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?”
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?
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).
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.
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?
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?
October 9
“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. ”
-Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
For Reflection:
Given the categories of individuals Archbishop Sheen describes in this quote, what attributes or virtues describe them as they pray the Rosary. Into which category do I fit most readily? To what extent have I emulated all of them?
October 7 Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
“Say the Rosary every day…Pray, pray a lot and offer sacrifices for sinners…I’m Our Lady of the Rosary. Only I will be able to help you…. In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
-Our Lady of Fatima
For Reflection:
To what extent am I personally heeding Our Blessed Mother’s plea? In what one way can I be more diligent?
