The Bible and the Rosary:
Learning How to Hear God’s Word in Prayer
Michael Barber, Ph.D. / John Paul the Great Catholic University © 2013
www.JPCatholic.com / www.TheSacredPage.com
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and
every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already made clean by the word
which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in
the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I
in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:1–4)
Those who pray are certainly saved; those who do not pray are certainly damned.—St. Alphonsus Liguori
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2744)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself
intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. (Romans 8:26)
Prayer as a Conversation, Not a Monologue
What is contemplative prayer? St. Teresa answers: “Contemplative prayer [oración mental] in my opinion is
nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we
know loves us.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2709)
Moses’ prayer is characteristic of contemplative prayer by which God’s servant remains faithful to his mission.
Moses converses with God often and at length, climbing the mountain to hear and entreat him and coming down to
the people to repeat the words of his God for their guidance. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2576)
Hearing God’s Voice in Scripture
“In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them” [Dei
Verbum 21]. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 104)
“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”—St. Jerome (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 133).
The Rosary as a Scriptural Prayer
“The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements,
it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium.”— John Paul II,
Letter on the Rosary, no. 1
“The Rosary, precisely because it starts with Mary's own experience, is an exquisitely contemplative prayer. Without
this contemplative dimension, it would lose its meaning, as Pope Paul VI clearly pointed out: ‘Without
contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical
repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ: ‘In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the
Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words’ (Mt 6:7). 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 who was closest to the Lord.’”—John Paul II, Letter on the Rosary, no. 12
“The Rosary is simply a method of contemplation.”—John Paul II, Letter on the Rosary, no. 28
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The Mysteries of the Rosary
Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Nativity
4. The Presentation
5. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
Sorrowful Mysteries
1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. The Crowning with Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion
The Luminous Mysteries
1. The Baptism of the Lord
2. The Wedding at Cana
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom
4. The Transfiguration
5. The Institution of the Eucharist
The Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption of Mary
5. The Coronation of Mary
The Structure of the Rosary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Begin with: (1) the Sign of the Cross, (2) the Creed
Our Father
3 Hail Mary’s: For an increase in Faith, Hope and Love
Glory Be
Each mystery: Our Father, 10 Hail Mary’s (a “Decade”), Glory Be
Prayers themselves are Scriptural: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
Conclude: (1) Hail, Holy Queen; (2) Fatima Prayer; (3) Other prayers
The Greatest Commandment
34
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, a
lawyer, asked him a question, to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 And he said
to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This
is the great and first commandment.—Matthew 22:34–38
“You pray, you deny yourself, you work in a thousand apostolic activities, but you don't study. You are useless then
unless you change.”—St. Josemaria Escriva (The Way, no. 334)
“You frequent the Sacraments, you pray, you are chaste, but you do not study. Don't tell me you're good: you're
only 'goodish'.”—St. Josemaria Escriva (The Way, no. 337)
“disciple” (mathētēs): learner, pupil, student.1
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:22-38)
The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, If a woman conceives, and bears a male child, then she shall
be unclean seven days… 3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 Then she shall
continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. (Leviticus 12:1–4)
22
And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to
present [paristēmi = “sacrifice” 2 (cf. Rom 12:1)] him to the Lord… 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said
1
Henry George Liddell et al., A Greek-English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996), 1072.
“I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present [Grk.: paristēmi] your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy
and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).
2
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in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” [cf. Lev 12:8: offering of the poor]. 25 Now there
was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the
consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that
he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took him up
in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word;
30
for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 31 which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for
revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel.” 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was
said about him; 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and
rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also),
that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:22–35)
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; 33 but when
they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his
side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.” (John 19:31–34)
Daniel’s Prophecy of Seventy Weeks
“Seventy weeks of years are decreed concerning your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an
end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to
anoint [“anointed”: Heb: mashiyach, Messiah”; Gk: Christos, “Christ”] a most holy [place].” (Dan 9:24)
1. The 490 Days of Luke 1–2
2. Gabriel announces John’s Birth to Zechariah
3. 6 months later Gabriel comes to Mary (Luke 1:26) (6 x 30 = 180)
4. Annunciation to Christmas = 9 x 30 = 270 days / + 180 days = 450 days
5. Mary is unclean for 7 days (cf. Lev 12:2): 457th day
6. Unclean for another 33 days (cf. Lev 12:3): Goes to temple on 33rd day / 33 + 457 = 490 days
Prayer and the New Evangelization
“A short but fervent prayer will usually do more to bring about a conversion that long discussions of fine speeches.
He who prays is in touch with the First cause. He acts directly upon it. And by that very fact he has his hand upon all
the secondary causes, since they only receive their efficacy from this superior principle. And so the desired effect is
obtained both more surely and more promptly.” (Chautard, Soul, 35)
“No one in this world knows the reason for the conversions of pagans at the very ends of the earth, for the
heroic endurance of Christians under persecution, for the heavenly joy of martyred missionaries. All this is
invisibly bound up with the prayer of some humble, cloistered nun. Her fingers play upon the keyboard of
divine forgiveness and of the eternal lights; her silent and lonely soul presides over the salvation of souls and the
conquests of the Church.” (36)… quotes a Bishop of Cochin-China to the Governor of Saigon, “Ten Carmelite
nuns praying will be greater help to me than twenty missionaries preaching.” (Chautard, Soul, 37).
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