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Praise
for the Rosary
Also See:
Holy
Rosary (Topic Page)
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"Of
all the prayers, the Rosary is the most beautiful and the richest
in graces; of all it is the one most pleasing to Mary, the Virgin
Most Holy." (Pope St. Pius X)
"I
beg of you to beware of thinking of the Rosary as something of
little importance - as do ignorant people and even several great
but proud scholars. Far from being insignificant, the rosary is a
priceless treasure which is inspired by God." (St. Louis de
Montfort)
"To
vocal prayer we must add mental prayer, which enlightens the mind,
inflames the heart and disposes the soul to listen to the voice of
Wisdom, to savor his delights and possess his treasures. For
myself, I know of no better way of establishing the kingdom of
God, Eternal Wisdom, than to unite vocal and mental prayer by
saying the holy Rosary and meditating on its fifteen
mysteries." (St. Louis de Montfort)
"Thus
the prayers of the Rosary, which are in themselves so plain and
simple, are full of a deep and varied meaning, and become really
the prayer of the heart. We may say these wonderful prayers every
day, and every hour of the day, and they never grow old, never
grow wearisome; they have always a new meaning, they always
express the desires of our heart." (Muller)
"The
rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact
the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the
book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and
knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is
the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this
world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the
rosary is beyond description." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)
"Now,
to appease the might of an outraged God and to bring that health
of soul so needed by those who are sorely afflicted, there is
nothing better than devout and persevering prayer, provided it be
joined with a love for and practice of Christian life. And both of
these, the spirit of prayer and the practice of Christian life,
are best attained through the devotion of the Rosary of
Mary." (Pope Leo XIII, "Magnae Dei Matris", 1892
A.D.)
"How
great is the power and mercy of the Blessed Virgin for those who
are faithful in the practice of the Rosary! If you wish then, to
save your soul, practice the devotion of the Rosary with fervor
and perseverance. If you wish to save the souls of those who are
near and dear to you, try to introduce this devotion without delay
into your family." (Muller)
"The
form of prayer We refer to has obtained the special name of 'Rosary,' as though it represented by its arrangement
the sweetness of roses and the charm of a garland. This is most
fitting for a method of venerating the Virgin, who is rightly
styled the Mystical Rose of Paradise, and who, as Queen of the
universe, shines therein with a crown of stars. So that by its
very name it appears to foreshadow and be an augury of the joys
and garlands of Heaven offered by her to those who are devoted to
her. This appears clearly if we consider the nature of the Rosary
of Our Lady." (Pope Leo XIII, "Fidentem Piumque Animum",
1896)
"Now,
if what appeared to be an unseasonable exercise of Mary's
influence resulted in a miracle, and the first of the public
miracles of our Lord; and if he predicted the coming of an hour
when the exercise of her influence should no longer be
unseasonable, as his words clearly imply, what prodigies must not
her intercession effect at the present time! If she could thus
prevail with God in her lowliness, what can she not obtain now in
her exalted state! How, how can we avail ourselves of her great
power of intercession with God? By the practice of the devotion of
the Rosary. When the Blessed Virgin revealed this devotion to St.
Dominic, she said to him: 'By this devotion the faithful shall
obtain numberless benefits and shall always find me ready to help
them in their wants.' The Blessed Virgin has never failed to keep
her promise." (Muller)
"We
do not hesitate to affirm again publicly that We put great
confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils which
afflict our times. Not with force, not with arms, not with human
power, but with Divine help obtained through the means of this
prayer, strong like David with his sling, the Church undaunted
shall be able to confront the infernal enemy, repeating to him the
words of the young shepherd: 'Thou comest to me with a sword,
and a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of
the Lord of Hosts, the God of armies...and all this assembly shall
know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, for this is
his battle, and he will deliver you into our hands'" (I Kings
17, 45-47)" (Pope Pius XII, "Ingruentium Malorum",
1951)
"We
well know the Rosary's powerful efficacy to obtain the maternal
aid of the Virgin. By no means is there only one way to pray to
obtain this aid. However, We consider the Holy Rosary the most
convenient and most fruitful means, as is clearly suggested by the
very origin of this practice, heavenly rather than human, and by
its nature. What prayers are better adapted and more beautiful
than the Lord's prayer and the angelic salutation, which are the
flowers with which this mystical crown is formed? With meditation
of the Sacred Mysteries added to the vocal prayers, there emerges
another very great advantage, so that all, even the most simple
and least educated, have in this a prompt and easy way to nourish
and preserve their own faith." (Pope Pius XII, "Ingruentium
Malorum", 1951)
"Among
the various supplications with which we successfully appeal to the
Virgin Mother of God, the Holy Rosary without doubt occupies a
special and distinct place. This prayer, which some call the
Psalter of the Virgin or Breviary of the Gospel and of Christian
life, was described and recommended by Our Predecessor of happy
memory, Leo XIII, with these vigorous passages: 'Very admirable is
this crown interwoven with the angelic salutation which is
interposed in the Sunday prayer, and unites with it the obligation
of interior meditation. It is an excellent manner of prayer... and
very useful for the attainment of immortal life' (Acta Leonis,
1898, Vol. XVIII, pp. 154, 155). And this can well be deduced from
the very flowers that form this mystic garland. What prayers in
fact can be found more adaptable and holy? This first is that
which our Divine Redeemer Himself pronounced when His disciples
asked Him: 'Lord, teach us to pray' (Luke xi, 1); a very holy
supplication which both offers us the way - as far as it is
possible for us - to render glory to God, and also takes into
account all the necessities of our body and soul. How can the
Eternal Father, when prayed to with the very words of His Son,
refuse to come to our aid? The other prayer is the Angelic
Salutation, which begins with the eulogies of the Archangel
Gabriel and of St. Elizabeth, and ends with that very pious
supplication by which we beg the help of the Blessed Virgin now
and at the hour of our death. To these invocations, said aloud, is
added the contemplation of the sacred mysteries, through which
they place, as it were, under our eyes the joys, sorrows and
triumphs of Jesus Christ and of His Mother, so that we receive
relief and comfort in our sorrows. Following those most holy
examples, we ascend to the happiness of the heavenly country by
steps of ever higher virtue." (Pope Pius XI, "Ingravescentibus
Malis", 1937 A.D.)
But
this title of the Rosary, this mode of prayer which seems to
contain, as it were, a final pledge of affection, and to sum up in
itself the honor due to Our Lady, has always been highly cherished
and widely used in private and in public, in homes and in
families, in the meetings of confraternities, at the dedication of
shrines, and in solemn processions; for there has seemed to be no
better means of conducting sacred solemnities, or of obtaining
protection and favors." (Pope Leo XIII, "Octobri Mense",
1891 A.D.)
"The
contemplation of these august mysteries, contemplated in their
order, affords to
faithful souls a wonderful confirmation of faith, protection
against the disease of error, and increase of the strength of the
soul. The soul and memory of him who thus prays, enlightened by
faith, are drawn towards these mysteries by the sweetest devotion,
are absorbed therein and are surprised before the work of the
Redemption of mankind, achieved at such a price and by events so
great. The soul is filled with gratitude and love before these
proofs of Divine love; its hope becomes enlarged and its desire is
increased for those things which Christ has prepared for such as
have united themselves to Him in imitation of His example and in
participation in His sufferings. The prayer is composed of words
proceeding from God Himself, from the Archangel Gabriel, and from
the Church; full of praise and of high desires; and it is renewed
and continued in an order at once fixed and various; its fruits
are ever new and sweet." (Pope Leo XIII, "Octobri Mense",
1891 A.D.)
"The
string of beads is simply intended to assist the memory. The touch
of beads quietly reminds us that it is time to pass from one
prayer or from one point of meditation to another. Thus the Rosary
may, in truth, be called the Gospel abridged, and a most holy and
divine prayer. It has proved to be the great propagator of
Christianity, the sweet nurse and sure preserver of faith, hope,
and charity, the indomitable expeller of unbelief, the quick
extinguisher of heresies, the infallible remedy for sadness and
despair, the universal appeaser of the anger of God, the fruitful
mother of tears, the entertaining companion on journeys, the
irresistible destroyer of vice, the easy bridge over the high
waters of temptation, the impregnable bulwark against all assaults
of afflictions, the glorious standard and trophy in war, the
substantial food of souls, the fertile source of all virtues, the
wide and deep channel of all blessings spiritual and temporal, the
powerful lever of the spiritual life, the patent medicine of the
sick, the bright light of the understanding, the best riches of the poor, the
inexhaustible treasure of all Christians, the never failing
support of widows, the reliable protection of the just, the
unsupportable torment of the devil, a most acceptable homage to
God and the ever blessed Mother of God, the safe seal of
virginity, the strong safeguard of nuptial fidelity, the safe
harbor in the storms of this life, the city of refuge for sinners,
the faithful friend and physician of the dying, the wonder working
rod of Moses, a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by
night, showing the way to heaven, the Piscina Probatita - that is,
the pond of healing water wherein whosoever descends is healed of
whatsoever spiritual infirmity he may lie under - the sweet milk
of little children, the beautiful crosier of bishops, the
unconquerable strength, courage and persuasive power of priests,
the golden key to heaven, the mother of good counsel, the
celebrated school of eloquence, the unshaken constancy of the
martyrs, gentle tyranny towards God, the impenetrable armor of all
the faithful, who, when shielded by this heavenly armor,
courageously fight and gloriously overcome all their enemies - the
impious maxims of the world, the deceitful allurements of the
flesh, and the subtle suggestions and snares of the devil - and
thus obtain in the world to come that heavenly glory and endless
happiness which the Lord has prepared for his faithful
servants." (Muller)
"It
is clear and comprehensible to the unlearned, and yet it contains
an inexhaustible source of strength and meditation to the learned.
It contains within itself an immeasurable depth, and embraces all
the regions of the doctrines of faith and of moral truth. It
declares and regulates the highest duties of human life. It is
sufficiently evident that so simple, and yet so exalted and
celestial, a form of prayer must be descended from heaven, and
will never be surpassed by any human composition. There is a
countless variety of prayer books; but not one of them can be
better than the Rosary. What book is so convenient to carry with
us as our beads? It can always be about us; in going to our work
we can take it in our hands, and say a decade; and night we can
put it around our neck or on the arm, and before falling asleep
offer to our Mother another decade of prayer. And if we happened
to lose it? Why, our dear Lord has provided each of us with a
living pail of beads; we can count our ten Hail Mary's on our ten
fingers, and accommodate ourselves thus until we have provided
ourselves with another. The Rosary is a prayer book for all. From
the hour it was made known, it found its way through millions of
lowly homes, even to the most distant countries. It has been used
in every language throughout the wide world; its prayers have been
said by the lips of little children who can barely lisp the name
of mother; by the lips of old age that trembles with weakness and
grief; they have been said by the sailor on the deep, by the
ploughman at his work in the field, by the scholar at his books,
by the soldier battling bravely for his altars and firesides, by
peasant girls singing in sunny vineyards, by the lips of those
whose brows flashed the gems of royal diadems. The book of the
Rosary is in use...in the hour of joy and in the hour of anguish.
It is a book blest and approved by [more than] twenty five Popes,
and recommended by the many indulgences they attached to its
prayers; a book which the little child and aged man, the rich and
the poor, the learned and the uninstructed can use with the same
fervor, the same love, the same efficacy; a book in which the good
Christian glories as the living testimony of Catholicism, and a
mark of tenderness towards Jesus Christ and the most holy Mother of
God." (Muller)
Also
See: Benefits of the Rosary
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The Family Rosary
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In Defense of the Rosary / Those Who Consider the Devotion an
"Annoying Formula" |
Knowing if a Man is For God / Rosary
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Recitation of the Rosary is Recommended
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The Rosary & Sin
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The Rosary & The Souls in Purgatory
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The Rosary as a Spiritual Thermometer
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The Rosary in History
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The Rosary is a Medicine
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The Rosary is Pleasing to Mary
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Those Who Say Daily Rosary Are Not Led Astray
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