Why did Pope Saint John Paul II believe the Rosary without contemplation is like a “body without a soul”?
In this episode of The Catholic Talk Show, Ryan Scheel joins with Mark Hartfiel from Paradisus Dei to discuss the Glorious Mysteries and how Catholics can get the most out of them when they pray the Rosary.
The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary “focus on His aspect as King, as Lord, as the resurrected Christ who gives us life,” Ryan says. They invite us to meditate on the Resurrection, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption and the Coronation of Mary—all important events in our salvation history.
The Glorious Mysteries help us understand Mary’s unique role, and how it points us back to Christ’s redemptive work. “Her queenship is at the service of the King… even when we enter into that Assumption, we’re talking about Christ’s victory over sin, Satan, and death—not Our Lady’s,” Mark says. By contemplating these events, we honor Mary and aspire to the Beatific Vision that awaits us in Heaven.
However, many people end up praying the Rosary without fully engaging the profound depth of these Glorious Mysteries. Mark says “they’re not mysteries we’re going to solve, the Church is calling us into to contemplate these mysteries and let the mysteries transform us.”
By meditating on the Glorious Mysteries, we can help ourselves internalize the Gospel and grow closer to Christ. Mark believes “you can learn more from praying the Rosary than any spiritual book, as the events of the life of Jesus Christ pass before the eyes of the soul.”
The guys say that praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary are an amazing way to have Mary lead us to her Son!
Watch this episode below 👇
“Hail, holy Queen!” 🙏
Credit: George Ryan via ChurchPOP
