How the Rosary Brings Us Closer to Jesus by Christine Galeone l Meaning of Rosary l Rosary as a Symbol l Rosary Prayers l Importance of Rosary in Catholic Faith l Catholic Rosary

Helps Us to Focus on Jesus

In Portugal, in 2010, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the crowd. He said: “The recitation of the rosary allows us to fix our gaze and our hearts upon Jesus, just like his Mother, the supreme model of contemplation of the Son. Meditating upon the joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious mysteries as we pray our Hail Mary’s, let us reflect upon the interior mystery of Jesus, from the Incarnation, through the Cross, to the glory of the Resurrection; let us contemplate the intimate participation of Mary in the mystery of our life in Christ today, a life which is also made up of joy and sorrow, of darkness and light, of fear and hope.”

Compels Us to Answer Jesus’ Call to Forgive

In Immaculee Ilibagiza’s book, ”Left to Tell,” the Rwandan genocide survivor writes of how she prayed the Rosary while hiding in a bathroom with seven other women and girls for 91 days. She writes: “I held on to my father’s rosary and asked God to help me, and again I heard His voice: Forgive them; they know not what they do. I took a crucial step toward forgiving the killers that day. My anger was draining from me – I’d opened my heart to God, and He’d touched it with His infinite love. For the first time, I pitied the killers. I asked God to forgive their sins and turn their souls toward His beautiful light.”