Saint Thérèse of Lisieux had this exquisite insight concerning prayer: "Each prayer is more beautiful than the others. I cannot recite them all and not knowing which to choose, I do like children who do not know how to read, I say very simply to God what I wish to say, without composing beautiful sentences, and He always understands me. For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus".
The present month is closely linked with the contemplative prayer of the rosary. In the words of the late Marian Pope, John Paul II, the rosary is contemplative because "by its nature the recitation of the rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life as seen through the eyes of her [Mary] who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are disclosed" (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 12). Per se, the rosary offers that simple glance, that heart's aspiration which infiltrates the mysteries of Christ's life and make them present in the here and now.
Our lives need patterns by which they can be inspired from and helped to persevere in "what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom 12, 2). The rosary offers both the vision and the means to enter God's loving heart. Countless saints proposed it in every age of human and Church history since this potent Marian prayer proved itself to be a useful means to attain God's holiness.
For instance, Pope Pius XI said: "The rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin... If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labours".
The present deteriorating situation of many Maltese and Gozitan families is urgently showing the dire need to return to the school of prayer. The wounded and complicated glance of our families needs to meet the saving and simple glance of the Lord. With the following zealous and lifegiving words of Pope John Paul II, I wholeheartedly would like to encourage every family and comminty to take up the rosary once again in order to experience God's healing power:
"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" (Rosarium Viriginis Mariae, 41).
May our families and communities be healed from their past and present hurts by the rosary, the chain of God's maternal love for us. Let the simple maternal glance of Mary, as relived through our faithful and loving recitation of the rosary, bring us again to our feet!