Introduction

Dear Friends and Fellow Pro-Life Prayer Warriors,

“The Rosary is a gift to the Church!” exclaims Pope John Paul II in his many commentaries on this devotion and in his October 2002 encyclical letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae. The Pope knows through personal experience how effective this devotion can be in helping people grow in holiness, and he uses a simple but precise formula to describe what actually takes place when the Rosary is recited with devotion: we “contemplate with Mary the face of Christ” (No. 3). It is in this spirit of the Pope’s words that Human Life International offers to the faithful this special contemplation of the mysteries of the Rosary that is designed to help us draw closer to Christ through Mary in this year dedicated to the most Holy Rosary. It is our pleasure to provide for you meditations on the twenty mysteries of the Rosary that include the new Mysteries of Light.

We call this booklet and accompanying CD the “Rosary for Life,” because we believe that there could not be a better title for the Rosary. In the many pro-life pilgrimages that Human Life International has sponsored in the past couple of years, particularly those to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Lord of Life. Mary’s role in helping us to attain to the divine life is especially portrayed by the Mysteries of the Rosary which show Her as the channel through which Life came into the world. She is the “Mother of Life” because She gives us Christ and His life.

In the year of the Rosary HLI is promoting a prayer campaign designed to convert the culture of death into the culture of life, a literal spiritual Transfiguration (4th Luminous Mystery). In particular we are asking all men and women of food will to join us in prayer for the conversion of the ministers of death in the Planned Parenthood organization throughout the world. Planned Parenthood is the largest provider and purveyor of abortion, contraception and hedonistic sex education in history. We call these forces of death the “unholy trinity” for without them there would be no culture of death. In this version of the “Rosary for Life” we will continually pray for the conversion of Planned Parenthood and all those who sustain the culture of death.

As you pray these mysteries of the Rosary with attention, please also pray for Human Life International and our worldwide network of pro-life saints defending life, Faith and family on five continents. Pray with us for the conversion of Planned Parenthood, and please also know that we are praying for you!

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer
President, Human Life International