The Rosary as a Tool for Prayer


October 8, 2012

Not too long ago I was asked to give a talk at a Rosary Conference, and the topic assigned to me was “The Rosary as a Tool for Prayer.” I never thought of the rosary as a tool, but the more I thought of it the more tools I began to recognize.

First there is the drill of the Joyful Mysteries. The drill goes right into our hardened hearts so that we can feel as God intended for us. The abundance of God’s presence in the mystery of the Incarnation fills us with joy.

The pliers of the Luminous Mysteries pry open our hands in generosity to others. The great gifts that have been given to us cannot be held on to, they are to be given to others just as they were first given to us.

The hammer of the Sorrowful Mysteries pounds away at our head to help us understand the damage of our sin and the cost of our salvation. We are meant to think about the mysteries of our faith deeply and profoundly.

Finally, there is the screwdriver that anchors us in place before the Glorious Mysteries. We look intently into the these mysteries because they not only remind  us of the promises of Christ  but by his grace they help us desire the fulfillment of those promises in our lives.

By James M. Sullivan, O.P. 
Reprinted from MAGNIFICAT, October 2012, Vol. 14, No. 8, p. 9
With permission of MAGNIFICAT® 
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*Fr. James M. Sullivan, O.P. serves as novice master for the Dominican Province of St. Joseph at Saint Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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