Prayer - The Rosary

Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception so I decided to do a post on the Rosary in honor of this feast day. I am mentioning the Rosary on its own because it combines vocal prayer, meditation, intercessory prayer and praise all rolled into one prayer. The Rosary is Christ-centered, essentially scriptural and intensifies our union with Jesus, through whom in the Spirit, we are one with the Father. The only way to the Father is through Jesus, He is the Beautiful Gate all must enter through. Mary helps draw us closer to Him through her prayers as Mother of the Church. Just as she was Jesus' mother on earth so she is the Mother of the Body of Christ on earth [us], given to us by Jesus himself on the Cross.

The seed of contemplative prayer is often sown during the Rosary. It "preps" our hearts to receive the gift of contemplation and sometimes the Lord draws us into contemplation during the Rosary. If this happens, let go of the prayer. God pulls your attention away from the prayer and you  feel caught up in intense love and joy - encompassed by Him; it could last for minutes and sometimes it can last for weeks. Sometimes He infuses knowledge into us during the Rosary, too. You may find that you have a knowledge of God that you did not previously have. These things can happen anytime, not just during the Rosary, but I have noticed that many people seem to have these experiences while praying the Rosary. Personally, I think it is a grace Mother Mary obtained from God for those who recite the Rosary faithfully and pray with their hearts. Consolations are common during the Rosary, also.

Mother Mary was the greatest contemplative of all times, she always pondered things in her heart. She is also a great intercessor and as our spiritual mother she would like to help us deepen our prayer lives. What is necessary on our part is good will and the intention to pray well, with love; she can help us with the rest and turn us into powerful prayer warriors because she is great at obtaining graces for those who entrust themselves into her care.

St. Thomas Aquinas mentions that 3 levels of attention are possible during vocal prayer such as the Rosary. The first and lowest level is our attention to the full and proper enunciation of the words of the prayer. The second and higher level is our attention to the literal meaning of the words. The third and still higher level is reached when, leaving the literal meaning aside, our attention rises to thoughts on the Mystery or to particular praise of God. This third level may rise to the point of contemplation.

My thoughts are:
In Mary, we find the perfect model for contemplation and union with God. Mary shows us what complete abandonment to God is.   " Let it be done to me according to your word" and "Do whatever He tells you" are perfect examples of this. She was filled to the brim with grace and it is through grace that we too become like Jesus.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary

June 20th is the feast day of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I have a great devotion to the rosary and I believe that my family and I have received many graces through her intercession. My husband and I have been married for almost 15 years and for the first 8 years of our marriage I suffered from infertility. (I have endometriosis.) We wanted a child so much and I prayed many rosaries for this. I also did the miraculous medal novena and sent a letter to Medjugorje with a friend of the family asking Mother Mary to intercede for us. Well...it worked! Each summer we go to the beach for a couple weeks and attend a nearby church. While at mass one Sunday the the 1st reading was 2 Kings ch.4 verses 8-16. When the words "This time next year you will be fondling a baby son" were read, fire went through my body! My mother and I walked out of the church after the service, she turned toward me and said, "Mary, next summer you are going to have a baby. ''I looked back at her and said "Yes, I know.'' That October (during the month of Mary, one year from the time I had done the miraculous medal novena) I got pregnant. The following summer, one year after hearing that Bible verse, I was cradling a newborn baby in my arms! We named her Michaela after St. Michael the Archangel with the middle name Rose after the Mystical Rose (one of the titles of our Blessed Mother). Thank you Mother Mary for your constant intercession and thank you Lord for this most precious miracle!