The Rosary is the life of Jesus through the eyes of Mary

Under its false air of a rudimentary prayer, accessible everywhere and to everyone, the Rosary “concentrates within itself the depth of the entire Gospel message”, Pope John Paul II wrote in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002). 

To pray it is in fact to remember - that is, to make present and relevant - the main episodes of Christ's life, through the heart, eyes and memories of his Mother. Sustained by the Hail Marys, we become witnesses to the events of salvation accomplished by Jesus: his Incarnation and hidden life (joyful mysteries), his public life (luminous mysteries, added by John Paul II in 2002), his sufferings and Passion (sorrowful mysteries), and the triumph of his Resurrection (glorious mysteries). And so we enter into living communion with Him, through Mary.

To ensure that the reiteration of the Hail Marys is not just repetition or superstition, but a “path to assimilation of the mystery”, we need to respect its contemplative, Christocentric dimension. 

In his letter, Saint John Paul II offers some advice along these lines. In particular, he invites us to state the episode we are meditating on by fixing our gaze on an image that represents it. Then to let God “speak” by proclaiming a corresponding biblical passage. Then, before beginning the decade, to remain silent for a while. To give prominence to the name of Jesus, which is the focal point of the Hail Mary, you can include words evocative of the mystery (for the Transfiguration, for example: “And blessed is Jesus, whose face shines like the sun"). The hardest part is getting started!

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