Kathryn Marcellino - How to Pray the Rosary as a Pathway to Contemplation

How to Pray theRosary

as a

Pathway toContemplation

KathrynMarcellino

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2010 Kathryn Marcellino
www.CatholicSpiritualDirection.org

Cover design and graphic design byKathryn Marcellino. The art masterpieces used for each mystery arefrom the public domain with the framed borders added tothem.

The scripture quotations are from TheChalloner Revision of the Douay-Rheims Bible and the World EnglishBible, both in the public domain.

This book is available in print at mostonline retailers. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without theprior written permission of the author, except by a reviewer whomay quote brief passages in a review.

Smashwords Edition, LicenseNotes

This ebook is licensed for yourpersonal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or givenaway to other people. If you would like to share this book withanother person, please purchase an additional copy for eachrecipient. If youre reading this book and did not purchase it, orit was not purchased for your use only, then please return toSmashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respectingthe hard work of this author.

ISBN 13-digit:978-0-945272-53-3

Table ofContents

It is marvelous to see thefruits of prayer in someone's life. In the life of Pope John PaulII, we have learned much about his love for the rosary, especiallyin his Apostolic Letter, The Rosary of theBlessed Virgin Mary. Kathryn Marcellinohas written this little book as part of the fruits of her ownprayer.

Kathryn loves the rosary very much andwants to share that love with others. To do that, she has compiledthis attractive little book which will hopefully lead many othersto love Jesus and Mary more. Her thoughts and the art work she hasselected have helped inspire me to pray. May this book do the samefor you!

Fr. Donald Kinney,O.C.D.

Rector, Carmelite House ofStudies

Mt. Angel, Oregon

Dedication

This book is dedicated tothe honor and glory of God, to our Blessed Mother, Mary, and to myfamily.

The Rosary, A ContemplativePrayer

"The Rosary, preciselybecause it starts with Mary's own experience, is an exquisitelycontemplative prayer.... By its nature therecitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingeringpace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of theLord's life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to theLord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries aredisclosed." from Pope John Paul II'sApostolic Letter on the Rosary of the Virgin Mary (RosariumVirginis Mariae)

God is love. He loves us and desiresthat we love him in return. Prayer is how we interact andcommunicate with God. The purpose of prayer is to have a personalloving relationship with God. One excellent way that we canincrease our knowledge and of love of God is through praying therosary.

This book is written to help you praythe rosary as it is meant to be prayed: as a meditation on Gospelevents from the lives of Jesus and Mary. It contains instructionson how to say the prayers of the rosary, how to meditate on themysteries and how to pray the rosary in a way to remain receptiveto God's actions during prayer so that it becomes a "pathway tocontemplation".

The main part of the book includesScripture passages and art masterpieces for each mystery to use asa visual aid while praying the rosary. It also includes informationon the prayer of contemplation and how to recognize the transitionfrom meditation to contemplation. There are also chapters on lovingGod, making progress in prayer and tips on saying a family rosarywith children.

The reflections in the book come fromthe practice of daily prayer, and from the study of Churchteachings, the writings of the Saints and Carmelitespirituality.

Pope John Paul II in hisApostolic Letter, The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, said," The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, which gradually took form in the secondmillennium under the guidance of the Spirit of God, is a prayerloved by countless Saints and encouraged by the Magisterium. Simpleyet profound, it still remains, at the dawn of this thirdmillennium, a prayer of great significance, destined to bring fortha harvest of holiness."

The rosary as a meditativeprayer

Many people think of the rosary asmerely reciting a number of vocal prayers on beads. While vocalprayer has a value in itself (when we think about the words andopen our minds and hearts to God), the rosary is meant to be muchmore than a recitation of vocal prayers. It is meant to be ameditation on important events called "mysteries" in the life ofJesus and his mother. In this way the rosary is joining with Mary,the mother of Jesus, to ponder in the depths of our heart the samemysteries that Mary pondered and experienced in her life throughher relationship with her Son. Such meditation helps us to get toknow Jesus and Mary better and to love them more andmore.

At Fatima, Portugal in 1917, Maryappeared to three children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta and said,"Pray the rosary every day." Lucia said, "My impression is that OurLady wanted to give ordinary people, who might not know how topray, this simple method of getting closer to God." Mary taughtseven-year old Jacinta how to meditate on the mysteries of therosary by forming images of the mysteries in her mind as she prayedthe Hail Marys.

Meditation is a mental prayer, whichseeks to make real to our minds and heart the things upon which wemeditate, think about and ponder.

The Catechism of theCatholic Church (#2708) says, "Meditationengages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. Thismobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen ourconvictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, andstrengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries aboveall to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in Lectio Divina or therosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, butChristian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love ofthe Lord Jesus, to union with him."

The prayer ofcontemplation

Contemplation is considered the highestform of prayer and goes beyond meditating on the things of God. Itis a prayer more given to us by God than something we bring about.It is sometimes called a loving gaze on God or an experience of Godor mystical prayer.

In contemplation we may also realizesomething about God or ourselves not resulting from our ownreasoning, but because God gives us the realization and impressesit upon us. The intensity of contemplation can vary from slight toabsorbing and from a shorter to longer duration overtime.

Fr. Thomas Dubay in hisbook, Fire Within, describes contemplation as "a divinely originated, general,nonconceptual, loving awareness of God. At times this is adelightful, loving attention, at times a dry purifying desire, attimes a strong thirsting for him."