October 19
“If [the pray-er of the Rosary] should listen daily to this secret teaching in the depth of his heart, this prayer would kindle in him the desire of heaven, of the glory of God, and the salvation of souls; it would give him a love of the cross and strength to carry it, and from time to time a foretaste of heaven, a certain savor of eternal life.”
-Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange
For Reflection:
What do I think it means to “listen to this secret teaching in the depth” of my heart? To what extent have I experienced any of the spiritual realities of this quote while I have prayed the Rosary? How can I aid myself during my prayer time to listen more closely?
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October 18
“The proficient who would thus live a little better each day by the spirit of the Rosary, would reach the contemplation of the mystery of Christ, a certain penetrating understand of the life of the mystical body, or of the Church militant, suffering, and triumphant. Under the continual direction of Jesus and of Mary Mediatrix, he would enter increasingly into the mystery of the communion of saints.”
-Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange
For Reflection:
According to this quote, what is contemplation of the mystery of Christ? How can the Rosary help us to do this? Here, Mary is called “Mediatrix.” (Refer to page 26 for the definition.) How have I experienced Mary as mediatrix?
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October 17
“[The Rosary’s] form is that of a prayerful and contemplative presentation, capable of forming Christians according to the heart of Christ.”
-St. John Paul II
For Reflection:
Have I experienced my own heart being conformed to that of Christ as I have prayed the mysteries of the Rosary? Have I witnessed an increased desire for virtue in my life? How have my attitudes, habits, actions, and reactions come under the influence of Christ as a result of my prayer time? (Read the next three Grace Lines to see how this is accomplished through the Rosary).
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October 16
“Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the Rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him.”
-Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2708
For Reflection:
How can meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary help to move me toward “the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him?”
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October 15
“Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ.”
-Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2708
For Reflection:
How does this depiction of Christian meditation differ from other ideas of meditation presented in the secular culture? Why are all of the faculties of the soul are helpful in entering into prayer? How can I engage my intellect, imagination, emotion and
desire when I pray the Rosary?
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October 14
“Just as two friends, frequently in each other’s company, tend to develop similar habits, so too, by holding familiar converse with Jesus and the Blessed Virgin, by meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary and by living the same life in Holy Communion, we can become, to the extent of our lowliness,
similar to them…”
-Blessed Bartolo Longo
For Reflection:
What evidence have I seen in my own life that friends take on each other’s habits and characteristics? If I learn to enter deeply into the mysteries of the Rosary, then, I too, can become similar to Mary and Jesus. How does this enhance my desire to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary? (See tomorrow’s Grace Line for an insight on Christian meditation).
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October 13
“In a word, by focusing our eyes on Christ, the Rosary also makes us peacemakers in the world. By its nature as an insistent choral petition in harmony with Christ’s invitation to ‘pray ceaselessly’ (Lk. 18:1), the Rosary allows us to hope that, even today, the difficult ‘battle’ for peace can be won."
-St. John Paul II
For Reflection:
Do I truly believe that my prayer of the Rosary can be used by God to bring peace to the world? Why or why not? Am I willing to give it a try, in conjunction with so many others, so that this culture might be reclaimed for Jesus Christ? I will pray for generosity of heart.
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October 12
“To rediscover the Rosary means to immerse oneself in contemplation of the mystery of Christ who ‘is our peace.’”
-St. John Paul II
For Reflection:
In numerous apparitions, Mary has encouraged the Catholic faithful to pray the Rosary for peace in the world. How can I cooperate with her message by contemplating the mystery of Christ so that I might have inner peace? What effect could this have in my family, workplace, parish, and world at large?
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October 11
“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
For Reflection:
Why is the Rosary such a useful prayer in establishing the kingdom of God within the soul? How have I seen this to be so in my own life? What can I do to make progress in my daily meditation of the mysteries?
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October 10
“The reason why we get tired of saying the Rosary so much, is because we
think about it so little.”
-Father Ronald Knox
For Reflection:
To what extent do I think about the prayer of the Rosary throughout the day? How does this help me enter into it more deeply?
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