A Rosary Secret

"To recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ."  ~Blessed John Paul II

Ave Maria!  On this last day of the month of the Holy Rosary, I share with you a delightful article written by one of the Dominican Nuns of Summit, NJ.  Entitled "I’ve Got a (Rosary) Secret!," Sister's insights are helpful and reassuring for all of us, whether we've been praying the rosary for umpteen years or have just begun to incorporate it into our daily lives.  For some people, or at some times, the rosary is easy to pray.  For other people, or at other times, it's a challenge.  It doesn't really matter because it's not about us.  Like Mary herself, Queen of the Rosary, it's all about our Lord Jesus, her Beloved Son. 

Blessed John Paul II, in his Apostolic Letter "Rosarium Virginis Mariae," affirmed once again that the rosary is centered on Christ:  "The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium."  He quoted Pope Paul VI, who in his Apostolic Exhortation "Marialis Cultus," referred to the rosary as "the compendium of the entire Gospel."  Pope Paul VI had been quoting from a letter Pius XII had written to the Archbishop of Manila in 1946.  A compendium is, of course, a short but complete summary, and the rosary contains the major events of Our Lord's life as they relate to our salvation and sanctification.  Many years ago, St. Thomas Aquinas said that the mysteries of the rosary sum up our faith.  When we pray the rosary attentively and devoutly, therefore, we draw closer to Jesus through Mary and enter more deeply into the mysteries of His sacred life and our precious faith. 

Ave, ave, ave Maria!  Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us!