Why do we engage in devotional practices such as the rosary? As we journey through Lent, it’s worth pondering the purpose of devotions in the faith life. Pope Saint John Paul II writes in his encyclical on the rosary:
“By immersing us in the mysteries of the Redeemer’s life, [the rosary] ensures that what he has done and what the liturgy makes present is profoundly assimilated and shapes our existence.” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 13)
The sacramental-liturgical life of the Church is the primary means by which we receive and participate in the divine life of grace. But at the same time, the Church encourages us to engage in devotional forms of prayer. Devotions are not meant to distract us from the sacraments. Rather, they help us prepare for the reception of divine life through the sacraments and keep it growing to fruition within us.
The rosary is an especially beneficial devotion for allowing the sacramental life of grace to affect our lives and effect our transformation into Christ. The sacraments convey to us the reality of Christ’s life on an objective level, putting us in contact with his very self. The rosary conveys to us the realities of Christ’s life on a subjective level, putting us in contact with his joys, sorrows, revelations, and glories. It does this under the guidance of our Blessed Mother. The rosary allows us to stand with Mary at the foot of the Cross—the place of our redemption—and to be lifted up with her into heaven—the place of our eternal rest. The rosary is one of the best ways to let divine life permeate our being.
Perhaps an analogy would be helpful. We know that a healthy body needs a healthy heart. That heart must be filled with blood and so be the source of blood for the rest of the body. But that blood only reaches every last pore of the body because it circulates. It must move around and around in us. That much is true on the physical plane.
Consider now the spiritual plane. To be a healthy spiritual organism, we need a new heart. That new heart is Christ’s, given to us in baptism. That new heart needs new blood, and that new blood is given to us in the Eucharist. But how is that blood to reach every spiritual pore of our souls? It must move around and around in us.
This is where the rosary comes in. Just as the blood must circulate throughout the body so it can be vitalized, so too must the blood of Christ circulate throughout the soul so it can be enlivened. Praying the rosary helps the divine life of Christ to course through the arteries of our soul, seeping into every last part of it. As the beads of the rosary slide round and round in our hands, the prayers of the rosary carry the life of Christ round and round in our souls, allowing him, his blood, and his life to suffuse us. It is a spiritual exercise, making our spiritual hearts grow stronger and more vital. It gets us off the spiritual couch and shakes us out of spiritual lethargy. A soul exercised by the rosary is a soul that’s ready to run the race of spiritual life.
This Lent, use the rosary to help yourself become saturated with the divine life of grace. Participate in the sacramental life of the Church—go to Confession and receive the Eucharist. And then allow the rosary to be the means by which the sacramental life of the Church can achieve its full effect in your soul.
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Image: Lawrence Lew, Our Lady gives the Rosary to St Dominic (used with permission)
