Madonna of the Rosary, Simone Cantarini (1612–1648), c. 1640, oil on canvas. Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, Brescia, Italy.
This is the second in a 12-month ShrineTower series contemplating Mary through prayer and sacred art. Each monthly reflection explores a Marian prayer, its meaning and origin and the artwork accompanying it.
The prayer featured this month is traditionally said at the conclusion of the Rosary, gathering together the mysteries just contemplated and directing our prayer toward Christ.
The Prayer
O God, whose only begotten Son,
By His life, death, and resurrection,
Has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life,
Grant, we beseech thee, that by meditating upon
These mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of
The Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what
They contain and obtain what they promise,
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Vatican’s Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church includes substantially this text as the “Prayer concluding the Rosary.”
Cantarini’s Madonna of the Rosary
Cantarini’s Madonna of the Rosary was a small painting, apparently intended not for a church but for private devotion in the home. Mary holds the rosary in one hand and the Christ Child in the other. Christ himself also holds the rosary while raising His hand in blessing. The Rosary rests in the hands of both Mother and Child, visually joining Marian devotion with the mystery of Christ.
The Meaning of the Prayer
The prayer begins with Christ: “whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life.”
Those words remind us of something essential about the Rosary. We pray it with Mary as its mysteries lead us continually toward her Son. We contemplate Christ’s life in the company of the mother who knew Him, loved Him, followed Him and stood beside Him at the Cross.
The heart of the prayer lies in one petition:
“that we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise.”
As we meditate upon the mysteries, we ask that what we contemplate might enter into our own lives; that Christ’s humility, sacrifice, mercy and hope might become more fully our own.
Ultimately, the prayer points toward the promise already proclaimed in its opening words. The mysteries upon which we have meditated culminate in the Resurrection and our hope of sharing in Christ’s victory over death.
The Prayer’s Origin
The prayer has roots in the Church’s liturgy. It appears in the Roman Missal for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and became familiar as a concluding prayer to the Rosary, traditionally following the Hail, Holy Queen.
Pope St. John Paul II referred to it in his 2002 apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, quoting its petition that through meditation on the mysteries we may “imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise.” The Vatican’s Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church also includes the complete prayer under the heading “Prayer concluding the Rosary.”
Our Lady of the Rosary — October 7
The Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7 and October itself has traditionally become known as the month of the Rosary.
The devotion developed over centuries, joining familiar prayers; the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be; with meditation upon the mysteries of Christ. Its rhythm can become almost instinctive, allowing the mind to rest upon scenes from the Gospel and contemplate the life of Christ in the company of Mary.
October offers two other connections with the Rosary. On October 13, 1917, the final apparition at Fatima took place, when Mary identified herself as Our Lady of the Rosary. And on October 22, the Church celebrates St. John Paul II, whose deep devotion to the Rosary led him to introduce the Luminous Mysteries in 2002.
The words remain familiar while the mysteries can meet us differently at different moments of our lives.
In Loving Memory of Ma Wilde
Under the guidance of Mary, Mother of God, I offer this series in my mother’s loving memory and as a continuing prayer for the repose of her soul.
Personal Reflection
The image of Mary holding the rosary brings back memories of my own sojourn with the Legion of Mary, a worldwide lay Catholic association whose members join prayer and devotion to Mary with active service to the Church and those in need. For a time, I met and prayed with a small Legion group at my parish, St. Basil the Great. As part of our service, I joined them on visits to a local nursing home, where we prayed the Rosary with the residents.
Over time, I came to know several of the residents. Many were nearing the end of their lives and yet their faith remained evident. Praying the Rosary together in that setting took on a particular meaning. These were familiar words spoken by people for whom the mysteries of life, death and eternal life were becoming increasingly immediate.
At that time, my faith was woven deeply into my daily life. I served on parish council, attended daily Mass, sometimes served at the altar and participated in the Legion of Mary.
Over the years, that level of involvement gradually changed. I drifted away from some of the practices that had once been part of my everyday life, including the Legion of Mary and daily Mass. There were changes within the parish as well. More recently, our pastor was unexpectedly removed because of a serious matter, the circumstances of which I never fully knew. I don’t know that any one event explains the course my faith took. Looking back, much of it is simply a blur of years, changes and circumstances.
Now, following my mother’s passing, I find myself returning to some of these practices. Her death has also led me to think more deeply about eternal life and our communion with those who have gone before us.
That brings me back to the Rosary.
This is why the concluding prayer of the Rosary speaks to me differently today: “that we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise.” Years ago, I prayed those words alongside men and women approaching the end of their earthly lives. Today, after accompanying my own mother to that threshold, those words have a more immediate meaning.
It may be time for me to return to the Rosary — and to the Legion of Mary.
ShrineTower Connection
In October 2022, ShrineTower returned to the Carmelite Monastery in Philadelphia in Sacred Path to the Summit of Mt. Carmel with John of the Cross and Teresa of Jesus. St. Teresa of Jesus, whose feast is celebrated on October 15, was one of the great teachers of prayer and contemplation in the Church.
The Carmelite connection also leads naturally to Mary. As I wrote in that ShrineTower exploration, “Discalced Carmelites are known for their deep devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.” The opening prayer invokes Our Lady of Mount Carmel together with St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross, asking that “the spirit of prayer” flourish in the community.
St. Teresa described prayer as the entrance into the spiritual life: “The door of entry to this castle is prayer and reflection.” That thought seems particularly appropriate alongside the Rosary. Its repeated prayers provide the rhythm, but its mysteries invite us into contemplation of the life, death and Resurrection of Christ.
Closing Prayer
Blessed Mother, as I contemplate the Rosary,
help me once again to follow the mysteries of your Son.
Strengthen my faith in His promise of eternal life
and keep close those who have gone before us.
I entrust my mother to your loving care,
and ask that you accompany me as I find my way
to the prayer that illuminates my heart.
Lead me always through the mysteries of the Rosary
to a deeper understanding of this life and the life to come.
Amen.
Sources
- Vatican — Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church — The appendix presents the featured prayer under the heading “Prayer concluding the Rosary” and gives substantially the same text used in the Marian calendar.
- Vatican — St. John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae — John Paul II discusses the Christ-centered and contemplative character of the Rosary, introduces the Mysteries of Light and specifically quotes the concluding prayer’s petition that we may “imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise.”
- Lombardia Beni Culturali — Simone Cantarini, Madonna del rosario con Bambino — Official catalogue record for Cantarini’s painting in the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, Brescia. It identifies the work as oil on canvas and describes Mary and the Christ Child each holding a rosary, with Christ raising His hand in blessing.
- USCCB — Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary — Liturgical reference for the October 7 Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary in 2026.
- Shrine of Fatima — Route with Our Lady of the Rosary — Fatima Shrine material recounting that at the October 13, 1917 apparition Mary identified herself as the “Lady of the Rosary” and repeatedly asked that the Rosary be prayed.
- Legion of Mary — About the Legion of Mary — Official description of the Legion as a lay Catholic apostolic association combining prayer and Marian spirituality with active service, including visits to the sick and others in need.
- ShrineTower — Sacred Path to the Summit of Mt. Carmel with John of the Cross and Teresa of Jesus — October 2022 ShrineTower reflection on St. Teresa of Jesus, St. John of the Cross, Carmelite spirituality, prayer and devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
