Hello Father! I hope you're well. Two related questions. 1, Do you have any book/website recommendations for rosary meditations, to help focus on and deepen appreciation of the mysteries? 2, Praying in general: How can I cultivate a relationship with Christ or Mary without getting caught up in false "imaginings"? I mean, how can I be sure I'm really praying truly, and not imagining a presence that isn't there, or just lost in my own head? Thank you so much! :)
My personal favorite for rosary meditations is the NCRegister's Rosary Guide, though I'm sure that Magnificat's similar booklet is also very good. You can find good things online, too, like this and Fr Tommy Lane's excellent resources, but of course a booklet is easier to pray with.
Sometimes those "imaginings" of the truths of faith are actually fairly important for our prayer. We think in terms of things we can see and touch, so even though that's a very limited way to deal with divinity, it's our best and only entryway. As prayer life deepens over the years, the soul is gradually prepared for purer and more perfect ways to get to know God, but true vision is still only reserved for the next life.
So by faith we know that Jesus and our Blessed Mother really are there. Just not in a spatial way. Imagining God's smile on you and the Virgin Mary's smile on you is true. Just not in a spatial way. So you know that, if you start imagining that Mary decided to wear white instead of blue today, it's all in your head.
Of course, it's necessary to be humble enough to recognize that your imaginings are just that, but that the deeper truth of God's loving presence is so incredible that your imaginings could never ever do it justice.
God bless you and say a little prayer for me, would you?
- Father Shane