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Meditation on the Rosary
"Prayer is the raising of the mind and heart to God. We should PRAY the Rosary rather than say it. Counting prayers on beads was in vogue before St. Dominic's time. When Mary gave the Rosary to him,t he new thing added was meditation on the mysteries. This method of teaching the mysteries of religion produces in souls the life of Christ.
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Contemplation of the Christian ideal is to be followed by action, or Christian living. Jesus and Mary want you to join them each day to SHARE THEIR JOYS, SORROWS, and GLORIES.
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First of all it is necessary to UNDERSTAND the mysteries and to have a clear picture of them in mind...
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Here is a suggestion. Put yourself in the place of Jesus or Mary and live the mysteries with them. Be either on actor or a sympathetic spectator. For example, in the scene of the Annunciation imagine that you are present and listening to Mary and the Angel talking together. Or imagine that you are the Angel Gabriel sent by God to announce to the Blessed Virgin that she is to be the Mother of His Son. Then silently receive her message and bear it back to God.
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Or again, at the third joyful mystery imagine that you are one of the shepherds adoring the newborn Babe in the stable of Bethlehem. At the third sorrow mystery feel that you are one of the soldiers forcing the crown of thorns into the Head of Christ by your many sins.
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A sincere effort to meditate, even if the effort fails, suffices to gain the indulgences...
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A little practice will lead to satisfactory meditation. Much practice may lead to high contemplation.
Source: Booklet: The Rosary Crusade, by a Dominican Father
Putting ourselves in the places of Jesus and Mary~I will definitely try this especially when I am feeling distracted.
ReplyDeleteFr. Joseph Homick(from the blog Making All Things New) talks about keeping Mary company while praying the Rosary; I like that thought as well.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts on the Rosary, Esther and God bless.
Thank you for this excellent post on the Rosary, Esther. This should help keep me focused. I go through periods where I get very distracted and also periods where nothing distracts me. Guess which one I'm in? Lol!
ReplyDeleteK: I have tried this method. It really helps. I like Father H. method. I will have to try that next.
ReplyDeleteMary :-) It is with much prayer and practice that I am finally able to meditate a bit more than I was able to.