Pope John Paul II - Rosarium Virginis Mariae
In an Apostolic Letter marking the 24th anniversary of his pontificate, Pope John Paul II
examined the history and meaning of the Rosary. He proclaimed a Year of the Rosary (October
2002- October 2003) for world peace and the family, and encouraged meditation on five
additional mysteries, called "luminous" (to be prayed on Thursdays).
Rev. Riccardo Barile -
First Reflection: Rosary in History
Inspired by the Holy Father's Apostolic Letter, Fr. Barile, of the Dominican Theological Faculty of Bologna, traces the Rosary's development, in structure and
content, from the time of the Fathers.
Jesus Catellano Cervera, O.C.D. -
Second Reflection: Rosary, a Contemplative Prayer
A professor from the Pontificial Institute for Spirituality ("Teresianum") draws on Pope John Paul
II's Apostolic Letter to show how meditative praying of the Rosary can bring us to contemplation, a "gaze of the heart" on God.
Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi -
Third Reflection: Rosary for Peace in Our Day
Bishop Crepaldi, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, draws Marian
implications for the Church's social doctrine from Rosarium
Virginis Mariae.
Archbishop Angelo Amato, S.D.B.
- Fourth Reflection: At Heart a Christological Prayer
Archbishop Amato, Secretary of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith, echoes the teaching
Rosarium Virginis Mariae, that the Rosary is a Christ-centered prayer, in
which the Face of Christ may be contemplated through the eyes of Mary.
Rev. Enzo Bianchi -
Fifth Reflection: The Universal Value of Prayer of the Rosary
Father Bianchi, Prior of the Monastery of Bose, considers how the Rosary has developed in the
Christian spiritual tradition over the centuries, comparing it with the Jesus Prayer of the eastern
Church, and contrasting it with repetitive prayers in nonchristian traditions.
Cardinal
Alfonso López Trujillo
- Sixth Reflection: The Rosary as Family Prayer
Cardinal López Trujillo, President of the Pontifical Council for the
Family, calls for a return to the domestic church of the apostolic era. Citing
Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter, he encourages use of the Rosary in family prayer.
François-Marie Léthel -
Seventh Reflection: Look With Mary's Gaze at Jesus
Professor Léthel, a Member of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, examines the influence of
St. Louis de Montfort on the Holy Father, as reflected in Rosarium
Virginis Mariae.
Mons. Marcello Bordoni
- Eighth Reflection: From ‘mysteries’ to the ‘Mystery of Christ’
Mons. Bordoni, Secretary of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, shows that
meditation on the mysteries of Christ is "indispensable for the spiritual nourishment and growth of
the Christian." The Rosary takes Mary as our model, since "no one has ever devoted
himself to the contemplation of the face of Christ as faithfully as Mary."
Salvatore M.
Perrella, O.S.M. - Ninth Reflection: Recent Popes on Value of the Rosary
Father Perella, from the Pontifical Theological Faculty of the 'Marianum', reviews the emphasis of recent Popes on the Rosary, as a defense against modern errors (Leo XIII to Pius XII) and as a compendium of the Gospel (John XXIII to John Paul II).
M. Anna Maria Cànopi,
O.S.B. - Tenth Reflection: The Rosary brings us closer to Mary
A Benedictine nun, of the abbey Mater Ecclesiae, on an island in Lake Orta, Italy, writes that the Rosary
brings us closer to Mary, to contemplate with her, her Son Jesus.
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