Carlo Carretto on the Rosary

“It was in the desert that I came to realize that those who debate the rosary have not understood the soul of this prayer. The rosary is a point of arrival, not of departure. Normally it is a prayer of spiritual maturity. If a young man doesn’t like saying the rosary, and says he gets bored, don’t force him. Reading a text from scripture is best for him, or some intellectual kind of prayer. But if you meet a child in the remote countryside, or a peaceful old man or a simple old woman who tells you they love the rosary without knowing why, rejoice and be glad, because the Holy Spirit prays in their hearts. The rosary is an incomprehensible prayer for the ‘common sense’ person, just as it is incomprehensible to repeat “I love you” a thousand times to a God one canot see. But for the pure in heart it is understandable; the person rooted in the Kingdom and living the Beatitudes understands the rosary.” (Carlo Carretto)