How To Pray The Contemplative Rosary

A couple of years ago I mentioned that I was co-writing a book with Dan Burke of the National Catholic Register, the Avila Institute, and SpiritualDirection. com. Information technology is finally published!The Contemplative Rosary merely became available. You can detect it in paperback and ebook formats at Sophia Institute Printing. Information technology is as well available at online retailers and should be at your local bookstore shortly. If you don't see it in that location, ask the owner to order information technology.

Contemplation explained to beginners and children

I am really excited about this book, because information technology brings pedagogy about contemplation to anybody: those who are absolute beginners in prayer and those who take only ever prayed vocal prayer, likewise as those who are practiced in mental prayer. My new column inThe Cosmic Voice,"Conversation with God," has the same aim. You can read the get-go two articles here and here.

Even your teenagers can benefit from this simple way of speaking about the deep things of God. My two oldest sons will exist reading my columns andThe Wistful Rosary as part of their teaching. My 11-yr-old son has already made use of some of the meditations during our family unit Rosary. My youngest, who is 6, can employ the beautiful paintings to assistance him retrieve almost Jesus and Mary while we pray.

If y'all don't already pray the family Rosary daily, this year, the 100th ceremony of the apparitions at Fatima, is a great fourth dimension to start. Nosotros used to pray the Rosary every bit a family just on Sundays (although my husband and I prayed it together the other six days). At the start of this year, we began praying it all together nightly. My kids know how much the world needs their prayers and Mary'south intercession.

A preparation for contemplation

The Contemplative Rosary combines Pope St. John Paull 2's instruction on the Rosary with St. Teresa of Avila's teaching on song prayer. Yes, song prayer. InThe Way of Perfection St. Teresa spends several chapters teaching her nuns how to pray the Our Father well. She writes:

"I know there are many people who practise vocal prayer in the manner already described and are raised past God to the higher kind of contemplation without having had whatsoever hand in this themselves or even knowing how it has happened"( The Way of Perfection,Ch. thirty).

InThe Interior Castle, she says:

"As far as I can understand, the gate by which to enter this castle is prayer and meditation. I do not insinuate more than to mental than to vocal prayer, for if it is prayer at all, the heed must take part in it. If a person neither considers to Whom he is addressing himself, what he asks, nor what he is who ventures to speak to God, although his lips may utter many words, I practice non call it prayer. Sometimes, indeed, one may pray devoutly without making all these considerations through having practised them at other times. The custom of speaking to God Almighty as freely as with a slave–caring nothing whether the words are suitable or non, just but saying the beginning thing that comes to listen from beingness learnt past rote by frequent repetition–cannot exist called prayer: God grant that no Christian may accost Him in this way"(The Interior Castleane,9).

Some of you may remember when I returned to "spiritual kindergarten" a while back, practicing maxim but 1 Hail Mary with attention. Sometimes when we have formed bad habits in prayer, we demand to go dorsum to something very simple. Saying even the simplest prayer with loving attending is an invaluable training for infused contemplation.

The school of Mary

Pope John Paul Two wrote an encyclicalOn the Most Holy Rosary (Rosarium Virginis Mariae)xv years ago on October 16 to gloat the opening of the Twelvemonth of the Rosary. So for those who dear the Rosary, next month marks a double anniversary. If you lot haven't read the encyclical, or haven't done so for many years, I encourage you to read and ponder information technology. Information technology will move your center to love Mary and her Son more than than ever.

One of my favorite quotes from the encyclical is this:

"With the Rosary, the Christian peoplesits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the confront of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, every bit though from the very hands of the Female parent of the Redeemer"(RVMane).

That images goes straight to my heart as a homeschool mom. Imagine Mary sitting in a rocking chair with a flock of children (usa) surrounding her. She tells her children stories. What stories? The ones she "pondered in her heart," the ones she shared with St. Luke when he was writing his Gospel. She invites u.s. into her meditations on the "neat things" the Lord has done for her and for all of us through her divine Son.

Helps for praying the Rosary

I honey beauty. I honey cute art. I was blessed to be able to search for 20 sacred paintings to include in the book, one for each mystery. I chose paintings that draw y'all to admire Jesus in the mysteries, rather than just admire the artist. Many of them I can inappreciably look at without being moved at once to pray. Almost all are by Spanish Baroque artists, especially Murillo. The Crucifixion by Velazquez is unparalleled, in my stance.

Each mystery likewise has 7 meditations that you can use to keep your mind fixed on Christ. We use the clausular method that Dan Burke has written about elsewhere.

Those of yous who have used the National Cosmic Annals's Rosary booklet (published soon afterwards the encyclical) will recognize the method and mayhap a few of the meditations. Nosotros updated, refined, and added to them.

I really believe this book will bless you and your families. And if you buy the ebook, you can hands comport information technology with y'all everywhere.

Discounts, in-person talks, radio, and TV

Dan Burke and I recorded an episode of Divine Intimacy Radio with hostess Melissa Elson discussingThe Contemplative Rosary.It will air adjacent Tuesday, Oct three. You can listen at SpiritualDirection.com or on iTunes.

On Sunday, October 22, I will speak and sign books afterwards the ix:thirty AM Mass at St. Peter Church in Omaha during java and donuts.

On Oct 29, Dan will announced on Bookmark with Doug Keck.

If you are close to Omaha or the Twin Cities, I'd dearest to come and speak at yous parish, prayer group, or bookstore. Email me at crossini4774 at comcast dot cyberspace

Finally, since the Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux is coming up on Sunday (October i), I'm offering the ebook ofTrusting God with St. Therese for $.99 at Barnes and Noble and iTunes from September 29 through Oct six. You may also detect a discount at other online retailers, including those catering to customers in other countries. This auction only runs once a year, so if you haven't read it yet, now is the time.

Please note that I tin can no longer run the $.99 sale at Amazon.If you lot tell Amazon you saw my book for $.99 elsewhere, they may driblet the price of their ain accord.

May the Lord bless you and your family unit every bit we move into the Marian (and very Carmelite) month of October.

Connie Rossini

Here is the link toThe Contemplative Rosary again.

Source: https://contemplativehomeschool.com/2017/09/28/praying-the-contemplative-rosary/

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