Some of us aren’t naturally inclined to mental prayer. We sit down and try to clear our mind, but nothing happens. We get easily distracted or simply do not have any words to say to God.
While being in God’s presence is itself a prayer and is very beneficial, sometimes we need a guided approach to Christian meditation.
One surprising method of meditation that doesn’t always come to mind is the Rosary. It is a “traditional” devotion, but at the same time, is a powerful way to meditate more deeply on passages from the Bible.
Fr. John Procter in his book The Rosary Guide for Priests and People explains how the Rosary is a great type of mental prayer for those who are starting out.
The Rosary is a never failing help. We need no book, we do not even need beads. For the prayer of the Rosary we need only what we always have, God and self.The Rosary simplifies mental prayer. Even the most volatile imagination can steady itself during the very brief time that it takes to say a Rosary decade. To some the passing quickly from thought to thought, from scene to scene, from mystery to mystery, as we do in the saying of the Rosary, is a relief; it makes them meditate when they would otherwise never meditate at all.
Proctor is referring to the practice of meditating on various “mysteries” that occurred during the life of Jesus Christ that are found in the Gospels. Each decade of Hail Marys is dedicated to a specific event, which is then pondered while going from bead to bead.
This practice can be a great aid to many people, especially those who don’t know where to start.
The Rosary peoples the solitude of their minds with holy personages and sacred things; it fills their hearts with the joys of Bethlehem; it moves their wills to sorrow at the sadness of the Courtyard and of Calvary; it makes their spirit break forth in glorious Alleluia of gratitude and love as they ponder over the Resurrection and Ascension, the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the Glory of the Heavenly Queen.
If you are looking for a way to deepen your prayer life and don’t know where to turn, try praying the Rosary!
Read more:
How the Rosary is a powerful form of meditation
Read more:
The beauty of the Rosary as a prayer of body and soul
And today we celebrate...