While some may view the Rosary as outdated, the Catholic Church continually points to it as a beautiful method of prayer.
In particular, St. John Paul II believed it was a perfect way to practice contemplation.
He wrote about it in his apostolic letter on the Rosary.
John Paul II even went so far as to compare it to other methods of contemplative prayer that were developed in the East.
In fact, he even said that the Rosary without contemplation is a "body without a soul."
The key is in unlocking the contemplative aspect of the Rosary is in meditating on the mysteries of Jesus' life and not simply heaping up "empty words."
It's easy to simply recite the Rosary's prayers and not engage in contemplation. However, if we do that, we risk "babbling" prayers that do not impact our soul.
John Paul II also explained that the Rosary should contemplate Jesus' face.
The next time you pray the Rosary, try to do so in a contemplative way, meditating on the mysteries of Jesus' life and looking upon his face.
