Saturday 27 Week of Ordinary Time

 

Pope Francis: ‘Never abandon the Rosary’

When Pope Francis shared some advice to faithful Catholics and said: “Never abandon the Rosary. Never abandon the Rosary. Pray the Rosary, as she asked,” he joined a long line of popes who have called the Rosary their favorite form of prayer.

The Christian who stays close to the Virgin Mary is “like a child near his mother,” who should never be afraid, he said after his 2017 trip to visit Fatima, Portugal.

In 2007, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said that “The Rosary is a means given by the Virgin for contemplating Jesus and, meditating on His life, for loving and following Him always more faithfully.”

The pope emeritus is known for praying the Rosary “each morning and uses it to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ.”

In 1883, Pope Leo XIII said that “the Rosary as an effective spiritual weapon against the evils afflicting society.”

According to the U.S. bishops, the Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer.

It begins with the Apostles’ Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Our Father, which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels.

The first part of the Hail Mary is the angel’s words announcing Christ’s birth and Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary. St. Pius V officially added the second part of the Hail Mary.

The repetition in the Rosary is meant to lead one into restful and contemplative prayer related to each mystery. The gentle repetition of the words helps us to enter into the silence of our hearts, where Christ’s spirit dwells.f