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| 1600- Italian |
We are almost through the month of May and many still experiencing either self -imposed or mandated quarantine. So still more time to pray? Why should we pray the Rosary?
The Rosary unites our hearts to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who is, aside from Jesus Himself, God’s greatest gift to the human race. In Mary, we have the most perfect creature, the best example of sainthood, and the most caring mother. We cannot go wrong when we choose to imitate Mary as she exemplifies all the Christian virtues.
The Rosary gives us a sort of “guided tour” of Jesus’ life, through the eyes of the one person who knew Him the best - His own mother. At each mystery, we can contemplate what it must have been like for Mary to be there - at the Annunciation, at Christmas, at the Crucifixion - and we can ask Mary to obtain for us the graces we need to live a life that is conducive to our salvation, and the salvation of our family and friends.
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| Murillo- 17th C- Spain |
Numerous Popes have spoken often and forcefully about the benefits of the Rosary, and Marian devotion. In the encyclical Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Pope St. John Paul II said, “The Rosary belongs among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation.”
In October 2016, Pope Francis said, “the Rosary is the prayer that always accompanies my life: it is also the prayer of simple people and saints...it is the prayer of my heart.” If the Rosary has been given the approval of so many Popes, what reason should we have for not making it a regular part of our prayer lives?
After Peru, the country which has the most images for Our Lady of the Rosary is Italy, followed by Spain. And not many of these are modern, but rather 16-18th centuries.