Theologian Scott Hahn recently offered a reflection on the value and importance of praying the Rosary, saying that reciting the Rosary is not only an extraordinary prayer but a fulfillment of a prophecy found in Scripture.
Hahn pointed out that praying the Rosary allows the faithful to say “Blessed are you among women” at least 50 times, fulfilling Mary’s prophecy in her Magnificat that “all generations will call me blessed.”
“To repeat these words is a delight, because they’re rich with meaning, amplified by the Gospel scenes that are the focus of our meditations,” Hahn wrote.
Hahn added that the Rosary is also a special form of prayer because “it engages the whole person.” Those who pray the Rosary can use their speech to form the words and their hearing to listen to the prayer’s meaning, and tracking the prayers on Rosary beads gives their sense of touch a chance to become involved. The meditations on the mysteries of the Rosary involve the mind and heart, while saying the Rosary before a religious image can allow sight to become part of the meditation as well.
“This is how the risen Lord confirms the faith of his disciples: “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see” (Luke 24:39),” Hahn wrote. “It is not enough for us merely to hear him — never mind only read his words. We want him to fill up our senses. And he does, thanks to the love of his mother.”
Hahn also called attention to the Rosary’s highlighting of Mary’s role as mother of all, saying that her maternity allows her to encourage meditation on Jesus’ life “in a way that she uniquely can.”
“She helps us as his mother — and so, an eyewitness of his whole life. But she helps us also as our mother, given to us by Jesus, loving us as only a mother can,” Hahn wrote. “When we persevere in praying the rosary, we become like little children (see Matthew 18:3), children of Mary, children of our heavenly Father.”
As CatholicVote previously reported, October is traditionally observed in the Church as the month of the Rosary. In late September, Pope Leo urged Catholics around the world to pray the Rosary every day throughout October for the intention of peace.
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