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Benefits
of the Rosary
Also See:
Holy
Rosary (Topic Page)
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The
Blessed Virgin to St. Dominic: "This devotion is most dear to
my Son and to me. The faithful shall obtain by it numberless
benefits, and shall always find me ready to aid them in all their
wants."
"For
We are convinced that the Rosary, if devoutly used, is bound to
benefit not only the individual but society at large." (Pope
Leo XIII, "Laetitiae Sanctae", 1893 A.D.)
"Who
does not see that our hope in God is nourished and strengthened
more and more whenever we say the Rosary?" (Muller)
"The
Holy Rosary, besides, not only serves admirably to overcome the
enemies of God and Religion, but is also a stimulus and spur to
the practice of evangelic virtues which it injects and cultivates
in our souls. Above all, it nourishes the Catholic Faith, which
flourishes again by due meditation on the sacred mysteries, and
raises minds to the truth revealed to us by God." (Pope Pius
XI, "Ingravescentibus Malis", 1937 A.D.)
"[E]xperience
shows that no sooner do the people commence to practice this
devotion that they open their hearts to the largest channel of
grace, so as to be flooded with heavenly gifts." (Muller)
"Number
those, if you can, who, through the devotion of the Rosary, have
recovered from sickness; how many captives have been set at
liberty; how many have been delivered by Mary who were in danger
of perishing by fire, in danger of shipwreck, in danger of war and
pestilence. Go to the sanctuaries of Our Blessed Lady, and see
there the many votive offerings, ornaments of gold and silver and
precious stones, in commemoration of miraculous cures or other
extraordinary favors obtained though the devotion of the Rosary;
for in these sanctuaries of the Blessed Virgin the blind are
restored to sight, the lame walk, the demons are expelled from the
bodies of men. These are authentic facts, attested not only by
persons of note who have heard them from others, but by thousands
of eyewitnesses whose sincerity we cannot doubt; facts so
numerous that, if they were all written, it would take years to
read them. What favor and blessing is there that cannot be
obtained by the devotion of the Rosary?" (Muller)
"To
this commendation of the Rosary which follows from the very nature
of the prayer, We may add that the Rosary offers an easy way to
present the chief mysteries of the Christian religion and to
impress them upon the mind; and this commendation is one of the
most beautiful of all. For it is mainly by faith that a man sets
out on the straight and sure path to God and learns to revere in
mind and heart His supreme majesty, His sovereignty over the whole
of creation, His unsounded power, wisdom, and providence. For he
who comes to God must believe that God exists and is a rewarder to
those who seek Him. Moreover, because God's eternal Son assumed
our humanity and shone before us as the Way, the Truth, and the
Life, our faith must include the lofty mysteries of the august
Trinity of divine Persons and of the Father's only-begotten Son
made Man: 'This is eternal life: that they may know thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.'" (Pope
Leo XIII, "Magnae Dei Matris", 1892)
"It
remains to be added that great value and utility accrue to the
Rosary from the abundance of privileges and favors which adorn it,
and more particularly from the rich treasures of indulgences
attached to it. It is evident how greatly to the advantage of all
who are solicitous for their eternal salvation is the obtaining of
these benefits. For it is a question of obtaining either totally
or partially a remission of the debt of temporal punishment which,
even after guilt has been forgiven, must be paid either in this
life or in the next. Vast indeed is the treasure won by the merits
of Christ, His Mother and the Saints, to which our predecessor
Clement VI so aptly applied those words of the Book of Wisdom:
'She is an infinite treasure to men: which they that use become
the friends of God' (Wisdom vii., 14). The Roman Pontiffs, making
use of that supreme power granted them by God, have opened out the
most abundant fountains of these graces to the members of the
sodality of the Holy Rosary and to those who recite the
Rosary." (Pope Leo XIII, "Diuturni Temporis", 1898
A.D.)
"I
have exercised the office of pastor during several years; I have
preached on all sorts of subjects as well as I was able: I have
neglected nothing which could instruct, touch, and convert the
souls entrusted to me; but seeing that I worked in vain, and
reaped no fruit from my labor, I resolved to sacrifice the studied
discourses which I has been accustomed to make, and try if I
should succeed better by simply preaching the devotion of the holy
Rosary, explaining the prayers which compose it and the mysteries
on which it is grounded. I had neglected this excellent custom,
not withstanding the reproaches of my conscience, through human
respect, fearing lest the world should ridicule me, and consider
the subject unworthy of the pulpit. But I declare that, in less
than a year, more conversions were made in my parish than during
the thirty preceding years, when I had only delivered studied
discourses." (Bl. Alain de la Roche)
"For
as the disastrous condition of the Church and of Society proved to
Us the extreme necessity for signal aid from God, it was manifest
to Us that aid should be sought through the intercession of His
Mother, and by the express means of the Rosary, which Christians
have ever found to be of marvelous avail. This indeed has been
well proved since the very institution of the devotion, both in
the vindication of Holy Faith against the furious attacks of
heresy, and in restoring to honor the virtues, which by reason of
the Age's corruption, required to be rekindled and sustained. And
this same proof was continued in all succeeding ages, by a never
failing series of private and public benefits, whereof the
illustrious remembrance is everywhere perpetuated and immortalized
by monuments and existing institutions." (Pope Leo XIII,
"Iucunda Semper Expectatione", 1894)
"To
those therefore who are striving after supreme happiness this
means of the Rosary has been most providentially offered, and it
is one unsurpassed for facility and convenience. For any person
even moderately instructed in his religion can make use of it with
fruit, and the time it occupies cannot delay any man's business.
Sacred history abounds with striking and evident examples. It is
well known that there have been many persons occupied in most
weighty functions or absorbed in laborious cares who have never
omitted for a single day this pious practice. Combined with this
advantage is that inward sentiment of devotion which attracts
minds to the Rosary, so that they love it as the intimate
companion and faithful protector of life; and in their last agony
they embrace and hold fast to it as the dear pledge of the
unfading Crown of glory. Such a pledge is greatly enhanced by the
benefits of sacred indulgences, if properly employed; for the
devotion of the Rosary has been richly endowed with such
indulgences by both our Predecessors and Ourselves. These favors
will certainly prove most efficacious to both the dying and the
departed, being bestowed as it were by the hands of the merciful
Virgin, in order that they may the sooner enjoy the eternal peace
and light they have desired." (Pope Leo XIII, "Fidentem
Piumque Animum", 1896 A.D.)
"This
year is the first centenary of Pope Leo XIII's Encyclical Supreme
Apostolatus, with which the great Pontiff decreed that the month
of October would be especially dedicated to veneration of the
Virgin of the Rosary. In this document he strongly emphasized the
extraordinary efficacy of this prayer, recited with a pure and
devout spirit, for the purpose of obtaining from the heavenly
Father, in Christ, and through the intercession of the Mother of
God, protection against the most serious evils that can threaten
Christianity and mankind itself, and therefore of attaining to the
highest goods of justice and peace among individuals and among
peoples. With this historic act, Leo XIII did no more than place
himself alongside the numerous Pontiffs who had preceded him - St.
Pius V among them - and he left a consignment to those who would
follow him in furthering the devotion of the Rosary. For this
reason I too want to say to all of you: make the Rosary the 'gentle chain that binds you to God' through Mary."
(Pope John Paul II, 1983)
"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. And truly, from the frequent
meditation on the Mysteries, the soul little by little and
imperceptibly draws and absorbs the virtues they contain, and is
wondrously enkindled with a longing for things immortal, and
becomes strongly and easily impelled to follow the path which
Christ Himself and His Mother have followed. The recitation of
identical formulas repeated so many times, rather than rendering
the prayer sterile and boring, has on the contrary the admirable
quality of infusing confidence in him who prays and brings to bear
a gentle compulsion on the motherly Heart of Mary." (Pope
Pius XII, "Ingruentium Malorum", 1951 A.D.)
"Wherever
the Devotion of the Rosary was introduced by St. Dominic a true
amendment of life could be noticed in the people; so much so, that
if one was seen to live on in sin the people pointed at him with
their fingers, saying: 'Behold, one who does not say the Rosary!'
Even many of the heretics were converted partly by the explanation
of the mysteries of our religion as contained in the Rosary,
partly
by the recital of the prayers of which the Rosary is composed.
Almighty God also showed repeatedly by miracles what pleasure he
takes in this devotion. The heretics and Catholics put together in
writing the strongest arguments in defense of their cause; those
of the Catholics were the work of St. Dominic. It was proposed
that both writings should be committed to the flames, in order
that God might declare by his own interposition which cause he
favored. Accordingly a great fire was made, and the two writings
were cast into it; that of the heretics was immediately consumed
to ashes, while the other remained unhurt after it had been cast
into the fire three times and taken out again." (Muller)
"Since,
therefore, it is clearly evident that this form of prayer is
particularly pleasing to the Blessed Virgin, and that it is
especially suitable as a means of defense for the Church and all
Christians, it is in no way wonderful that several others of Our
Predecessors have made it their aim to favor and increase its
spread by their high recommendations. Thus Urban IV, testified
that 'every day the Rosary obtained fresh boon for Christianity.'
Sixtus IV declared that this method of prayer 'redounded to the
honor of God and the Blessed Virgin, and was well suited to
obviate impending dangers;' Leo X. that 'it was instituted to
oppose pernicious heresiarchs and heresies;' while Julius III
called it 'the glory of the Church.' So also St. Pius V, that
'with the spread of this devotion the meditations of the faithful
have begun to be more inflamed, their prayers more fervent, and
they have suddenly become different men; the darkness of heresy
has been dissipated, and the light of Catholic faith has broken
forth again.' Lastly Gregory XIII in his turn pronounced that 'the
Rosary had been instituted by St. Dominic to appease the anger of
God and to implore the intercession of the Blessed Virgin
Mary.'" (Pope Leo XIII, "Supremi Apostolatus
Officio", 1883 A.D.)
"Therefore,
revive the hope of immortal welfare, while the triumph of Jesus
Christ and of His Mother, meditated on by us in the last part of
the Rosary, shows us Heaven open and invites us to the conquest of
the Eternal Country. Thus while an unbridled longing for the
things of this earth has penetrated into the hearts of mortals and
each one more ardently longs for the short-lived riches and
ephemeral pleasures, all feel a fruitful call back to the heavenly
treasures 'where thieves do not break in and neither rust nor moth
doth consume' (Matt. xii, 33), and to the wealth that will never
perish." (Pope Pius XI, "Ingravescentibus Malis",
1937 A.D.)
"Now,
among the several rites and manners of paying honor to the Blessed
Mary, some are to be preferred, inasmuch as we know them to be
most powerful and most pleasing to our Mother; and for this reason
we specially mention by name and recommend the Rosary. The common
language has given the name of corona to this manner of prayer,
which recalls to our minds the great mysteries of Jesus and Mary
united in joys, sorrows, and triumphs. 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)
"There
is still another and not lesser advantage which the Church
earnestly seeks for her children from the Rosary, and that is the
faithful regulation of their lives and their conduct in keeping
with the rules and precepts of their holy religion. For if, as we
all know from Holy Scripture, 'faith without works is dead'
because faith draws its life from charity and charity flowers
forth in a profusion of holy actions-then the Christian will gain
nothing for eternal life from his faith unless his life be ordered
in accordance with what faith prescribes. 'What shall it profit,
my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall
faith be able to save him?' A man of this sort will incur a much
heavier rebuke from Christ the Judge than those who are,
unfortunately, ignorant of Christian faith and its teaching: they,
unlike the former, who believes one thing and practices another,
have some excuse or at least are less blameworthy, because they
lack the light of the Gospel." (Pope Leo XIII, "Magnae
Dei Matris", 1892 A.D.)
"If
in all this series of Mysteries, Venerable Brethren, are developed
the counsels of God in regard to us - 'counsels of wisdom and of
tenderness' (St. Bernard) - not less apparent is the greatness of
the benefits for which we are debtors to the Virgin Mother. No man
can meditate upon these without feeling a new awakening in his
heart of confidence that he will certainly obtain through Mary the
fullness of the mercies of God. And to this end vocal prayer
chimes well with the Mysteries. First, as is meet and right, comes
the Lord's Prayer, addressed to Our Father in Heaven: and having,
with the elect petitions dictated by Our Divine Master, called
upon the Father, from the throne of His Majesty we turn our
prayerful voices to Mary. Thus is confirmed that law of merciful
meditation of which We have spoken, and which St. Bernardine of
Siena thus expresses: 'Every grace granted to man has three
degrees in order; for by God it is communicated to Christ, from
Christ it passes to the Virgin, and from the Virgin it descends to
us.' And we, by the very form of the Rosary, do linger longest,
and, as it were, by preference upon the last and lowest of these
steps, repeating by decades the Angelic Salutation, so that with
greater confidence we may thence attain to the higher degrees -
that
is, may rise, by means of Christ, to the Divine Father. For if
thus we again and again greet Mary, it is precisely that our
failing and defective prayers may be strengthened with the
necessary confidence; as though we pledged her to pray for us, and
as it were in our name, to God." (Pope Leo XIII, "Iucunda
Semper Expectatione", 1894 A.D.)
"And
it is remarkable how well adapted to every kind of mind, however
unskilled, is the manner in which these things are proposed to us
in the Rosary. They are proposed less as truths or doctrines to be
speculated upon than as present facts to be seen and perceived.
Thus presented, with the circumstances of place, time, and
persons, these Mysteries produce the most living effect; and this
without the slightest effort of imagination; for they are treated
as things learnt and engraven in the heart from infancy. Thus,
hardly is a Mystery named but the pious soul goes through it with
ease of thought and quickness of feeling, and gathers therefrom,
by the gift of Mary, abundance of the food of Heaven. And yet
another title of joy and of acceptation in her eyes do our crowns
of prayer acquire. For every time that we look once more with
devotional remembrance upon these Mysteries we give her a sign of
the gratitude of our hearts; we prove to her that we cannot often
enough call to mind the blessings of her unwearied charity in the
work of our salvation. At such recollections, practiced by us with
the frequency of love in her presence, who may express, who may
even conceive, what ever-new joys overflow her ever-blessed soul,
and what tender affections arise therein, of mercy and of a
mother's love! Besides these recollections, moreover, as the
sacred Mysteries pass by they cause our prayers to be transformed
into impulses of entreaty that have an indescribable power over
the heart of Mary. Yes, we fly to thee, we miserable children of
Eve, O holy Mother of God. To thee we lift our prayers, for thou
art the Mediatrix, powerful at once and pitiful, of our salvation.
Oh, by the sweetness of the joys that came to thee from thy Son
Jesus, by thy participation in His ineffable sorrows, by the
splendors of His glory shining in thee, we instantly beseech thee,
listen, be pitiful, hear us, unworthy though we be!" (Pope
Leo XIII, "Iucunda Semper Expectatione", 1894 A.D.)
"...while
the mind is dwelling on mysteries of the Rosary the heart is
wonderfully enkindled by them to make virtuous resolutions. What
an example we have set before us!... It would be utterly
impossible for anyone to meditate on and attentively consider
these most precious memorials of our loving Redeemer and not have
a heart on fire with gratitude to Him. Such is the power of a
faith sincerely practiced that, through the light it brings to
man's mind and the vigor with which it moves his heart, he will
straightway set out in the footsteps of Christ and follow them
through every obstacle, making his own a protestation worthy of a
St. Paul: 'Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation? or distress? or famine? or nakedness? or
danger? or persecution? or the sword?' 'I live, now not I; but
Christ liveth in me.' But lest we be dismayed by the consciousness
of our native weakness and grow faint when confronted with the
unattainable example which Christ, who is Man and at the same time
God, has given, along with mysteries which portray Him, we have
before our eyes for contemplation the mysteries of His most holy
Mother. She was born, it is true, of the royal family of David,
but she fell heir to none of the wealth and grandeur of her
ancestors. She passed her life in obscurity, in a humble town, in
a home humbler still, the more content with her retirement and the
poverty of her home because they left her freer to lift up her
heart to God and to cling to Him closely as the supreme Goodness
for which her heart yearned. The Lord is with her whom He has
filled with His grace and made blessed. She is designated by the
heavenly messenger sent to her as the Virgin from whom, by the
power of the Holy Ghost, the expected Savior of nations is to come
forth clothed in our humanity. The more she wonders at the sublime
dignity and gives thanks to the power and mercy of God, the more
does she, conscious of no merit in herself, grow in humility,
promptly proclaiming and consecrating herself the handmaid of God
even while she becomes His Mother. Her sacred promise was as
sacredly kept with a joyous heart; henceforth she leads a life in
perpetual union with her son Jesus, sharing with Him His joys and
sorrows. It is thus that she will reach a height of glory granted
to no other creature, whether human or angelic, because no one
will receive a reward for virtue to be compared with hers; it is
thus that the crown of the kingdoms of heaven and of earth will
await her because she will be the invincible Queen of Martyrs. It
is thus that she will be seated in the heavenly city of God by the
side of her Son, crowned for all eternity, because she will drink
with Him the cup overflowing with sorrow, faithfully through all
her life, most faithfully on Calvary." (Pope Leo XIII, "Magnae
Dei Matris", 1892 A.D.)
"[T]he
Christian is kept so busy by the various affairs of life and
wanders so easily into matters of little importance, that unless
he be helped with frequent reminders, the truths which are of
first importance and necessity are little by little forgotten; and
then faith begins to grow weak and may even perish.. To ward off
these exceedingly great dangers of ignorance from her children,
the Church, which never relaxes her vigilant and diligent care,
has been in the habit of looking for the staunchest support of
faith in the Rosary of Mary. And indeed in the Rosary, along with
the most beautiful and efficacious prayer arranged in an orderly
pattern, the chief mysteries of our religion follow one another,
as they are brought before our mind for contemplation: first of
all the mysteries in which the Word was made flesh and Mary, the
inviolate Virgin and Mother, performed her maternal duties for Him
with a holy joy; there come then the sorrows, the agony and death
of the suffering Christ, the price at which the salvation of our
race was accomplished; then follow the mysteries full of His
glory; His triumph over death, the Ascension into heaven, the
sending of the Holy Spirit, the resplendent brightness of Mary
received among the stars, and finally the everlasting glory of all
the saints in heaven united with the glory of the Mother and her
Son. This uninterrupted sequence of wonderful events the Rosary
frequently and perseveringly recalls to the minds of the faithful
and presents almost as though they were unfolding before our eyes:
and this, flooding the souls of those who devoutly recite it with
a sweetness of piety that never grows weary, impresses and stirs
them as though they were listening to the very voice of the
Blessed Mother explaining the mysteries and conversing with them
at length about their salvation. It will not, then, seem too much
to say that in places, families, and nations in which the Rosary
of Mary retains its ancient honor, the loss of faith through
ignorance and vicious error need not be feared." (Pope Leo
XIII, "Magnae Dei Matris", 1892)
"A
second evil, one which is specially pernicious, and one which,
owing to the increasing mischief which it works among souls, we
can never sufficiently deplore, is to be found in repugnance to
suffering and eagerness to escape whatever is hard or painful to
endure. The greater number are thus robbed of that peace and
freedom of mind which remains the reward of those who do what is
right undismayed by the perils or troubles to be met with in doing
so. Rather do they dream of a chimeric civilization in which all
that is unpleasant shall be removed, and all that is pleasant
shall be supplied. By this passionate and unbridled desire of
living a life of pleasure, the minds of men are weakened, and if
they do not entirely succumb, they become demoralized and
miserably cower and sink under the hardships of the battle of
life. In such a contest example is everything, and a powerful
means of renewing our courage will undoubtedly be found in the
Holy Rosary, if from our earliest years our minds have been
trained to dwell upon the sorrowful mysteries of Our Lord's life,
and to drink in their meaning by sweet and silent meditation. In
them we shall learn how Christ, 'the Author and Finisher of Our
faith,' began 'to do and teach,' in order that we might see
written in His example all the lessons that He Himself had taught
us for the bearing of our burden of labor and sorrow, and mark how
the sufferings which were hardest to bear were those which He
embraced with the greatest measure of generosity and good will. We
behold Him overwhelmed with sadness, so that drops of blood ooze
like sweat from His veins. We see Him bound like a malefactor,
subjected to the judgment of the unrighteous, laden with insults,
covered with shame, assailed with false accusations, torn with
scourges, crowned with thorns, nailed to the cross, accounted
unworthy to live, and condemned by the voice of the multitude as
deserving of death. Here, too, we contemplate the grief of the
most Holy Mother, whose soul was not merely wounded but 'pierced'
by the sword of sorrow, so that she might be named and become in
truth 'the Mother of Sorrows.' Witnessing these examples of fortitude, not with sight but by faith, who is there who will not feel his heart grow warm with the desire of imitating them?" (Pope Leo XIII, "Laetitiae Sanctae", 1893 A.D.)
"The
third evil for which a remedy is needed is one which is chiefly
characteristic of the times in which we live. Men in former ages,
although they loved the world, and loved it far too well, did not
usually aggravate their sinful attachment to the things of earth
by a contempt of the things of heaven. Even the right-thinking
portion of the pagan world recognized that this life was not a
home but a dwelling-place, not our destination, but a stage in the
journey. But men of our day, albeit they have had the advantages
of Christian instruction, pursue the false goods of this world in
such wise that the thought of their true Fatherland of enduring
happiness is not only set aside, but, to their shame be it said,
banished and entirely erased from their memory, notwithstanding
the warning of St. Paul, 'We have not here a lasting city, but we
seek one which is to come' (Heb. xiii., 4). When We seek out the
causes of this forgetfulness, We are met in the first place by the
fact that many allow themselves to believe that the thought of a
future life goes in some way to sap the love of our country, and
thus militates against the prosperity of the commonwealth. No
illusion could be more foolish or hateful. Our future hope is not
of a kind which so monopolizes the minds of men as to withdraw
their attention from the interests of this life. Christ commands
us, it is true, to seek the Kingdom of God, and in the first
place, but not in such a manner as to neglect all things else.
For, the use of the goods of the present life, and the righteous
enjoyment which they furnish, may serve both to strengthen virtue
and to reward it. The splendor and beauty of our earthly
habitation, by which human society is ennobled, may mirror the
splendor and beauty of our dwelling which is above. Therein we see
nothing that is not worthy of the reason of man and of the wisdom
of God. For the same God who is the Author of Nature is the Author
of Grace, and He willed not that one should collide or conflict
with the other, but that they should act in friendly alliance, so
that under the leadership of both we may the more easily arrive at
that immortal happiness for which we mortal men were created. But
men of carnal mind, who love nothing but themselves, allow their
thoughts to grovel upon things of earth until they are unable to
lift them to that which is higher. For, far from using the goods
of time as a help towards securing those which are eternal, they
lose sight altogether of the world which is to come, and sink to
the lowest depths of degradation. We may doubt if God could
inflict upon man a more terrible punishment than to allow him to
waste his whole life in the pursuit of earthly pleasures, and in
forgetfulness of the happiness which alone lasts for ever. It is
from this danger that they will be happily rescued, who, in the
pious practice of the Rosary, are wont, by frequent and fervent
prayer, to keep before their minds the glorious mysteries. These
mysteries are the means by which in the soul of a Christian a most
clear light is shed upon the good things, hidden to sense, but
visible to faith, 'which God has prepared for those who love Him.'
From them we learn that death is not an annihilation which ends
all things, but merely a migration and passage from life to life.
By them we are taught that the path to Heaven lies open to all
men, and as we behold Christ ascending thither, we recall the
sweet words of His promise, 'I go to prepare a place for you.' By
them we are reminded that a time will come when 'God will wipe
away every tear from our eyes,' and that 'neither mourning, nor
crying, nor sorrow, shall be any more,' and that 'We shall be
always with the Lord,' and 'like to the Lord, for we shall see Him
as He is,' and 'drink of the torrent of His delight,' as
'fellow-citizens of the saints,' in the blessed companionship of
our glorious Queen and Mother. Dwelling upon such a prospect, our
hearts are kindled with desire, and we exclaim, in the words of a
great saint, 'How vile grows the earth when I look up to heaven!'
Then, too, shall we feel the solace of the assurance 'that which
is at present momentary and light of our tribulation worketh for
us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory' (2 Cor.
iv., 17)." (Pope Leo XIII, "Laetitiae Sanctae",
1893 A.D.)
"The
recourse we have to Mary in prayer follows upon the office she
continuously fills by the side of the throne of God as Mediatrix
of Divine grace; being by worthiness and by merit most acceptable
to Him, and, therefore, surpassing in power all the angels and
saints in Heaven. Now, this merciful office of hers, perhaps,
appears in no other form of prayer so manifestly as it does in the
Rosary. For in the Rosary all the part that Mary took as our co-Redemptress
comes to us, as it were, set forth, and in such wise as though the
facts were even then taking place; and this with much profit to
our piety, whether in the contemplation of the succeeding sacred
mysteries, or in the prayers which we speak and repeat with the
lips. First come the Joyful Mysteries. The Eternal Son of God
stoops to mankind, putting on its nature; but with the assent of
Mary, who conceives Him by the Holy Ghost. Then St. John the
Baptist, by a singular privilege, is sanctified in his mother's
womb and favored with special graces that he might prepare the way
of the Lord; and this comes to pass by the greeting of Mary who
had been inspired to visit her cousin. At last the expected of
nations comes to light, Christ the Savior. The Virgin bears Him.
And when the Shepherds and the wise men, first-fruits of the
Christian faith, come with longing to His cradle, they find there
the young Child, with Mary, His Mother. Then, that He might before
men offer Himself as a victim to His Heavenly Father, He desires
to be taken to the Temple; and by the hands of Mary He is there
presented to the Lord. It is Mary who, in the mysterious losing of
her Son, seeks Him sorrowing, and finds Him again with joy. And
the same truth is told again in the sorrowful mysteries... Thence
the Rosary takes us on to the Glorious Mysteries, wherein likewise
is revealed the mediation of the great Virgin, still more abundant
in fruitfulness. She rejoices in heart over the glory of her Son
triumphant over death, and follows Him with a mother's love in His
Ascension to His eternal kingdom; but, though worthy of Heaven,
she abides a while on earth, so that the infant Church may be
directed and comforted by her 'who penetrated, beyond all belief,
into the deep secrets of Divine wisdom' (St. Bernard).
Nevertheless, for the fulfillment of the task of human redemption
there remains still the coming of the Holy Ghost, promised by
Christ. And behold, Mary is in the room, and there, praying with
the Apostles and entreating for them with sobs and tears, she
hastens for the Church the coming of the Spirit, the Comforter,
the supreme gift of Christ, the treasure that will never fail. And
later, without measure and without end will she be able to plead
our cause, passing upon a day to the life immortal. Therefore we
behold her taken up from this valley of tears into the heavenly
Jerusalem, amid choirs of Angels. And we honor her, glorified
above all the Saints, crowned with stars by her Divine Son and
seated at His side the sovereign Queen of the universe."
(Pope Leo XIII, "Iucunda Semper Expectatione", 1894
A.D.)
"Here,
if the joyful mysteries be but clearly brought home to the minds
of the people, an object lesson of the chief virtues is placed
before their eyes. Each one will thus be able to see for himself
how easy, how abundant, how sweetly attractive are the lessons to
be found therein for the leading of an honest life. Let us take
our stand in front of that earthly and divine home of holiness,
the House of Nazareth. How much we have to learn from the daily
life which was led within its walls! What an all-perfect model of
domestic society! Here we behold simplicity and purity of conduct,
perfect agreement and unbroken harmony, mutual respect and
love-not of the false and fleeting kind-but that which finds both
its life and its charm in devotedness of service. Here is the
patient industry which provides what is required for food and
raiment; which does so 'in the sweat of the brow,' which is
contented with little, and which seeks rather to diminish the
number of its wants than to multiply the sources of its wealth.
Better than all, we find there that supreme peace of mind and
gladness of soul which never fail to accompany the possession of a
tranquil conscience. These are precious examples of goodness, of
modesty, of humility, of hard-working endurance, of kindness to
others, of diligence in the small duties of daily life, and of
other virtues, and once they have made their influence felt they
gradually take root in the soul, and in course of time fail not to
bring about a happy change of mind and conduct. Then will each one
begin to feel his work to be no longer lowly and irksome, but
grateful and lightsome, and clothed with a certain joyousness by
his sense of duty in discharging it conscientiously. Then will
gentler manners everywhere prevail; home-life will be loved and
esteemed, and the relations of man with man will be loved and
esteemed, and the relations of man with man will be hallowed by a
larger infusion of respect and charity. And if this betterment
should go forth from the individual to the family and to the
communities, and thence to the people at large so that human life
should be lifted up to this standard, no one will fail to feel how
great and lasting indeed would be the gain which would be achieved
for society." (Pope Leo XIII, "Laetitiae Sanctae",
1893 A.D.)
"A
soul that shall devoutly repeat these prayers, that shall ponder
with faith these mysteries, will, without doubt, be filled with
wonder at the Divine purposes in this great Virgin and in the work
of the restoration of mankind. Doubtless, this soul, moved by the
warmth of love for her and of confidence, will desire to take
refuge [near her], as was the sweet feeling of St. Bernard:
'Remember, O most pious Virgin Mary, that never was it heard that
any who fled to thy protection, called upon thy help, and sought
thy intercession, was left forsaken.' But the fruits of the Rosary
appear likewise, and with equal greatness, in the turning with
mercy of the heart of the Mother of God towards us. How sweet a
happiness must it be for her to see us all intent upon the task of
weaving crowns for her of righteous prayers and lovely praises!
And if, indeed, by those prayers we desire to render to God the
glory which is His due; if we protest that we seek nothing
whatsoever except the fulfillment in us of His holy will; if we
magnify His goodness and graciousness; if we call Him Our Father;
if we, being most unworthy, yet entreat of Him His best
blessings-Oh, how shall Mary in all these things rejoice! How
shall she magnify the Lord! There is no language so fit to lead us
to the majesty of God as the language of the Lord's Prayer.
Furthermore, to each of these things for which we pray, things
that are righteous and are ordered, and are in harmony with
Christian faith, hope, and charity, is added a special joy for the
Blessed Virgin. With our voices she seems to hear also the voice
of her Divine Son, Who with His own mouth taught us this prayer,
and by His own authority commanded it, saying: 'You shall pray
thus.' And seeing how we observe that command, saying our Rosary,
she will bend towards us with the more loving solicitude; and the
mystical crowns we offer her will be to her welcome, and to us
fruitful of graces. And of this generosity of Mary to our
supplications we have no slight pledge in the very nature of a
practice that has the power to help us in praying well. In many
ways, indeed, is man apt, by his frailty, to allow his thoughts to
wander from God and to let his purpose go astray. But the Rosary,
if rightly considered, will be found to have in itself special
virtues, whether for producing and continuing a state of
recollection, or for touching the conscience for its healing, or
for lifting up the soul. As all men know, it is composed of two
parts, distinct but inseparable - the meditation of the Mysteries
and the recitation of the prayers. It is thus a kind of prayer
that requires not only some raising of the soul to God, but also a
particular and explicit attention, so that by reflection upon the
things to be contemplated, impulses and resolutions may follow for
the reformation and sanctification of life." (Pope Leo XIII,
"Iucunda Semper Expectatione", 1894 A.D.)
"And
Our most lively and sure hope is placed in the Queen of the
Rosary, who has shown herself, since she has been invoked by that
title, so ready to help the Church and Christian peoples in their
necessities." (Pope Leo XIII, "Vi E Ben Noto", 1887
A.D.)
Also
See: Praise for the Rosary
|
Recitation of the Rosary is Recommended
|
The Rosary & Sin
|
The Rosary & The Souls in Purgatory
|
The Rosary as a Spiritual Thermometer
|
The Rosary in History
|
The Rosary is a Medicine
|
The Rosary is Pleasing to Mary
|
Those Who Say Daily Rosary Are Not Led Astray
|
Misc. / Rosary
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