J.M.J.
October 22, 2013
Blessed John Paul II
Dear Family of Mary!
Today we honor our dear Pope John Paul II and turn to him for intercession. He will be canonized on April 27, 2014,
the Feast of Divine Mercy. What a fitting day for his canonization!
Blessed John Paul II championed this feast, proclaiming it in 2000, when
he also canonized St. Faustina Kowalska! With great joy we await this
wonderful canonization.
Blessed John Paul II wrote a
beautiful letter on the Rosary that I wish to quote today. He spoke of
the Rosary as a way to stay close to Our Lady's memories of Jesus. And
in those memories, we can find our way to holiness and salvation. Our
Lady, herself, has said the same thing, through Jelena Vasilj in the
early days. So simple and yet so profound:
Saturday, June 1, 1985 - To Jelena:
"Always have the love of God in you, because without this love, you are not able to convert yourselves completely. Let the rosary be in your hands in memory of Jesus. Dear children, strive to deepen your knowledge of the Mass as you should."
Blessed John Paul II wrote:
Mary's memories
11. Mary
lived with her eyes fixed on Christ, treasuring his every word: "She
kept all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Lk 2:19; cf. 2:51).
The memories of Jesus, impressed upon her heart, were always with her,
leading her to reflect on the various moments of her life at her Son's
side. In a way those memories were to be the "rosary" which she recited
uninterruptedly throughout her earthly life.
Even now,
amid the joyful songs of the heavenly Jerusalem, the reasons for her
thanksgiving and praise remain unchanged. They inspire her maternal
concern for the pilgrim Church, in which she continues to relate her
personal account of the Gospel. Mary constantly sets before the faithful
the "mysteries" of her Son, with the desire that the contemplation of
those mysteries will release all their saving power. In the recitation
of the Rosary, the Christian community enters into contact with the
memories and the contemplative gaze of Mary.
The Rosary, a contemplative prayer
12. The
Rosary, precisely because it starts with Mary's own experience, is an
exquisitely contemplative prayer. Without this contemplative dimension,
it would lose its meaning, as Pope Paul VI clearly pointed out: "Without
contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation
runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in
violation of the admonition of Christ: 'In praying do not heap up empty
phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their
many words' (Mt 6:7). By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls
for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to
meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life as seen through the eyes of
her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of
these mysteries are disclosed"
It is worth
pausing to consider this profound insight of Paul VI, in order to bring
out certain aspects of the Rosary which show that it is really a form
of Christocentric contemplation.
(APOSTOLIC LETTER ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
JOHN PAUL II TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY AND FAITHFUL ON THE MOST HOLY ROSARY )
JOHN PAUL II TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY AND FAITHFUL ON THE MOST HOLY ROSARY )
"By its nature the
recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace,
helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life
as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord." We are
invited into the most beautiful relationship in all history, that of
Jesus and Mary, through the Rosary. What love we are receiving each time
we pray the Rosary, what intimacy and inclusion in the life of heaven!!
Friday, June 1, 1984 - To Jelena:
"May the love of God be always in you, because without it, you cannot be fully converted. Let the rosary in your hands make you think of Jesus."
May we hold our Rosaries close and think of Jesus!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2013
"Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world!"
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