Why the rosary, why now? (II)

In 1973, Cardinal Albino Luciani — then-archbishop of Venice who would go on to become Pope John Paul I — gave a homily that identified a “crisis of prayer” in the world — adding that part of the reason was due to the fact that “noise has invaded our existence.”

We also face an abundance of internal noise. We are distracted by interior barriers to prayer that often manifest themselves in the form of pride and self-centeredness. In all of these moments of difficulty, we can turn to the rosary. The meditative quality of the devotion can help focus us and break through the external noise. At the same time, by praying this simple prayer frequently, faithfully and with humility, we can break down our internal barriers.One of the intellectual, spiritual and even media giants of the 20th century was Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Archbishop Sheen also had a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother, and he dedicated a book to her called “The World’s First Love, Mary, Mother of God.”

He also spoke much about her in public. In a talk titled “The Woman I Love,” Archbishop Sheen indicated how Mary and the church were intertwined because “as we discontinue our devotion to the Blessed Mother, there is always a decline in the love of the church.” Fascinating, isn’t it? The less we pray to and venerate Mary, the less we are connected to the church. It would follow, then, that the opposite also is true. The more we honor and pray to Mary, especially in her signature prayer of the rosary, the more our love for and devotion to the church will increase.

And this is a devotion that we desperately need today. Catholics in the 21st century are experiencing a massive decline of love of the church. The country is experiencing a massive decline of love of the church. The country is experiencing a rise in the religiously unaffiliated, or “nones.” It also is facing a large — and growing — gap between the moral teachings of the church and the evolution of our secular society. Recent years have seen an increase in cultural mores and public policies at odds with church teaching, which means that church teaching is increasingly at odds with the laws of the land. Part of the problem is widespread lack of faith formation, particularly for many adult, cradle Catholics.

The universal call to holiness is expressed in the Second Vatican Council’s “Lumen Gentium” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) — which reminds us that we are called to “be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.” When wanting to achieve holiness, where else is it better to look than to those men and women who have already done so — that is, the saints themselves.

“The saints and blesseds of paradise remind us, as pilgrims on Earth, that prayer, above all, is our sustenance for each day so that we never lose sight of our eternal destiny,” St. John Paul said. “For many of them the rosary … was the privileged instrument for their daily discourse with the Lord. The rosary led them to an ever more profound intimacy with Christ and with the Blessed Virgin.”

Gretchen R. Crowe, June 30, 2023

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