When I was growing up, my mother routinely asked me a question when I was walking out the door of our home. Whether it was to go to school, out with friends, to Mass, to run an errand, or to visit relatives, the question for years was always the same, “Do you have your rosary?” There was never a question, “Do you have money?” or “Do you have your books or homework?” or “Do you have your gloves, or hat, or coat?” It was always, “Do you have your rosary?”
That simple question, “Do you have your rosary?” was not so much an inquiry as it was a lesson in how to walk through this life into eternity. My mother set the priority for me. This had a profound influence on me. She was saying that, in life, God always came first.
There was another important lesson in this question. My rosary was unlike other ordinary possessions. Keys, money, handkerchief, bus pass. All these things were helpful and even necessary. However, the rosary in my pocket was a connection with heaven, with God’s grace, with my heavenly Mother Mary, and ultimately with hope. It framed my day-to-day life with the life of heaven that was offered to me first in baptism and was offered to me every day at Mass and in my prayers. My rosary in my pocket was a blessed reminder of the powerful connection with love in my life and also a relationship of grace with Christ and His Mother.
If we understand and allow our hearts to be open to the power of the rosary, these lessons will not surprise us. Everything about the rosary speaks of the miraculous love of God given to us through the Virgin Mother who brings us Jesus.
First, the rosary gives us those blessed words that come from Sacred Scripture, from God as the divine author, and those words that come from those holy people in the Church who were filled with faith, hope, and charity. The Our Father comes from the very lips of Jesus who teaches us how to pray. The Hail Mary gives us, in its first half, words from the Gospel of St. Luke. They bring to life for us the encounter of Our Lady with the Archangel Gabriel when the world was changed forever, when the eternal Word, Jesus Christ, became man in the Virgin Mary’s womb. They also draw us into the encounter between Our Blessed Mother and her cousin Elizabeth when the infant, St. John the Baptist, leapt for joy and in praise of the Christ Child’s presence in Mary’s womb.
The second half of the Hail Mary adds those beautiful words of the supplication of many holy souls who cried out to the Virgin Mother, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.” The Apostles’ Creed lays out for us the fundamental truths of our faith in this ancient formula. The Glory Be is a wonderful yet short prayer of praise to the Holy Trinity. The Hail Holy Queen reaffirms Mary’s role in our life as Mother, Queen and powerful Advocate. These prayers are the structure for our prayer that flows from our heart. They are like old faithful yet never-failing friends that spring to our lips when all else fails.
Second, the rosary gives us the mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary. These mysteries invite us to meditate on the incredible yet very real encounter that we are given in and through Christ Our Savior. The mysteries are not just reminders of long ago events. They are doorways into the saving presence of Jesus and His Mother. The Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries of the rosary guide us into the heart of the Savior and lay out for us how Christ shares His life with us. The mysteries also describe our own life to us, our joys, our sorrows, our times of luminous love, our times of darkness and pain, and the promise of the glory of the life to come, already breaking in on us. They show us what life is really all about. They show us the way to walk. They give us hope.
Finally, the rosary in our pocket leads us to come before God in adoring contemplation. The tremendous gift of the rosary helps us to realize that God is always with us. He is only a prayer away, a lifting up of our heart to Him in love and adoration. It is as Pope St. John Paul II taught in his apostolic letter, “The Rosary of the Virgin Mary,” that the rosary of Mary is a “sweet chain linking us to God” and “a treasure to be rediscovered.” It is truly a miracle in our pocket. It is a tangible sign of our relationship with Jesus who so loves us. It is a testimony of the loving care of our Mother Mary, who brings Jesus to us and us to Jesus.
The rosary a miracle in our pocket? No surprise for us. Hasn’t our Blessed Mother been telling us about her rosary for centuries? Messages to saints from Mary have shown what a treasure her rosary was for her children. Popes through the centuries to our own time have told us of the rosary’s power and encouraged us to pray it daily. Our Lady begged us to pray her rosary at Lourdes, Fatima, and countless other times and places.
Certainly, no surprise to me. My earthly mother always asked me, “Do you have your rosary?” Yes, Mom, I still do. Thank you for reminding me.
Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh