October 11th Fast

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JMJ

"As a prayer for peace, the Rosary is also, and always has been, a prayer of and for the family. At one time this prayer was particularly dear to Christian families, and it certainly brought them closer together. It is important not to lose this precious inheritance. We need to return to the practice of family prayer and prayer for families, continuing to use the Rosary. . . The family that prays together stays together. The Holy Rosary, by age-old tradition, has shown itself particularly effective as a prayer which brings the family together. Individual family members, in turning their eyes towards Jesus, also regain the ability to look one another in the eye, to communicate, to show solidarity, to forgive one another and to see their covenant of love renewed in the Spirit of God. . . Many of the problems facing contemporary families, especially in economically developed societies, result from their increasing difficulty in communicating. Families seldom manage to come together, and the rare occasions when they do are often taken up with watching television. To return to the recitation of the family Rosary means filling daily life with very different images, images of the mystery of salvation: the image of the Redeemer, the image of his most Blessed Mother. The family that recites the Rosary together reproduces something of the atmosphere of the household of Nazareth: its members place Jesus at the centre, they share his joys and sorrows, they place their needs and their plans in his hands, they draw from him the hope and the strength to go on."

(Apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 2002, Bl. Pope John Paul II)

Many of the saints have noted that the soul flies up to God on two wings: prayer and sacrifice.  One could easily say the nature of family life lends itself to sacrifice, that God offers many opportunities for self-denial, and sacrificial love throughout the day.  Yet, it appears, at first, that the other wing of the soul - prayer - is left languishing for want of opportunity to exercise its capability.  But that will only occur if we allow it.  Prayer must be a priority if we are to persevere in our vocation.  And not only personal prayer, but just as importantly, family prayer.  

Just as a priest forms disciples of his parishioners, so do parents form disciples of their children for Christ. But How will they know this Master whom we wish them to follow?  How can we ourselves come to know Him?  We can learn as we learned when we ourselves were children, at the knee of our Mother.  No one knows Him more intimately than His Blessed Mother, and no one more ardently desires us to love Him than she.  Saying the rosary is not just a fulfillment of a spiritual duty; it is a time to bring ourselves and children to Mary, so she can bring us to Jesus.  Sometimes, like little children, we wander off giving heed to the various appealing distractions, but she holds our hand firmly and gently as a mother does in a crowded place, securely keeping us close to the Fruit of her womb.  Bishop Hugh Boyle, former archbishop of Pittsburg once said:

"No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary. Either he will give up the sin or he will give up the Rosary."   

Our Blessed Mother wants peace in our hearts and in our homes.  The easiest path to do that is have before us the very picture of family living in the Holy Family of Nazareth.  Blessed John XXIII said that, "the Rosary is a school for learning Christian perfection."  May we always strive to imitate this perfect model.

"There is no surer means of calling down God's blessing upon the family than the daily recitation of the Rosary."      (Pope Pius XII)