As is always true, we have much to learn from our children! In our prayer, for example, we are constantly invited to come before God as children, who in their prayers are always simple and sincere, always full of confidence, praying from within. We are called to this kind of childlike, interior prayer that allows an experience of closeness with God and recognition of His action in our lives.
In this month of the Rosary, we are encouraged to see anew the rhythm of the repetition of the Rosary’s prayers, which allow the lives of Jesus and Mary to pass before our eyes. With meditation, we can reflect on what happens in each Mystery and what it means for our lives: at Nazareth, the Son of God is made flesh in Mary, for the salvation of the world; in Holy Communion, He also comes to us in the most intimate way imaginable; in Gethsemane, Jesus sweats blood, He suffers, is in anguish, and yet His friends remain asleep (can we keep vigil with Him or do our eyes close with tiredness?); on Easter morning, Jesus rises and breaks forth from the tomb (the “first day of creation” brings us new light, reminds us how He conquered death and gave us life, and shows us how He can change the darkness in our lives into light). To pray with this kind of imagination makes the Rosary anything but monotonous and boring; in fact, it can make our prayer full of encouraging and inspiring images, the kind that easily capture the attention of children and the childlike. When the grace of God permits, our prayer is also, then, filled with new insights and inspirations.
When praying the Rosary, be sure to schedule the time, make the time! If we wait for the time to make itself, so many other things will gladly take the Rosary’s place in our schedules. The time to pray, whether 30 minutes or more, can be considered an “appointment” with Jesus and Mary – then it will be just as important as all the other ones planned for the day. For all of us, it is possible to set aside a time to pray the Rosary, at first, once, twice or three times a week. Over time – and this is the goal – it will be easier to find a time (or, again, make the time) to pray the Rosary daily.
Let us pray. “Lord, fill our hearts with your love. As you revealed to us by an angel the coming of your Son among us, so lead us through His suffering and death to the glory of the resurrection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
