MESSAGE

From Cardinal Mauro Piacenza

Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy

On the occasion of the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Vatican City, 7 October 2011

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

Dear Priests and Deacons,

The annual liturgical memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary gives rise to some thoughts that I would like to share with you.

There is evidence, not least from the recent World Youth Day in Madrid, that the Holy Rosary has "come back into fashion" with the faithful – the young and not so young, the the laity, and consecrated men and women.

One of the many gifts that Blessed John Paul II gave the Church was just this: to have replaced the Holy Rosary beads into the hands of everyone. With his own example, the Blessed Pope motivated and supported those who, even when ridiculed, had never abandoned this pious practice. He also gave the reasoning behind the Rosary, not just the spiritual and Marian reasons but also the Christological and ecclesiological aspects, as it is upon the mysteries of the Redemption, that this splendid prayer is founded.

In the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae Blessed John Paul II wrote: The Rosary of the Virgin Mary… is a prayer loved by countless Saints and encouraged by the Magisterium. Simple yet profound, it still remains… a prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness… The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety. (RVM 1)

In this way, the Holy Rosary is an extraordinary aid to living our lives fully immersed in the mystery of Christ, especially for ordained ministers. With it we find ourselves "ruminating" continually on Christ's life, words, example, and attitudes so that we fully identify ourselves with Him which is so necessary to faithfully live out our ministry.

The Holy Rosary spurs us on to live fully in the memory of Christ. With this sublime, yet simple prayer we can remember Christ with Mary; learn Christ from Mary; conform ourselves to Christ with Mary; and to make supplication and proclaim Christ with Mary!

This delightful prayer of peace brings us close to God's holy people; to the simple ones and to the scholars, to the saints and also to the sinners. There is no prayer which requires so little preparation but which speaks so effectively to the hearts and minds of humanity.

As Pope Paul VI made clear: "not only does this prayer not conflict with the Liturgy, it sustains it, since it serves as an excellent introduction and a faithful echo of the Liturgy, enabling people to participate fully and interiorly in it and to reap its fruits in their daily lives." (RVM 4) 

Dearly beloved Priests and Deacons: let us constantly trust our ministry and person journey of sanctification to the Blessed Virgin Mary through the constant daily prayer of the Holy Rosary. There are many historical examples of saints and popes who were ‘overwhelmed with obligations’, however there is no prayer greater than the Holy Rosary that can sustain every authentic work of evangelisation with humble and ‘incarnate’ efficacy.

The strongest discover that the Holy Rosary makes them humble and willing to be instruments in the hands of the Lord. The weakest find in its power, sustenance, courage and refuge. Everyone will see their own ministry flourish and bear fruit because, with Mary, our gaze is progressively transfigured, making us able to recognize Jesus who passes by in every person and circumstance.

I also pray the Holy Rosary daily for the world’s Clerics and I humble ask for prayers for the journey towards the sanctification and reform of the Clergy, which will happen as a work of the Spirit and the fruit of the sweet motherhood of Our Lady of the Rosary.

I wish you all a blessed month of October, as we pray the Holy Rosary which binds each of us together with Peter in an intense, sacramental and fraternal affection.