“Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio Divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further to the knowledge of the love of the lord Jesus, to union with him.”
—CCC 2708
One of the most powerful devotions of our Catholic faith is praying the Rosary, a practice that originated as a way to pray in solidarity with medieval monks, who recited the 150 psalms in the Psalter. Since most people could not read the psalms, they began reciting the 150 Hail Mary’s in the Rosary instead. As noted in the catechism, the rosary offers a way to deeply meditate on the mysteries of Jesus’ life, to grow closer to him.
Here are some resources for praying the rosary.