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"Our Lady's time was near in Nazareth; no doubt she and the neighbour women had been making fond preparations for the coming of her First-born.

 

Then one day, St. Joseph came home from the market place with disquieting news. A messenger of the Roman Emperor had ridden into town and made a proclamation in the public square commanding that every man must go at once to his native city to be entered in the census.

 

Under the circumstances, it was a harsh command for Mary and Joseph, and worldly wisdom might have counselled delay..." ~ "Meditations on the Mysteries of the Rosary" ~ Third Joyful Mystery.

 

Users of this Booklet have found the 15 meditations composed here to be deep and profound whilst being easy to peruse. R.J. Miller, C.SS.R. understood that it was sometimes difficult to know just how to go about meditating and desired that this Booklet would fill the void. Furthermore, the meditations in this Booklet not only have spiritual significance but are also filled with social relevance.

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As we mark the 102nd anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima this year (2018), we are reminded once again of the necessity of a true devotion to the Mother of God via the Rosary. The Blessed Virgin Mary herself has recommended the recitation of the Rosary, several popes over the centuries of Catholic Tradition have extoled this efficacious prayer for all Catholics and many Catholic families have alluded family harmony, peace and joy to the practice of this Marian devotion sent by Heaven.

 

How then, are we struggling Catholics to respond positively to the requests of the Blessed Virgin Mary and recite the Rosary well each day? Certainly the Rosary and its 53 Ave Marias (Hail Marys) are not meant to be recited mechanically without giving much thought to the rich treasures contained in the 15 Mysteries of the Rosary. Yet, many of us recite the Rosary when we are on the road or in between our duties of state, and may find oursevles in environments that are not conducive to recollected meditations befitting of this powerful Marian devotion.

 

Therefore, this booklet, Meditiations on the Mysteries of the Rosary, provides Catholic faithful wishing to honor Our Lady and heed her requests to pray the Rosary for world peace and the conversion of poor sinners, a portable and hence convenient means to focus our wandering thoughts to the essential episodes of the lives of Jesus and His Virgin Mother. Written by R.J. Miller in easy-to-read prose, this booklet targets audiences from all walks of life and exhorts readers to follow the footsteps of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary, without any theological jargon and discourse.