Instead, be “transported to Nazareth’ through studying John Paul II’s meditations in Rosarium Virginis Mariae
May is a busy time of year for many. The whirlwind of school wrapping up, spring sports finishing, Mother’s day, memorial day and summer activities are all caught up in the changes in weather and days lengthening. Additionally, for Catholics, the Church’s calendar seems like a never-ending feast—we travel from Easter to the Ascension to Pentecost, all while celebrating St Joseph, many new Sacraments (first communions and confirmations abound!), and an added emphasis on Mary, who is traditionally crowned in May as well.
It all just feels, well…busy.
Amidst the busy-ness of it all, it’s hard to see how to make room for the prayer and contemplation that these celebrations and devotions call for—and even harder to see how we could possibly have time to ponder or study these mysteries.
But then, if we take the time to pause, and really read John Paul II’s words in his encyclical Rosarium Virginis Mariae, it’s also hard to see how we cannot:
“The Rosary mystically transports us to Mary’s side as she is busy watching over the human growth of Christ in the home of Nazareth. This enables her to train us and to mold us with the same care, until Christ is ‘fully formed’ in us. (15)”
As Catholics, how can we read these words and not want to be ‘mystically transported’ to that home in Nazareth? How can we resist the desire to understand, as John Paul II understood, the power of the prayer that is the Rosary?
Remember, this great Saint loved Mary as his own mother—adopting her after his mother died when he was just a boy. From her, he learned to love her Son as his own brother; together they carried him through the many trials of his life and into eternal life. In this deeply personal encyclical, John Paul II helps us to understand why we, too, should adopt her as our own mother. In studying this encyclical, we are shown how our own relationship with Mary and her Son can be developed through praying the Rosary—helping to renew our dedication to this ancient devotion, even amid the busy-ness of everyday life.
Additionally, to help overcome this busy-ness, Endow Groups has put together a study guide to aid women in pondering and discussing its meditations–a guide which aims to bring together women from all walks of life. This study guide, as with all Endow study guides, is written for women to read aloud together, eliminating the need for homework (because who has time!). It is filled with insightful discussion questions, designed to foster real conversation and true community.
The beautiful thing about this study, and the encyclical it unpacks, is how it applies to women in various stages of relationship with the Rosary. In it, each person will find all kinds of gems– from reasons to begin to pray the Rosary to insight into the mysteries to encouragement if praying the Rosary feels dry. In studying this with a group of women, a woman can also find solidarity and friendship—truly seeing how the Mother of God works in each person’s life to bring her closer to her Son. No matter where a woman is on her journey, this study can help her to enter into the month of Mary in spite of its busy-ness.
To learn more about this study, and the resources Endow has available for starting a group, please click here. To learn more about Endow, and to see what other studies are available, please start here! For any questions you may have about Endow, please contact info@endowgroups.org
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