The Rosary (The Seventh Pillar of Catholic Spirituality)

• Why Have We Abandoned the Rosary?

One reason the modern Church has abandoned the rosary is the overemphasis some people have placed on the role of Mary and the rosary. But I doubt that this is the whole reason that Catholics en masse have stopped praying the rosary and teaching their children to pray the rosary in their homes and schools. But the solution to the distortion or overemphasis of a good is never to abolish the good in question.

I suspect one of the reasons the rosary has become so unpopular during our modern era is because it is stereotypically considered the prayer of an overly pious old woman with little education with too much time on her hands. In a world where we bow to knowledge and academic degrees, piety is considered to border on superstition. But in truth, piety is reverence for God and devotion to God. Isn’t part of the goal of every Christian life to devote oneself to God?

Catholics have abandoned the rosary today because we have been seduced by complexity. We give our allegiance and respect to complexity, but simplicity is the key to perfection. Peace in our hearts is born from simplicity in our lives. All the great leaders throughout history have agreed that usually the simplest solution is the best solution. The genius of God is simplicity. If you wish to tap into the wonder and glory of God, apply simplicity to your life and to your prayer.

Our lives are suffering under the intolerable weight of ever-increasing complexities. We complicate everything. And as this diseased fascination with complexity has swept across modern culture, it has also affected the way we approach prayer. Subsequently, as modern Catholics, we have deemed the rosary worthless. Don’t despise simplicity. There is real power in it.

The rosary is not a prayer just for gray hair elderly ladies with too much time on their hands. It is a rich practice of prayer that we all benefit from.

Perhaps your objection is that you were forced to pray the rosary as a child. If this is the case, move beyond that experience and discover this beautiful prayer anew for yourself. Don’t let the past rob you of your future.

• Benefits

Interestingly enough, the first book Matthew Kelly published was titled Prayer & the Rosary. You might assume that Kelly grew us in a home where the rosary was prayed as a family every night since the first book he published at age nineteen was about the rosary. No, he never prayed the rosary with his family – not even once!

So how did he come to have such a high regard for this simple prayer, which has been so ardently rejected by our sophisticated, modern world?

Here’s what Kelly says.

When he was in the fourth grade, his teacher taught the class how to pray the rosary and gave each child a pair of rosary beads. He wasn’t much interested, but for some reason he kept the beads.

At age sixteen, he met a man who was to become very instrumental in his spiritual journey. He was teaching a study-skills class that he attended after school, and invited him one Saturday to visit a local nursing home. As they walked to the nursing home they talked about a lot of things, mostly about sports, his part-time job, what he wanted to do later in life and his girlfriend. This experience was the first of many encounters at nursing homes in his community that would begin to awaken his moral senses. As they walked home one day, he asked Matthew if he would like to pray the rosary. He agreed. What else can you do in a situation like that? But for some reason, the prayers soothed young Matthew, and he began to pray the rosary on his own in the days and weeks ahead. Not long after that, he began to pray the rosary regularly with his good friend Luke.

Praying the rosary was very soothing, both mentally and spiritually. Today he prays the rosary because he believes it is the simplest way to reflect upon the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

To place this in the context of our spiritual journey, Kelly believes that as Christians we are called to imitate Jesus. It is impossible to imitate someone you do not know. We come to know Jesus in the Scriptures, in the Sacraments, and through so many different people and places. The rosary is one other way. By praying the rosary, we can ponder many aspects of Jesus and his life in a relatively brief period of time. And, as we read earlier on, the actions of our lives are determined by our most dominant thoughts. If our actions are to be like those of Christ, then it helps to ponder his life and teachings regularly.

We also spoke about the power of stories. There is no more powerful story than that of Jesus Christ. This is the story that has formed and focused human history, and it is essential to our mission as Christians that we are intimately familiar with. The rosary helps us to know his story and teaches us to integrate it into our own lives.

• Growth in Virtue

One of the practical spiritual benefits of the rosary is its ability to help us grow in virtue. When we connect the good and noble external acts of our lives with positive internal attitudes and intentions, we grow in virtue. As we begin to practice a virtue intentionally, it develops into a habitual virtue. But what I also learned is that when intentionally focus your energies toward growing in a particular virtue, you automatically grow in every other virtue. Virtue begets virtue. Eventually, the habitual effort to practice a virtue blossoms into spontaneous right action. I have found the rosary particularly helpful in my attempts to increase the practice of various virtues in my life.

The fruit of all spiritual exercises is an increase in the supernatural virtues: faith, hope, and love. St. Paul speaks of them in his first letter to the Corinthians: “So faith, hope and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) At a time when the world is so filled with doubt and skepticism, the beauty of faith shines forth. With so many people’s hearts and minds suffering from depression, despair, and hopelessness, the splendor of hope is radiant. In a culture that exults the selfish attainment of pleasure and possessions, one eternal truth remains clear to all: Love is the only way.

Beyond the supernatural virtues, each decade of the rosary introduces practical examples of human virtues, and teaches us to practice these virtues in our own lives. Let us now explore those human virtues now, one decade at a time.

• Twenty Lessons

The actions of your life are determined by your most dominant thoughts. So turn your mind to those things that are good, true, beautiful, noble and your life will be a reflection of these things.

A calm mind is the fruit of wisdom. Calmness of the mind is the result of patient practice of self-control. There are few spiritual practices that will help you acquire this calmness of mind, heart, and spirit like the rosary will. And by learning to direct your thoughts toward God, you will learn to direct your life toward God.

In the rosary, we have twenty mysteries that beget twenty lessons in life, love, the attainment of virtue, and the genius of God’s plan for humanity.

The Joyful Mysteries

The Annunciation: In the First Joyful Mystery we learn about the power of saying yes to God’s will in our lives, as we witness Mary surrendering with her whole heart to God’s design for her life (cf. Luke 1:28-38). Fruits of the Mystery: Desire to do God’s will.

The Visitation: In the Second Joyful Mystery we learn the value of service as Mary leaves her home to attend to her cousin Elizabeth (cf. Luke 1:39-42). Fruits of the Mystery: Humility

The Birth of Jesus: In the Third Joyful Mystery we encounter the humility of Jesus, the Son of God, born in a stable (cf. Luke 1:1-7) Fruits of the Mystery: Detachment from things of this world.

The Presentation: In this Fourth Joyful Mystery we witness a powerful example of obedience as Mary submits her child, the Son of god, to the Law of Moses. (cf. Luke 2:23-32). Fruits of the Mystery: Obedience

The Finding of Jesus in the Temple: In the Fifth Joyful Mystery we learn that true wisdom does not come from the mere attainment of knowledge; rather, it is a gift from God (cf. Luke 2:45-49). Fruits of the Mystery: Vocation & Evangelization

The Luminous Mysteries

The Baptism of Jesus: 1st Luminous Mystery – we learn to stay close to the Father just like Jesus did. Fruit of the Mystery: Openness to the Holy Spirit.

The Miracle at Cana: 2nd Luminous Mystery – Jesus transforms water into wine and we are reminded of his ability to transform our lives and the world. Fruit of the Mystery: Trust in God’s Providence.

The Proclamation of the Kingdom: 3rd Luminous Mystery – Jesus invites all people of all times to conversion – “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” We ask to be filled with a desire for holiness. Fruit of the Mystery: Repentance.

The Transfiguration: 4th Luminous Mystery – We witness Jesus as he really is, the light of the world, and we ask for the spiritual courage to seek truth and light wherever it leads us. Fruit of the Mystery: Desire for Holiness.

The Institution of the Eucharist: 5th Luminous Mystery – Jesus teaches us how to love by holding nothing back, surrendering himself completely. Fruit of the Mystery: Love for the Eucharist.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

The Agony in the Garden: 1st Sorrowful Mystery – We learn the importance of perseverance in prayer. Fruit of the Mystery: Patience

The Scourging at the Pillar: 2nd Sorrowful Mystery – Our spirits are renewed for the sacrifices of each day, and we learn never to despise the little things and the value of attention to detail. Fruit of the Mystery: Self-Control.

The Crowning with Thorns: 3rd Sorrowful Mystery – We learn compassion for those who are mocked and rejected, and we ask forgiveness for the times we have added to the insults of others. Fruit of the Mystery: Moral Courage.

The Carrying of the Cross: 4th Sorrowful Mystery – We help Jesus carry his cross by standing up to injustice and influencing our environment in a positive way. Fruit of the Mystery: Desire to lay down our lives for others.

The Crucifixion: 5th Sorrowful Mystery – We experience the pain evil causes and feel the weight of our own sins. Fruit of the Mystery: Faith

The Glorious Mysteries The Resurrection: 1st Glorious Mystery – We are reminded of the reality of life after death, and we learn to live with that in mind. Fruit of the Mystery: Surrender

The Ascension: 2nd Glorious Mysteries – We are reminded of the great commission to continue the work of Jesus on earth by spreading the Gospel. Fruit of the Mystery: Hope

The Descent of the Holy Spirit: 3rd Glorious Mysteries – We are reminded that we are assisted in our efforts to do good by the unfathomable power of the Holy Spirit alive within us. Fruit of the Mystery: Wisdom

The Assumption: 4th Glorious Mysteries – We are reminded of the beauty and purity of mind, body, spirit and intentions. Fruit of the Mystery: Purity

The Crowning of Mary Queen of Heaven: 5th Glorious Mysteries – We honor and seek the counsel of those who attain virtue in their lives. Fruit of the Mystery: Friendship with Mary.

These twenty lessons are worthy of constant reflection that never cease to challenge us. I hope you will consider making this ancient spiritual exercise a part of your spiritual routines.

• More Than One Way

There is more to praying the rosary than just saying the rosary. To genuinely pray the rosary, we must have a clear objective in our minds. The rosary is not magic. There is no deal-making to be done with God. So many rosaries don’t equal a prayer answered by God.

Prayer doesn’t change God; prayer changes us! It is more rewarding to approach prayer seeking to understand God more, rather than seeing an opportunity to give God his instructions for the day. If we approach prayer with the hope of growing in virtue we will never be disappointed.

There are many different practical approaches to the rosary. The first is to focus on the words, which are deeply rooted in the Scriptures and Christian tradition. The Our Father was, of course, given to us by Jesus himself. The Creed represents the first expression of Christian conviction. The first part of the Hail Mary comes from the message delivered by an angel to Mary of Nazareth: “Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.” This greeting is then followed by the words of Elizabeth used to greet Mary during the Visitation: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of they womb.” The Glory Be is the simplest expression of Christian praise and belief in the triune God. And from the times of antiquity, Christians have placed themselves under the name of God and the sign of redemption, thus giving us the Sign of the Cross.

The words of the rosary are powerful and filled with meaning, but so are the mysteries that we use as a backdrop to each decade.

One thing is certain: Your mind cannot do two things at once. This is where many people become discouraged with praying the rosary. They try to pray the words and meditate on the mystery at the same time. Impossible! We must decide between the two.

On those occasions when you choose to meditate on the mysteries, allow the words to float by. Get lost in the scene. Imagine yourself there. When you choose to focus on the words, it may help to meditate on the mystery for a few moments before each decade.

I also find it very fruitful to identify an intention with each decade. Offering each decade for a person or a situation helps me to stay focused and avails me the opportunity to pray for many people in my life. I have discovered that when I make time for this simple but profound practice of prayer I am a better person. When I have the discipline to pray the rosary regularly I seem to have a certain calmness and awareness, which makes me more readily disposed to living a life of virtue. All Catholics should be able to bring forth the rosary from their spiritual storehouse from time to time as the Spirit prompts them.

Our prayer lives should be dynamic, like love. Our love should be constant, but it may express itself in many different ways at different times. So it is with prayer. Learn to allow the Spirit to guide you to the type of prayer that will most benefit you on a particular day – not the type of prayer you “feel like” doing, but the type of prayer that will most benefit you on that day, depending on the disposition of your soul.

• The Real Objection

Our author, Matthew Kelly, suspects the real reason modern Catholics don’t have a more passionate relationship with the rosary is because, in general, he doesn’t think we are comfortable with the role Mary plays in our spirituality. For hundreds of years, our non-Catholic Christian sisters and brothers have been accusing us of worshipping Mary and the saints, and he doesn’t think we have done a good job of settling this question.

Do Catholics worship Mary and the saints? No! We pray to them but not to worship them, and not in the same way we pray to God. Think of it this way: If you got sick and asked me to pray for you. I would. This does not make me uniquely Catholic, or even uniquely Christian. There are many non-Christians who believe in the power of prayer. If I ask my non-Catholic Christian friends whether they pray for their spouse or their children, they will say yes. If I ask them to pray for me, they will say yes. This is the same principle. We believe that Mary and the saints are dead to this world, but we also believe they live on in the next world. We believe that their prayers are just as powerful – even more powerful. We are essentially saying to them, “We have problems down here. You know what is is like because you have been here; pray for us!” Our non-Catholic Christian friends don’t believe people can still pray in the afterlife. We do. Our spiritual universe is just bigger. In fact, one of the most incredible things about our Catholic faith is the vastness of our spiritual universe.

• Mary

Mary is of significant historical importance in her centrality to Christian life. The first Christians gathered around her for comfort and guidance, yet some modern Catholics treat her like she has some contagious disease. One of the great challenges that we face as modern Catholics is to find a genuine place for Mary in our spirituality.

In the rosary we ponder the life of Jesus through the eyes of Mary. This is an incredibly powerful experience if we enter into it fully. Pray the Rosary! ______

The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality

1. Confession 2. Daily Prayer 3. The Mass 4. The Bible 5. Fasting 6. Spiritual Reading 7. The Rosary ______

With this Seventh Pillar, The Rosary, we conclude our latest Spiritual Development suggestions during these very unusual and challenging period in the history of our St. Vincent de Paul Conference at St. Ann’s Church in Bethany Beach. Again, as in the beginning, I want to remind everyone that almost 100% of what was sent to you was taken from the book, Rediscovering Catholicism, by author Matthew Kelly. I added a few of my own thoughts here and there as well as abbreviated paragraphs, paraphrased sentences & paragraphs and eliminated a few anecdotal stories for the sake of brevity. For these reasons I urge you to read this book in its entirety. It’s an easy read and available for purchase at a very inexpensive price by going to: DynamicCatholic.com or calling (859)980-7900. You can also write to: The Dynamic Catholic Institute/5081 Olympic Blvd./Erlanger, Kentucky 41018. You can also Email: [email protected] The book, Rediscovering Catholicism, is divided into Four Parts with The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality being Part Three. I want to particularly draw your attention to the Prologue in this book which is a fictional account of a worldwide deadly pandemic which bears an uncanny resemblance to the current worldwide Covid-19 crisis. Remember this book was written in 2010! Divine Providence or Inspired Coincidence?

After reading several books by Matthew Kelly it is clear to me that Kelly has devoted his life to urging and inspiring all Christians, especially Catholic Christians, to be proud of their faith and to devote their lives here on earth to become the-best-version-of–themselves by answering the Church’s call to grow in Holiness through prayer, reading the bible & scriptures, confession, participating in the Mass, receiving the sacraments, fasting and embracing devotional services such as the rosary, stations of the cross and benediction.

I continue to pray for you and your families and ask God daily to protect you from this horrible virus as we navigate this new reality which in many ways reminds us of our complete and utter dependency on His compassion, mercy, love and hope.

Please let me know if this series of Spiritual Growth readings was helpful.

St. Vincent de Paul Pray for Us! St. Ann Pray for Us! Our Lady of Guadalupe Pray for Us!

+God Bless You!+