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The Rationale Behind A Rosary Litany

The Rosary, popularized by the sons of Saint Dominic, has been a devotion of the Christian faithful for centuries. Unfortunately, in the third millennium, many people have become dissatisfied with the Rosary as a form of meditation and prayer, viewing it as old-fashioned and outdated.

The Rosary itself is scriptural by nature, containing the Our Father and the angelic salutation (Hail Mary), in addition to the mysteries rooted in sacred Scripture. Moreover, the Rosary has been called a compendium to the Gospels as it leads us through the life of Jesus and Mary. In it, Mary leads us to reflect on the life of the Savior, from his birth through his public ministry, to his passion, death, and resurrection.

The rhythm of the Rosary is not repetitive as some may contend; rather, the repetition lends itself to meditation. As we pray each of the decades, we get lost in the reflection of the mystery. Thus the repetition of the Hail Mary allows the mystery to consume the devotee.

Perhaps in our technological era, which is consumed by noise, people are no longer able to be still for twenty minutes to bring themselves into the presence of God and reflect. It has become difficult to meditate on one thing for a short amount of time because our thoughts are fleeting and the worries of life distract us. That is why, in recent years, Rosary devotional books have been written — to assist in the meditative and contemplative aspect of the Rosary.

This small devotional book, A Rosary Litany, reintroduces the Christian faithful to an old custom of praying the Rosary. Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, in The Secret of the Rosary, proposed for devotional purposes the addition of a meditative element to the Hail Mary prayer.

Popes Paul VI, in Marialis Cultus, and John Paul II, in Rosarium Virginis Mariae, also encouraged this devotion. These additional phrases guide and focus the meditation of the mystery within the context of the Hail Mary.

In each decade of A Rosary Litany, the de Montfort suggestion is provided, in addition to several other invocations that could be inserted after the name of Jesus or Mary. When prayed in succession, the Rosary becomes like a litany, on account of the varied invocations.