The contemplative nature of the rosary
The description of the Rosary as a contemplative prayer raises this simple prayer to the heights of intimacy with the Lord. In the Letter on the Rosary, Paul VI said: "Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas". Thus the Pope wanted to keep intact the genuine meaning of this Marian prayer and to defend it from the easy accusation of being an excessively mechanical repetition of formulas. John Paul II added, "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".
Because of the truly contemplative nature of the rosaries, we cannot give in to the temptation to lessen devotion, the risk of making the repetition mechanical, the lack of an appropriate atmosphere or place. We need to restore this prayer to the full dynamism of authentic Catholic contemplation. Let us evaluate what is essential in order to succeed in true contemplative prayer.
First of all, it is necessary to create an atmosphere of silence, recollection and real awareness of being in the Lord's presence. This is an indispensable condition for encouraging an intense moment of contemplation. We need to pay special attention to what is being said and to whom we are praying in order to adhere fully, with our heart and mind, to the words that are on our lips. The invocation of the Our Father and the repetition of the Hail Mary are moments that call for an ability to experience what is being said. We enter into communion with the Trinity and with Mary when our lips express what our heart dictates and when we allow our heart and mind to be guided by the words on our lips. The announcing of the mysteries of Jesus and Mary is an invitation to contemplate the word of God. Mary is our guide in this meditation.
The mind and heart are invited to fix their gaze on the mysteries as if to relive them, remembering the pertinent Gospel passage. We turn our eyes to the faces of Christ and Mary because the mysteries are moments in their lives. We are to do so with one of the simple formulas of contemplative prayer expressed by St Teresa of Jesus: "Look at who is looking at you". As we turn our gaze to God, we are surprised to encounter the gaze of the Lord who is looking at us.
Being close to God in contemplation encourages persons praying to look upon man, the world, the Church, with the same sentiments as those of the Virgin Mary. Every mystery of the rosaries can be prayed with a special intention that brings us back to the Church and to the world. Thus the Rosary becomes a prayer that contemplates the mystery of Christ and the mystery of man. In the words of Pope John Paul II: "What has been said so far makes abundantly clear the richness of this traditional prayer, which has the simplicity of a popular devotion but also the theological depth of a prayer suited to those who feel the need for deeper contemplation".