THE ROSARY: A BIBLICAL PRAYER by Atty. Marwil Llasos

Our Lady gives the Holy Rosary to St. Dominic as a weapon against heresies

The Holy Rosary is a thoroughly biblical prayer. The Rosary is in the Bible and the Bible is in the Rosary. Thus, the Rosary is an eminently Gospel prayer. “As a Gospel prayer, centered on the mystery of the redemptive Incarnation, the Rosary is therefore a prayer with clearly Christological orientation” (Marialis Cultus No. 46).

In praying the Rosary, we look at Jesus with the eyes of Mary; and we love Jesus with the heart of Mary. We meditate on the mysteries of our salvation with Mary because she “kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Lk. 2:19; 2:51).

In praying the Rosary, we join Mary in her meditation. We ask her to share with us what she has pondered and treasures in her heart so that we too can ponder and treasure them in ours. In Mary is found the full and complete embodiment of the Dominican adage “contemplata aliis tradere” - “to contemplate and then to share what we have contemplated with others” (Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 188, a.6 c).

In the Magnificat, Mary sings: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Lk. 1:46). Mary invites us magnify the Lord with her and to exalt His name together with her: “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!” (Ps. 34:3).

In praying the Most Holy Rosary, we magnify the Lord with Mary and exalt His name together with her.