Many on social media were surprised that the Croatian national team coach, Zlatko Dalic, carries a rosary with him to hold onto in difficult times. I am pretty sure that Dalic not just carries the rosary but prays the Rosary. Let us remember that Croatia, a small central European country, is a deeply Catholic country. Croatia borders one of the main Marian sanctuaries in the world, Medjugorje, which is in Herzegovina, the Croatian part of Bosnia.

This convincing faith witness of Zlatko Dalic makes me ask a very pertinent question regarding the Rosary: why is the Rosary so powerful? Pope Francis tells us about the Rosary: “The Rosary is a prayer that always accompanies me; it is also the prayer of the ordinary people and the saints... it is a prayer from my heart.” Yes! When we pray the Rosary, we are never alone. We have Jesus and Mary with us! The Rosary is the prayer of those who want to love and be loved. The Rosary is the prayer for those who value, more and more, the great power of a loving heart. Great saints, including my beloved Capuchin brother Saint Leopold Mandic, who prayed the Rosary often, a saint who the Croatians love very much and visit his tomb at Padova with the utmost devotion.

The Rosary is, in fact, an extremely powerful weapon against evil. Firstly, the Rosary engages my will. When I willingly pray the Rosary, I say Yes to God and No to Satan who tries to enslave my will through destructive addictions. Secondly, the Rosary is physical because when I pray the Rosary I use my body because I hold the beads and can pray while kneeling, walking or sitting. Thirdly, the Rosary engages my linguistic functions. While praying the Rosary I use my tongue to praise the Lord. That is why I need to pray the Rosary aloud, because by moving my lips my physical body and intellect are unified through prayer.

Fourthly, the Rosary exercises my imagination. Through the Rosary, I meditate on the mysteries of Jesus’ life and use my mind in a positive, purifying and fruitful way. Thanks to this meditation, my imagination is not only purified but also fully opened to God’s surprising and adventurous will. Fifthly, the Rosary engages my language facility since I become more available to the imagination and not merely become imprisoned inn speech and speech concepts. Hence, I enter into what has been termed as the “sub linguistic” parts of my being. Thanks to the Rosary, the sub linguistic part of me is accessed. When I pray this powerful Marian prayer, my imaginative channel is, more and more, occupied by the Holy Spirit. In addition, those deep down, raw childhood experiences are baptised by the Spirit of God. Any wound that I may carry there can be healed by the motherly intercession of our beloved Mother Mary.

Thanks to the Rosary, its healing mysteries are applied to me. When I pray the Rosary Christ’s mysteries of his birth, ministry, passion and glory are made completely available to me and the Holy Spirit to use for my own inner needs. Impurities and bad memories are purified and healed and where wounds are concerned, Doctor Jesus and Nurse Mary minister successfully. The Rosary is a great help in my spiritual warfare. Every time I pray the Rosary, I am fully equipped to keep Satan away from me so that he cannot control my will, speech, imaginations, emotions, my early life and, especially, my heart.

Thanks to the Rosary, the battle against evil in the world is opened. When I pray the Rosary, the mysteries of the Gospel bring Christ’s victory over Satan alive. Therefore, by praying the Rosary, I can apply Christ’s victories against Satan’s work in the world and, most of all, in my present life. Finally, the Rosary is easy and accessible to you and me. This great healing given by the Rosary occurs when I am unaware of it.

Go to YouTube, write Holy Rosary, and pray with the clip available there. Thank you Zlatko for the life-giving lesson you gave us (me the first one) regarding the Rosary.

 

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap