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One of the best-known and most widely practiced prayers in our Catholic Church is the Holy Rosary, which is a fundamental part of the lives of many believers.

What is it that makes the Rosary so valuable and recommendable for cultivating and increasing the life of faith?

Unfortunately, in certain circles the Rosary faces many prejudices. For some people, it seems to be nothing more than meaningless “repetition”. For others, it awakens unpleasant memories of times past, when they were forced to pray this prayer in the family or in church. But these prejudices or resistances can be overcome if one tries to more deeply understand the meaning of the Holy Rosary.

• The Holy Rosary is a meditative prayer; it is a classic Christian meditation.

The repetition of the Hail Marys forms a chain that leads to the mysteries of salvation. Many spiritual masters emphasize the benefit of a repetitive prayer, which is capable of recollecting man’s heart and quieting the restless spirit. A calm and recollected spirit can more easily concentrate on the content and essence of prayer. The mysteries of the Holy Rosary, which are the stations of the life of Jesus, settle in our hearts through meditation and repetition, becoming a kind of inner certainty. And this, in turn, leads to greater love and gratitude towards Jesus. It is fundamental to pray the Rosary with the heart; that is, to pray it within ourselves. Again and again the frequent repetitions gently call the scattered spirit back to the true center of prayer.

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Prayer is one of the glories we can already enjoy in this life, for it is a ladder by which God descends to us and we ascend to Him. However, even in our prayer life we are not exempt from the stresses that correspond to our earthly existence and we have to endure all kinds of disturbances. But God, in His wisdom, makes use of it all.

Yesterday we had begun to speak about the so-called “sufferings in prayer”, among which we had mentioned distractions and dryness of feeling. Today we want to continue with some others…

• Aversion to prayer

When an intense prayer life is cultivated, it is possible that there appears an aversion or a dislike to prayer, to the Word of God, and to religious things in general. Everything seems meaningless! This can have different causes. On the one hand, the Devil is always interested in dissuading us from advancing in the spiritual life and he acts by means of suggestions, wanting to influence our thoughts and feelings. On the other hand, reluctance can also come from our human nature, which rebels against the demands of faith and, in one way or another, says: “I don’t want any more”.

This situation must be faced with wisdom. We can simply confess our love to God, tell Him that we do not want such feelings, even though we feel them within ourselves. Here we make a clear distinction: If I do not consent with my freedom to negative thoughts and feelings, I am offering them resistance, even with the “tip” of my will. In this case, the aversion is not consented to, so that it cannot unfold its destructive potential either.

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Given the extraordinary importance of a regular prayer life, we will now begin with two parts from a 2024 series on prayer.

Anyone who seriously undertakes a life of prayer – that is, who does not only pray occasionally or when going through great anguish – will realize that it is not always an easy path; rather, there are sufferings that can make prayer even wearisome for us. Therefore, we will have to fight against the laziness of our human nature, go through processes of purification and, of course, confront various temptations, which want to discourage us. It can even go so far as to make us doubt the meaning of prayer, because it would seem that God does not listen to it and that it does not bring us any satisfaction. Thus, the soul is in danger of throwing in the towel and abandoning these “tiring” dealings with God.

First of all, it should be said that a person must become accustomed to prayer. There may be stages in which we find it easy to pray and we take pleasure in that “coming home” we experience; stages in which we are granted religious feelings that fill us with joy. But, in the long run, it takes discipline and endurance to lead a regular prayer life. Certainly there are exceptions to this, and there may be people who generally find it easy to pray. But normally it is usually as we have just said.

The abbot of a Trappist monastery once said to me, “It is easier to summon monks for work than for prayer!”

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Today’s meditation is dedicated to St. Helena, Empress and mother of Emperor Constantine. The 18th of August is considered to be the day of her death, which is why her memory is celebrated on this date in some parts of the Catholic Church.

Instead of taking a biblical reading, we will begin this meditation with a few words from the Magnificat canticle:

The Lord “has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly” (Lk 1:52).

Helen, the great empress who played such an important role in the spread of Christianity, was born into a poor, pagan family in Bithynia (Asia Minor) around the middle of the 3rd century.

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There is a rich array of saints to write about, and each time it is a profound experience to witness how God’s grace reaches a person and leads them beyond themselves. They show us what becomes possible when one hears God’s call and follows it. We must not assume that this was not also accompanied by struggles in which these people became aware of their own weakness. Yet they held fast to God, and thus the Lord was able to guide them and be glorified through them. It is moving when a person who holds a high social position is so deeply drawn to the holy faith that they do not shy away from performing the simplest—and often most difficult—acts of service toward their neighbor. Saint Radegund followed such a path and became a model for many other nobles to walk the way of Christ and to give their lives.

Radegund is the first queen to descend from the princely throne into a humble monastic cell to follow the poor Jesus in poverty; she is the first German princess upon whom monastic life exerted its wondrous influence, inspiring many crowned heads to follow her example. Born in 519, she was the daughter of Berthar, King of Thuringia, and was orphaned at an early age when her father was cruelly murdered by his brother Hermanfried out of a lust for power.

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Beloved Virgin, how many manifestations of love shine forth in you!

In relation to the Father, we see you as a loving daughter; to the Son you are mother and disciple; to the Holy Spirit you are united in a spousal love.

If already here, in our earthly reality, we are moved by the tender love of a human spouse, and can observe how she blossoms and turns her whole heart and attention to her husband, how much more so is it with you, since your Bridegroom is the Holy Spirit Himself!

Bride of the Holy Spirit… What mystery surrounds this title!

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How exalted is the election granted to you, beloved Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ!

With astonishment we note that not only the Son of God Himself was entrusted to you, but also all those who belong to Him and sing the song of the redeemed (cf. Rev 14:3). And even more: you are the Mother of all men, and you become light and consolation for those who return home.

Many people come to you full of trust and appeal to your motherly heart, because they understand that your divine Son hears your pleas.

In you, motherly compassion for the earthly needs of your children goes hand in hand with concern for the salvation of their souls.

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Could one imagine a daughter of the Heavenly Father more enchanting than you, beloved Virgin Mary?

A daughter who so enraptures her Father that He entrusts to her the most precious thing: His beloved Son.

No, there can be no equal to you.

You are the one whom the Lord has chosen. Only God, the Holy One, knows all your beauty, with which He Himself adorned you; and He knows with what joy and tenderness you filled His Heart, seeing you in the splendour of His grace.

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At a time when, unfortunately, moral confusion scarcely spares even our Holy Church, and many people stray from the path of virtue or never set foot on it in the first place, it is important not to forget that the saints of the early Church, in particular, have given us shining examples of chastity.

We must not forget that these saints, who gave their lives to preserve their chastity, not only bring their light into this darkness but have also received great grace from God for the Church. They are a living reminder of the importance of placing the Lord’s commandments above all else.

One of these radiant women is Susanna. She is not the biblical Susanna, whom we might first think of—the one saved from death by Daniel’s intervention, who restored her honor before all the people—but rather, Susanna of Rome.

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Today’s saint—and we are not talking about St. Dominic—takes us to England during a time of great political tension. It is particularly important to note that, under the reign of Henry VIII, a difficult period began for Catholics who wished to remain faithful to their faith.

Henry VIII succeeded his father to the throne in 1509 at the age of seventeen. Initially, his countrymen were enthusiastic because he seemed to be a positive change from his father. However, over the years, his reign became oppressive. A fateful break with the Catholic Church ensued. Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and have his marriage annulled so that he could marry another woman. She had not given him the male heir he desired. However, he did not receive the Pope’s approval. His passion for this woman—Anne Boleyn—was so great that he went through with the break with Rome. In 1534, Henry and Anne Boleyn were excommunicated by the Pope. That same year, Henry proclaimed himself “Supreme Head of the Church of England on Earth.” This marked the birth of the Anglicans.

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