Nevertheless, for
centuries the Dominicans have been its leading promoters, and St. Pope Pius V,
who proclaimed today’s feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, was a Dominican. More importantly, the rosary is a Marian
devotion. That is, in saying the rosary we
ask Mary’s intercession so that we might experience the hope that the mysteries
convey.
In recent times Blessed Pope John Paul II gave the rosary
a fresh perspective by introducing the “luminous mysteries.” These five events from the ministry of
Christ bring a sense of completion to the rosary as a brief history of the
incarnation experience. It is Christ’s
birth, ministry, death, and resurrection that have brought us salvation. Since this is by no means a trivial
accomplishment, praying the rosary frequently enables us to appreciate both its
cost to Christ and its benefit for us.
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