26th Saturday of Ordinary Time
Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
Baruch 4:5-12, 27-29; Luke 10:17-24
In the words of St. John Paul II, “To recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ.” As we meditate upon the mysteries of the rosary, we are taught by the Mother of God to ponder the words uttered by the prophet: “[God] will bring you back enduring joy” (Bar. 4:29). With the humble virgin of Nazareth as our teacher, we are enrolled in a school of prayer where we encounter her Beloved Son. “With Mary, in the mysteries of the Rosary we contemplate the life of Jesus which irradiates the mercy of the Father. Let us rejoice in His love and forgiveness, let us recognize it in foreigners and in those who are needy, let us live His Gospel every day” (Pope Francis). With Mary, we find our way to her Son where find the fullness of life.
By meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, we are reminded of the marvelous deeds God has done for us. Bead by bead, we are immersed in the contemplation of Christ who is our peace. Under Mary’s cloak we shall find our resting place close to the heart of the Father and He will see and love in us what He sees and loves in His only-begotten Son. When Mary presents us to Him in prayer, our only response is wonder and awe. The reason for this: “He who has brought disaster upon you will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy” (Bar. 4:29).The life and prayer of believers is centered on Christ because everything begins from Him and ends in Him. The rosary is a doorway to the depths of the Heart of Christ, Who is the mercy of God made tangible. Christ alone invites us to come to Him in order to find rest for our souls. By meditating on the mysteries of the rosary we are reminded of all He has done to reconcile us to the Father. It remains for us to entrust ourselves to the maternal care of the Mother of God that she might draw us closer to the heart of her Son where our hearts will be expanded with inexpressible joy to run the way of the Father’s commandments. In running, we will press on to make our own that for which Christ died to make us His own.
The Rosary is a path of proclamation and increasing knowledge. As we meditate on the mysteries of the rosary, we are reminded that all our victories over sin and temptation are a result of God’s grace at work in us through the victory of Christ over all the powers of darkness. The victory of Christ not only belongs to the past, but is also a part of the present. With Mary as our guide, we can look upon the face of Christ and recognize the fullness of God’s love in the events of our daily lives. Meditating upon the mysteries of the Rosary with Mary is a means of learning from her to “read” Christ, to discover his secrets and to understand his message. Through His life, death and exaltation, Christ not only reveals the love of God but also the meaning of man himself.
O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life. Grant, we beseech You, that by meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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