Our Lady of the Rosary
Wednesday of week 27 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Luke 11:1-4When the disciples ask Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray,” He does not simply give them words to repeat; He introduces them into His own relationship with the Father. “Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come…” Prayer becomes participation in the heart, desires, trust and mission of Jesus. The same is true of the Rosary. Praying the Rosary is not merely reciting prayers; it is entering into and becoming part of the mysteries we contemplate. With Mary, we stand at Nazareth and learn to say yes to God; we hurry to Elizabeth and learn the joy of service; we kneel at Bethlehem and receive the humility of God; we walk with Jesus through His public ministry and listen to His call to conversion; we enter Gethsemane and learn surrender; we stand beneath the Cross and learn faithful love; we encounter the Risen Lord and rediscover hope; we await the Holy Spirit and become missionary disciples. The repetition of the Hail Mary creates a quiet rhythm within which the mysteries of Christ can gradually enter our own lives. Mary does not keep our attention upon herself; she accompanies us into the life of her Son and teaches us to see Him with her eyes and to love Him with her heart. The Rosary reaches its deepest purpose when the mysteries we contemplate begin to become the mysteries we live. Then the Annunciation shapes our obedience, the Visitation our service, the Cross our sacrifices, and the Resurrection our hope. We no longer simply pray the Rosary; through Mary, we allow the Rosary to form the life of Christ within us. Let’s reflect: When I pray the Rosary, do I merely recite its prayers, or do I allow Mary to lead me into the mysteries of Christ so deeply that they begin to shape the way I live?
Don Giorgio